Effects of long-term human disturbances on soil microbial diversity and community structure in a karst grassland ecosystem of northwestern Guangxi, China

Abstract

Aims Human disturbance is one of the main obstacles to the forward succession of karst grassland, exploring the response of grassland to disturbance in terms of soil microorganism can provide the basis for the restoration and rational utilization of karst land. Our objective was to study the effects of different human disturbances on soil microorganisms and the underlying mechanisms in a karst grassland ecosystem of northwestern Guangxi, China.