Soil Microbial Community Structure in Tree Peony (<i>Paeonia suffruticosa</i>) Garden Based on PLFA Analysis

Understanding the chronological change in soil microbial community structure of tree peony garden ecosystem is important from ecological, environmental, and management perspectives. Soil samples were collected from three tree peony garden systems (5-, 12-, and 25-year-old tree peony gardens), and adjacent wasteland at Luoyang, Henan Province of China. Soil microbial community structure was analyzed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method. The bacterial and actinomycete PLFAs increased from the wasteland to 5-year-old tree peony garden and then decreased from the 5- to 25-year-old tree peony garden, and the fungal PLFA first increased and then decreased with the increasing planting years, with the greatest amount found in the 12-year-old tree peony garden. The conversion from the wasteland to tree peony garden resulted in a significant increase in Shannon index, Richness, and Evenness. However, with the succeeding development of tree peony garden ecosystems, Shannon index, Richness, and Evenness decreased from the 5- to 25-year-old tree peony garden.