The seasonal changes of the fungal and bacterial communities in a continuously-cropped Chinese fir plantation

Microbial communities are the main drivers of soil N cycling, which directly mediate the supply and transformation of soil N. It has been suggested that consecutive plantation of Chinese fir significantly affected the forest productivity and soil quality, but the underlying mechanisms mediated by microorganisms are still obscure. In this study, soils were sampled from four types of forest, including first generation, second generation, third generation of Chinese fir plantation and a natural broadleaved forest. The diversity and composition of both fungal and bacterial communities were investigated here. Soil physical and chemical properties were also examined to disclose the factors that drive the changes in microbial communities