Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient
Changes in soil abiotic and biotic properties can be powerful drivers of feedback between plants and soil microbial communities. However, the specific mechanisms by which seasonal changes in environmental factors shape soil microbial communities are not well understood. Here, we collected soil sampl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/10/1657 |
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| author | Xiaoling Xiong Maokui Lyu Cui Deng Xiaojie Li Yuming Lu Weisheng Lin Yongmeng Jiang Jinsheng Xie |
| author_facet | Xiaoling Xiong Maokui Lyu Cui Deng Xiaojie Li Yuming Lu Weisheng Lin Yongmeng Jiang Jinsheng Xie |
| author_sort | Xiaoling Xiong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Changes in soil abiotic and biotic properties can be powerful drivers of feedback between plants and soil microbial communities. However, the specific mechanisms by which seasonal changes in environmental factors shape soil microbial communities are not well understood. Here, we collected soil samples from three sites along an elevational gradient (200–1200 m) in subtropical forests with unvarying canopy vegetation. We used an elevation gradient with similar annual precipitation but a clear temperature gradient, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured to determine the seasonal variations in the composition of soil microbial communities in response to rising temperatures. Our results showed that the abundance of Gram-negative bacteria and total PLFAs were the lowest at low elevations in winter, and the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria decreased with increasing elevation. However, the biomass of other microbial groups was the highest at medium elevations in summer, with the exception of actinomycetes species and fungi. Regardless of seasonal changes, soil fungal biomass tended to increase with increasing elevation. Moreover, in summer, microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) increased with increasing elevation, whereas an opposite trend was observed in winter. Redundancy analysis and structural equation modeling showed that the dissolved organic carbon in soil was the main factor affecting the microbial communities along the elevation gradient in winter, whereas in summer, the microbial community structure was driven by shifting nitrogen availability, with both being associated with changing microbial CUE. As such, this study demonstrates distinct seasonal changes in the soil microbial community composition across an elevation gradient that are driven by carbon and nitrogen resource availability and shifts in microbial CUE. Furthermore, our results suggest that the interaction of underground plant roots and microbes drives changes in resource availability, thereby resulting in seasonal variation in soil microbial community composition across an elevation gradient. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:46:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ada66db82ac49538900dcaa36923a97 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:46:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ada66db82ac49538900dcaa36923a972023-12-02T00:30:01ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-10-011310165710.3390/f13101657Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation GradientXiaoling Xiong0Maokui Lyu1Cui Deng2Xiaojie Li3Yuming Lu4Weisheng Lin5Yongmeng Jiang6Jinsheng Xie7Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaKey Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, ChinaChanges in soil abiotic and biotic properties can be powerful drivers of feedback between plants and soil microbial communities. However, the specific mechanisms by which seasonal changes in environmental factors shape soil microbial communities are not well understood. Here, we collected soil samples from three sites along an elevational gradient (200–1200 m) in subtropical forests with unvarying canopy vegetation. We used an elevation gradient with similar annual precipitation but a clear temperature gradient, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured to determine the seasonal variations in the composition of soil microbial communities in response to rising temperatures. Our results showed that the abundance of Gram-negative bacteria and total PLFAs were the lowest at low elevations in winter, and the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria decreased with increasing elevation. However, the biomass of other microbial groups was the highest at medium elevations in summer, with the exception of actinomycetes species and fungi. Regardless of seasonal changes, soil fungal biomass tended to increase with increasing elevation. Moreover, in summer, microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) increased with increasing elevation, whereas an opposite trend was observed in winter. Redundancy analysis and structural equation modeling showed that the dissolved organic carbon in soil was the main factor affecting the microbial communities along the elevation gradient in winter, whereas in summer, the microbial community structure was driven by shifting nitrogen availability, with both being associated with changing microbial CUE. As such, this study demonstrates distinct seasonal changes in the soil microbial community composition across an elevation gradient that are driven by carbon and nitrogen resource availability and shifts in microbial CUE. Furthermore, our results suggest that the interaction of underground plant roots and microbes drives changes in resource availability, thereby resulting in seasonal variation in soil microbial community composition across an elevation gradient.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/10/1657<i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> (Lamb.) Hook.forestselevation gradientmicrobial communitymicrobial C use efficiencyplant–microbial interactions |
| spellingShingle | Xiaoling Xiong Maokui Lyu Cui Deng Xiaojie Li Yuming Lu Weisheng Lin Yongmeng Jiang Jinsheng Xie Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient Forests <i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> (Lamb.) Hook. forests elevation gradient microbial community microbial C use efficiency plant–microbial interactions |
| title | Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient |
| title_full | Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient |
| title_fullStr | Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient |
| title_short | Carbon and Nitrogen Availability Drives Seasonal Variation in Soil Microbial Communities along an Elevation Gradient |
| title_sort | carbon and nitrogen availability drives seasonal variation in soil microbial communities along an elevation gradient |
| topic | <i>Cunninghamia lanceolata</i> (Lamb.) Hook. forests elevation gradient microbial community microbial C use efficiency plant–microbial interactions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/10/1657 |
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