Abstract

(1) Background: The diversity and compositional structure of a soil’s microbial community play important roles in the function of the whole soil environment, making them important indicators of soil quality. Poplars grow rapidly, have broad adaptability, strong resistance, and significant ecological benefits, making them the primary timber species in northern China. This study aims to explore the differences and similarities among soil microbial communities of different poplar varieties by investigating the effects of soil factors on various poplar species, as well as the composition and diversity of their soil microbiomes, which holds practical significance. (2) Methods: In this experiment, soil samples from four different poplar varieties (YA: Populus × euramericana ‘102’; YB: Populus × euramericana ‘Guariento’; YC: Populus cathayana × canadensis ‘Xinlin 1’; YD: Populus × liaoningensis) were selected for the determination of their microbial communities, soil chemical properties and enzyme activities. (3) Results: Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among the four poplar varieties in ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N), total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), invertase (INV), amylase (AMY), urease (URE), neutral phosphatase (NEP) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG). Additionally, strong correlations were observed between soil factors and microorganisms, particularly with TP, AP, NEP and URE. (4) Conclusions: Soil chemical properties and enzyme activities significantly affect both poplar growth and microbial community structure, though the impacts vary. There are both similarities and differences in the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities across different poplar varieties.

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