The total C and N contents are positively correlated with the
PLFAs for bacteria (Ushio et al., 2008). Thus, we assumed that the
increased soil C storage and soil N availability when N-fixing species
mixing with Eucalyptus attributed to greater bacterial biomass
and lower fungal biomass in MP. The fungi are thought to primarily
produce oxidative enzymes and degrade more chemically complex
compounds like lignin (Sylvia et al., 2004; Cusack et al., 2011).
Therefore, lower fungal biomass in MP implied that more recalcitrant
C compounds would be accumulated in MP.