Abstract
Soil microorganisms play an important role in the circulation of materials and nutrients between plants and soil ecosystems, but the drivers of microbial community composition and diversity remain uncertain in different vegetation restoration patterns. We studied soil physicochemical properties (i.e., soil moisture, bulk density, pH, soil nutrients, available nutrients), plant characteristics (i.e., Shannon index [HPlant] and Richness index [SPlant], litter biomass [LB], and fine root biomass [FRB]), and microbial variables (biomass, enzyme activity, diversity, and composition of bacterial and fungal communities) in different plant succession patterns (Robinia pseudoacacia [MF], Caragana korshinskii [SF], and grassland [GL]) on the Loess Plateau. The herb communities, soil microbial biomass, and enzyme activities were strongly affected by vegetation restoration, and soil bacterial and fungal communities were significantly different from each other at the sites. Correlation analysis showed that LB and FRB were significantly positively correlated with the Chao index of soil bacteria, soil microbial biomass, enzyme activities, Proteobacteria, Zygomycota, and Cercozoa, while negatively correlated with Actinobacteria and Basidiomycota. In addition, soil water content (SW), pH, and nutrients have important effects on the bacterial and fungal diversities, as well as Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, Zygomycota, and microbial biomass. Furthermore, plant characteristics and soil properties modulated the composition and diversity of soil microorganisms, respectively. Overall, the relative contribution of vegetation and soil to the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities illustrated that plant characteristics and soil properties may synergistically modulate soil microbial communities, and the composition and diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities mainly depend on plant biomass and soil nutrients.
Highlights
Plant secondary succession is an effective way to improve soil conditions and promote ecosystem restoration [1, 2]
Soil microorganisms play an important role in the circulation of materials and nutrients between plants and soil ecosystems, but the drivers of microbial community composition and diversity remain uncertain in different vegetation restoration patterns
Soil bacterial and fungal communities mainly depend on plant biomass and soil nutrients
Summary
Plant secondary succession is an effective way to improve soil conditions and promote ecosystem restoration [1, 2]. Changes in plant community characteristics and soil physicochemical properties may drive changes in microbial communities among different succession styles [3]. The succession of undergrowth vegetation, the decomposition of litter, and changes of rhizosphere carbon inputs drive growth and activity of soil microbes [4]. As the main driving force of ecosystem processes, soil microorganisms complete the decomposition of soil organic matter and plant litter, and mediate the nutrient cycle of plant-soil ecosystems [7]. Understanding the coupling relationships among plant characteristics, soil properties, and microbial communities among different succession styles provides insight into the adaptation and response mechanisms of soil microorganisms in plant and soil ecosystems
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