Effects of different fertilization regimes on soil fungal communities under Phyllostachys violascens stand

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of fertilization on soil fungal community of Phyllostachys violascens stand, we characterized the abundance and community structure of soil fungi using the methods of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and real-time quantitative PCR. The experimental treatments included blank control (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), organic manure (M), mixture of chemical fertilizer and organic manure (CFM) and mixture of chemical fertilizer and organic manure plus mulching (CFMM). The results showed that fungal community structure and diversity were markedly affected by different fertilization regimes. In 0-20 cm soil layer, CF and CFMM treatments resulted in a significant reduction of Shannon and evenness indices. Soil fungi under CK, M, CFMM treatments in 0-20 cm soil layer and CK, CF, CFMM treatments in 20-40 cm soil layer formed independent community structures. Soil fungal abundance showed significantly positive correlation with the concentrations of soil total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. Organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus and available nitrogen concentrations were the main factors that influenced the variation of fungal community composition. The above findings indicated that 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers had different characteristics in response to different fertilization regimes under P. violascens stand. The soil fungal community in the 0-20 cm layer was mainly affected by soil organic matter, while that in the 20-40 cm layer was sensitive to the input of chemical fertilizer. The effect of fertilization on the diversity of fungal community mainly occurred in the 0-20 cm soil layer.