Sowing crop affects soil microbial necromass carbon via altering soil fungal community structure in a macadamia-based agroforestry system

Agroforestry management practices governed soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial community structure in terrestrial ecosystems, yet the effect of these practices on microbial necromass carbon (C) remain poorly understood in a subtropical region. Here, we compared the differences in fungal, bacterial, and microbial necromass C (indicated by amino sugars) and their contributions to SOC among different forest types including macadamia monoculture plantation (MMP) and macadamia-based agroforestry systems intercropping with dasheen (MDAS), konjac (MKAS), and maize (MMAS) in the Lincang city, southwest Yunnan province, China, and assessed the impact of aboveground biomass, soil fertility, and soil microbial community structure on microbial necromass C and its contribution to SOC. Compared with monoculture plantation, macadamia-based agroforestry decreased SOC, and changed significantly soil microbial α diversity, β diversity, and microbial necromass C and its contribution to SOC (P