Articles | Volume 15, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4481-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4481-2018
Research article
 | 
24 Jul 2018
Research article |  | 24 Jul 2018

Understory vegetation plays the key role in sustaining soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activities

Yang Yang, Xinyu Zhang, Chuang Zhang, Huimin Wang, Xiaoli Fu, Fusheng Chen, Songze Wan, Xiaomin Sun, Xuefa Wen, and Jifu Wang

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Cited articles

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Allison, S. D. and Vitousek, P. M.: Responses of extracellular enzymes to simple and complex nutrient inputs, Soil Biol. Biochem., 37, 937–944, 2005. 
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In this study, we established a long-term field experiment to assess how the soil abiotic properties, PLFAs, and enzyme activities in a Chinese fir plantation changed when the understory vegetation was removed. We found that understory vegetation plays a key role in sustaining soil carbon content, microbial biomass, and extracellular enzyme activities. We therefore proposed that, to sustain soil quality in subtropical Chinese fir plantations, understory vegetation should be maintained.
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