Soil microbial communities in a Pinus tabulaeformis plantation change as the trees grow older. The bacteria and fungi in the soil near the roots (rhizosphere) are different from those in the rest of the soil (bulk). The soil properties and microbial communities change more with the age of the plantation than with the soil compartment. Bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere are important for cycling nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. The way these microbial communities are put together is mostly influenced by how far the microbes can move around. The bacterial networks become more complex as the plantation ages, while the fungal networks stay more complex in the rhizosphere. Overall, as the Pinus tabulaeformis plantation grows, the soil becomes more suitable for microbial communities to thrive.