The soil acidification pathway directly explained 65% of the total variance in soil N status and 74% of total variance in soil base cation concentrations (Fig. 4). The increases in contents of H+ were associated with decreases in the net N mineralization rate and soil NO3−−N and increases in soil NH4+−N. Similarly, the increases in H+ were associated with soil base cations. Observed changes in N status and soil base cations explained about 51% of the total variance in plants (increases in BB, BB/AB, and PR/PB and decrease in AB). Most of the total variance (82%) in the soil microbes (increases in fungal FAs and fungi/bacteria ratio and decreases in bacterial FAs and PC1 score of EEA) were apparently explained by both soil acidification and soil base mineral cations pathways (Fig. 4)