Soil fungi play a vital role in soil nutrient dynamics, but knowledge of their diversity and community composition in response to biochar addition into red soil is either limited or inconsistent. Therefore, we determined the impact of bamboo biochar (BB) with increasing concentrations (0, 5, 20, and 80 g kg⁻¹ of soil, referred to as B0, BB5, BB20, and BB80, respectively) on soil physicochemical properties and fungal communities (Illumina high-throughput sequencing) in red soil under Fokenia hodginsii (Fujian cypress). We found that increasing BB levels effectively raised the soil pH and soil nutrients, particularly under BB80. BB addition significantly increased the relative abundance of important genera, i.e., Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, and Chytridiomycota that could play a key role in ecological functioning, e.g., wood degradation and litter decomposition, improvement in plant nutrients uptake, and resistance to several abiotic stress factors. Soil amended with BB exhibited a substantial ability to increase the fungal richness and diversity; BB80 > BB20 > BB5 > B0. Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, Glomeromycota, Rozellomycota, Aphelidiomycota, Kickxellomycota, and Planctomycetes were positively associated with soil pH, total nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon, and available potassium and phosphorous. Besides, the correlation analysis between the soil fungal communities and soil properties also showed that soil pH was the most influential factor in shaping the soil fungal communities in the red soil. These findings have significant implications for a comprehensive understanding of how to ameliorate acidic soils with BB addition, as well as for future research on sustainable forest management, which might increase soil fungi richness, diversity, and functionality in acidic soils.

For their quality evaluation, it is essential to determine both bamboo shoot nutrition and palatability, which will have a decisive effect on their economic value and market potential. However, differences in shoot nutrition and flavor variation among bamboo species, positions, and components have not been scientifically validated. This study assessed nutritional and flavor differences in two components (i.e., shoot flesh (BSF) and diaphragm (BSD)) of two Phyllostachys species (i.e., Phyllostachys edulis and Phyllostachys violascens) and analyzed any positional variation. Results showed that BSF protein, starch, fat, and vitamin C contents were comparatively higher. Nutrient compounds in the upper shoot segment of Ph. edulis were higher and contained less cellulose and lignin. However, both species’ BSD total acid, oxalic acid, and tannin contents were comparable. BSD soluble sugar and sugar:acid ratio were higher than upper BSD total amino acid, four key amino acids (i.e., essential amino acid, bitter amino acid, umami amino acid, and sweet amino acid flavor compounds), and associated ratios were all higher than BSF while also being rich in amino acids. The content and proportion of BSF essential and bitter amino acid flavor compounds in Ph. edulis were high relative to Ph. violascens. Conversely, the content and proportion of BSD umami and sweet amino acid flavor compounds were comparable to that of Ph. edulis. Our results showed that bamboo shoot quality was affected by flavor compound differences and that interspecific and shoot components interact. This study offers a new perspective to determine the formative mechanisms involved in bamboo shoot quality while providing a basis for their different usages.

Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) is a major bamboo species cultivated in southern China with high economic, ecological, and social value. However, highly dense forests and reasonable structures in bamboo forests have unclear and adverse effects on light transmittance and forest productivity that are not adequately understood. Here, we investigated varied light-intensity treatments during different phases of shoot emergence and development on Ma bamboo shoots. The amount of total chlorophyll, carotenoids, gas exchange indicators, and biosynthetic products were also compared to explore the response mechanism of shoot germination on downstream biochemical pathways. We found that compared to the L0 treatment (full sunlight), the number of germinated bamboo shoots under the L1 treatment (40% light) increased significantly by 44.07% and 101.32% in the shooting initial-phase and metaphase, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, the net photosynthetic rate (P_n) during the shooting initial-phase and metaphase was the highest in the L1 treatment, while the L4 (10% light) and L0 treatments inhibited chlorophyll synthesis. Further, the accumulation of leaf carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) was higher in the L1 treatment than in other treatments. Ma bamboo showed rich carbohydrate contents under L0 and L1 treatments in the shooting initial-phase and metaphase. Principal component analysis (PCA) also revealed that the L1 treatment positively correlated with bamboo shoot germination and biochemical activity during the shooting periods. Ultimately, our data suggest that the L1 treatment is the most optimal for promoting bamboo shoot germination, providing a scientific basis for cultivating shoot-used bamboo forests in southern China.