Spatial heterogeneity of belowground microbial communities linked to peatland microhabitats with different plant dominants.

ABSTRACT: Peatland vegetation is composed mostly of mosses, graminoids and ericoid shrubs, and these have a distinct impact on peat biogeochemistry. We studied variation in soil microbial communities related to natural peatland microhabitats dominated by Sphagnum, cotton-grass and blueberry. We hypothesized that such microhabitats will be occupied by structurally and functionally different microbial communities, which will vary further during the vegetation season due to changes in temperature and photosynthetic activity of plant dominants. This was addressed using amplicon-based sequencing of prokaryotic and fungal rDNA and qPCR with respect to methane-cycling communities. Fungal communities were highly microhabitat-specific, while prokaryotic communities were additionally directed by soil pH and t

SUBMITTER: Chronakova A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8117459 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature