Table 1 Litter and soil microbial biomass C, N and P and their ratios (mean ± SD, n = 5 per treatment) in response to fertilization treatments.

Cmic (µg g⁻¹)

1073.4 ± 360.2^ab

1372.4 ± 530^abc

828.5 ± 295.3^a

1299.3 ± 879.5^ab

1768.2 ± 613^bc

1863.9 ± 584.6^bc

2220.9 ± 953.8^c

1398.4 ± 475.1^abc

30.5

Nmic (µg g⁻¹)

123.8 ± 68.9^ab

131.8 ± 22.4^ab

65.6 ± 24.3^a

172.9 ± 40.3^bc

226.3 ± 50^bc

248.3 ± 115.9^c

214.2 ± 45.6^bc

165.2 ± 43.9^abc

36.0

Pmic (µg g⁻¹)

10.6 ± 6.9^ab

11.1 ± 3.1^abc

6.4 ± 1.7^a

11.5 ± 2.6^abc

20.1 ± 5.3^bcd

22.3 ± 6.2 ^cd

25.2 ± 12.4^abc

15.8 ± 4.5^bcd

42.8

C:Nmic

10.4 ± 5.2^ab

10.2 ± 2.8^ab

13.5 ± 4^b

8.6 ± 2.2^a

8.2 ± 2.3^ab

7.4 ± 4.3^ab

10.6 ± 4.2^ab

8.0 ± 2.9^ab

20.7

N:Pmic

12.1 ± 1.9^ab

12.3 ± 2.4^ab

10.1 ± 2.3^a

10.5 ± 1.2^b

10.8 ± 2.7^ab

15.2 ± 3.3^ab

9.6 ± 3.2^a

11.6 ± 2.8^ab

15.3

C:Pmic

121.5 ± 51.3^a

121 ± 14.3^a

128.5 ± 27.9^a

88.5 ± 16.1^a

86.5 ± 27.6^a

105.3 ± 51.2^a

93.9 ± 34.9^a

87 ± 13.4^a

16.8

Cmic (µg g⁻¹)

245.8 ± 157.2^ab

215.2 ± 101.2^a

179.1 ± 55.9^a

227.8 ± 73.6^ab

255 ± 49.4^ab

403.7 ± 74.9^b

296.6 ± 30.6^ab

286.8 ± 133.7^ab

25.8

Nmic (µg g⁻¹)

28.6 ± 7.6^abc

19.9 ± 5.8^a

21.9 ± 9^ab

31.1 ± 8.9^abc

37.1 ± 13.8^abc

51.5 ± 23.5^c

46.2 ± 18.4^bc

38.6 ± 9.7^abc

32.3

Pmic (µg g⁻¹)

2.9 ± 1.8^a

2.0 ± 0.7^a

2.0 ± 0.6^a

2.7 ± 0.6^a

4.7 ± 1.0^ab

6.9 ± 2.3^b

5.9 ± 2^b

4.0 ± 1.9^ab

46.7

C:Nmic

8.4 ± 4.2^a

11.3 ± 4.3^a

8.6 ± 2.1^a

7.3 ± 2.1^a

8.7 ± 2.7^a

7.8 ± 3.2^a

7.3 ± 3^a

7.8 ± 3.9^a

15.3

N:Pmic

11.7 ± 5.1^a

10 ± 3.1^a

11.1 ± 2.2^a

10.3 ± 2.1^a

7.5 ± 1.7^a

10.9 ± 2.8^a

7.7 ± 0.6^a

8 ± 2.3^a

17.4

C:Pmic

82.5 ± 3.6^abc

102.8 ± 20.6^c

92.3 ± 17.9^bc

72.2 ± 5.9^abc

64.8 ± 27^a

80.3 ± 26.2^ab

54.6 ± 18.4^abc

54.9 ± 3^abc

22.9