Impacts of chloride de-icing salt on bulk soils, fungi, and bacterial populations surrounding the plant rhizosphere

- Stronger effect of de-icing salt on the upper soil environment than others.
- De-icing salt decreased the diversity of fungal populations in all soil layers.
- De-icing salt increased bacterial diversity of the lower and middle soil layers.
- The alteration of microbial populations and soil properties showed correlative.
- The dominant microbial populations were changed by de-icing salt.