Table 3 Pearson correlation coefficients between soil properties across experimental sites and light conditions

SMC

− 0.91^***

BD

0.37^*

− 0.12^ns

pH

− 0.88^***

0.85^***

− 0.28^ns

C

− 0.77^***

0.89^***

0.042^ns

0.71^***

N

− 0.89^***

0.90^***

− 0.13^ns

0.79^***

0.93^***

P

− 0.87^***

0.87^***

− 0.14^ns

0.91^***

0.86^***

0.93^***

Clay

− 0.80^***

0.91^***

0.03^ns

0.84^***

0.92^***

0.91^***

0.94^***

Silt

− 0.41^*

0.59^***

0.41^*

0.32^ns

0.72^***

0.62^***

0.53^**

0.65^***

Sand

0.68^***

− 0.83^***

− 0.23 ns

− 0.65^***

− 0.91^***

− 0.85^***

− 0.82^***

− 0.92^***

− 0.89^***