Branches covering (BC) is a way to reuse the pruned branches and save the cost of ground cloth. This study investigated the effects of BC and ground-cloth covering on the soil microcosm environment by measuring the chemical properties and microbial communities at different soil depths for 6 years. The results revealed that BC significantly improved soil chemical properties, increased the abundance of bacterial microbial communities and the diversity and homogeneity of bacteria and fungi, while decreased the abundance of fungal microbial communities. There was a threshold value for the regulation of microbial communities by BC, which decreased the high-abundance communities (Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, etc.) and increased the low-abundance communities (Acidobacteriota, Basidiomycota, etc.). Fungi were more sensitive to BC than bacteria. The stability and homogeneity of microorganisms were stronger in the 15–25 cm soil layer. The bacterial phyla were dominated by Proteobacteria, with the top 10 phyla accounting for more than 80% of the relative abundance; the genera were dominated by MND1, with the top 10 genera accounting for about 10%. The fungal phyla were dominated by Ascomycota, with the top 10 phyla accounting for 50–90%; the genera were dominated by unidentified Pyronemataceae sp., with the top 10 genera accounting for 30–60%. The phyla that differed significantly between treatments were mainly Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, Acidobacteriota, and Basidiomycota. In addition, metabolism was the predominant function in bacteria, while Saprotroph was the predominant function in fungi. Bacteroidota correlated strongly with soil chemical properties and bacterial functions, while Chytridiomycota correlated strongly with soil chemical properties and Pathogen-Saprotroph-Symbiotroph. In conclusion, BC can improve soil nutrient content and optimize microbial community structure and function. Through initially assessing the effects of BC on soil nutrients and microorganisms in pear orchard rows, this study provides a reference for excavating key microorganisms and updating the soil row management model.

中文翻译：

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长期行间枝条覆盖对梨园土壤微生物的影响

树枝覆盖（BC）是一种对修剪后的树枝进行再利用并节省地布成本的方法。本研究通过长达六年的测量不同土壤深度的化学性质和微生物群落，研究了BC和地布覆盖对土壤微观环境的影响。结果表明，BC显着改善了土壤化学性质，增加了细菌微生物群落的丰度以及细菌和真菌的多样性和同质性，同时降低了真菌微生物群落的丰度。BC对微生物群落的调节存在一个阈值，导致高丰度群落减少（变形菌门,子囊菌门等）并增加了低丰度群落（酸杆菌门,担子菌门， ETC。）。真菌对BC比细菌更敏感。15~25 cm土层微生物的稳定性和均质性较强。细菌门主要是变形菌门，前10个门占相对丰度的80%以上；该属主要由神经元病1，前10属约占10%。真菌门主要是子囊菌门，前10个门占50%~90%；该属主要由未鉴定的火蚁科其中前 10 属占 30%~60%。处理之间显着差异的门主要是变形菌门,子囊菌门,酸杆菌门， 和担子菌门。此外，代谢是细菌的主要功能，而腐生菌是真菌的主要功能。拟杆菌门与土壤化学性质和细菌功能密切相关，而壶菌门与土壤化学性质和病原体-腐生菌-共生菌密切相关。综上所述，BC可以提高土壤养分含量，优化微生物群落结构和功能。本研究通过初步评估BC对梨园行土壤养分和微生物的影响，为挖掘关键微生物、更新土壤行管理模型提供参考。