Features of soil enzyme activities and the number of microorganisms in plantations and their relationships with soil nutrients in the Qinling Mountains, China

Abstract

We studied the distribution of soil nutrients, the number of soil microorganisms, soil enzyme activities, and their relationships in pure and mixed plantations. Soil enzyme activities, the number of soil microorganisms, and soil nutrients were measured in plantations of Chinese pine (Pinustabulaeformis), larch (Larix kaempferi), sharp tooth oak (Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata), Manchurian catalpa (Catalpa fargesii), and mixed plantations in the Qinling Mountains, China. Compared with pure plantations, the conifer-broad-leaved broadleaf mixed plantations increased total N, available N, total P, available K, and organic matter in the forest soil; promoted the activities of invertase and urease by 16.7% and 53.8%; and increased the total amount of soil microorganisms by 95.9% and the number of bacteria by 104.5% (p<0.05). The correlations between soil enzymes, number of microorganisms, and soil nutrients were significant (p<0.05), and the correlations between the number of soil bacteria and basic nutrient prosperities (total N, available N, available K, and organic matter (OM)) were significant or highly significant. The correlations between the number of soil actinomycetes, and soil total N, available N, OM, and pH were also significant or highly significant. A suitable mixture of planted conifers and broad-leaved species improves the quality and amount of soil nutrients, increases the number of soil microorganisms and changes their redistribution. The change of soil enzymes and the number of soil microorganisms are indications of the change tendency of soil nutrients.