Response of microbial communities and their metabolic functions to calcareous succession process

Abstract

Soil chronosequence is of great important in studying rates and directions of soil evolution, which can provide valuable information for the validation of soil genesis theory. However, the variation of microbial composition and structure in a calcareous soil chronosequence in karst region of southwest China is not clear. To reveal the response of microbial communities and their metabolic functions to calcareous succession process, a chronosequence of four calcareous soils (black calcareous soil, brown calcareous soil, yellow calcareous soil and red calcareous soil) with a depth of 0–20 cm from tropical monsoon rainforests of Guangxi Nonggang National Nature Reserve, southwest China was collected to analyze the soil physichemical and microbial properties. The results showed that the overall soil nutrient contents decreased along calcareous soil chronosequences and all calcareous soils were nitrogen (N) limitation. And, there were significant differences in the structure of microbial communities in calcareous soil chronosequences. To accommodate N-restriction, fungal community shifted from pathotroph to symbiotroph trophic pattern and Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) emerged. ECM competing with free-living decomposers for N will slow soil carbon (C) cycling and increase soil C storage. Penicillium and Gaiella, the keystone genera, were related to phosphorus (P) cycle closely. Taken together, the occurrence of these microorganisms emphasizes the importance for C, N and P cycle in calcareous chronosequence soils and thus contributes to the ongoing worldwide endeavor to characterize their function for investigating the rate and direction of calcareous pedogenic changes.