Response of the soil microbial community composition and biomass to a short-term Spartina alterniflora invasion in a coastal wetland of eastern China

Aims Plant invasion has been reported to alter ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes and pools. The mechanisms involved in how plant invasion affects the soil microbial community—the primary mediator of soil C and N cycling—remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the effect of plant invasion on the soil microbial community in a coastal wetland of eastern China.