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Purpose <p>Soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) play key roles in soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) trees co-exist in subtropical forests. However, how AM tree dominance (AMD) would change soil EEAs and microbial nutrient limitation in subtropical restoration plantation remains largely unclear.</p> Materials and methods <p>Based on a long-term controlled field experiment, we investigated the seasonal variations in EEAs and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry (EES) both in topsoil (0–15&#xa0;cm) and subsoil (15–30&#xa0;cm) under five AMD levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). The patterns and driving factors of EEA and EES were explored, and microbial C, N, P limitations were futrther analyzed through the vector analysis of EES.</p> Results and discussion <p>The results showed that soil EEAs were significantly higher in the wet than in the dry season, and were higher in topsoil than in subsoil. Although AMD showed no significant impact on EEAs, its significant effect on EES was observed, suggesting that mycorrhizal trees composition primarily affects the pattern of microbial nutrient acquisition rather than the magnitude of enzyme activities in this young plantation. Increasing tree’s AMD intensified both soil microbial C and P limitations. Furthermore, consistently positive correlations between C limitation and P limitation (except for 0% AMD) were detected in the dry season, suggesting that seasonal drought triggers coupled nutrient limitation in AM-dominated stands. Soil total P was identified as the main factor regulating soil microbial C limitation, whereas soil pH and inorganic N availabilities were the key factors influencing soil microbial P limitations, highlighting the critical role of P availability in subtropical forest.</p> Conclusions <p>Our findings emphasize that tree mycorrhizal types affect soil microbial nutrient limitations by mediating resource allocation. This study has implications for tree species selection to mitigate soil nutrient stresses during afforestation in the subtropical regions.</p>

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Increasing arbuscular mycorrhizal tree dominance exacerbates soil microbial carbon and phosphorus limitation in a subtropical restoration plantation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月30日

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  • Shulei Wen,
  • Xiaoyu Chen,
  • Chunming Xu,
  • Luhong Zhou,
  • Shengsheng Jin,
  • Zhi-Jie Yang,
  • Yong Zheng

摘要

Purpose

Soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) play key roles in soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) trees co-exist in subtropical forests. However, how AM tree dominance (AMD) would change soil EEAs and microbial nutrient limitation in subtropical restoration plantation remains largely unclear.

Materials and methods

Based on a long-term controlled field experiment, we investigated the seasonal variations in EEAs and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry (EES) both in topsoil (0–15 cm) and subsoil (15–30 cm) under five AMD levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%). The patterns and driving factors of EEA and EES were explored, and microbial C, N, P limitations were futrther analyzed through the vector analysis of EES.

Results and discussion

The results showed that soil EEAs were significantly higher in the wet than in the dry season, and were higher in topsoil than in subsoil. Although AMD showed no significant impact on EEAs, its significant effect on EES was observed, suggesting that mycorrhizal trees composition primarily affects the pattern of microbial nutrient acquisition rather than the magnitude of enzyme activities in this young plantation. Increasing tree’s AMD intensified both soil microbial C and P limitations. Furthermore, consistently positive correlations between C limitation and P limitation (except for 0% AMD) were detected in the dry season, suggesting that seasonal drought triggers coupled nutrient limitation in AM-dominated stands. Soil total P was identified as the main factor regulating soil microbial C limitation, whereas soil pH and inorganic N availabilities were the key factors influencing soil microbial P limitations, highlighting the critical role of P availability in subtropical forest.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize that tree mycorrhizal types affect soil microbial nutrient limitations by mediating resource allocation. This study has implications for tree species selection to mitigate soil nutrient stresses during afforestation in the subtropical regions.