Biological properties of lateritic red soil and their relationships with soil fertility in Southern China under different land use types

Taking the lateritic red soil on a typical slopeland in Southern China as test object,this paper studied the soil microbial properties,enzyme activities,and their relationships with soil fertility under four land use types(newly cultivated dryland,shrub land,Eucalyptus land,and orchard).There existed significant differences in the soil biological properties under different land use types,among which,orchard soil had the highest microbial quantity and enzyme activities,newly cultivated dryland soil had the fastest soil respiration rate,the fewest soil microorganism quantity,and the lowest enzyme activities,whereas shrub land and woodland soils had the biological properties ranged between newly cultivated dryland and orchard soils,and there was a high similarity in the biological properties between shrub land and woodland soils.Under different land use types,the soil microbial quantity and enzyme activities were positively correlated with soil organic carbon and most of the soil nutrients.It was suggested the soils with high soil organic matter content and high fertility level were beneficial to the soil microbial growth and enzyme activities.