Enhanced soil microbial stability is associated with soil organic carbon storage under high-altitude forestation

The potential of forestation to mitigate climate warming depends largely on whether it can improve terrestrial carbon (C) storage. Changes in soil microbial stability can cause ecosystem C fluctuations. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether forestation alters soil microbial stability with cascading effects on C storage in high-altitude ecosystems. In this study, a total of 14 typical planted forests were selected on the Tibetan Plateau. We showed that high-altitude forestation, particularly with poplars, altered the microbial diversity and potentially improved the stability of soil microbial communities. These changes were associated with soil C accumulation and potentially positive feedback on soil organic C storage. Variations in the microbial community stability were mostly caused by changes in soil bulk density and dissolved organic C. Superior network stability was found in fungal community rather than bacterial community. Additionally, there were strong interactions between bacterial and fungal communities that influenced soil C storage. These findings contribute to understand the differences and relationships between bacteria and fungi in plantation soils. This work reveals the potential of high-altitude forestation to mitigate climate warming through insights into the microbial-mediated mechanisms responsible for soil C storage in high-altitude ecosystems.