Abstract
Soil nutrients and microbial communities are the two key factors in revegetation of barren environments. Ecological stoichiometry plays an important role in ecosystem function and limitation, but the relationships between above- and belowground stoichiometry and the bacterial communities in a typical karst region are poorly understood. We used pepino (Solanum muricatum) to examine the stoichiometric traits between soil and foliage, and determine diversity and abundance of bacteria in the karst soil. The soil had a relatively high pH, low fertility, and coarse texture. Foliar N:P ratio and the correlations with soil nitrogen and phosphorus suggested nitrogen limitation. The planting of pepino increased soil urease activity and decreased catalase activity. Higher diversity of bacteria was determined in the pepino rhizosphere than bulk soil using a next-generation, Illumina-based sequencing approach. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in all samples, accounting for more than 80% of the reads. On a genus level, all 625 detected genera were found in all rhizosphere and bulk soils, and 63 genera showed significant differences among samples. Higher Shannon and Chao 1 indices in the rhizosphere than bulk soil indicated that planting of pepino increased diversity and abundance of bacterial communities in karst area.
Highlights
The karst landscape degeneration caused by human activities poses restoration challenges as well as opportunities to study the stability and resilience of limestone ecosystems[1]
We focused on the soil remediation processes brought about by pepino planting in Yunnan karst area
We examined the stoichiometry between soil and foliar N:P ratios and characterized bacterial communities in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil to shed light on the changes caused by pepino planting
Summary
The karst landscape degeneration caused by human activities poses restoration challenges as well as opportunities to study the stability and resilience of limestone ecosystems[1]. Karst rocky desertification is a process of land degradation involving serious soil erosion, extensive exposure of basement rocks, drastic decrease in soil productivity, and the appearance of a desert-like landscape[3]. This process was difficult to reverse because the instability and low productivity of such ecosystems weaken soil functions of nutrient cycling[4,5]. Microorganisms play an important role in belowground ecosystems influencing plant growth and soil properties, the full characterization of soil microbial communities is still a major task, especially in karst regions
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