Influence of Thorny Bamboo Plantations on Soil Microbial Biomass and Community Structure in Subtropical Badland Soils

Chang Chang,Tian Tian,Chiu Chiu,Shiau Shiau,Chen Chen

doi:10.3390/f10100854

Abstract

Vegetation in southeastern Taiwan plays an important role in rehabilitating badland soils (high silt and clay content) and maintaining the soil microbial community. The establishment of thorny bamboo (Bambusa stenostachya Hackel) may have had a profound impact on the abundance and community structure of soil microorganisms. However, little is known regarding the influence of bamboo on soil biota in the badland ecosystem. The present study was conducted at three badland sites in southwestern Taiwan and focused on the measurement of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) together with soil microbial biomass C (Cmic) and N (Nmic) contents, enzyme activities, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) assessments. The abundances of whole soil microbes as well as bacterial and fungal groups—as evident by PLFA, Cmic and Nmic contents—were much higher in the bamboo plantation soils than the bare land soils. The increased soil organic matter in bamboo plantations relative to the control largely explained the enhancement, the abundance and diversity in the soil microbial community. Principal component analysis of individual PLFA peaks separated the bamboo plantation soil from the non-plantation bare land soil. DGGE analysis also revealed a difference in both bacterial and fungal community structures between soil types. Redundancy analysis of PLFA peak abundance and soil properties indicated that microbial community structure was positively correlated with soil organic C and total N and negatively correlated with pH. This differentiation could be attributed to bamboo in suitable habitats providing an essential nutrient source for soil microbes. The pH reduction in these alkaline soils also contributed to the increase in the size of the microbial community in bamboo-regenerated soils. Together, the results of this study indicate that bamboo plantations are beneficial for soil microbial activities and soil quality in badland areas.

Highlights

IntroductionBadlands comprise a type of terrain wherein soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils (a fine-grained siliciclastic sedimentary rock) have been extensively eroded by rain water [1]
Badlands comprise a type of terrain wherein soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by rain water [1]
Fungi contents showed no significant difference between bamboo plantation and badland soils, with the exception of the bamboo plantation soil at

Summary

Introduction

Badlands comprise a type of terrain wherein soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils (a fine-grained siliciclastic sedimentary rock) have been extensively eroded by rain water [1]. The badland soils are made of up to 90%. Forests 2019, 10, 854 silt and clay combined and lack plant cover, largely because the soils are highly penetration-resistant, as high as 14 kg cm−2 , and high electrical conductivity (EC) [2,3,4]. Some studies [6,7] have indicated that vegetation in badlands can facilitate soil nutrient cycling and protection from soil erosion. Bamboo provides beneficial ecosystem services such as soil erosion control, land rehabilitation and nutrient cycling [9,10]. Thorny bamboo is one of the few plant species that can grow in the badlands of southwestern Taiwan. For the past few years, interest has grown in evaluating the impact of bamboo planting on soil microbial properties in badland soils [12,13]

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