Litter Inputs Control the Pattern of Soil Aggregate-Associated Organic Carbon and Enzyme Activities in Three Typical Subtropical Forests

Abstract

Soil extracellular enzyme activities among aggregate fractions are critical to short-term microbial activity and long–term carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems, but little is known regarding the effects of forest types on the soil enzyme activities in different soil aggregate fractions. Three typical subtropical forest types (Broadleaved forest, Moso bamboo forest and Chinese fir forest) were selected, and undisturbed soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected. We investigated the effects of forest types on aggregate stability (mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter and fractal dimension), aggregate–associated organic carbon (OC) and the functionality of five enzymes (cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, β-xylosidase, N–acetylglucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase) of different aggregate fractions (>2 mm, 0.25–2 mm, 0.053–0.25 mm and <0.053 mm). The results showed that the proportion of macro-aggregates, aggregate stability and macro–aggregates associated–carbon content and storage were higher in broadleaved and Moso bamboo forests than in Chinese fir forests, indicating that forest types influence the distribution of total soil OC among aggregate fraction classes and would delay the loss of OC in broadleaved and Moso bamboo forests. We also found that the extracellular enzymes were higher in aggregates of broadleaved forests and Moso bamboo forests. SEM (structural equation model) analysis also supported significantly positive relationships between litter quantity and aggregate enzyme activity, and indirect impact of litter quantity and litter C/N ratio together with soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil aggregate organic C content (SAOCC) on aggregate enzyme activity. The results of this study indicate that forest types showed large impact on aggregate-associated OC and enzyme activities, and the litter input of different forest types is the main control on enzyme activity among different aggregate fractions, and thus may play an important role in adjusting the sink capacity and stability of SOC.