[Effects of vegetation and topography features on ecological stoichiometry of soil and soil microbial biomass in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau, China.]

The objectives of this study were to explore the effects of vegetation type, topographic features and their combined effects on soil microbial biomass stoichiometry, so as to better understand the interaction of soil, soil microbes and nutrient cycling under different vegetation types in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau. Soils from three vegetation zones (forest zone, forest-steppe and steppe) and five slope positions (south/north backslope, south/north shoulder and summit) were chosen and the effects of vegetation types and topography features on soil and C:N:P ratios in soil microbial biomass were investigated in this study. The results showed that, among the five slope positions, the highest concentrations of soil and soil microbial biomass C, N, P were found at the backslope position and the north-facing slope. The effects of vegetation types on soil and soil microbial biomass C, N and P in the two soil layers were significantly different, whereas the effects of slope aspect and positions were only numerically different. As for different soil layers, the topsoil (0-10 cm) was more affected by slope aspect, while the subsoil (10-20 cm) was more influenced by slop position. While the effects of vegetation type on soil C:N, C:P and N:P and soil microbial biomass C:N, C:P were significant, slope aspect and slope position only influenced soil C:P and N:P. Consequently, on the Loess Plateau, the effects of vegetation type on soil and soil microbial biomass C, N, P were stronger than those of the topographic features. The standardized major axis tests showed that C:N:P stoichiometry in soil microbes was well-constrained, especially in the steppe zone. The soil microbial biomass N:P might be used as a useful tool to assess nutrient limitation of ecosystem processes in terrestrial ecosystems. If combined with plant leaf N:P, they could provide more accurate information to estimate the nutrient limitation of fragile ecosystem in hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau.