Changes in Transformation of Soil Organic C and Functional Diversity of Soil Microbial Community Under Different Land Uses

Abstract

Changes in soil biological and biochemical properties under different land uses in the subtropical region of China were investigated in order to develop rational cultivation and fertilization management. A small watershed of subtropical region of China was selected for this study. Land uses covered paddy fields, vegetable farming, fruit trees, upland crops, bamboo stands, and forestry. Soil biological and biochemical properties included soil organic C and nutrient contents, mineralization of soil organic C, and soil microbial biomass and community functional diversity. Soil organic C and total N contents, microbial biomass C and N, and respiration intensity under different land uses were changed in the following order: paddy fields (and vegetable farming) > bamboo stands > fruit trees (and upland). The top surface (0–15 cm) paddy fields (and vegetable farming) were 76.4 and 80.8% higher in soil organic C and total N contents than fruit trees (and upland) soils, respectively. Subsurface paddy soils (15–30 cm) were 59.8 and 67.3% higher in organic C and total N than upland soils, respectively. Soil microbial C, N and respiration intensity in paddy soils (0–15 cm) were 6.36, 3.63 and 3.20 times those in fruit tree (and upland) soils respectively. Soil microbial metabolic quotient was in the order: fruit trees (and upland) > forestry > paddy fields. Metabolic quotient in paddy soils was only 47.7% of that in fruit tree (and upland) soils. Rates of soil organic C mineralization during incubation changed in the order: paddy fields > bamboo stands > fruit trees (and upland) and soil bacteria population: paddy fields > fruit trees (and upland) > forestry. No significant difference was found for fungi and actinomycetes populations. BIOLOG analysis indicated a changing order of paddy fields > fruit trees (and upland) > forestry in values of the average well cell development (AWCD) and functional diversity indexes of microbial community. Results also showed that the conversion from paddy fields to vegetable farming for 5 years resulted in a dramatic increase in soil available phosphorus content while insignificant changes in soil organic C and total N content due to a large inputs of phosphate fertilizers. This conversion caused 53, 41.5, and 41.3% decreases in soil microbial biomass C, N, and respiration intensity, respectively, while 23.6% increase in metabolic quotient and a decrease in soil organic C mineralization rate. Moreover, soil bacteria and actinomycetes populations were increased slightly, while fungi population increased dramatically. Functional diversity indexes of soil microbial community decreased significantly. It was concluded that land uses in the subtropical region of China strongly affected soil biological and biochemical properties. Soil organic C and nutrient contents, mineralization of organic C and functional diversity of microbial community in paddy fields were higher than those in upland and forestry. Overuse of chemical fertilizers in paddy fields with high fertility might degrade soil biological properties and biochemical function, resulting in deterioration of soil biological quality.