Effects of nitric acid rain stress on soil nitrogen fractions and fungal communities in a northern subtropical forest, China

Acid rain has severely negatively impacted terrestrial ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. However, the potential impacts of nitric acid rain (NAR) on soil nitrogen (N) fractions and fungal community diversity in northern subtropical forest soils remain largely unevaluated. In this study, treatments of NAR at pH = 4.5 (AR4.5), pH = 3.5 (AR3.5), and pH = 2.5 (AR2.5) were randomly sprayed in a typical Quercus acutissima Carruth. stand in northern subtropical China. The soil N fractions and soil fungal communities were analyzed after a 12-month experimental period. The results revealed that compared to the control, the soil total N (TN), microbial biomass N (MBN), hydrolysable ammonium N (HAN), amino-sugar N (ASN) and amino-acid N (AAN) contents decreased significantly by 19.61–13.07 %, 20.10–9.04 %, 60.41–28.87 %, 74.10–62.25 %, and 65.69–45.64 % under stronger acidity inputs (i.e., AR2.5 and AR3.5), respectively. Besides, the AR2.5 and AR3.5 treatments increased the α-diversity indices of soil fungal communities and altered the soil fungal community structure. Moreover, the NAR treatments represented an increase in the relative abundance of Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota and a decrease in that of Basidiomycota. Mortierella, Penicillium, and Tomentella can be used as indicator genera for changes in soil fungal community structures under NAR stress. Furthermore, AAN was the main environmental factor affecting soil fungal community at the phylum and genus levels. Cumulatively, findings from this research provide valuable insight into NAR's effects on N cycling and microbial communities in forest soils. [Display omitted] •Nitric acid rain (NAR) decreased soil amino-sugar nitrogen (N) and amino-acid N contents.•NAR increased the α-diversity indices of soil fungal communities.•NAR caused an increase in the relative abundance of Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota.•Soil amino-acid N was the main environmental factor affecting the fungal communities.