A comparative study of coastal wetland soil bacterial and fungal colonies following Spartina alterniflora invasion

Abstract

The current body of research on the impact of plant invasion on bacterial and fungal communities in coastal wetlands remains limited. This study focuses on the analysis of soil samples collected from coastal wetlands at three distinct stages: before (BI), during (DI), and after the invasion of Spartina alterniflora (AI). Overall, the total organic carbon (TOC), soil moisture, available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) changed significantly after plant invasion, with these changes significantly explaining the variation within bacterial colonies. Nevertheless, the impact of these factors on fungal colonies had little statistical significance. Additionally, the composition and functional diversity of bacterial colonies exhibited more significant changes before and after invasion. Specifically, significant changes were observed within Tenericutes, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Patescibacteria, while a significant enrichment of the genus Prevotellaceae_UCG_001 was noted after plant invasion. However, only a significant p value reduction in AI compared to BI was observed in Dothideomycete at the order level within the fungi. For the bacterial colonies, the abundance of substances involved within glycosphingolipid synthesis and other metabolic pathways at the KEGG Level 3 also decreased significantly, while their ecological niche width increased significantly. Conversely, the fungal colonies exhibited a somewhat changed shape and functional abundance, but they reacted to the plant invasion with reduced sensitivity. The neutral community model, which showed higher rates of migration for both fungi and bacteria, validated these outcomes. The dynamic changes that occur in soil ecosystems as a result of plant invasion are highlighted in the current work.