Effects of Rhododendron removal on soil bacterial and fungal communities in southern Appalachian forests

This study aimed to compare monoculture and mixed rubber plantations in terms of their soil bacterial and fungal composition. An Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis was performed to investigate the composition and diversity of the soil bacterial and fungal communities among three different rubber ( Hevea brasiliensis) plantations: monoculture, Mixed 1 ( Hevea brasiliensis and Mytilaria laosensis), and Mixed 2 ( Hevea brasiliensis and Michelia macclurei) in Hainan. The results showed that the bacterial composition of the three rubber plantations was basically similar. However, there was a significant difference in fungal communities among the three rubber plantations at both the phylum and operational taxonomic unit level. The species richness, Chao, and Shannon diversity of bacterial communities of monoculture rubber plantations were higher than the Mixed 1 and Mixed 2 rubber plantations, whereas all diversity indexes of fungal communities were relatively equal for the monoculture and mixed rubber plantations. Soil nutrition (such as total nitrogen and total potassium) and soil pH are the main drivers of the bacterial composition ( p < .001). However, soil pH and water content are the main drivers of the fungal composition ( p < .001), and to some extent, soil pH can increase soil bacteria diversity. We suggest that alkaline fertilizers should be applied in mixed rubber plantations to improve the soil pH and, consequently, to increase the total diversity of the rubber plantation.

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15N-amino sugar stable isotope probing (15N-SIP) to trace the assimilation of fertiliser-N by soil bacterial and fungal communities

Soil Biology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.107599 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 138 ◽

pp. 107599 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michaela K. Reay ◽

Alice F. Charteris ◽

Davey L. Jones ◽

Richard P. Evershed

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Amino Sugar ◽

Stable Isotope Probing ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Soil Bacterial

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Earthworms modify soil bacterial and fungal communities through enhancing aggregation and buffering pH

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.03.043 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 347 ◽

pp. 59-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Xin Gong ◽

Shuai Wang ◽

Zhenwei Wang ◽

Yuji Jiang ◽

Zhengkun Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fungal Communities ◽

Soil Bacterial

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Composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities in relation to vegetation composition and soil characteristics along an altitudinal gradient

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1093/femsec/fiaa201 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 97 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Bayranvand ◽

Moslem Akbarinia ◽

Gholamreza Salehi Jouzani ◽

Javad Gharechahi ◽

Yahya Kooch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Forest Floor ◽

Fungal Diversity ◽

Altitudinal Gradient ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Vegetation Composition ◽

Soil Bacterial ◽

Favorable Conditions ◽

Altitude Level

ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to evaluate how altitudinal gradients shape the composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities, humus forms and soil properties across six altitude levels in Hyrcanian forests. Soil microbiomes were characterized by sequencing amplicons of selected molecular markers. Soil chemistry and plant mycorrhizal type were the two dominant factors explaining variations in bacterial and fungal diversity, respectively. The lowest altitude level had more favorable conditions for the formation of mull humus and exhibited higher N and Ca contents. These conditions were also associated with a higher proportion of Betaproteobacteria, Acidimicrobia, Acidobacteria and Nitrospirae. Low soil and forest floor quality as well as lower bacterial and fungal diversity characterized higher altitude levels, along with a high proportion of shared bacterial (Thermoleophilia, Actinobacteria and Bacilli) and fungal (Eurotiomycetes and Mortierellomycota) taxa. Beech-dominated sites showed moderate soil quality and high bacterial (Alphaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes and Bacteroidetes) and fungal (Basidiomycota) diversity. Particularly, the Basidiomycota were well represented in pure beech forests at an altitude of 1500 m. In fertile and nitrogen rich soils with neutral pH, soil quality decreased along the altitudinal gradient, indicating that microbial diversity and forest floor decomposition were likely constrained by climatic conditions.

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