The pathways of soil microbial and plant communities together explained 86% of the total variance of microbial respiration in that decreases in microbial respiration in response to acid addition were closely associated with decreases in total FAs, Ba FAs, PC1 of EEA, and F/B (Figs. 4 and 5a–c). The plant community pathway alone explained 58% of the total variance in root respiration (Fig. 4). The increases in BB, BB/AB, and PR/PB were associated with increases in root respiration (Figs. 4 and 5d–f). In addition, specific root respiration was higher for PR species (Leymus chinensis and Carex korshinskii) than for PB species (Achnatherum sibiricum and Stipa grandis) ( Fig. 5g)