Table 1. Measured soil physicochemical parameters, presented as means and standard deviations of transects (distances of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 m) and grave soils (distance of 0 m).

n = 3 samples from three independent transects or 3 grave soil samples. DON = dissolved organic nitrogen; DOC = dissolved organic carbon. * = sample collected from the ribcage.

Distance from grave (m)	Depth (cm)	Gravimetric moisture	pH	Conductivity (μS cm-1)	Ammonium (μg NH4-N gdw-1)	Nitrification potential rate (mg NO2--N gdw-1 day-1)	CO2 released (μg C gdw-1 day-1)	DOC (mg CO2 gdw-1)	Nitrate (μg NO3--N gdw-1)	DON (μg N gdw-1)	Bacterial gene copies (x 108) gdw-1	Fungal gene copies (x 108) gdw-1
2	0–5	0.377 ± 0.03	6.75 ± 0.25	29.92 ± 9.75	7.39 ± 1.8	0.126 ± 0.10	30.9 ± 5.6	2.94 ± 0.6	3.31 ± 2.5	11.31 ± 0.8	125 ± 19	5.3 ± 3.8
2	30–35	0.309 ± 0.02	6.05 ± 0.77	10.91 ± 2.83	2.54 ± 1.2	0.039 ± 0.03	6.18 ± 1.2	5.26 ± 6.2	0.451 ± 0.21	12.69 ± 8.3	28.5 ± 39	3.5 ± 3.0
1.5	0–5	0.397 ± 0.04	6.82 ± 0.19	28.37 ± 9.83	9.00 ± 4.7	0.174 ± 0.14	37.6 ± 6.9	3.09 ± 0.9	3.34 ± 1.3	16.41 ± 6.3	134 ± 76	5.5 ± 3.9
1.5	30–35	0.335 ± 0.03	6.28 ± 0.73	13.3 ± 7.15	2.86 ± 0.6	0.038 ± 0.03	10.1 ± 0.8	3.52 ± 2.0	0.606 ± 0.35	8.14 ± 2.1	57.2 ± 43	4.1 ± 4.9
1	0–5	0.374 ± 0.02	6.68 ± 0.22	30.75 ± 12.05	5.75 ± 0.5	0.120 ± 0.05	31.0 ± 8.9	2.16 ± 0.5	3.74 ± 2.3	10.19 ± 1.2	123 ± 64	5.8 ± 2.7
1	30–35	0.267 ± 0.03	6.60 ± 0.67	20.75 ± 1.36	2.75 ± 0.3	0.023 ± 0.01	6.78 ± 2.5	2.42 ± 1.8	0.708 ± 0.23	5.09 ± 0.3	37.1 ± 14	2.2 ± 0.56
0.5	0–5	0.315 ± 0.02	6.77 ± 0.22	27.04 ± 9.61	5.57 ± 2.0	0.053 ± 0.03	22.6 ± 8.7	1.54 ± 0.5	2.65 ± 1.1	10.03 ± 3.6	127 ± 32	8.3 ± 1.3
0.5	30–35	0.236 ± 0.01	6.74 ± 0.48	12.74 ± 1.75	2.99 ± 1.3	0.036 ± 0.03	8.39 ± 3.2	0.99 ± 0.5	0.943 ± 0.48	5.02 ± 1.0	25.6 ± 17	2.3 ± 1.8
0	0–5	0.321 ± 0.01	6.40 ± 0.38	18.26 ± 7.35	4.23 ± 1.8	0.011 ± 0.04	20.0 ± 7.7	2.18 ± 0.6	2.23 ± 0.6	7.51 ± 1.4	40.2 ± 19	5.9 ± 2.1
0	30–35	0.375 ± 0.02	6.21 ± 0.13	19.48 ± 10.7	3.84 ± 1.4	0.040 ± 0.01	21.0 ± 21	1.93 ± 0.8	3.55 ± 2.1	9.98 ± 2.3	21.0 ± 26	21 ± 35
0	40*	0.974	6.36	48.57	14.181	0.227	273	5.50 ± 0.6	0.839	22.62	629 ± 12	796 ± 18
0	70–75	0.464 ± 0.04	7.20 ± 0.51	134.8 ± 38.1	742 ± 389	-0.061 ± 0.03	83.5 ± 29	6.96 ± 4.6	1.04 ± 1.1	126.1 ± 37	26.2 ± 17	20 ± 13
0	85–90	0.335 ± 0.02	7.66 ± 0.36	139.9 ± 16.4	1075 ± 390	0.006 ± 0.03	23.6 ± 2.9	5.19 ± 2.5	3.22 ± 3.0	110.4 ± 13	0.51 ± 0.7	0.02 ± 0.03
Control (off-grave)	0–5	0.476	7.04	40.40	8.043	0.569	38.4	4.43	5.530	16.490	234 ± 2.4	79 ± 0.42
Control (off-grave)	30–35	0.312	7.47	21.06	2.636	0.048	7.72	1.09	0.851	6.174	29 ± 0.32	1.9 ± 0.061
Control grave	0–5	0.342	6.66	14.19	4.956	0.040	31.7	1.60	0.949	7.632	101 ± 1.2	6.0 ± 0.23
Control grave	30–35	0.309	6.30	4.316	2.099	0.054	5.56	2.13	0.947	7.016	16 ± 0.096	1.7 ± 0.009