Alteration of soil nitrifiers and denitrifiers and their driving factors during intensive management of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens).

Long-term intensive management, such as inorganic fertilization and soil tillage, have been reported to decrease soil organic carbon content (SOC) and diversity of soil bacterial communities, as well as increase N₂O emissions in moso bamboo forests. However, the response of the N-cycling soil microbial community to intensive management remains unclear. To address this, we examined the effects of intensive moso bamboo management on nitrifying and denitrifying microorganisms. Soils receiving non-management (NM) and 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of intensive management (IM10, IM15, IM20, IM25) were characterized using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and high-through sequencing methods. Our results showed that abundances of ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) from ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) significantly increased (P < 0.05) and were greatest in IM15 (8.37 × 10⁷ copies/g dry soils) and IM25 (5.42 × 10⁷ copies/g dry soils) in top- and subsoils, respectively, while nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) abundance significantly decreased by 59.1% (topsoil) and 36.4% (subsoil) in IM20 (P < 0.05). GroupI.1a-associated affiliating to AOA, and Bradyrhizobium affiliating to nosZ, were keys groups for nitrifiers and denitrifiers, respectively, and showed the greatest variations in response to long-term intensive management. Abundances of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and the nitrite reductase gene nirS were less affected, as were the dominant Nitrosospira species belonging to the AOB community. Except the AOB amoA abundance, soil nitrogen was found to be the main factor influencing the abundance, diversity, and composition of nitrifying genes, while denitrifying genes were mainly affected by SOC and available potassium, indicating that different factors control populations of nitrifiers and denitrifiers. Collectively, our study revealed that groupings of nitrifying and denitrifying microorganisms responded differently to intensive management. This information is of potential value towards identifying strategies to minimize nitrogen loss in moso bamboo plantations.