The BEF-China Forest Biodiversity Project
Tree species diversity and composition influences soil nutrient status in relation to microbial decomposition and carbon cycling, microbial nitrogen cycling, and microbial growth and broad community composition. A focus of this research is on the relationships between plant growth and physiological traits, diversity, soil stabilization, and nutrient cycling by monitoring microbial community structure and functions associated with tree individuals along a diversity gradient from 1 to 24 tree species in subtropical China, as part of the BEF-China project, in close cooperation with the Helmholz-UFZ soil ecology department. In addition to this main work, we have cooperative experiments on microbial decomposition of litter and wood in relation to forest successional stages and biodiversity.
