# Soil Microbial Communities Significantly Changed Along Stand Ages in Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) Plantation

## TL;DR

This study shows how soil microbes in pine plantations change as the trees age, influenced by soil nutrients and other properties.

## Contribution

The study reveals how stand age affects soil microbial communities in Masson pine plantations through changes in soil properties.

## Key findings

- Significant differences in soil bacterial genera were found among different stand ages.
- Total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and soil organic carbon significantly influence bacterial and fungal communities.
- Soil physicochemical properties play a crucial role in shaping microbial community composition in Masson pine plantations.

## Abstract

Soil microbial communities are important for nutrient cycling regulation in forest ecosystems. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the characteristics of these microbial communities in Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) plantations of different stand ages. In this study, four planted Masson pine stands (8-year-old, 12-year-old, 22-year-old, and 38-year-old stands) and one natural broadleaved forest stand (as a control) with three replications, were selected in the Laoshan Forest Farm, Qiandao Lake Town, Zhejiang Province, China. Soil physicochemical properties were measured and their effects on soil microbial communities were studied. Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing was employed to process raw sequence data for soil microbes. It is worth noting that significant differences (p < 0.05) in soil bacterial genera were observed among different stand age groups. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), available potassium (AK), soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil bulk density (BD) were identified as the primary factors influencing bacterial community distribution (p < 0.05). Available nitrogen (AN), SOC, TN, and TK showed significant correlations with soil fungal communities (p < 0.05). These findings underscore the crucial role of soil physicochemical properties in shaping soil microbial community composition in Masson pine plantations.