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Abstract
The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of tea cultivation on soil microbial biomass and community structure. Soil pH, extractable aluminum (Al), organic carbon (Corg) and total nitrogen were considerably modified by tea cultivation. Long‐term tea cultivation resulted in the increase of microbial biomass C (Cmic), microbial biomass N (Nmic), and basal respiration. The metabolic quotient declined as the tea cultivation age increased. The adjacent citrus orchard soil showed a higher Cmic/Corg ratio than the tea orchard soils. Microtitration plates with 21 carbon sources and two different pH levels (4.7 and 7.0) were used to determine the substrate utilization pattern of these soils. The average well color development (AWCD) of the carbon sources in the plates did not vary in a consistent manner with the microbial biomass. Multivariate analysis of sole carbon source utilization pattern demonstrated that land‐use history had a significant effect on substrate utilization pattern. The pH 4.7 characterization medium can increase the discrimination of this technique and is more adequate than the conventional neutral medium for the tea orchard soils.