Vegetation-soil-microbiota dynamics across a 50-year reconstructed grassland chronosequence on the Loess Plateau of China.

ABSTRACT: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) establishment is an effective strategy for grassland reconstruction in degraded ecosystems. However, the mechanisms underlying vegetation succession in reconstructed grasslands following alfalfa establishment remain elusive. In this study, we investigated vegetation community, soil quality and rhizosphere microbiota dynamics across a reconstructed grassland chronosequence in the loess region of Northwest China. A space-for-time substitution method was used to evaluate grassland vegetation coverage and alfalfa production performance in nine stands of different ages (1-50 years old). High-throughput sequencing was conducted to characterise rhizosphere microbial communities associated with alfalfa. The plant heights, yields and stem-to-leaf ratios of alfalf

SUBMITTER: Ma Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11665427 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature