Abstract: Dryland regions cover 41% of the Earth’s land
surface and support the livelihood of half of the world’s population.
Soil microbes play an important role in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)
cycling, therefore affecting soil health. Soil microbial biomass C
(SMBC) and N (SMBN) are indicators of soil microbial activities. A
better understanding of patterns and drivers of SMBC and SMBN in global
dryland regions can provide important insights to enhance ecosystem
functioning services. Here, we
compiled 109 observations of SMBC (0-30 cm) and 79 observations of SMBN
(0-30 cm) from 100 sites across global dryland regions with aridity
index less than 0.65. The results showed that the average amount of SMBC
and SMBN in dryland regions were 358.47 ± 25.45 mg
kg-1 and 51.86 ± 4.59 mg kg-1. The
amount of SMBC and SMBN did significantly vary among different dryland
types and ecosystem types. Meanwhile, the ratio of SMBC to SMBN in
global dryland regions was 8.73.
Soil sand fraction and pH had
significant negative effect on the ratio of SMBC to SMBN. Our research
has initially explored the pattern and control factors of soil microbial
biomass in dryland, and provided basic research data for dryland
management in the future.