Seasonal dynamics of soil microbial community and enzyme activities in Hippophae rhamnoides plantation

We investigated the effects of forest age and season on soil microbial community structure and enzyme activities in Hippophae rhamnoides plantation. The results showed that the amounts of total PLFAs, bacterial PLFAs, and fungal PLFAs increased with the increases of forest age. The highest values presented in mature plantation (CL). Soil enzyme activities showed the same trend as soil microbial communities. The total PLFAs, bacteria PLFAs, and fungal PLFAs exhibited significantly positive correlations with soil pH, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus. In conclusion, forest age and season has significant impacts on soil microbial community structure and enzyme activities. H. rhamnoides plantation is a suitable afforestation model, which would help improve soil fertility.