Table 1 The percentage variation (as determined by linear models) in the soil microbial communities explained by the trees, understory plant communities and soils of the subtropical plantations.

From: Understory herb layer exerts strong controls on soil microbial communities in subtropical plantations

Microbes

Overstory trees

Understory herb

Soils

Residuals (%)

TB (%)

TC (%)

HSR (%)

HB (%)

SM (%)

SOC (%)

pH (%)

Total FAs (nmol g−1)

6.3

14.3

15.0

20.1

0.7

11.7

0.4

31.6

Bacterial Fas (nmol g−1)

5.8

10.7

13.9

20.7

1.0

12.3

0.5

35.1

Fungal FAs (nmol g−1)

4.2

10.5

9.8

19.4

2.4

9.3

7.2

37.3

AM fungal FAs (nmol g−1)

8.7

19.6

12.9

11.3

1.6

7.3

0.3

38.3

Actinomycete FAs (nmol g−1)

6.7

15.8

13.4

17.0

0.4

8.0

0.8

37.9

B:F ratio

1.8

2.2

1.4

12.2

7.1

13.3

27.6

34.4

  1. AM, arbuscular mycorrhizae; B:F ratio, ratio of bacterial FAs to fungal FAs; TB, aboveground biomass of overstory trees; TC, overstory tree cover; HSR, understory herb species richness; HB, aboveground biomass of understory herbs; SM, soil moisture; SOC, soil organic carbon.
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