Effects of Different Vegetation Restoration Types on Soil Fungal Community Composition and Functional Groups

This study investigates the structure and functional groups of soil fungal communities in major vegetation types in subtropical China. The main objective is to understand the responses of these communities to different vegetation types, and the influence of soil properties, such as soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, soil ammonium nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK), and nitrate nitrogen (NN), on the structure and functional groups of the soil fungal communities. We explored the impact of different vegetation types on fungal diversity in various plantations, including bare land, Liriodendron chinense (Hu) T.C. Chen, Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook, Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex H.de Lehaie, and mixed forest. We also analyzed variations in soil properties across different soil depths. The results showed that the soil available potassium (AK) and soil nitrate nitrogen (NN) in mixed forests were significantly lower than those in bare land by 47% and 57%, respectively. The Soil organic carbon (SOC), NN, and pH decreased significantly by 49%, 45%, and 8%, respectively with increasing the soil depth. The diversity of soil fungal communities in mixed forest and mandarin forest was 20% higher than that in bare land. The relative abundance of Ectomycorrhizal fungi was the highest in bamboo forests, while the relative abundance of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi and plant pathogens increased with increasing soil depth, by 12% and 7%, respectively. Our study provides valuable insights into the intricate relationships between vegetation type, soil properties, and soil fungal communities in subtropical artificial forests. We found that changes in vegetation type and soil depth significantly influence the structure and diversity of soil fungal communities. These shifts in fungal communities, in turn, have the potential to impact soil nutrient cycling, a key process for ecosystem functioning and sustainability. Therefore, our findings not only enhance our understanding of these complex relationships but also highlight the potential of leveraging these interactions to shape ecosystem sustainability in subtropical artificial forests.