Differences in Root Endophytic Bacterial Communities of Chinese Cork Oak (Quercus variabilis) Seedlings in Different Growth Years

Abstract

In forests, seedling renewal is influenced by many environmental factors, including climate change, seed size, wildfires, and ecological factors. It is unclear how different growth years of seedlings affect Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis) root endophyte communities. In this study, we took a holistic approach, using Illumina sequencing, to study the composition and function of bacterial communities associated with root microorganisms in four Q. variabilis seedlings after 1, 2, and 3 years of growth. The bacterial alpha diversity indexes were highest in the second year and lowest in the third year, and age was the decisive factor for the differences found in the root endophytic bacterial communities. Total phosphorus had the greatest effect on bacterial communities. The abundance of beneficial bacteria Streptomyces (8.69%) and Novosphingobium (4.22%) was highest in the second-year samples, and their abundance decreased by 7.96% and 3.61% in the third year, respectively. Higher levels of plant disease inhibition and metabolism (23.80%) were in the roots of second-year Q. variabilis seedlings. The metabolic abundance of carbohydrate was 3.66% lower in the first year and 3.95% lower in the third year compared to the second year. Our results suggest that the structure and function of bacterial communities changed with increasing growth years.

Adaptive Mechanisms of Tree Seedlings to Adapt to Stress

“…Natural physiological stressors also significantly influence the adaptive mechanisms of trees, including leaf damage [9], life stages [10], seasonal cycles [11], and altitude gradients [12].…”

“…Seedling renewal is influenced by the growth years of seedlings. In [10], the response of Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis) root endophyte communities to different growth years was investigated. Changes in the composition of root bacterial communities of Q. variabilis seedlings after one, two, and three years of growth were studied.…”

Correction: Sha et al. Differences in Root Endophytic Bacterial Communities of Chinese Cork Oak (Quercus variabilis) Seedlings in Different Growth Years. Forests 2023, 14, 1489

“…There was an error in the last sentence in part "2.1. Study Area and Sample Collection", and the first sentence in in the original publication [1].…”

Community Structure and Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Seeds

“…seed endophytes using culture-free and high-throughput sequencing technologies to reveal the composition and abundance of endophytes. While numerous studies have employed high-throughput sequencing to investigate the colony structure of seed endophytes [20][21][22][23], there have been relatively few investigations specifically focused on the colony structure of melon seed endophytes.…”