Background: Soil microbes are key drivers of carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, and their properties are influenced by the relationship between resource demand and availability. - Aims: Our objective was to investigate patterns of microbial properties and their controls to understand whether they differ between soils derived from geochemically contrasting parent material in tropical montane forests. - Methods: We measured microbial biomass C (MBC/Soil), potential extracellular enzyme activity (pEEA), and assessed microbial investments in C and nutrient acquisition at the beginning and end of a 120-day laboratory incubation experiment using soils developed from three geochemically contrasting parent material (i.e., mafic, mixed sediment, and felsic) and three soil depths (0–70 cm). - Results: We found that MBC/Soil and pEEA were highest in soils developed from the mafic parent material. Microbial investment in C acquisition was highest in soils developed from mixed sedimentary rocks and lowest in soils developed from the felsic parent material. We propose that our findings are related to the strength of contrasting mineral-related C stabilization mechanisms and varying C quality. No predominant microbial investment in nitrogen (N) acquisition was observed, whereas investment in phosphorus (P) acquisition was highest in subsoils. We found lower microbial investment in C acquisition in subsoils indicating relatively high C availability, and that microbes in subsoils can substantially participate in C cycling and limit C storage if moisture and oxygen conditions are suitable. Geochemical soil properties and substrate quality were important controls on MBC/Soil per unit soil organic C (MBC/SOC), particularly after the exhaustion of labile and fast cycling C, that is, at the end of the incubation. - Conclusion: Although a laboratory incubation experiment cannot reflect real-world conditions, it allowed us to understand how soil properties affect microbial properties. We conclude that parent material is an important driver of microbial properties in tropical montane forests despite the advanced weathering degree of soils.

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, zu untersuchen, ob sich mit der Düngung von Stroh, Gehölzhäcksel, frischem Pferdemist und Grüngutkompost die Ertragsleistung und Nährstoffaufnahme von Leguminosen sowie der Folgefrucht Winterweizen steigern lässt. Darüber hinaus sollte die Aufnahme von düngebürtigem Kohlenstoff durch Rotklee mittels 13-C-angereichertem Stroh quantifiziert werden. Die Verfügbarkeit von Kalium, teilweise auch von Schwefel und Molybdän, wurde vor allem nach der Düngung von Grüngutkompost und von Pferdemist für die untersuchten Leguminosen verbessert, während nach der Düngung von Gehölzhäcksel und Stroh keine signifikanten Effekte auf die Nährstoffaufnahme der Pflanzen festgestellt werden konnten. Die scheinbare Ausnutzung des gedüngten Stickstoffs durch die Leguminosen lag in Abhängigkeit von der Düngung zwischen 0 und 9 % (Gehölzhäcksel < Grüngutkompost < Pferdemist < Stroh). Nur nach der Düngung von Pferdemist zu Saatplatterbse und Ackerbohne verringerte sich der Anteil an symbiotisch fixiertem Luftstickstoff am Spross-N gegenüber der Kontrolle, nicht jedoch die symbiotisch fixierte N-Menge. Der Vorrat an mineralischem Stickstoff im Boden in einer Tiefe von 0 bis 30 cm war unter Ackerbohne und Rotklee ca. 40 Tage nach der Düngung und Einarbeitung von Gehölzhäcksel gegenüber den Vergleichsvarianten und der Kontrolle deutlich vermindert. Ein Einfluss der durch die Düngung bedingten temporären N-Festlegung im Boden auf den Anteil an fixiertem Luftstickstoff am Spross-N konnte bei keiner der untersuchten Leguminosen festgestellt werden. Der nachfolgende Winterweizen reagierte in einem Jahr mit signifikant höherem Kornertrag auf die Düngung von Grüngutkompost zu Ackerbohne und erhöhtem Rohproteingehalt im Korn auf die Düngung von Pferdemist zu Saatplatterbse. Mit Hilfe von 13-C-markiertem Stroh wurde im Freiland eine Assimilation von 0,5 % der mit dem Stroh gedüngten Kohlenstoffmenge durch Rotklee ermittelt. / The aim of this study was to examine, whether the application of wheat straw, pruning, horse manure and green compost improves the yield formation and nutrient uptake of legumes and the succeeding crop winter wheat. Furthermore it should be quantified the amount of carbon in red clover derived from the organic fertilizer by carbon dioxid assimilation. An improved uptake of potassium, partially of sulphur and molybdenum for the legumes could be detected after the application of green compost and horse manure. No effects were found on plant nutrient uptake after the application of straw and pruning. The apparent utilization of the applied nitrogen by organic fertilizer was 0 to 9 %, depending on the fertilization (pruning < green compost < horse manure < straw). The proportion of symbiontically fixed nitrogen decrease in faba bean and in chick-pea after manuring with horse manure compared with the control. However the total amount of symbiotically fixed nitrogen did not decreased. The amount of mineral nitrogen in the soil (depth: 0 to 0,3 m) was significant reduced under faba bean and red clover, 40 days after application and incorporation of pruning. No effect on the symbiotic nitrogen fixation of the legumes was found because of the organic fertilizer induced temporary immobilization of nitrogen in this soil layer. An increased grain yield was determined in the succeeding winter wheat after fertilizing green compost to faba bean and a higher content of crude protein in grain of the wheat was determined after fertilizing horse manure to chick-pea. With the help of a 13C-tracer method it could be estimated, that about 0,5 % of the added carbon with straw was assimilated by red clover under field conditions.