Impact of Vegetation Type on Taxonomic and Functional Composition of Soil Microbial Communities in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

ABSTRACT: Soil microbial communities are pivotal in maintaining ecosystem functions, particularly in alpine regions with highly heterogeneous environmental conditions. However, the influence of vegetation type on soil microbial communities in high-elevation areas remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates the dynamics of soil microbial communities across grassland, shrubland, and forest ecosystems on the southern slope of the Qilian Mountains. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were examined using high-throughput 16S rRNA and ITS gene sequencing, and their potential ecological functions were inferred using the FAPROTAX and FUNGuild databases. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) based on Bray-Curtis distances revealed significant differences in bacterial and fungal community structures

SUBMITTER: Qiu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12472663 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature