Table 2 Soil physical properties and microbial population in modern and ancient tea plantations, respectively

Soil physical and chemical properties

pH value

4.59 ± 0.13

4.53 ~ 4.64

4.47 ± 0.21*

4.38 ~ 4.55

CEC (cmol kg⁻¹)

9.13 ± 3.34

7.75 ~ 10.51

12.15 ± 2.84**

10.98 ~ 13.33

SOC (g kg⁻¹)

38.67 ± 12.56

33.49 ~ 43.86

51.31 ± 8.29***

47.89 ~ 54.73

SOM (g kg⁻¹)

65.93 ± 21.88

56.90 ~ 74.96

88.66 ± 13.20***

83.21 ~ 94.11

TN (g kg⁻¹)

1.19 ± 0.49

0.98 ~ 1.39

1.68 ± 0.45**

1.50 ~ 1.87

TP (g kg⁻¹)

0.257 ± 0.122

0.206 ~ 0.307

0.502 ± 0.162***

0.435 ~ 0.569

TK (g kg⁻¹)

6.59 ± 1.19

6.10 ~ 7.08

5.21 ± 2.67*

4.11 ~ 6.31

AN (mg kg⁻¹)

100.55 ± 26.04

89.80 ~ 111.29

128.88 ± 36.09**

113.99 ~ 143.78

AP (mg kg⁻¹)

10.64 ± 3.41

9.23 ~ 12.05

18.19 ± 2.49***

17.16 ~ 19.22

AK (mg kg⁻¹)

132.76 ± 14.57

126.74 ~ 138.78

151.49 ± 41.24*

134.46 ~ 168.51

Soil microbial population

Bacteria (×10⁶CFU g⁻¹)

20.88 ± 7.72

17.70 ~ 24.07

20.22 ± 3.86

18.63 ~ 21.81

Fungi (×10³CFU g⁻¹)

8.22 ± 1.63

7.54 ~ 8.89

11.25 ± 3.54***

9.79 ~ 12.71

Actinomycetes (×10⁷CFU g⁻¹)

9.77 ± 7.15

6.82 ~ 12.72

10.18 ± 4.75

8.22 ~ 12.15