Abstract
Bacteria are essential regulators of soil biogeochemical cycles. While several studies of bacterial elevational patterns have been performed in recent years, the drivers of these patterns remain incompletely understood. To clarify bacterial distribution patterns and diversity across narrow- and broad-scale elevational gradients, we collected soil samples from 22 sites in the grasslands of Mt. Tianshan in China along three elevational transects and the overall elevation transect: (1) 6 sites at elevations of 1047–1587 m, (2) 8 sites at 876–3070 m, and (3) 8 sites at 1602–2110 m. The bacterial community diversity across the overall elevation transects exhibited a hump-like pattern, whereas consistent patterns were not observed in the separate elevational transects. The bacterial community composition at the phylum level differed across the transects and elevation sites. The Actinobacteria was the most abundant phylum overall (41.76%) but showed clear variations in the different transects. Furthermore, heatmap analyses revealed that both pH and mean annual temperature (MAT) were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with bacterial community composition as well as the dominant bacterial phyla, classes, and genera. These findings provide an inclusive view of bacterial community structures in relation to the environmental factors of the different elevational patterns.
Highlights
Elevational gradients have been studied to evaluate the relationships between altitude, spatial distribution patterns, and basic biome ecological processes in montane e cosystems[1,2,3]
Some studies have reported a hump-shaped pattern when evaluating soil bacterial community diversity as a function of elevation, as in a study conducted on Mount Fuji, evaluating soil bacterial diversity between 1000 and 3700 m, with a significant “peak” in bacterial diversity being detected at an elevation of approximately 2500 m 8
Some reports detected no clear patterns in soil bacterial community diversity along elevation gradients[5,9], decreases in soil Acidobacterial diversity have been observed as a function of elevation between 2460 and 3380 m 4
Summary
Elevational gradients have been studied to evaluate the relationships between altitude, spatial distribution patterns, and basic biome ecological processes in montane e cosystems[1,2,3]. Some reports detected no clear patterns in soil bacterial community diversity along elevation gradients[5,9], decreases in soil Acidobacterial diversity have been observed as a function of elevation between 2460 and 3380 m 4 Together, these findings suggest that bacterial composition and diversity respond differently to elevational gradients and environmental types, with bacterial communities, in particular, likely to exhibit a range of tolerance levels across different environmental conditions. One widely accepted determinant of soil bacterial community distribution along elevation gradients in a range of mountain ecosystems is the soil p H9–12, other studies have suggested that other driver factors such as temperature may be major regulators of bacterial. Due to the known impact of environmental factors in shaping of soil bacterial communities across montane spatial scales, does this relationship exist in Mt Tianshan grassland? Are there any differences in the soil bacterial communities in different areas of Mt Tianshan grassland, for instance, in different administrative regions? Due to the known impact of environmental factors in shaping of soil bacterial communities across montane spatial scales, does this relationship exist in Mt Tianshan grassland? and, if so, what is the key factor?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
