Seasonal responses of soil bacteria, fungi and protists to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in a subtropical forest

Abstract

Protists are ubiquitous in soils and play vital roles in biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems. While their sensitivity to nitrogen (N) addition is well-documented, the responses to phosphorus (P) enrichment remain less understood. In this study, we examined the seasonal (i.e., spring and autumn) variations in six-year simulated N and P addition, including control, N, P and NP treatments, on the diversity and community composition of soil bacteria, fungi and protists in a subtropical forest. Results showed a significant increase in the α-diversity of soil protists with N or P addition across both seasons, while bacterial and fungal α-diversity remained unchanged compared to the control..