Abstract
Aims Soil microbes play a key role in material recycling and energy conversion in forest ecosystems. We studied the functional diversity of microbial communities and soil physical-chemical properties in order to illustrate variations of soil microbial community diversity along an elevational gradient in the Wuyi Mountains of China and influencing factors. Methods Evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF), coniferous forest (CF), dwarf forest (DF) and alpine meadow (AM) were chosen as experimental sites along an elevation gradient in the National Natural Reserve of the Wuyi Mountains. We used Biolog EcoPlate analysis to study the functional diversity of microbial communities. Important findings There were significant differences in functional diversity of microbial communities in different soil elevations. The average well color development (AWCD), which directly reflected microbial activity and functional diversity, increased over time, while AWCD at the same soil depth gradually decreased along with increasing altitude and in the order of EBF CF DF AM. The AWCD of different soil depths for the same vegetation type was in the order of 0–10 cm 10–25 cm 25–40 cm. The Simpson index, Shannon-Wiener index, richness index and McIntosh index of EBF were all higher than AM. There was variation among substrates used by soil microbial communities in different soil elevations. The substrate used in EBF was significantly higher than the substrate used in AM. The carbon sources mostly used by soil microbes were carbohydrates and carboxylic acids, followed by amino acids, phenolic acids and polymers; the lowest was amines. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified two factors in relation to carbon sources; they explained 75.27% and 16.14% of the variation. The carbon sources used by soil microbial communities were different among different vegetationtypes. Amino acids and amides were the two main carbon sources separating the two principal component factors. Soil microbial community diversity decreased along the elevation gradient and with soil thickness, and vegetative biomass, forest litter, soil nutrient, microzoon and plant roots might be the major factors controlling this diversity.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have