Contrasting Responses of Rhizosphere Bacteria, Fungi and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Along an Elevational Gradient in a Temperate Montane Forest of China.

ABSTRACT: Elevational gradients strongly affect microbial biodiversity in bulk soil through altering plant and soil properties, but the effects on rhizosphere microbial patterns remain unclear, especially at large spatial scales. We therefore designed an elevational gradient experiment to examine rhizosphere microbial (bacteria, fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) diversity and composition using Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA and ITS genes for comparison to plant and soil properties. Our results showed that bacterial and fungal alpha diversity was significantly higher at mid-elevation, while AMF alpha diversity decreased monotonically. The beta diversities of the three groups were significantly affected by elevational gradients, but the effect on bacterial beta diversity was larger than on

SUBMITTER: Guo Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7469537 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature