Tree species-mediated spatial patchiness of the composition of microbial community and physicochemical properties in the topsoils of a tropical montane forest

To evaluate the importance of plant-soil feedbacks in forest ecosystems, it is fundamental to understand the spatial range within which plant species control soil physicochemical and microbial properties. We investigated the spatial pattern of soil properties associated with canopy trees in a tropical montane forest on Mt. Kianbalu, Borneo. We analyzed soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities (biomarker lipid abundance) as a function of soil depth and distance from the tree trunk of a conifer (Dacrydium gracilis) or a broadleaf tree (Lithocarpus clementianus). The concentration of condensed tannins and fungi-to-bacteria were higher beneath Dacrydium than beneath Lithocarpus. Furthermore, carbon-degrading enzyme activities were lower beneath Dacrydium. These effects of the tree species were more distinct on soil properties beneath the tree crown than on those outside the tree crown. These effects appeared to be largely due to differences in litter chemistry, and the distinct set of soil properties formed corresponding to the above canopy crown. In conclusion, the species-rich forest on the tropical mountain contains spatially distinct units of soil properties associated with canopy trees, and this spatial pattern can influence ecosystem dynamics in the forest through plant-soil feedback effects.