Nitrogen-transforming microorganisms potentially facilitate the invasion of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) into evergreen broadleaf forests

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) invasions into broadleaf forests can cause serious ecological problems, such as reducing biodiversity and disrupting community succession. An elevated soil NH4+/NO3- ratio has been identified as a potential mechanism that facilitates Moso bamboo invasion. However, it remains unclear whether and how this change is the result of the modification of soil nitrogen-transforming microorganisms by bamboo. Here, we collected soil from evergreen broadleaf forests that were either uninvaded or heavily invaded by Moso bamboo. We then compared the effects of soil origin on: (1) the growth of two common broadleaf tree species,Castanopsis fissa and Schima superba; (2) the soil nitrogen content and nitrogen transformation rates; and (3) the key microbial functional genes involved in nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification. By showing the significantly increased NH4+/NO3- ratio in bamboo-invaded forest and the negative impact of this increase on the..., Study area and site description
Our study site was located at Nankun Mountain Nature Reserve, Guangdong, China (23°30′N, 114°38′E). The area has a typical subtropical monsoon climate with an annual temperature of 12.4–28.5 ℃ and a mean annual precipitation of 2163 mm. The soil in the sampling area was acrisol. The region is covered primarily by a native evergreen broadleaf forest dominated by Schima superba, Castanopsis fissa, Castanopsis eyrei, Castanopsis carlesii, Machilus breviflora, and Castanopsis fabri. In the study area, Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) can expand as much as 16 ha/year to adjacent forests following anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., forest product harvesting). The intercept between Moso bamboo and broadleaf forests was obscure despite the astonishing speed of bamboo invasion, suggesting a rapid competitive replacement of broadleaf tree species by Moso bamboo. In the present study, we selected a broadleaf forest that was heavily invaded, a Moso bamboo forest wit..., # **Dryad dataset**

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.sj3tx96g5](file:///Users/huixuanliao/Desktop/Work/%E5%AE%9E%E9%AA%8C%E5%AE%A4%E5%AE%9E%E9%AA%8C%E8%AE%BE%E8%AE%A1%E5%92%8C%E8%AE%BA%E6%96%87/%E5%8D%9C%E6%B4%9B%E7%90%B0/Functional%20Ecology/Data%20Archive/10.5061/dryad.sj3tx96g5)

**Description of the data and file structure**

This dataset includes five data sheets and one R script for statistical analyses.

**Files and variables**

**File: Dataset1-SoilProperties.csv**

**Description:** This data sheet contains data of the contents of soil organic matter, ammonium (NH4+-N), nitrate (NO3--N), ammonium-nitrate ratio, available phosphorous, and soil pH of the soils sampled from the Moso bamboo forest (MBF) and the evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF). 

**Variables**

* ID: IDs of soil samples
* ForestType: the type of forest community where the focal soil sample was taken [evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF) vs. Moso bamboo forest (MBF)]
* SOM: soil organic matter content (g·kg^-1^)
* NH4: ammon...,