Soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass response to crop types on the terraces of the Loess Plateau, China

Purpose Soil microbes play a critical role in the recycling of soil nutrients and soil fertility. Different crop types greatly influence the soil environment, including the carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles, and the effects may be particularly important on the terraces of the Loess Plateau. In this study, the characteristics of soil physicochemical properties and microbial activity were investigated under different crop types to establish relationships among soil microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and physicochemical properties.