Abstract:
To clarify the soil ecological adaptability of
Zanthoxylum bungeanum 'Fengcai' in non-suitable areas, we investigated rhizosphere and (0–30 cm) soils of
Z. bungeanum. 'Fengcai' seedlings were cultivated at an altitude of
1000 m, and systematically analyzed differences in soil nutrient content, extracellular enzyme activities, and microbial community structures. Soil nutrient content, extracellular enzyme activities, and the abundance and community composition of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal 18S rRNA genes were determined using high-throughput sequencing and fluorescence methods. Correlation analyses were further performed to explore the relationships among soil microbial diversity, extracellular enzyme activities, and environmental factors. The findings indicated that rhizosphere soils had higher levels of organic carbon, total nitrogen, C:N, and N:P ratios, and lower total phosphorus and C:P ratios compared to non-rhizosphere soils, though differences were not statistically significant; enzyme activities of BG, CBH, NAG, LAP, ACP, as well as E
C:P and E
N:P ratios, were higher in rhizosphere soils, yet not significant. VL ranged from 0.73 to 0.81, with non-rhizosphere soil values 4.43% lower than rhizosphere, indicating slightly higher carbon limitation in the rhizosphere. VA ranged from 54.28° to 58.98°, suggesting phosphorus limitation in both soil types, with slightly higher limitation in the rhizosphere; bacterial abundance greatly exceeded fungal abundance. Rhizosphere soils showed increased relative abundances of
Actinobacteriota and
Chloroflexota, and higher levels of
Mucoromycota among fungi. Bacterial diversity was significantly higher in rhizosphere soils, whereas fungal diversity was higher in non-rhizosphere soils; correlation analysis revealed that bacterial Chao index and observed species were positively correlated with N:P, while fungal Chao and observed species were negatively correlated with N:P. NAG, LAP, and ACP were significantly positively correlated with soil, while LAP and ACP were significantly negatively correlated with C:P.