Vegetation and soil microbial community are important components of an ecosystem,the linkage between them may provide critical guidance for scientific research and ecological restoration practice.However,studies concerning plant-soil feedback have traditionally concentrated on overstory vegetation,and the effects of understory vegetation on the soil microbial community have been rarely studied.In this paper,we summarized the effects and the related interactional mechanism via which understory vegetation influenced soil microbial communities.Literature analysis showed that (1) understory vegetation has a significant influence on the soil microbial community,and understory vegetation has positive,negative,or no effect on soil microbes;(2) understory vegetation affects soil microbial community either by the return of quality and quantity of litter and secretion directly or by influencing the microclimate environment,soil nutrients,and pH values,and changing overstory vegetation and other soil microorganisms.Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis is the most common measurement method applied in studies on the effects of understory vegetation on the soil microbial community,but few new measurement methods such as the high-fluxed DNA sequencing technology are applied.In the future,research into the effects ofunderstory vegetation on the soil microbial community shall be focused on the following three aspects:1) increasing the accuracy of measurement methods for soil microbes,2) expanding the directions of research,and 3) dealing with applications.
understory vegetationsoil microbial communitycomposition and structureplant-soil feedback
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维普
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