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Table 2 Soil and microbial properties between the four forest restoration stages

From: Linkage of microbial living communities and residues to soil organic carbon accumulation along a forest restoration gradient in southern China

 

Forest restoration stages

 

F14

F49

F70

UF

Soil layer

Topsoil

Subsoil

Topsoil

Subsoil

Topsoil

Subsoil

Topsoil

Subsoil

Soil properties

  pH

4.75 ± 0.07 A

4.78 ± 0.06a

4.43 ± 0.04 C

4.50 ± 0.03b

4.59 ± 0.03B

4.57 ± 0.01b

4.50 ± 0.04BC

4.50 ± 0.04b

  BD (g·cm− 3)

1.35 ± 0.01 A

1.47 ± 0.02a

1.11 ± 0.01 C

1.42 ± 0.00a

1.27 ± 0.03B

1.29 ± 0.02b

1.26 ± 0.01B

1.43 ± 0.01a

  Sand (%)

77.69 ± 0.35 A

70.62 ± 0.45a

24.08 ± 0.94 C

19.78 ± 0.41c

16.85 ± 0.66D

16.23 ± 1.14d

43.93 ± 0.87B

45.88 ± 0.97b

  Silt (%)

18.17 ± 0.31 A

23.85 ± 0.18c

61.82 ± 1.16B

65.38 ± 0.44a

66.88 ± 0.69 A

66.49 ± 0.87a

44.75 ± 0.71 C

43.67 ± 0.97b

  Clay (%)

4.14 ± 0.29 C

5.53 ± 0.30d

14.10 ± 0.84 A

14.84 ± 0.26b

16.27 ± 0.53 A

17.28 ± 0.55a

11.32 ± 0.72B

10.45 ± 0.24c

Soil microbial PLFAs (nmol·g− 1)

  Bacterial PLFA

6.44 ± 0.32B

4.10 ± 0.17b

3.56 ± 0.39 C

2.42 ± 0.27b

8.75 ± 0.52 A

2.98 ± 0.11b

9.24 ± 0.72 A

11.46 ± 1.07a

  Fungal PLFA

0.60 ± 0.03BC

0.49 ± 0.05b

0.42 ± 0.07 C

0.28 ± 0.06b

0.97 ± 0.04 A

0.36 ± 0.02b

0.81 ± 0.07AB

1.42 ± 0.14a

Soil amino sugar parameters (mg·kg− 1)

  GluN

316.84 ± 29.77D

116.65 ± 10.93d

415.66 ± 7.28 C

298.97 ± 12.31c

502.64 ± 10.01B

320.89 ± 3.82b

598.21 ± 5.09 A

336.84 ± 7.53a

  MurA

27.83 ± 4.17

12.83 ± 1.75b

27.95 ± 1.39

21.38 ± 1.24a

26.03 ± 2.14

20.87 ± 1.04a

27.76 ± 3.50

20.31 ± 1.64a

  GalN

92.86 ± 17.68 C

33.37 ± 3.38c

141.06 ± 4.95B

104.14 ± 5.57b

152.56 ± 1.63B

110.10 ± 2.10b

176.67 ± 3.77 A

133.24 ± 3.56a

  1. Different uppercase and lowercase letters indicate significant differences in topsoil and subsoil between the four restoration stages at the P < 0.05 level. Values are means ± SE (n = 6). Abbreviations: BD bulk density; GalN galactosamine; GluN glucosamine; MurA muramic acid