Tree diversity effects on soil microbial biomass and respiration are context-dependent across forest diversity experiments

Aim

Soil microorganisms are essential for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Although soil microbial communities and functions may be linked to tree species composition and diversity, there has been no comprehensive study of how general these potential relationships are, or if they are context-dependent. Here, we examine tree diversity–soil microbial biomass and respiration relationships across environmental gradients using a global network of tree diversity experiments.

Location

Global

Time Period

2013

Major Taxa Studied

Soil microorganisms

Methods

Soil samples collected from eleven tree diversity experiments in four biomes were used to measure microbial respiration, biomass, and respiratory quotient using the substrate-induced respiration method. All samples were measured using the same analytical device, method, and procedure to reduce measurement bias. We used linear mixed-effects models and PCA to examine the effects of tree diversity (taxonomic a...