Abstract
BackgroundThe broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest is an important and typical component of a global temperate forest. Soil microbes are the main driver of biogeochemical cycling in this forest ecosystem and have complex interactions with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) components in the soil.ResultsWe investigated the vertical soil microbial community structure in a primary Korean pine-broadleaved mixed forest in Changbai Mountain (from 699 to 1177 m) and analyzed the relationship between the microbial community and both C and N components in the soil. The results showed that the total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) of soil microbes and Gram-negative bacteria (G-), Gram-positive bacteria (G+), fungi (F), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and Actinomycetes varied significantly (p < 0.05) at different sites (elevations). The ratio of fungal PLFAs to bacterial PLFAs (F/B) was higher at site H1, and H2. The relationship between microbial community composition and geographic distance did not show a distance-decay pattern. The coefficients of variation for bacteria were maximum among different sites (elevations). Total soil organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), soil water content (W), and the ratio of breast-height basal area of coniferous trees to that of broad-leaved tree species (RBA) were the main contributors to the variation observed in each subgroup of microbial PLFAs. The structure equation model showed that TOC had a significant direct effect on bacterial biomass and an indirect effect upon bacterial and fungal biomass via soil readily oxidized organic carbon (ROC). No significant relationship was observed between soil N fraction and the biomass of fungi and bacteria.ConclusionThe total PLFAs (tPLFA) and PLFAs of soil microbes, including G-, G+, F, AMF, and Actinomycetes, were significantly affected by elevation. Bacteria were more sensitive to changes in elevation than other microbes. Environmental heterogeneity was the main factor affecting the geographical distribution pattern of microbial community structure. TOC, TN, W and RBA were the main driving factors for the change in soil microbial biomass. C fraction was the main factor affecting the biomass of fungi and bacteria and ROC was one of the main sources of the microbial-derived C pool.
Highlights
The broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest is an important and typical component of a global temperate forest
Soil microbial community structure At a soil depth of 0–10 cm, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), Gram-negative bacteria (G-), Gram-positive bacteria (G+), fungi (F), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and Actinomycetes were significantly affected by elevation gradients
Our results showed that the total PLFAs (tPLFA) and PLFAs of soil microbes, including G, G+, F, AMF, and Actinomycetes, were significantly affected by elevation
Summary
The broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest is an important and typical component of a global temperate forest. Soil microbes are the main driver of biogeochemical cycling in this forest ecosystem and have complex interactions with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) components in the soil. As an important component in a forest ecosystem, are sensitive to environmental change and represent the key factor affecting the decomposition of soil organic matter, nutrient cycling, and biogeochemical cycles [1, 2]. Studying the biogeochemical distribution of soil microbial communities helps to explore the ecological process more deeply, and has important implications for the protection of microbial resources and the management of terrestrial forest ecosystems [3]. Differences in spatial distribution of the soil microbial community can affect the turnover of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) through its interaction with vegetation and various soil properties [7, 8]. Developing a deep understanding of these interactions is crucial for the sequestration and stability of C and N in the soil [8]
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