Short-term impact of fire-deposited charcoal on soil microbial community abundance and composition in a subtropical plantation in China

Slash burning is a common and efficient way of removing forest harvest residues in subtropical plantations. However, few field studies have assessed the impact of fire-deposited charcoal on the diversity and composition of soil microbial communities. In this study, we manipulated the amount of charcoal left in plots after slash burning in a Pinus massoniana plantation of subtropical China. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 10 cm depth one...