Desertification gradients shape <i>Medicago sativa</i> rhizosphere microbiomes in inner Mongolia's agro-pastoral ecotone.

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the spatial heterogeneity of rhizosphere microbial communities in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) across desertification gradients in Inner Mongolia, China. Rhizosphere soils were collected from non-, lightly-, and moderately- desertified sites. Using 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing alongside soil physicochemical analyses, we found that desertification intensity significantly altered microbial structure and function. Actinobacteriota dominated in moderately-desertified soils, whereas Proteobacteria prevailed in non-desertified areas. Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum, with Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota enriched in non- and lightly- desertified sites, respectively. Soil pH and available phosphorus were the key factors shaping bacterial and

SUBMITTER: Xu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12500245 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature