Different Degrees of Plant Invasion Significantly Affect the Richness of the Soil Fungal Community

Abstract

Several studies have shown that soil microorganisms play a key role in the success of plant invasion. Thus, ecologists have become increasingly interested in understanding the ecological effects of biological invasion on soil microbial communities given continuing increase in the effects of invasive plants on native ecosystems. This paper aims to provide a relatively complete depiction of the characteristics of soil microbial communities under different degrees of plant invasion. Rhizospheric soils of the notorious invasive plant Wedelia trilobata with different degrees of invasion (uninvaded, low-degree, and high-degree using its coverage in the invaded ecosystems) were collected from five discrete areas in Hainan Province, P. R. China. Soil physicochemical properties and community structure of soil microorganisms were assessed. Low degrees of W. trilobata invasion significantly increased soil pH values whereas high degrees of invasion did not significantly affected soil pH values. Moreover, the degree of W. trilobata invasion exerted significant effects on soil Ca concentration but did not significantly change other indices of soil physicochemical properties. Low and high degrees of W. trilobata invasion increased the richness of the soil fungal community but did not pose obvious effects on the soil bacterial community. W. trilobata invasion also exerted obvious effects on the community structure of soil microorganisms that take part in soil nitrogen cycling. These changes in soil physicochemical properties and community structure of soil microbial communities mediated by different degrees of W. trilobata invasion may present significant functions in further facilitating the invasion process.

Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) strengthen the metabolic function of food waste biodegradation by gut microbiome

“…Initially, the BG0 bacteria and raw FW (BC0) with large weighted distances were considered as two independent niches (Figs A and ). Accumulating evidence suggests that one of the main factors determining whether microbes have successfully invaded is whether they can occupy certain environments to impact microbial communities in native environments as a way of facilitating greater microbial invasion (Si et al ., ; Xiao et al ., ). In the present study, when raw FW was inoculated with BSF larvae, another new niche was formed via vermicomposting.…”

Plant functional diversity enhances associations of soil fungal diversity with vegetation and soil in the restoration of semiarid sandy grassland

“…2013; Si et al. 2013). One fresh composite sample from the top 10 cm was also collected from five quadrats in each plot to extract total soil DNA in laboratory.…”

“…18S rRNA genes were amplified with the fungal‐specific primers NS1 (5′‐GTA GTC ATA TGC TTG TCT C‐3′), GCfung (5′‐CGC CCG CCG CGC CCC GCG CCC GGC CCG CCC CCG CCC CAT TCC CCG TTA CCC GTT G‐3′), and fung (5′‐ CAT TCC CCG TTA CCC GTT G‐3′) (Hoshino 2012; Si et al. 2013). Amplification was performed in a solution containing approximately 50 ng of DNA, 5  μ L buffer of PCR 10x, 3.2  μ L of dNTP (2.5 mmol/L), 0.4  μ L of rTaq(5 U/ μ L), and 1  μ L of each primer, and sterile ultrapure water was used to adjust the mixture to a final volume of 50  μ L. PCR amplification was run on a T‐gradient diversity system (Bio‐Rad, Segrate, Italy).…”

Role and influence of soil microbial communities on plant invasion

“…. Plant invasion also increases soil pH (Kuebbing et al, 2014), but in certain cases, a low or high degree of plant invasion may increase or decrease soil pH levels (Si et al, 2013). A decrease in pH could lead to the higher solubility of nutrients like phosphorus in the soil.…”