Soil properties and root traits jointly shape fine-scale spatial patterns of bacterial community and metabolic functions within a Korean pine forest

Abstract

Spatial heterogeneity of soil bacterial community depends on scales. The fine-scale spatial heterogeneity of bacterial community composition and functions remains unknown. We analyzed the main driving factors of fine-scale spatial patterns of soil bacterial community composition and carbon metabolic functions across a 30 m × 40 m plot within a Korean pine forest by combining Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing with Biolog Ecoplates based on 53 soil samples. Clear spatial patterns in bacterial community composition and metabolic functions were observed in the forest soil. The bacterial community composition and metabolic functions both showed distance-decay of similarity within a distance of meters. Structural equation model analysis revealed that environmental variables and geographic distance together explained 37.9% and 63.1% of community and metabolic functions, respectively. Among all environmental factors, soil organic carbon (SOC) and root biomass emerged as the most important drivers of the bacterial community structure. In contrast, soil pH explained the largest variance in metabolic functions. Root biomass explained the second-largest variance in soil bacterial community composition, but root traits made no difference in metabolic functions variance. These results allow us to better understand the mechanisms controlling belowground diversity and plant-microbe interactions in forest ecosystems.

Diversity and activity of soil biota at a post‐mining site highly contaminated with Zn and Cd are enhanced by metallicolous compared to non‐metallicolousArabidopsis halleriecotypes

“…Further, carboxylic acids differentiation between the experimental treatments was frequently reported in earlier studies (Furtak et al, 2020;Yao et al, 2006), however, it is not a rule Jezierska Tys, et al, 2021). Teng et al (2021) found that carboxylic acids decay on Biolog ® ECO plates is positively correlated with presence of bacteria Chloroflexi KD4-96, Actinobacteria, and Planctomycetes Pla3 lineage; two first of them were found in metal-polluted soils in Olkusz region soils (Gołębiewski et al, 2014).…”

“…Further, carboxylic acids differentiation between the experimental treatments was frequently reported in earlier studies (Furtak et al, 2020; Yao et al, 2006), however, it is not a rule Jezierska Tys, et al, 2021). Teng et al (2021) found that carboxylic acids decay on Biolog® ECO plates is positively correlated with presence of bacteria Chloroflexi KD4‐96, Actinobacteria, and Planctomycetes Pla3 lineage; two first of them were found in metal‐polluted soils in Olkusz region soils (Gołębiewski et al, 2014). Overall, these metrics reflect patterns typical for metalliferous environments, where excessive metal(loid)s concentrations are known to negatively affect soil biological performance, including soil fauna feeding activity (Kuźniar et al, 2018).…”

Bacterial and fungal community composition and community-level physiological profiles in forest soils

“…With respect to the bacterial DGGE profiles in the O and A horizons (Figs 2a and 3a ), the pH, nutrient status (e.g., water-soluble polysaccharide, lignin, organic C, and total N contents, and C/N ratio), and altitude had significant influences. Significant effects of nutrient status and, to a greater extent, pH on bacterial community composition have been reported by several studies [ 3 – 5 , 38 – 40 ]. For the fungal community, the C/N ratio was a common driver that shaped the community composition in both horizons (Figs 2b and 3b ).…”

“…Similarly, Klimek et al reported that the bacterial CLPP was influenced by nutrient status in the O horizon, but such an effect was not observed in the A horizon in temperate forest soils [ 41 ]. In contrast, significant effects of nutrient status on the bacterial CLPP were observed in pine forest soil [ 5 ] and Mediterranean forest soils [ 42 ]. Hence, the contribution of nutrient status to the CLPP is likely to vary between sites, and factor(s) influencing the CLPP might be site-specific.…”

“…The composition of plant litter (e.g., the relative proportions of cellulose and lignin) may affect the structure and functioning of microbial communities [ 2 ]. In addition, soil properties, such as nutrient concentrations and pH, influence these aspects of the microbial communities [ 3 – 5 ]. However, it remains important to develop an improved understanding of (i) the factors that strongly influence the composition and functioning of microbial communities, (ii) the relationships in potential functioning and community composition between the soil O and A horizons, and (iii) the degree to which microbial community diversity is translated into functional diversity in forest soils.…”