Spatial variation in organic carbon, nutrients and microbial biomass contents of paddy soils in a hilly red soil region

The contents of soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), total P (TP), dissolved N (DN), Olsen-P, and microbial biomass C, N, P (BC, BN, BP) of 254 paddy soils (0–18 cm in depth) in a hilly red soil region of subtropical zone of China were studied. The results showed that the contents of SOC, TN, BC, BN and DN of paddy soils at the bottom of hills were 14.6%, 13.6%, 24.6%, 20.4% and 95.8% higher than those at the foothill, respectively. The Olsen-P content of paddy soils at the foothill was 33.3% higher than that at the bottom of hills. However, the differences in TP, BP and available P (the sum of BP and Olsen-P) contents were not significant between the two positions. In addition, the ratios of soil C/P, BC/BP and BC/SOC of paddy soils at the bottom of hills were 12.7%, 28.5% and 8.2% higher than those at the foothill, respectively, but the differences in ratios of soil C/N, BC/BN, BN/TN and BP/TP were not statistically significant between various positions.