Coupled effects of elevated CO2 and biochar on microbial communities of vegetated soil

Soil microbial communities are important for plant growth and establishing healthy ecosystems. Although biochar is widely adopted as a sustainable fertilizer, its influence on soil ecological functions is still unclear, especially under climate change such as elevated carbon dioxide concentration (eCO2). This study explores the coupled effects between eCO2 and biochar on microbial communities in soil planted with tree seedlings of Schefflera heptaphylla. Root characteristics and soil microbial communities were examined and interpreted with statistical analysis. Results show that biochar application at ambient carbon dioxide concentration (aCO2) always improves plant growth, which is further promoted under eCO2. Similarly, β-glucosidase, urease and phosphatase activities are enhanced by biochar at aCO2 (p