Dataset Information

Slope aspect affects the soil microbial communities in karst tiankeng negative landforms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Karst tiankeng is a large-scale negative surface terrain, and slope aspects affect the soil conditions, vegetation and microbial flora in the tiankeng. However, the influence of the slope aspect on the soil microbial community in tiankeng has not been elucidated.

Methods

In this study, metagenomic sequencing technology was used to analyze the soil microbial community structure and functional potentials on the shady and sunny slopes of karst tiankeng.

Results

The Shannon-Wiener diversity of microbial communities on shady slope (SHS) was significantly higher than that on sunny slope (SUS). Although the composition of dominant phyla on shady slope (SHS) and sunny slope (SUS) was similar, there were significant differences in beta-diversity. The linear discriminate analysis (LDA) results showed that biomarkers mainly belongs to Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria. Functional pathways and CAZy (Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes) genes also had a remarkable response to slope aspect change. LEfSe results indicated several biomarker pathways in sunny slope involved in human disease. Moreover, the abundance of CAZy genes was higher in shady slope and had stronger ability in decomposing litter. The microbial communities were mainly correlation with the vegetation characteristics (species richness and coverage) and soil properties (SOC and pH).

Conclusions

These results indicate slope aspect has a pronounced influence on microbial community composition, structure and function at karst tiankeng. In the future, the conservation of karst tiankeng biodiversity should pay more attention to topographical factors.

SUBMITTER: Jiang C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9063220 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Slope aspect affects the soil microbial communities in karst tiankeng negative landforms.

Jiang Cong C Zhu Sufeng S Feng Jie J Shui Wei W

BMC ecology and evolution 20220430 1

<h4>Background</h4>Karst tiankeng is a large-scale negative surface terrain, and slope aspects affect the soil conditions, vegetation and microbial flora in the tiankeng. However, the influence of the slope aspect on the soil microbial community in tiankeng has not been elucidated.<h4>Methods</h4>In this study, metagenomic sequencing technology was used to analyze the soil microbial community structure and functional potentials on the shady and sunny slopes of karst tiankeng.<h4>Results</h4>The ...[more]

PMID: 35501694

Similar Datasets

Project description:Microbial communities in karst ecosystems have been extensively studied. However, in a class of deep-lying habitats with unique climates (karst tiankeng), the structure and ecological functions of microorganisms receive little attention, which is essential for understanding the biogeochemistry of karst tiankeng. Herein, microorganisms from inside (ITK) and outside (OTK) karst tiankengs were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing and multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that the structure and function of soil bacterial communities inside and outside karst tiankengs were significantly different. The ITK microbial communities presented significantly higher Shannon diversity due to the abundant nutrients in karst tiankeng soil. Random molecular ecological network analysis revealed that the ITK network was simpler and more vulnerable and may be susceptible to environmental changes. More positive links within the network indicate that microorganisms adapt to the karst tiankeng through synergies. The keystones in karst tiankeng were mainly involved in the decomposition of soil organic matter and carbon/nitrogen cycles. Although soil total phosphorus and available potassium regulate microbial community structure variation, dispersal limitation is the predominant ecological process within the microbial community in karst tiankeng. In addition, the functional profiles of the microbial communities reveal that some human diseases (such as infectious diseases) exist in OTK. Collectively, these findings have enhanced our understanding of microbial interactions, ecological functions, and community composition processes in karst tiankeng ecosystems. IMPORTANCE Constrained by the trapped terrain, a unique ecosystem has formed in karst tiankeng. Soil microorganisms are essential for the formation and maintenance of ecosystems, but soil microbial ecology research in karst tiankeng is still lacking. In this study, representative habitats inside and outside karst tiankeng were selected to study the taxonomy and potential metabolism of soil microbial communities. The results show that the unique habitat of karst tiankeng reshapes the composition, structure, and function of soil microbial communities. Our results contribute to enhancing our understanding of sustainable recovery strategies in fragile ecosystems and understanding the biodiversity value of karst tiankeng under climate change.

Dataset Information

Slope aspect affects the soil microbial communities in karst tiankeng negative landforms.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Slope aspect affects the soil microbial communities in karst tiankeng negative landforms.

Similar Datasets

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