Forest gaps mediate the structure and function of the soil microbial community in a Castanopsis kawakamii forest

Wang, Xuelin; Liu, Jinfu; He, Zhongsheng; Xing, Cong; Zhu, Jun; Gu, Xinguang; Lan, Yiqi; Wu, Zeyan; Liao, Peichun; Zhu, Dehuang

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107288

Cited by 21 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Moreover, there is lower light radiation intensity in winter than in summer, resulting in an increase of SM in winter under the medium and large forest gaps. Compared to CK, the TP in the small forest gaps was significantly higher, which agreed with the conclusion drawn by Wang X. et al ( 2021 ) that the small forest gaps are the most conducive to the accumulation of soil total nutrients. In summary, regardless of season, the soil SOC, TN, and AN, as well as SM of the large forest gaps, were significantly increased compared to the other forest gap sizes and CK.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Although the loss of canopy leads to the change in the soil environment in the forest gaps and destroys the balance of the microecosystem, it provides an alternative environment for the distribution and metabolism of different bacteria, thus increasing bacterial diversity (Zhang et al, 2018 ). A small gap is the initial stage of gap opening (Yang et al, 2017 ), in which the Simpson index of bacteria should be high because the disturbance is recent (Wang X. et al, 2021 ), which was confirmed by this study. In forest gaps, the bacterial Chao1 and ACE indices gradually increased with increasing gap size and reached a maximum in the large gaps, which may have been due to the large gaps negatively affecting litter decay (Beckage et al, 2000 ; Sariyildiz, 2008 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Because gap sizes provide various net radiation, rainfall, and plant transpiration in the forest (Han et al, 2020 ), the microclimate change caused by the gap greatly affects the biogeochemical cycling and promotes the aboveground or underground forest communities (Feldmann et al, 2018 ). Some studies have demonstrated that small forest gaps are beneficial for microbial communities (Yang et al, 2017 ; Wang X. et al, 2021 ) and that small forest gaps significantly alter the availability of soil nutrients that are conducive to natural forest regeneration (Muscolo et al, 2007 ; Xu et al, 2016 ). However, one study also found that forest gap sizes do not result in long-term effects on the soil microbial community in the temperate northern hardwood forest (Lewandowski et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Forest Gaps on the Structure and Diversity of Soil Bacterial Communities in Weeping Cypress Forest Plantations

et al. 2022

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The decline in forest ecological function caused by pure forest plantations planted in the Yangtze River basin is becoming increasingly serious. To investigate this problem, we selected the local low-efficiency weeping cypress plantations for forest gap transformation. Three forest gap sizes, specifically large, medium, and small gaps, were established, and the effects of gap sizes on soil bacterial community structure and diversity in winter and summer were studied compared to no gaps (CK; control). Compared to CK, forest gaps had a significant effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (TN), and the highest values of SOC and soil TN under two seasons occurred in large forest gaps. The interactions of forest gap sizes and seasons had significant effects on pH, SOC, TN, and alpha diversity indices, including Simpson, Chao1, and ACE indices. Compared to winter, forest gaps significantly increased the soil bacterial community diversity indices in summer. Forest gap sizes significantly affected the composition of the bacterial community, but the composition of the dominant bacteria at the phyla and genera levels was similar. Linear discriminant effect size (LEfSe) analysis showed that there were 32 indicator bacterial species in two seasons. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the relationship of the soil bacterial community at the phyla level was complex, and there was a significant positive correlation among bacterial species. Soil bulk density (BD) and soil moisture (SM) significantly affected the soil bacterial alpha diversity indices. The composition of the dominant bacteria at the phyla level was significantly affected by soil microbial carbon (MBC), whereas the composition of dominant bacteria at the genera level was affected by soil hydrolysable nitrogen (AN) and the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio. In this study, compared to the other forest gaps, large forest gaps were more conducive to the accumulation of soil nutrients, thus improving the structure of the soil bacterial community. Importantly, changes in the soil bacterial community structure due to gap formation may have profound effects on soil biogeochemical processes in weeping cypress forest plantations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Forest Gaps on the Structure and Diversity of Soil Bacterial Communities in Weeping Cypress Forest Plantations

et al. 2022

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“…The results of the comprehensive evaluation of understory plant diversity, bacterial diversity, and environmental factors were in the order: L > S > M > CK (Table 3). This indicated that the formation of forest gaps of different sizes in the same climate induces the formation of different microclimatic environments (Zhu et al, 2021). These differences can alter the structure and diversity of bacterial communities to a certain extent, which subsequently affects the material and energy cycles in forest ecosystems (Yang et al, 2018).…”

Section: E Ects Of Forest Gaps On Forest Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Herbaceous vegetation is regarded as the key plant functional group that affects soil microbial communities (Milcu et al, 2008). The characteristics of soils in plots with small gaps provide a more favorable environment for the growth of microorganisms and herbaceous vegetation and promote the functions of soil microorganisms and forests (Wang et al, 2021). In summary, the use of nearnatural management practices with planted forests has become an important concept in ecosystem management.…”

Section: E Ects Of Forest Gaps On Forest Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest gaps alter the soil bacterial community of weeping cypress plantations by modulating the understory plant diversity

Lyu

Luo²,

Liu³

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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Weeping cypress is an endemic tree species that is widely planted in China, and the simple stand structure and fragile ecosystem of its plantation are common issues. Exploring the effect of different gap sizes on the soil bacterial community structure of weeping cypress plantations can provide a theoretical basis for the near-natural management of forest plantations. We, therefore, constructed three kinds of forest gaps with different sizes in weeping cypress plantations, namely, small (50–100 m2), medium (100–200 m2), and large gaps (400–667 m2), for identifying the key factors that affect soil bacterial communities following the construction of forest gaps. The results suggested that the herb layer was more sensitive than the shrub layer, while the Simpson, Shannon, and richness indices of the herb layer in plots with gaps were significantly higher than those of designated sampling plots without any gaps (CK). The presence of large gaps significantly increased the understory plant diversity and the Shannon and Simpson indices of the soil bacterial alpha diversity. There were obvious changes in the community composition of soil bacteria following the construction of forest gaps. The dominant bacterial phyla, orders, and functions were similar across the plots with different gap sizes. Of the indicator bacterial species, the abundance of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria, Lysobacter_ yangpyeongensis, and Ensifer_meliloti, was significantly different across plots with different gap sizes and accounted for a large proportion of the bacterial population of plots with medium and large gaps. The understory plant diversity was mostly related to the soil bacterial community than to other soil factors. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the understory plant diversity was the most important environmental factor in driving the composition and diversity of bacterial communities. The construction of forest gaps significantly improved the understory plant diversity, physicochemical properties of the soil, and bacterial diversity in weeping cypress plantations, and the results of the comprehensive evaluation were in the order: large gaps > small gaps > medium gaps > CK. Our results suggested that large gaps are beneficial for the diversity of above-ground plant communities and underground soil bacterial communities.

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The effects of canopy gaps on soil nutrient properties: a meta-analysis

Hou,

Zhang,

et al. 2024

Eur J Forest Res

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Forest gaps mediate the structure and function of the soil microbial community in a Castanopsis kawakamii forest

Cited by 21 publications

References 45 publications

Effects of Forest Gaps on the Structure and Diversity of Soil Bacterial Communities in Weeping Cypress Forest Plantations

Effects of Forest Gaps on the Structure and Diversity of Soil Bacterial Communities in Weeping Cypress Forest Plantations

Forest gaps alter the soil bacterial community of weeping cypress plantations by modulating the understory plant diversity

The effects of canopy gaps on soil nutrient properties: a meta-analysis

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