Effects of Exotic Spartina alterniflora Invasion on Soil Phosphorus and Carbon Pools and Associated Soil Microbial Community Composition in Coastal Wetlands

Abstract

Soil microorganisms can be altered by plant invasion into wetland ecosystems and comprise an important linkage between phosphorus (P) availability and soil carbon (C) chemistry; however, the intrinsic mechanisms of P and C transformation associated with microbial community and function are poorly understood in coastal wetland. In this study, we used a sequential fractionation method and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to capture the changes in soil P pools and C chemical composition with bare flats (BF), native Phragmites australis(PA), and invasive Spartina alterniflora(SA), respectively. The responses of the soil microbial community using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) pr..