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  • Title of document: Alder trees enhance crop productivity and soil microbial biomass in tea plantations

    Authors: P.E. Mortimer, H. Gui, J. Xu, C. Zhang, E. Barrios, K.D. Hyde

    Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Applied Soil Ecology

    Year of publication: 2015

    Geographic focus: China

    Url original document: www.elsevier.com/located/apsoil

    Summary: Monoculture farming systems lead to soils depleted of nutrients and diminished microbial functional diversity, disrupting process crucial to maintaining soil health. The planting of trees in these monoculture systems is one way to improve soil nutrition and biodiversity. Therefore, the objective was how planting the N fixing tree Alnus nepalensis (7 years old), into monoculture tea (Camellia sinensis var., assamica) plantations (32 years old), influences the soil fungal and bacterial communities, and how this impacts on tea productivity.