2025/10/19 by Yanli Jing, Qinggui Wu, Xinyue Zhang +4 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Engineering · Environmental Science · #Bamboo properties and applications #Forest ecology and management #Soil and Unsaturated Flow
paper · doi:10.1080/13416979.2025.2576366
openalex publication_date 2025/10/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/19
Microbial and plant residues are the primary sources of soil organic carbon (SOC) in forest ecosystems. However, the relative contributions of microbial and plant residues to SOC in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests remain poorly understood, despite Moso bamboo’s unique growth pattern distinct from that of tree species. In this study, we analyzed amino sugars and lignin phenols as biomarkers for microbial and plant residues, respectively, in the topsoil (0–10 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) of a Moso bamboo forest and investigated their regulatory factors. The results showed that microbial-derived amino sugars contributed 1.6% and 1.0% to SOC in the topsoil and subsoil, respectively, comparable to the contributions of plant-derived lignin phenols (1.6% and 0.8%). Both amino sugars and lignin phenols exhibited higher contributions to SOC in the topsoil than in the subsoil. Fine root biomass and microbial phosphorus (P) limitation regulated the contribution of amino sugars to SOC, while fine root biomass and the ratio of gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria controlled the contribution of lignin phenols. These findings highlight that microbial and plant residues contribute equally to SOC sequestration in Moso bamboo forests, with soil carbon and P availability playing critical roles in regulating their contributions. These findings may contribute to SOC management in Moso bamboo forests.