{
  "abstract": "Afforestation is a key ecological restoration measure for combating desertification in arid and semi-arid regions. But the changes and drivers of nutrient limitations faced by soil microbes during long-term afforestation are unclear. This study investigated soil ecosystems of different-aged stands (planted 10, 30, 50, and 70 years ago) formed by the sand-fixing Caragana korshinskii shrub in China’s Mu Us Desert, using extracellular enzyme stoichiometry to infer the dynamics of microbial nutrient limitation. Results showed that establishing C. korshinskii sand-fixing vegetation alters the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) stoichiometry of soil microbes and their extracellular enzymes. With increasing stand age, soil C: N, C: P, N: P, microbial biomass C: P, and enzyme N: P ratios all increased significantly, peaking at 70 years. However, enzyme C: N peaked much earlier, at 10 years, after which it declined, while enzyme C: P reached its peak at 10 years and then stabilized afterwards. Microbial C- and P- use efficiency both decreased, whereas N-use efficiency initially improved but later weakened. Vector analysis indicated that microbial C limitation intensified during the first decade of shrub stand development (0–10 years), and then stabilized after 10 years, while P limitation declined (0–70 years). Both multiple regression models for VA and VL identified the enzyme C: P as a closely associated variable with microbial nutrient limitations. This work provides scientific insights into how C and N are coupled mechanistically in soil during afforestation of desertland from the perspective of soil–microbe–extracellular enzyme ecological stoichiometry, offering theoretical support for greening desert-like ecosystems and promoting sustainable development in arid and semi-arid regions.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences",
    "College of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University",
    "Statistical Scientific Editing",
    "Ningxia Lingwu Baijitan National Nature Reserve Administration"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shuang Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiaowei Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Julian M. Norghauer"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Xingdong Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Zhongwu Wan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Junlong Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Bo Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Haotian Yang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9tnby2fh4wtfp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmicb.2026.1938090",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "9tnby2fh4wtfp",
  "issns": [
    "1664-302X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1938090/full",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1111|Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223155413",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1938090/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-21",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9tnby2fh4wtfp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:12Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fmicb.2026.1938090",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1938090/full"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:1111|Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics",
      "subfield": "hydrology-soils"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Microbial nutrient limitations in soil during afforestation in the Mu Us Desert, China: insights from extracellular enzyme stoichiometry",
  "title_text": "Microbial nutrient limitations in soil during afforestation in the Mu Us Desert, China: insights from extracellular enzyme stoichiometry",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9tnby2fh4wtfp",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Microbiology",
  "versions": []
}