Effect of land use conversion on the soil aggregate-associated microbial necromass carbon in estuarine wetland of the Pearl River in China

Microbial necromass carbon (MNC), as an important component of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool in natural environments, has increasingly gained significant attention in recent years. However, the redistribution pattern of microbial necromass in aggregate fractions of estuarine soils induced by human activity still remain unclear. In this study, we assessed the effect of land use conversion on the redistribution and accumulation patterns of aggregate-associated MNC in estuarine wetland soils on the Pearl River estuary of China. Typical soil samples in 0–30 cm profiles under different land uses [Natural Wetland (NW), Farmland (FL), and Construction Land (CL)] were analyzed. The results showed that the NW conversion to FL and then CL contributed to the continuous losses of SOC, however, the aggregate-associated MNC content was higher in FL and lower in CL compared to NW. The MNC contribution to total SOC in aggregate fractions gradually increased from NW (16.41 % − 23.62 %) to CL (23.87 % − 30.98 %) and then FL (34.62 % − 38.83 %) in profiles. Fungal necromass C was the primary contributor to the total MNC in each aggregate fraction. In NW, the MNC was mainly present in large aggregate size, however, the MNC was gradually enriched into smaller size aggregates, especially for the bacterial necromass C, after the conversion from NW to FL or CL. Microbial biomass carbon had a direct and positive effect on the MNC in soil aggregates under different land uses, except for in silt + clay fraction from NW. Moreover, pH and soil moisture content were two key variables affecting the MNC content and accumulation by mediating the microbial biomass of different land uses, while the dominate factors controlling the MNC accumulation varied with size fractions in aggregates. Our results emphasize the influence of land use conversion on the soil aggregate-associated MNC accumulation in estuarine wetland.