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Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 11915

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dan Xiao

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Guest Editor

Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Interests: nutrient cycling; vegetation recovery; microbial biodiversity; soil carbon; soil nitrogen
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jie Zhao

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Guest Editor

Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Interests: soil biodiversity; micro-food web structure and functions (soil microbes and nematodes); ecosystem restoration and sustainable management; ecosystem multifunctionality; soil micro-food web; plant–soil interaction; ecosystem restoration
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Prof. Dr. Wei Zhang

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Guest Editor

Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Interests: understanding the effects of human disturbance and land-use change on carbon sequestration and the cycling of nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems; element biogeochemical cycle; ecosystem functions; vegetation restoration; karst
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Dr. Hanqing Wu

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Guest Editor

Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Interests: soil nitrogen cycling; virus–host interactions; soil microbial ecology
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Dr. Peilei Hu

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Guest Editor

Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Interests: decipher the underlying mechanisms that govern carbon and nitrogen cycling in ecosystems in responses to land use change and climate change; soil carbon; soil microbiome; land-use change; climate warming; bedrock geochemistry; karst

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There are strong interactions between plants, soil, microorganisms, and nutrients in forest ecosystems. Soil microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes, and viruses) are key drivers of nutrient cycling via forming soil micro-food webs, which in turn influence plant growth. Both biotic (e.g., plant diversity and biomass) and abiotic factors (e.g., soil properties and climate) can directly affect microbial diversity and activity. It is important to strengthen research on microbial regulation mechanisms that drive soil nutrient cycling in typical ecosystems. Karst ecosystems are fragile, widely distributed, and occupy about 15% of the global land surface area. The special binary hydrogeological structure and high Ca and pH conditions in the karst ecosystems determine that the mechanism of soil microbial functions in the process of nutrient cycling is different from that in non-karst ecosystems. The effects of soil microorganisms on soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen accumulation during vegetation restoration depend on climate conditions, nitrogen deposition, land use, forest management, etc. In this Special Issue, we aim to collect recent advances in the key functional microorganisms that regulate the absorption and utilization of nutrients for plants in the fragile karst ecosystems of artificial and natural forests. Both simulations and experimental studies are welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

Relationships between nutrient cycling, microorganisms, and plant community;
Soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in the karst forest ecosystems;
The microbial food web in the karst forest ecosystems;
Diversity and community composition of the key function microbes (e.g., mycorrhizal fungi, diazotrophs, bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes, and viruses);
Microbes involved in organic carbon decomposition in the karst forest ecosystems;
Microbes involved in nitrogen transformation processes, including nitrification and denitrification, etc.

Dr. Dan Xiao
Dr. Jie Zhao
Prof. Dr. Wei Zhang
Dr. Hanqing Wu
Dr. Peilei Hu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

nutrient cycling
vegetation recovery
land-use change
climate warming
microbial biodiversity
soil carbon
soil nitrogen
plant‒soil nutrient interactions
bedrock geochemistry
karst ecosystem

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Grain for Green Program Promotes Soil Organic Matter Accumulation and Improves Soil Fungal Diversity in the Southwestern Karst Region

by Shuhui Tan, Yanqiang Cao, Zhongfeng Zhang, Longwu Zhou and Xiangqin Li

Forests 2025, 16(1), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010121 - 10 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 667

Abstract

Soil microorganisms play pivotal roles in terrestrial ecological processes. However, how soil microbial biomass and community characteristics respond to changes in land utilization in karst regions remains largely unknown. The present study investigated the impacts of land-use change on soil chemical properties, microbial community structure, and biomass in a karst region of southwest China across four land-use types: shrubland (natural vegetation restoration), plantation forest (managed vegetation restoration), orchards, and croplands. Vegetation restoration increased microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen. Shrubland had the highest bacterial and fungal abundance and fungal diversity; in addition, the soil microbial community structure differed significantly among land-use types. The dominant bacterial phyla were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi, whereas Ascomycota was the predominant fungal phylum, with its abundance declining significantly following vegetation restoration. Soil properties, including soil organic matter and available phosphorus, were strongly associated with microbial community composition and diversity in karst areas. The findings of this study are essential for gaining a deeper understanding of how changes in land-use affect soil properties and microbial dynamics, and provide valuable insights for ecological restoration and agricultural management in karst regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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14 pages, 2263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Five Years of Natural Vegetation Recovery in Three Forests of Karst Graben Area and Its Effects on Plant Diversity and Soil Properties

by Xiaorong Yang, Rouzi-Guli Turmuhan, Lina Wang, Jiali Li and Long Wan

Forests 2025, 16(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010091 - 8 Jan 2025

Viewed by 630

Abstract

In recent decades, excessive human activities have led to large-scale rocky desertification in karst areas. Vegetation restoration is one of the most important ways to control rocky desertification. In this study, vegetation surveys were conducted on three typical plantations in Jianshui County, Yunnan Province, a typical karst fault basin area, in 2016 and 2021. The plantations were Pinus massoniana forest (PM), Pinus yunnanensis forest (PY), and mixed forests of Pinus yunnanensis and Quercus variabilis (MF). Plant diversity and soil nutrients were compared during the five-year period. This paper mainly draws the following results: The plant diversity of PM, PY, and MF increased. With the increase of time, new species appeared in the tree layer, shrub layer, and herb layer of the three forests. Tree species with smaller importance values gradually withdrew from the community. In the tree layer, the Patrick index, Simpson index, and Shannon–Wiener index of the three forests increased significantly. The Pielou index changed from the highest for PM in 2016 to the highest for PY in 2021. In the shrub layer, the Pielou index of the three forests increased. The Patrick index changed from the highest for MF in 2016 to the highest for PY in 2021. There was no significant difference in species diversity index for the herb layer. With the increase of vegetation restoration time, the soil bulk density (BD) of the three forests decreased. There was no significant difference in soil total porosity (TP), soil capillary porosity (CP), and non-capillary porosity (NCP). The pH of PM increased significantly from 5.88~6.24 to 7.24~7.34. The pH of PY decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The contents of total nitrogen (TN) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) in PY and MF decreased. The content of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) in the three forests increased significantly (p < 0.05). Total phosphorus (TP) content decreased in PM and MF. The content of available phosphorus (AP) in PM and PY increased. In general, with the increase of vegetation restoration time, plant diversity and soil physical and chemical properties have also been significantly improved. The results can provide important data support for vegetation restoration in karst areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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17 pages, 4046 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increases with Tree Age in Karstic Rocky Desertification Areas of Southwestern China

by Ying Li, Zhongfeng Zhang, Shuhui Tan, Shihong Lyv, Longwu Zhou, Limin Yu, Chungui Tang and Yeming You

Forests 2025, 16(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010024 - 26 Dec 2024

Viewed by 778

Abstract

The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a crucial indicator for determining the productivity of forest ecosystems and for assessing degraded areas. At present, the effect of tree age and vegetation restoration strategies on AMF diversity in karstic rocky desertification areas remains unclear. This study investigated AMF diversity and abundance in soils planted with Delavaya toxocarpa Franch. for 18, 11, and 4 years in a karstic desertification area of southwestern China. Additionally, it explored AMF community composition in soils of an 18-year-old D. toxocarpa plantation, a secondary forest naturally restored since 2005, and an abandoned land with no human intervention. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the mean Chao1 and richness indices of AMF increased with tree age, as indicated by the highest AMF α-diversity in 18-year-old plantations. The various vegetation restoration strategies resulted in significant differences in AMF abundance and evenness indices. Although no significant differences (p = 0.33) were found between the different restoration strategies, the AMF α-diversity index showed a decreasing trend from plantation forest to secondary forest and then to abandoned land. Overall, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and available phosphorus (AP) significantly influence AMF diversity. Additionally, soil TN, AP, hydrolysable nitrogen (HN), and urease activity (URE) shape AMF community composition. These properties varied with tree age and vegetation restoration strategies. Our findings point to good recovery results of artificial afforestation in karstic rocky desertification areas. The process accelerates vegetation restoration and enhances the mutually beneficial relationship between vegetation and AMF compared with natural restoration. However, the tree age selected in this study only represents the forest stands before mature forests, and the microbial diversity and structure in karst rocky desertification soils after mature and over-mature forest stands remain to be studied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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17 pages, 5322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Different Land Use Types on Bacterial and Fungal Communities in a Typical Karst Depression in Southwestern China

by Cong Hu, Zhonghua Zhang, Chaofang Zhong, Gang Hu and Chaohao Xu

Forests 2024, 15(8), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081299 - 25 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1252

Abstract

Understanding the land use pattern relationships regarding the composition, diversity, and abundance of soil microbial communities in a typical karst depression in southwestern China is crucial for assessing the stability of local karst ecosystems. However, these aspects in typical karst depressions within northern tropical karst seasonal rainforests in China remain limited. Therefore, we examined the differences in soil microorganism abundance, diversity, community composition, and co-occurrence networks under five land use types in a tropical karst region in southwestern China: sugarcane fields, orchards, grasslands, plantation forests, and secondary forests. The soil microbial communities of samples from these areas were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplification. The abundances of Acidobacteria and Ascomycota were lowest (20.66% and 66.55%, respectively) in secondary forests and highest (35.59% and 89.35%, respectively) in sugarcane fields. Differences in microbial abundance across land use types were related to soil pH and total phosphorus. PCoA and ANOSIM demonstrated significant differences in soil bacterial and fungal community structures among the five land use types. Bacterial alpha-diversity showed no significant variation among the different land uses, whereas fungal alpha-diversity exhibited significant differences. Observed Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indices indicated that secondary forests had the highest fungal alpha-diversity. Land use changes also influenced bacterial and fungal co-occurrence networks, with the networks in secondary forests, plantation forests, and orchards being more complex and stable than those in grasslands and sugarcane fields. Key taxa such as Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota were predominantly connected within the co-occurrence networks, highlighting their high functional potential. This study provides insights that can inform more effective land use planning and management strategies in karst depressions, thereby enhancing ecological sustainability and balance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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23 pages, 18593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Driving Forces and Ecological Restoration Revelation in Southwest China Based on the Divergence Characteristics of Ecosystem Compound Use Efficiency

by Yuxi Wang, Li Peng, Tiantian Chen, Pujia Yu, Junyi Zhang and Chengcheng Xia

Forests 2024, 15(4), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040641 - 31 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1405

Abstract

Ecosystem carbon use efficiency (CUE), water use efficiency (WUE), and light use efficiency (LUE) are critical parameters for estimating CO₂ uptake, water circulation, and ecosystem balance. Research on the change trends of individual use efficiency has matured; however, studies on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity and driving mechanisms of divergence patterns for multi-use efficiencies capability are limited. Therefore, taking southwest China as an example, this study constructed a compound use efficiency (COM) through CUE, WUE, and LUE. Based on the spatiotemporal patterns and divergence characteristics analysis of water–carbon–light use efficiencies, the scale effects and driving mechanism of its divergence characteristics for COM at the optimal scale were clarified. The results revealed that the average value of CUE, LUE, WUE, and COM were 0.49, 0.7 gC m⁻² MJ⁻¹, 2.31 gC kg⁻¹ H₂O, and 0.87, respectively. Apart from CUE, the LUE, WUE, and COM parameters exhibited a fluctuating upward trend. Statistically, there was a high COM in karst and ecological restoration regions, reflecting the strong adaptability of karst vegetation and the effectiveness of ecological restoration; as the elevation rose, COM increased and then decreased, with the highest value at the elevation of 3000 m; the lowest COM was found in grassland, refuting the inference that it can be used as an optimal vegetation type for China’s Grain to Green program from the perspective of use efficiency. Sub-basin was the most optimal divergence scale, and although temperature and elevation were the dominant single force causing COM divergence, the couplings of precipitation and population density and elevation and population density had more controlling impacts than a single force. These findings enrich the understanding of ecosystem use efficiency and are beneficial for the improvement in ecological restoration strategies in karst landscapes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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15 pages, 3782 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Soil Microbial Community between Managed and Natural Vegetation Restoration along a Climatic Gradient in Karst Regions

by Zhuanzhuan Sun, Peilei Hu, Wei Zhang, Dan Xiao, Dongsheng Zou, Yingying Ye and Kelin Wang

Forests 2023, 14(10), 1980; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14101980 - 30 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1608

Abstract

Managed and natural vegetation restorations are two vital measures of land restoration; however, their effects on soil microbial communities at a large scale are not clearly understood. Hence, changes in the microbial community composition after 15 years of vegetation restoration along a climatic gradient in the subtropical karst region of Southwest China were assessed based on phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) profiles. Managed (plantation forest) and natural (naturally recovered to shrubbery) vegetation restoration types were compared, with cropland and mature forest serving as controls. Soil microbial community abundance was significantly higher under the two vegetation restoration types than in the cropland; however, it was lower than in the mature forest. The abundance, composition, and structure of soil microbial communities did not differ significantly between plantation forest and shrubbery. Soil organic carbon or total nitrogen was the primary factor positively affecting soil microbial abundance, whereas the mean annual temperature (MAT) was recognized as the primary factor contributing to the variation in the soil microbial community structure. Moreover, temperature had opposite effects on different indicators of microbial community structure. That is, it positively and negatively affected the ratios of gram-positive to gram-negative bacterial PLFAs (GP:GN) and fungal to bacterial PLFAs (F:B), respectively. Our results show that both vegetation restoration types have the ability to improve soil productivity in karst areas. Furthermore, shifts in soil microbial community structure (GP:GN and F:B ratios) induced by warming are likely to lead to a higher proportion of labile carbon, which is sensitive to soil tillage. Hence, more attention should be paid to ecological restoration in warmer karst areas to alleviate the severe loss of soil carbon in croplands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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11 pages, 2259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Source to Sink of Lignin Phenols in a Subtropical Forest of Southwest China

by Zongyao Qian, Zi Fan, Wanxia Peng, Hu Du and Peilei Hu

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1701; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091701 - 23 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1749

Abstract

In biodiverse forest ecosystems, plant diversity has been reported to increase plant-derived lignin accumulation and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, little is known about the fate of lignin and its degradation dynamics from plant to soil. This process is critical for the formation of SOC, especially in natural forest ecosystems with diverse plant species. This study presents the lignin biomarker characteristics of several common plant species and in mixed litter. The study was conducted in 45 plots along a plant species diversity gradient in a subtropical forest located in southwest China. Our results demonstrate that lignin content and its biochemical characteristics in plant leaves vary among species, while different plant species also alter the content of lignin and its monomeric compounds in the litter. Lignin compounds are gradually disintegrated from plant leaf to litter and then to soil, further indicating that plant-derived lignin from plant sources contributes to the formation and accumulation of forest SOC. These findings provide novel information on the linkage between tree species diversity and lignin accumulation while indicating the role of plant-derived lignin on SOC storage. These results may be useful in predicting forest soil C dynamics in Earth system models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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15 pages, 5320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Bedrock Geochemistry and Climate in Soil Organic Matter Stability in Subtropical Karst Forests of Southwest China

by Tiangang Tang, Peilei Hu, Wei Zhang, Dan Xiao, Li Tang, Jun Xiao, Jie Zhao and Kelin Wang

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1467; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071467 - 17 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2477

Abstract

The stability of soil organic matter (SOM) plays a critical role in soil carbon (C) dynamics under global warming. However, the factors influencing SOM stability, particularly the significance of bedrock geochemistry and its hierarchical relationship with climate and soil properties, remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted a study along a large climatic gradient (Δtemperature > 9 °C) in the subtropical karst forests of southwest China, quantifying SOM stability using thermal analysis and investigating the contributions of bedrock geochemistry, climate, and soil properties. Our results showed that SOM stability was positively correlated with mineral-associated organic C (MAOC) rather than particulate organic C. Hierarchical partitioning analysis further demonstrated that bedrock geochemistry was the predominant contributor to SOM stability variance, accounting for 23.7%. Following this, soil minerals contributed to 21.1%–22.6% of the variance, the mean annual temperature to 20.3%, and microbial biomass C to 17.2%. In particular, bedrock geochemistry—specifically the presence of calcium-rich bedrock—was found to enhance SOM stability by promoting the accumulation of exchangeable calcium and calcium carbonate in soils. Additionally, high temperature improved SOM stability by increasing the content and proportion of MAOC and soil pH. These results highlight the fundamental role of bedrock geochemistry in controlling SOM stability and emphasize the importance of considering hierarchical relationships among bedrock–soil–climate interactions for evaluating soil C dynamics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactions of Plants, Soil Nutrients, and Microorganisms in the Karst Forest Ecosystems)

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