Beech and hornbeam are two of the most common species in old-growth temperate forests. However, how these two species affect soil carbon (C), soil nitrogen (N) and soil microbial and enzymatic activities is still not well understood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to quantify the effects of beech and hornbeam on soil chemical, biochemical and biological features at Makarod forest, Northern Iran, by sampling either forest floor or mineral soil (30 × 30 × 15 cm) under individual trees of both species. Based on our data, hornbeam showed higher concentrations of N, phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), but lower total thickness, C and C: N ratio in the forest floor. Top mineral soil under hornbeam had alkaline condition (pH > 7), higher electrical conductivity (EC), total N, N in micro- and macro-aggregates, N sequestration, available P, K, Ca, Mg, humic acid, fine root biomass, total earthworm (i.e. epigeic, anecic and endogeic) density and biomass, total nematode, acarina and protozoa densities. Hornbeam trees increased soil basal respiration and substrate induced respiration (0.50 and 1.47 mg CO₂ g⁻¹) compared to beech. The two studied species did not show any significant difference in soil microbial biomass C, metabolic quotient, microbial ratio, C availability index, particulate organic C and dissolved organic C, whereas, higher values of soil microbial biomass N, particulate organic N and dissolved organic N (66.97 mg kg⁻¹, 0.52 g kg⁻¹ and 38.53 mg kg⁻¹, respectively) were again found under hornbeam. Except for arylsulfatase, all the other soil enzyme activities (i.e. urease, acid phosphatase and invertase) were almost two-fold higher under hornbeam (24.55 μg NH₄⁺–Ng⁻¹ 2 h⁻¹, 498.30 μg PNP g⁻¹h⁻¹ and 296.2 μg Glucose g⁻¹ 3 h⁻¹, respectively). As well, higher values of ammonification rate were measured under hornbeam (0.38 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹), whereas beech significantly increased the nitrification rate (−0.16 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹). Net N mineralization rate was about three-fold higher under hornbeam (0.14 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹) than under beech. Our results indicate that differences in functional traits between beech and hornbeam caused changes in microbial community and in its activity, underlying a higher forest floor quality, higher soil fertility and more active microbial populations under the latter.

山毛榉和角树是温带古林中最常见的两个物种。但是，这两种物种如何影响土壤碳（C），土壤氮（N）以及土壤微生物和酶活性仍不清楚。因此，本研究的目的是通过对单个森林下的林地或矿质土壤（30×30×15 cm）进行采样，来量化山毛榉和角树对伊朗北部马卡罗德森林土壤化学，生化和生物学特征的影响。两种树。根据我们的数据，角树显示出较高的N，磷（P），钾（K），钙（Ca）和镁（Mg）浓度，但林地中的总厚度，C和C：N比率较低。角树下的顶级矿质土壤具有碱性条件（pH> 7），较高的电导率（EC），微量和宏观聚集体中的总N，N，固氮，可利用的磷，钾，钙，镁，腐殖酸，细根生物量，earth的总密度（即附生的，食欲的和内生的）和生物量，线虫的总含量，a螨和原生动物的密度。角树增加了土壤的基础呼吸和基质诱导的呼吸（0.50和1.47 mg CO与山毛榉相比为₂  g ^-1）。这两个研究物种在土壤微生物生物量碳，代谢商，微生物比率，C利用率指数，颗粒有机碳和溶解有机碳方面均没有显示任何显着差异，而土壤微生物生物量N，颗粒有机氮和溶解有机碳的值较高。 N（66.97毫克千克^-1，0.52克千克^-1和38.53毫克千克^-1，分别地）再次下角树找到。除了芳基硫酸酯酶，所有其它的土壤酶活性（即脲酶，酸性磷酸酶和转化酶）几乎两倍下鹅耳枥更高（24.55微克NH ₄ ⁺ -NG ^-1 2小时^-1，498.30微克PNP克^-1h ^-1和296.2μg葡萄糖g ^-1 3 h ^-1）。同样，在角树下测得更高的氨化率（0.38 mg kg ^-1 d ^-1），而山毛榉显着提高了硝化率（-0.16 mg kg ^-1 d ^-1）。角树（0.14 mg kg ^-1 d ^-1）下的净氮矿化率比山毛榉下高三倍。我们的结果表明，山毛榉和角树之间的功能性状差异导致了微生物群落及其活性的变化，这意味着较高的森林地面质量，较高的土壤肥力和在后者下较高的微生物种群。