Changes in soil microbial metabolic activity during long-term forest
restoration on the central Loess Plateau, China
Abstract
Secondary forest restoration can alter terrestrial ecosystem processes
and potentially impact subsurface carbon dynamics. However, the effects
of long-term forest restoration on the soil microbial metabolic activity
remain unclear. So, the aim of this study was to explore the response of
soil microbial metabolism to forest restoration. Among them, the soil
basal respiration (BR), microbial quotient ( qMB), and metabolic
quotient ( qCO 2) were studied. This study
investigated a natural vegetation restoration sequence approximately
~160 years after farmland abandonment on the central
Loess Plateau, China, corresponding to five vegetation restoration
stages including farmland, grassland, shrubland, pioneer forests, and
climax forests. The results showed that BR and qCO
2 were increased following forest restoration, whereas
qMB showed the opposite trend. Forest restoration also increased
the activities of β-1,4-glucosidase and β-D-cellobiosidase. Restoration
age, litter traits such as nitrogen, cellulose and lignin decomposition
rates, dissolved organic carbon contents, fungi and bacteria composition
were also important indicators affecting microbial metabolic activities.
Long-term forest restoration can change soil microbial community
structure, reduce carbon mineralization efficiency, improve soil
microbial carbon utilization efficiency, and promote soil organic carbon
accumulation.