Response of Soil Microbial Community Composition and Diversity at Different Gradients of Grassland Degradation in Central Mongolia

Abstract

Vegetation and soil microorganisms are important components of terrestrial ecosystems and play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about the synergistic changes in soil microbial community with aboveground plants in grassland degradation and the role of the microbial community in the process of vegetation restoration succession. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of soil microbial communities and diversities in the different levels of grassland degradation using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. The dominant bacteria phyla were: Actinobacteriota, 31.61–48.90%; Acidobacteriota, 7.19–21.73%; Chloroflexi, 9.08–19.09%; and Proteobacteria, 11.14–18.03%. While the dominant fungi phyla were: Ascomycota, 46.36–81.58%; Basidiomycota, 5.63–33.18%; and Mortierellomycota, 1.52–37.69%. Through RDA/CCA, the effects of environmental factors on the differences in the soil microbial community between different sites were interpreted. Results showed that the pH was the most critical factor affecting soil microbial communities in seriously degraded grassland; nevertheless, soil microbial communities in non-degraded grassland and less degraded grasslands were mainly affected by the soil moisture content and soil enzyme activities (sucrase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity and catalase activity). We systematically demonstrated the soil microbial communities of different grassland degradation gradients in Mongolia, which provided valuable information for grassland degradation reduction and vegetation restoration succession.

Divergent Fungal Community Dynamics of Thuja sutchuenensis in Arid Environments

“…The observed lower coverage yet higher PD, Chao1, and Shannon indices in Group A suggest a unique fungal community adapted to lower moisture conditions. This adaptation is in line with previous studies, noting similar fungal resilience of alpha and beta diversities in moisture-altered environments [ 35 , 36 ]. The similarity in alpha diversity patterns between Groups A and B, especially in PD, Chao1, and Shannon indices, indicates a possible threshold of moisture content affecting fungal diversity.…”

Nitrogen Fertilizer Type and Genotype as Drivers of P Acquisition and Rhizosphere Microbiota Assembly in Juvenile Maize Plants

“…Likewise, putative plant-beneficial bacteria affiliated with the genus Saccharimonadales were also found to be biomarkers for the F160 rhizosphere under ammonium fertilization. Saccharimonadales are capable of enhancing phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere [ 66 , 86 , 87 ], thus representing important microbes in phosphorus uptake by the plant. Ammonium fertilization also increases the abundance of another important bacterial genus involved in P uptake, Micromonospora .…”

The Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Their Associations in South America: A Case Study of Argentinean and Brazilian Cattle Raising Productive Ecosystems: A Review

“…Grasslands present great ecological, economic, and social values [16] but continue to receive limited scientific attention. The microbiota associated with grassland vegetation was also under-investigated in the past time [40]; however, during the last five years, the interest in studying these plant-microbe interactions has been promoted [41][42][43][44][45][46]. Among the microbiota associated with the grassland plant species, the AMFs represent important components interconnecting soil and plants through the hyphal networks and secreted substances, such as glomalin, useful to the restoration and sustainability of these for these valuable ecosystems at risk [47].…”