Reduced Soil Quality but Increased Microbial Diversity in Cultivated Land Compared to Other Land-Use Types in the Longzhong Loess Plateau

Hang Xiang, Jingjing Xu, Hang Yang, Jianchao Song and Xiaojun Yu ()
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Hang Xiang: College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Jingjing Xu: Gansu Forestry Science and Technology Extension Station, Lanzhou 730046, China
Hang Yang: College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Jianchao Song: College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xiaojun Yu: College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Soil microorganisms, as a vital part of terrestrial ecosystems, play a key role in sustaining essential soil functions. However, the impact of cultivated land (CL) on soil quality and microbial communities compared to other land-use types is still unclear. This study investigated the soil quality index (SQI) along with bacterial and fungal communities across various land-use types, including abandoned land, cultivated land, forest land, and grassland, in the Longzhong region of the Loess Plateau. The results showed that CL had the lowest SQI, but the diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities in CL was significantly higher than that of other land-use types. The relative abundance of Ascomycota in CL fungal communities is significantly higher than that of other land-use types. Soil water content, organic matter, alkaline nitrogen, total nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen all have an impact on soil bacterial and fungal communities in CL. The diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities is mainly influenced by pH, nitrate nitrogen, and available phosphorus. This study emphasizes the impact of human activities such as tillage on soil quality, as well as the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities, in cultivated land compared to other different land-use methods.

Keywords: land-use types; Longzhong Loess Plateau; soil properties; soil quality index; effecting soil factors; bacterial community; fungal community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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