High-quality litter exerts a greater effect on soil carbon gain in unrestored than restored pine plantations.

Vegetation restoration of degraded land affects litter quality by changing the composition of tree species, providing direct effects on regulating the dynamic of soil organic C (SOC) through the priming effect (PE). However, it is unclear how the combined effects caused by vegetation restoration and input of different quality litters on PE-related C loss and gain. Here, we collected soils from an unrestored site and a site restored for 20 years, adding C-labeled low-quality (with high C/nitrogen [N] and lignin/N) and high-quality (with low C/N and lignin/N) litters to the soil, respectively.

Chemical composition of soil carbon is governed by microbial diversity during understory fern removal in subtropical pine forests.

Understory vegetation has an important impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation. However, little is known about how understory vegetation alters soil microbial community composition and how microbial diversity contributes to SOC chemical composition and persistence during subtropical forest restoration. In this study, removal treatments of an understory fern (Dicranopteris dichotoma) were carried out within pine (Pinus massoniana) plantations restored in different years in subtropical China.

Understory ferns promote the restoration of soil microbial diversity and function in previously degraded lands.

Microorganisms facilitate the recovery of previously degraded soils, such as degraded lands experiencing vegetation restoration and understory expansion, through vital soil functions like nutrient cycling and decomposing organic matter. Despite the role of microorganisms in recovery, little is known about the effects of the process on microbial diversity and function. Here, we performed an understory fern, Dicranopteris dichotoma (Thunb.

[Effects of soil moisture on priming effect of soil organic carbon in meadow in Wuyi Mountain, China.].

Moisture is an important factor affecting the priming effect of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, empirical evidence for its effect in mountain meadows soil is lacking. We conducted a 126-day laboratory incubation experiment with the high altitude (2130 m) mountain meadow soil in Wuyi Mountain, by adding C-labelled glucose combined with controlling soil moisture (30% and 60% of field water capacity, FWC).