Poplar forest ecosystems and soil microbial communities respond differently to planting density effect

The interaction between soil characteristics and microbial communities is crucial for poplar growth under different planting densities. Yet, little is understood about their relationships and how they respond to primary environmental drivers across varying planting densities. In this study, we investigated poplar growth metrics, soil characteristics, and community assembly of soil bacterial and fungal communities in four poplar genotypes (M1316, BT17, S86, and B331) planted at low, medium, and high densities.