Distinct abundance patterns of nitrogen functional microbes in desert soil profiles regulate soil nitrogen storage potential along a desertification development gradient

Bu, Lianyan; Peng, Ziyi; Tian, Jing; Song, Fangqin; Wei, Gehong; Wang, Honglei

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2020.104716

Cited by 20 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Because each approach possesses different strengths and weaknesses, we adopted two distinct approaches (single functions and the averaging approach) to quantify and assess multifunctionality. The results of edaphic variables and N functional genes have been reported in our previous works (Bu et al, 2020). We normalized and standardized each nutrient cycling variable and functional gene abundance using Z-score transformation (Manning et al, 2018).…”

Section: Assessing Multifunctionalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Particular microbial clades rather than total microbial diversity best predict the vertical profile variation in soil multifunctionality in desert ecosystems

Wang

Tian

et al. 2021

Land Degrad Dev

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In desert ecosystems, the desertification process is characterized by increasing attenuation of plant productivity and deterioration of soil habitats, leading to enhanced environmental stress gradients for soil microbiomes. Despite the significance of microbial communities for multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems, the feedback dynamics of microbiomes and their contributions to maintaining deep soil (20-100 cm) multifunctionality as desertification progresses have yet to be evaluated. Here, we used three sites with different desertification stages and investigated the variation trends of microbiomes in soil profiles (0-100 cm) and their contributions to regulating multifunctionality. The multifunctionality did not exhibit a significant difference between superficial (0-20 cm) and deep soils and slightly decreased as depth increased throughout the entire profile. Results from alpha-and betadiversity analysis of soil microbiomes suggested that bacterial communities received on average more positive and progressive feedback from desertification development than fungal and archaeal communities. Particular microbial clades rather than total microbial diversity best predict and explain the vertical profile variation in soil multifunctionality in desert ecosystems. Microbial clades within Acidobacteria could be targeted for future soil-focussed, bottom-up desertification control studies.

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Section: Assessing Multifunctionalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Particular microbial clades rather than total microbial diversity best predict the vertical profile variation in soil multifunctionality in desert ecosystems

Wang

Tian

et al. 2021

Land Degrad Dev

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“…Desertification breaks the ecosystem's balance, resulting in serious degradation of the ecosystem, such as decreases in the soil's C, N, and phosphorus (P) pools and weakening of the C and N transformation processes (Bu et al, 2020; Ning et al, 2021; Zhou et al, 2008). Strengthened spatial heterogeneity of soil resources causes biotic feedback (e.g., retrograde succession of vegetation) (Schlesinger et al, 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of the plant–soil system to desertification in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land, China

Chen

Cao

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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In this study, the vegetation and soils of different desertification landscapes (sandy grassland, and fixed, semi‐fixed, semi‐mobile, and mobile dunes) in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land were examined to quantify the impacts of desertification on plants, soils, and microbes, and the key limiting factors of restoration. Desertification caused soil quality to decline and led to an imbalance of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supplies (N:P ratios decreased significantly from 3.55–1.8, p < 0.05). Desertification did not change the stoichiometric relationships among plant carbon (C), N, and P at a community level, but promoted redistribution of nutrients from roots to aboveground tissues. The aboveground biomass N and P increased by 9.8% and 39.3%, respectively from grassland to mobile dunes, but these of the underground biomass decreased by 26.1% and 37.7%, respectively. N limitation (plant N:P < 10) occurred at the community level. Desertification led to the change of dominant species from perennial herbs to annual psammophytes, and plant diversity (from 1.15–0.79) and productivity (from 880.6 to 128.6 g m−2) first increased slightly (p > 0.05) and then decreased sharply (p < 0.05) with increasing desertification, but with no significant (p > 0.05) change of the microbial community. Redundancy analysis showed that the main environmental drivers were the soil N:P (with an explanation of 29.6%), followed by pH, electrical conductivity, and the soil's fine particles (with a total explanation of 24.3%). Based on these results, three reference frames were proposed for the restoration of the near‐original vegetation community.

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“…Irrigated cropland soils exhibit an increased abundance and diversity of denitrifying microbes due to increased soil porosity and liquid water nutrient supply in a desert‐oasis ecotone in northwestern China (L. F. Chen et al, 2019). Bu et al (2020) observed that the desertification process resulted in a considerable decrease in soil moisture, available N and available phosphorus, which in turn led to a decrease in the richness of nirK and nirS , with a reduction in N loss potential in the Mu Us Desert. In addition, changes in soil texture due to cultivation could also explain changes in denitrifying microbes (Chen et al, 2019; H. L. Wang et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivation increased soil potential denitrification rates by modifying denitrifier communities in desert‐oasis ecotone

Wang,

He,

Wang

et al. 2023

European J Soil Science

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Oases soils in northwestern China are widely used for agricultural production, but low soil moisture and fertility necessitate high volumes of irrigation and fertilization, with significant losses of water via evaporation and nitrogen via denitrification. The dynamics of denitrifying communities and their responses to potential denitrification rate (PDR) in continuously‐irrigated oases remain unclear. In this study, we examined the dynamics of nirK and nirS denitrifying communities in three distinct areas: an old oasis field (OOF, 54 years of cultivation), a young oasis field (YOF, 20 years), and an adjacent uncultivated sandy land (USL, 0 years), and used the partial least squares path model (PLS‐PM) to predict how and to what extent soil properties and denitrifying communities may be responsible for changes in PDR. Our findings indicate that cultivation, compared to the USL treatment, improved soil structure and fertility, increased the abundance and diversity of denitrifying microbes, resulting in a further elevation of soil PDR in YOF and OOF. Additionally, our analysis highlights the potential dominance of the nirK gene in denitrification. PLS‐PM revealed that soil chemical properties and microbial biomass indirectly affected soil PDR by regulating the abundance and diversity of nirK and nirS genes. Conversely, soil physical properties had a direct negative impact on PDR. Alterations in PDR were, in part, attributed to changes in abundance, richness, and beta‐diversity, but not correlated with changes in alpha‐diversity. Notably, the standardized total effect demonstrated that the denitrifier community exhibited greater responsiveness to changes in PDR than did soil properties. Overall, our findings suggest that the denitrifying communities may play a more important role than soil properties in PDR and an increased understanding of the denitrifying communities allows PDR prediction during conversion of oasis to cultivated land conversion.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Distinct abundance patterns of nitrogen functional microbes in desert soil profiles regulate soil nitrogen storage potential along a desertification development gradient

Cited by 20 publications

References 39 publications

Particular microbial clades rather than total microbial diversity best predict the vertical profile variation in soil multifunctionality in desert ecosystems

Particular microbial clades rather than total microbial diversity best predict the vertical profile variation in soil multifunctionality in desert ecosystems

Response of the plant–soil system to desertification in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land, China

Cultivation increased soil potential denitrification rates by modifying denitrifier communities in desert‐oasis ecotone

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