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Background and Aims <p>Establishing plantations is a promising approach for enhancing ecosystem carbon (C) sink capacity, yet the variations in soil carbon and nitrogen (N) cycling during plantation succession, as well as the potential mechanisms driving these processes, remain poorly understood.</p> Methods <p>Herein, the dynamics of soil microbial stability and function following a plantation succession chronosequence in northeastern China were investigated using metagenomics and microbial network analysis.</p> Results <p>Plantation succession significantly increased the α-diversity of tree species, soil organic C and total N content, and the α-diversity of soil microbial community. Network analysis showed that soil microbial network stability initially declined and subsequently increased during the succession process. The relative abundance of most genes involved in most C and N cycling processes significantly increased with plantation succession, indicating that succession promotes soil C and N cycling. Moreover, our results demonstrated that tree species composition, rather than diversity, was the primary biotic factor explaining the variations in C and N cycling genes during succession. Soil microbial network stability mediates the transmission of changes in soil abiotic factors to N cycling, thereby influencing soil C cycling, highlighting the close connection between ecosystem stability and function.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying C and N cycling in plantation ecosystems, particularly regarding aboveground and belowground interactions, and provide insights into optimizing plantation management practices.</p>

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Drivers of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling during plantation succession: linking aboveground plant communities with belowground microbial networks

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月9日

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  • Xianghua Zuo,
  • Wei Zhao,
  • Jinying Li,
  • Yunxiao He,
  • Yueming Zhao,
  • Ming Xing,
  • Jiangnan Li,
  • Xia Chen

摘要

Background and Aims

Establishing plantations is a promising approach for enhancing ecosystem carbon (C) sink capacity, yet the variations in soil carbon and nitrogen (N) cycling during plantation succession, as well as the potential mechanisms driving these processes, remain poorly understood.

Methods

Herein, the dynamics of soil microbial stability and function following a plantation succession chronosequence in northeastern China were investigated using metagenomics and microbial network analysis.

Results

Plantation succession significantly increased the α-diversity of tree species, soil organic C and total N content, and the α-diversity of soil microbial community. Network analysis showed that soil microbial network stability initially declined and subsequently increased during the succession process. The relative abundance of most genes involved in most C and N cycling processes significantly increased with plantation succession, indicating that succession promotes soil C and N cycling. Moreover, our results demonstrated that tree species composition, rather than diversity, was the primary biotic factor explaining the variations in C and N cycling genes during succession. Soil microbial network stability mediates the transmission of changes in soil abiotic factors to N cycling, thereby influencing soil C cycling, highlighting the close connection between ecosystem stability and function.

Conclusion

These findings deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying C and N cycling in plantation ecosystems, particularly regarding aboveground and belowground interactions, and provide insights into optimizing plantation management practices.