Bamboo Research Articles

Resilience of soil microbial metabolic functions to temporary E. coli invasion

Due to the globalization and increasing human activities, there is a significant increase in bacterial invasions to the soil ecosystems. Soil resident communities are vulnerable to bacterial invasion and suffered legacy effects after unsuccessful invasion. However, whether such changes in the soil ecosystems are permanent or temporary remains unclear. Here, we investigated the functional resilience of soil ecosystems to bacterial invasion and intensive managements. We used Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli) as model strain examined the soil microbial metabolic functions, including enzyme activities, nitrogen and carbon use efficiency, community niche, and carbon metabolic potential, as well as soil physicochemical properties and microbial invader survival in 8 soil samples, 4 from natural hardwood forests and 4 from intensively managed Moso bamboo forests. The results showed that soil ecosystems were not resistant to E. coli invasion regardless of the intensity of management, which the finding was significantly reflected in the nutrient-acquiring activities or carbon utilization, or both. Besides, the invasion legacy effect (the effect after invader apoptosis) was positively related to E. coli survival time. However, most of the metabolic functions could recover almost to the initial state after 135 days of incubation, suggesting a strong recovery capacity of the soil ecosystems. These data indicate that E. coli invasion has a legacy effect on the functions of soil resident communities. However, soil ecosystems are highly resilient even under intensive human management.

Decomposition of diverse litter mixtures affected by drought depends on nitrogen and soil fauna in a bamboo forest

Litter decomposition is a fundamental ecosystem service that can be affected by the nonadditive effect of litter mixing. We hypothesize that drought will slow the decomposition of litter mixtures due to a decline in complementary resource use. The presence of soil fauna could favor litter decomposition and mitigate the drought effect, but this depends on soil nitrogen (N) availability to soil fauna. To test these hypotheses, we compared the decomposition of single and all possible litter mixtures (11) of four leaf litter types in litterbags with three mesh sizes (i.e., 0.05-mm, 1-mm, and 5-mm) in control and treatment plots (drought, N addition or both) in an N-enriched bamboo forest ecosystem. Increasing the litter species richness moderately accelerated litter carbon (C) and N loss. The positive effect of litter diversity on decomposition was due to more complementary resource use. Both drought and N addition slowed the C and N loss from diverse litter mixtures, and N addition exacerbated the negative drought effect in this N-enriched forest. These negative effects of abiotic manipulation on litter decomposition were partly attributed to less complementary resource use. Specifically, the complementarity effects of litter mixing on C loss declined significantly, by 50%, with drought, and was even more pronounced in the drought and N addition treantment. The three-way interactions among drought, N addition, and decomposer communities demonstrated that the presence of soil fauna supports complementary resource use and alleviates thedrought constraint, but not the restriction in decomposition caused by N addition in this N-enriched forest. These findings have implications for projected decomposition rates under future global change scenarios, since they suggest that environmental changes affect decomposition through direct effects on soil biota and indirect impacts on within- and among-trophic interactions in forest ecosystems.

Relationships among phosphatase activities, functional genes and soil properties following amendment with the bacterium Burkholderia sp. ZP‐4

AbstractPhosphorus (P) limitation is common in subtropical and tropical regions. Although phosphate‐solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can transform soil P fractions and enhance soil P availability, the mechanism regarding the linkage between PSB abundance and soil P fractions transformation were still unknown. In this study, Burkholderia sp. ZP‐4, a PSB strain, was inoculated into subtropical bamboo forest soil at the inoculation rates of 0% (bacterial suspension: soil weight = v: w, the control), 2% (2%IR), 6% (6%IR) and 10% (10%IR). The changes in soil P fractions, bacterial community, phosphatase activities, P transforming functional genes and soil properties were also determined after the PSB inoculation. Compared with the control, soil inorganic P extracted by deionized water (H2O‐Pi) and extracted by sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3‐Pi) in the 6%IR treatments were increased 45.35% and 16.05%, respectively. The lowest content of residual P (residual‐P) was in the 6%IR treatment among the four treatments. The 6%IR treatment contributed to stimulating and inducing soil acid phosphatase activity and P cycling genes (phoD and phoC) abundances, relative to the control. The PSB inoculation significantly decreased soil pH but increased soil available nitrogen P supplies among all treatments. Simultaneously, the PSB inoculation also significantly changed soil bacterial community. The transformation of P fractions in the 6%IR was more efficient than the other treatments, implying that 6% is the proper inoculation rate of functional Burkholderia for accelerating P cycling at subtropical bamboo forest soil. Our findings will provide a scientific guidance for the application of biofertilizer.

The Dynamics of Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Different Types of Bamboo in Response to Their Phenological Variations: Implications for Managing Bamboo Plantations

Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) dynamics in different bamboo types underlie the different management practices of bamboo plantations. The changes in moisture, soluble sugars, and starch content in response to phenological variations in different types of bamboo were measured to reveal the NSC dynamics in different bamboo forests for high yield. It was reported for the first time that new leaves of monopodial bamboo started sprouting after the completion of branching, while sympodial bamboo extended new leaves and branches simultaneously. NSC accumulation for shooting lasted about eight months for monopodial bamboo but only a short interval of two to three months for sympodial bamboo. The moisture content in different types of bamboo showed a similar trend of increasing from March to July and then decreasing until the coming January. From March to May, particularly in March, irrigation was required for the shooting of monopodial bamboo, whereas the shoot buds in sympodial bamboo showed sprouting, branching, and leafing. Total NSCs in different bamboo types remained relatively high in March, gradually decreased to the lowest in July, and then increased continuously until the coming January. Average soluble sugar and starch contents showed the same trend as the total NSCs in different types of bamboo. During the period from March to July, large amount of photoassimilates were required for shooting and height growth and then for branching and leafing in monopodial bamboo. Abundant photoassimilates were also required for branching, leafing, and shoot bud differentiation, as well as for subsequent shoot germination in sympodial bamboo. Thus, fertilizer application to both monopodial and sympodial bamboo plantations should be scheduled in early May and late July. Given the moisture, soluble sugar, starch, and total NSC content, January was the best season for harvesting monopodial bamboo for high production and future growth, whereas for sympodial bamboo, November was the best season.

The effects of land‐use conversion on evapotranspiration and water balance of subtropical forest and managed tea plantation in Taihu Lake Basin, China

AbstractWidespread clearing of natural forests for tea plantations have profoundly altered the local water balance and energy budget. However, studies of comprehensive effects of land‐use conversion on energy and hydrological cycling are still rare. In this study, we used 5 years (2014–2018) of eddy covariance (EC) data, modelled estimates, and hydrological monitoring of different functional layers (canopy, litter and soil layers) to summarize the seasonal and inter‐annual variations and differences of evapotranspiration and water balance components in tea plantations (Camellia sinensis) and natural bamboo forests (Phyllostachysedulis). Results suggested the bamboo forest had higher actual evapotranspiration (ETa) (835 ± 5 mm) than the tea plantation (730 ± 19 mm), owing to differences in canopy conditions and plant physiology. Evident differences in ETa components were found between the tea plantation site and the bamboo forest site. The proportion of transpiration (Etr) was higher at the bamboo site (0.71–0.76) than the tea plantation site (0.60–0.65). Additionally, the soil evaporation ratio (0.10–0.13) was lower at the bamboo forest site than the tea plantation site (0.21–0.24) due to vegetation structure differences altering the radiation energy partitioning between the two sites. Moreover, the tea plantations were more susceptible to drought stress with low water storage in soil and simple rhizome‐root system. The comprehensive water holding capacity of canopy, litter, and soil layers of bamboo forest was 1.0–1.8 times of that in tea plantation. Compared with bamboo forest, pruning and losing of soil with intensive management activities enhanced drainage at the tea plantation site. This study provides insights into land‐use conversion of subtropical forest and managed tea plantation that have important implications on regional energy and water budgets.

Towards green composites: Bioepoxy composites reinforced with bamboo/basalt/carbon fabrics

Recently, the awareness of global warming was stimulated in terms of material usage. Interestingly, the incorporation between fiber reinforcement and epoxy resin was applied in various applications which were entrancing in automotive, construction, and aerospace industrial as hybrid composite materials. The aim of this study is focused on the substitution of synthetic epoxy with bioepoxy resin and also the replacement of synthetic-based composites with fully biobased composites. To the best of our knowledge as of now, there is no work has been published on this concept. The synthetic epoxy and bioepoxy composites with bamboo (BB)/basalt (BS)/carbon (CB) hybrid composites with laminate stacking BSBBBS (basalt + bamboo + basalt) and CBBBCB (carbon + bamboo + carbon) hybrid composites were fabricated by the compression molding technique. The fabricated composites were subjected to the accelerated weathering test. The composites before and after the accelerating weathering test were tested and compared. The properties such as tensile, impact, morphology, thermal analysis, thermomechanical, contact angle, and water absorption tests were carried out. The hybrid composites showed excellent retention in mechanical properties even after the accelerated weathering test. The results showed that the bioepoxy/bamboo/basalt/carbon hybrid composites can be substituted with synthetic epoxy composites in automobile and structural applications in all weather conditions. • Use of green materials in the composite industry. • Incorporation of biofibers in bioepoxy resin to produce biomaterials. • Biocomposites for automobile and structural applications.

Effects of nitrogen addition on the kinetic parameters of soil acid phosphomonoesterase in a Moso bamboo forest

Soil phosphatases are important in the mineralization of organophosphates and in the phosphorus (P) cycle. The kinetic mechanisms of phosphatases in response to nitrogen (N) deposition remain unclear. We carried out a field experiment with four different concentrations of N: 0 g N·hm-2·a-1(control), 20 g N·hm-2·a-1(low N), 40 g N·hm-2·a-1(medium N), and 80 g N·hm-2·a-1(high N) in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest. Soil samples were then collected from 0 to 15 cm depth, after 3, 5 and 7 years of N addition. We analyzed soil chemical properties and microbial biomass. Acid phosphatase (ACP) was investigated on the basis of maximum reaction velocity (Vm), Michaelis constant (Km), and catalytic efficiency (Ka). Results showed that N addition significantly decreased soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), available phosphorus, and organophosphate content, but significantly increased soil ammonium, nitrate-N content, and Vm. There was a significant relationship between Vm and the concentrations of available phosphorus, organophosphate, and soil DOC. In general, N addition substantially increased Ka, but did not affect Km. The Km value in the high N treatment group was higher than that in the control group after five years of N addition. Km was significantly negatively associated with both available phosphorus and organophosphate. Medium and high N treatments had stronger effects on the kinetic parameters of ACP than low N treatment. Results of variation partition analysis showed that changes in soil chemical properties, rather than microbial biomass, dominated changes in Vm(47%) and Km(33%). In summary, N addition significantly affected substrate availability in Moso bamboo forest soil and modulated soil P cycle by regulating ACP kinetic parameters (especially Vm). The study would improve the understanding of the mechanisms underlying soil microorganisms-regulated soil P cycle under N enrichment. These mechanisms would identify the important parameters for improving soil P cycling models under global change scenarios.

Unequal nitrogen translocation pattern caused by clonal integration between connected ramets ensures necessary nitrogen supply for young Moso bamboo growth

The rapid growth of young Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys edulis ), a giant woody clonal plant, depends on consistent nutrient supply through clonal integration. However, the effects of clonal integration on nutrient translocation and allocation in Moso bamboo remain unclear. We established an in situ study model unit consisting of a young bamboo ramet, a mature bamboo ramet, and an interconnected rhizome to study nitrogen (N) translocation and allocation using the 15 N isotope labeling method. The results showed 15 N translocation was bidirectional between interconnected Moso bamboo ramets; however, more 15 N was translocated from the mature to the young ramet than vice versa in winter. The N translocation rate within the donor ramet was faster when the young was donor ramet, and N translocation rate from the donor to the recipient ramet was faster when young bamboo was the recipient ramet. Demand-driven source-sink relationships between connected ramets determined the net flow direction and speed of N translocation. Therefore, an “unequal N translocation pattern between the young and connected mature ramets” was proposed, in which N was preferentially translocated from the mature to the young ramet to meet its growth demand in winter. Our findings provide new insights into the underlying mechanism of Moso bamboo growth and N clonal integration network in Moso bamboo forests and could serve as a guide for precision fertilization in forest management. • N translocation was bidirectional with net flow from the mature to the young ramet. • N translocation within the ramet was faster when the young was donor or recipient ramet. • Demand-driven source-sink relationships determined net N flow direction and speed. • Unequal N translocation between young and mature ramets ensures young ramet growth.

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

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.

Potential role of bamboo forests in India: A viewpoint

An attempt has been taken to address the benefits of cultivating large hectarage of Bamboo forests and resultant shrubberies that can be planted, cared, accessed and used by the community, without the complicated adherence to forest rights issues. Tribal India Chamber of Trade, Agriculture & Commerce (TICTAC) has launched the series of ‘bamboo van-sangh karyashalas’ to take the idea of reforesting India.

A Deep Learning-Based System for Monitoring the Number and Height Growth Rates of Moso Bamboo Shoots

The number and growth of new shoots are very important information for bamboo forest cultivation and management. At present, there is no real-time, efficient and accurate monitoring method. In this study, a fixed webcam was applied for image capture, optimized YOLOv4 was used to model the detection of moso bamboo shoots, and a strategy of sorting and screening was proposed to track each moso bamboo shoot. The change in the number and height of moso bamboo shoots was obtained according to the number and height of detection boxes. The experimental results show that the system can remotely and automatically obtain the number of moso bamboo shoots and the pixel height of each bamboo shoot at any given time. The average relative error and variance in the number of moso bamboo shoots were 1.28% and 0.016%, respectively, and those for the corresponding pixel height results were −0.39% and 0.02%. This system can be applied to a series of monitoring purposes, such as the daily or weekly growth rate of moso bamboo shoots at monitoring stations and trends in the height of selected bamboo shoots.

Potential Factors Canceling Interannual Cycles of Shoot Production in a Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) Stand

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forests are utilized for food, building materials, and carbon fixation in East Asia. Hence, understanding the factors that influence productivity is important. Long-term records of managed Moso bamboo forests have provided evidence for 2-year cycles of new shoot production. A widely accepted explanatory hypothesis is that the 2-year leaf life span and unequal proportions of newer and older leaves in bamboo stands are the cause of the 2-year shoot production cycle. However, 2-year cycles are not observed in all circumstances. If the 2-year leaf life span causes the biennial production cycle, why are the 2-year cycles of new shoot production not observed in some periods? By constructing an age-structured population growth model that considered the Moso bamboo leaf life span, this study aimed to clarify the possible mechanisms that could suppress the 2-year cycle of new shoot production. The simulation demonstrated that the 2-year cycle may readily disappear because of the contribution of considerable carbohydrates originating from photosynthesis in old leaves and in new leaves of zero-year-old culms, and from belowground carbon storage in roots and rhizomes. The results suggested that the contribution of photosynthesis in old leaves and in new leaves of zero-year-old culms may be overlooked at the population scale, and that belowground carbon storage in Moso bamboo rhizome systems might act as buffer to stabilize the year-to-year variations in new shoot production.

Quantifying Co-Benefits and Trade-Offs between Forest Ecosystem Services in the Gan River Basin of South China

Forest ecosystem services are intrinsically linked. We design a spatially explicit approach to quantify and analyze the co-benefits and trade-offs between the main forest ecosystem services. Our goal is to develop criteria for forest management that include ecosystem service interactions. Chinese fir and pine plantations provide the largest portion of the overall ecosystem services currently provided. They are volume stock and water yield service hotspots, but these have negative effects on soil retention and carbon storage, causing environmental problems. The natural forests (broad-leaf and bamboo forests) are carbon storage and volume stock hotspots and show the lowest erosion modulus. Thus, their protection, combined with expanding the plantation area under forest management should be considered in order to increase ecosystem service synergies. In contrast, an increased area of broad-leaf plantations reduces water yield service due to their lower water production capacity, in comparison with plantations of fast-growing species. Our study shows that the inclusion of ecosystem services as part of forest management could provide opportunities for optimal allocation of forest resources and sustainable utilization. Management based only on economically beneficial ecosystem services can be detrimental to the forest ecosystem and can cause environmental problems.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of forest ecosystem carbon budget in Guizhou: customisation and application of the CBM-CFS3 model for China

BackgroundCountries seeking to mitigate climate change through forests require suitable modelling approaches to predict carbon (C) budget dynamics in forests and their responses to disturbance and management. The Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) is a feasible and comprehensive tool for simulating forest C stock dynamics across broad levels, but discrepancies remain to be addressed in China. Taking Guizhou as the case study, we customised the CBM-CFS3 model according to China’s context, including the modification of aboveground biomass C stock algorithm, addition of C budget accounting for bamboo forests, economic forests, and shrub forests, improvement of non-forest land belowground slow dead organic matter (DOM) pool initialisation, and other model settings.ResultsThe adequate linear relationship between the estimated and measured C densities (R2 = 0.967, P < 0.0001, slope = 0.904) in the model validation demonstrated the high accuracy and reliability of our customised model. We further simulated the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest C stocks and disturbance impacts in Guizhou for the period 1990–2016 using our customised model. Results shows that the total ecosystem C stock and C density, and C stocks in biomass, litter, dead wood, and soil in Guizhou increased continuously and significantly, while the soil C density decreased over the whole period, which could be attributed to deforestation history and climate change. The total ecosystem C stock increased from 1220 Tg C in 1990 to 1684 Tg C in 2016 at a rate of 18 Tg C yr−1, with significant enhancement in most areas, especially in the south and northwest. The total decrease in ecosystem C stock and C expenditure caused by disturbances reached 97.6 Tg C and 120.9 Tg C, respectively, but both represented significant decreasing trends owing to the decline of disturbed forest area during 1990–2016. Regeneration logging, deforestation for agriculture, and harvest logging caused the largest C stock decrease and C expenditure, while afforestation and natural expansion of forest contributed the largest increases in C stock.ConclusionsThe forests in Guizhou were a net carbon sink under large-scale afforestation throughout the study period; Our customised CBM-CFS3 model can serve as a more effective and accurate method for estimating forest C stock and disturbance impacts in China and further enlightens model customisation to other areas.

Biochar Combined with Nitrogen Alters Rhizosphere Soil Nutrients and Microbial Communities, and Promotes Growth of Moso Bamboo Seedlings

Biochar, a soil conditioner, has the potential to improve soil properties and plant productivity. However, in forestry planting, especially in subtropical moso bamboo forests, the response of seedling growth to biochar addition is still not well known. We conducted a comprehensive factorial experiment with biochar and nitrogen (N) addition as factors (no biochar and no N addition; 0.64% biochar + 0% NH4NO3; 1.28% biochar + 0% NH4NO3; T3: 0% biochar + 1.28% NH4NO3; T4: 0.64% biochar + 1.28% NH4NO3; T5: 1.28% biochar + 1.28% NH4NO3) to study their effects on moso bamboo seedling growth, rhizosphere soil nutrient contents, and enzymatic activity. Our results indicate that applying biochar without N did not promote the growth of moso bamboo seedlings (biomass of leaves and branches) but increased soil nutrient content and affected soil-enzyme activity. The combined application of biochar and N significantly increased the leaf and branch biomass of moso bamboo seedlings and soil nutrient content and affected soil-enzyme activity. In conclusion, biochar should be mixed with an adequate amount of N for its application in subtropical moso bamboo forests to promote seedling growth and improve economic benefits.

Report of the Bamboo Forest for the Lower Mahanadi Basin

Report of the Bamboo Forest for the Lower Mahanadi Basin

Co-pyrolysis of the Chinese liquor industry waste and bamboo waste, elucidation of the pyrolysis reaction chemistry, and TG-FTIR-MS based study of the evolved gases

Chinese liquor and bamboo are the leading industrial enterprises in China which produce huge amounts of residual biomass. This study was aimed at assessing the potential of both residual biomasses to produce clean energy and biochemicals via pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis. Both biomasses were pyrolyzed either alone (1:0 and 0:1) or co-pyrolyzed in three combinations (1:1, 1:3, and 3:1) using a thermogravimetric analyzer at five heating rates including 10 °C min−1, 20 °C min−1, 30 °C min−1, 40 °C min−1, and 50 °C min−1. The data were interpreted through isoconversional models namely Ozawa-Wall-Flynn (OWF), Kissenger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Friedman for the elucidation of pyrolysis reaction. It was shown to be a three-stage pyrolysis where major pyrolysis occurred during stage-II, between conversions (0.2–0.7), where 59–60% of the biomass was transformed to bioproducts within the temperature range of 180 °C to 450 °C, where 17–20% of the biomass was left as char. The average activation energies for the bamboo waste (labelled as B) and the liquor industry waste (labelled as D) were shown to be 151–160 kJ mol−1 for B:D = 1:0, 192–205 kJ mol−1 for B:D = 1:1, 193–202 kJ mol−1 for B:D = 1:3, 178–188 kJ mol−1 for B:D = 3:1, and 194–201 kJ mol−1 for B:D = 1:3 computed through OWF, KAS, and Friedman methods (R2 = 0.98–0.99). The values of activation energy, calorific values, Gibb’s free energy, enthalpy change, and pre-exponential factors indicated that the pyrolysis of bamboo waste was energy efficient when compared to the liquor industry waste, however, mixing both biomasses in the ratio of 3:1 was shown to be the most suitable co-pyrolysis scenario. The FTIR analyses of the evolved gases showed that these gases were dominated by the functional groups related to alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkynes, aldehydes, halides, ketones, esters, phenols, and amines. While TG-FTIR-GC–MS analyses confirmed the presence of aforementioned compounds in the evolved gases indicating the substantial potential of both biomasses to produce syngas and biochemicals. In conclusion, the wastes from bamboo forests and liquor industry could be renewable and carbon neutral feedstocks to produce bioenergy and biochemicals via pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis.

Analysis of the potential bamboo forest as an effort towards local wisdom-based ecotourism in sustainable spring conservation

Analysis of the potential bamboo forest as an effort towards local wisdom-based ecotourism in sustainable spring conservation

Intensive management of a bamboo forest significantly enhanced soil nutrient concentrations but decreased soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity: a long-term chronosequence study

Intensive management of a bamboo forest significantly enhanced soil nutrient concentrations but decreased soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity: a long-term chronosequence study

Drought changes litter quantity and quality, and soil microbial activities to affect soil nutrients in moso bamboo forest

Drought would significantly influence the forest soils through changing the litterfall production and decomposition process. However, comprehensive in situ studies on drought effects in subtropical forests, especially in bamboo forests, have rarely been conducted. Here, we conducted a throughfall exclusion experiment with a rainfall reduction of ~80% in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests to investigate effects of drought on litter quantity, quality, soil microbial and enzyme activities, and soil nutrients across two years in subtropical China. We observed that throughfall exclusion (TE) treatment significantly decreased soil moisture by 63% compared to ambient control treatment (CK). Drought significantly decreased the annual litterfall in the second treatment year, and the leaf litter decomposition rate (−30% relative to CK) over 2 years of decomposition. TE treatment significantly decreased net release rate of litter carbon (C) and the amount of litter nitrogen (N) immobilization during a 360-day decomposition period, leading an increased litter C: N ratio in TE compared to CK. There was a distinct difference in soil microbial community composition between TE and CK treatments, showing higher bacteria biomass in TE but no difference in fungal biomass between TE and CK. Structural equation modelling revealed that drought decreased the contribution of litter quantity to soil nutrients but increased that of litter quality and soil microbial community to soil nutrients. Our results suggest that increasing drought events in subtropical China will directly reduce litterfall quantity and quality on the one hand, and alter the soil enzyme activities and microbial composition on the other hand, all of which will consequently decrease litter decomposition rate, soil nutrient availability, growth rate and productivity, leading to changes in the functioning and services of subtropical bamboo forests.