Extracellular Enzyme Activity Patterns Associated with Soil Properties and Culturable Microbial Taxa in Shade-Grown Coffee Orchards of Tropical Montane Cloud Forest

The objective of this study was to analyze the patterns of extracellular enzyme activity in the soil of shade-grown coffee orchards (SCOs) and their association with soil physicochemical properties and selected microbial taxa in Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) landscapes at 38 sites in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, Mexico. Correlation analyses and a redundancy analysis (RDA) were used to examine the relationships between edaphic variables, enzymatic activities, and the presence of culturable microorganisms. Protease activity was positively associated with nitrate concentration, whereas acid phosphatase activity showed no clear relationship with available phosphorus. A negative association between protease and acid phosphatase activities represented the strongest relationship observed, indicating contrasting patterns of enzyme activities across sites. Multivariate analysis indicated that soil variables, including pH, available phosphorus, electrical conductivity, nitrate concentration, and soil moisture, were associated with variations in enzyme activity patterns and selected microbial taxa. In addition, the abundance of genera such as Bacillus , Cladosporium , and Pseudomonas was associated with soil variability, suggesting ecological associations between microbial indicators and soil conditions. Overall, the results indicate that soil physicochemical variability is associated with differences in enzyme activity patterns and selected microbial taxa in SCO systems. These findings are broadly consistent with patterns described in ecoenzymatic framework, although interpreted here as associative relationships.