Soil fungi distribution patterns under different levels of disturbance in the wetland of Napahai Plateau

Abstract

Aims The study was undertaken to reveal the effects of disturbance on carbon, nitrogen and soil fungi distribution patterns in Napahai wetland. Methods Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen and ecological characteristics of soil fungi were studied across wetlands of varying levels of disturbance, including primitive marsh (non-disturbance), swampy meadow (low disturbance), meadow (moderate disturbance), and cultivated wetland (high disturbance). Important findings (1) In both upper and lower soil layers, soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), C:N and pH significantly differed (p < 0.01) among the four wetland types; SOM and TN decreased with increasing level of disturbance. (2) Following the culture on PDA medium, the abundance of soil fungi was greater in the upper layer than in the lower layer within the same type of wetland soil; with increasing level of disturbance, the abundance of fungi gradually increased, and the abundance of fungi was negatively correlated with pH value, SOM and TN, and positively correlated with C:N (2-tail test, p < 0.05). (3) Phylogenetic analysis shows that the soil fungi in Napahai wetland occur as Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota, with Ascomycota being the dominant type and playing a key role in decomposition of soil carbon and nitrogen in plateau wetland.