Purpose

The fixation of atmospheric CO₂ and N₂ by soil bacteria is important to the terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycles and can be greatly affected by anthropogenic disturbance. The application of mineral fertilizer combined with manure (MCM) has been used to maintain soil quality and improve soil C storage. However, the impacts of MCM on soil CO₂-fixing bacteria (CFB) and N₂-fixing bacteria (NFB), encoded separately by the cbbL and nifH genes, remain largely unknown.

Methods

In this study, we examined how the community structure of soil CFB and NFB from a chronosequence of Moso bamboo forests (6, 10, 15, and 20 years of intensive management) responded to long-term intensive management with MCM and identified the critical determinants that regulated them. Quantitative PCR and high-throughput pyrosequencing of the cbbL and nifH genes were used to analyze the abundance and community composition of CFB and NFB, respectively.

Results

Employing MCM enhanced the content of SOC and soil available N, K, although some fluctuating values were observed over the 20-year period. The abundance of cbbL gene decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after 6 years of management and then recovered after 20 years of management. However, the abundance of nifH gene consistently declined over 20 years of management. The diversity of CFB increased significantly after 6 years of management, while that of NFB decreased significantly after 15 years of management compared to the no-fertilizer control. The phylum Proteobacteria was predominant in the CFB and NFB communities. Furthermore, the sum abundance of keystone taxa Rhodopseudomonas, Aminobacter, and Rubrivivax for CFB increased after 20 years of management, while the keystone taxon Bradyrhizobium for NFB decreased after 20 years of management compared to no-fertilizer control.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the application of MCM favors the abundance, diversity, and keystone taxa of soil CFB rather NFB, which may improve soil C fixation.