Xin Sui1,2, Rongtao Zhang2, Beat Frey3, Libin Yang2, Yingnan Liu2, Hongwei Ni4, Mai-He Li3,5,6. 1. Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration and Resource Utilization for Cold Region School of Life Sciences Heilongjiang University Harbin China. 2. Institution of Nature and Ecology Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences Harbin China. 3. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf Switzerland. 4. Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry Harbin China. 5. Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains Ministry of Education School of Geographical Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun China. 6. CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China.
Abstract
The Sanjiang Plain is the biggest freshwater wetland locating in northeastern China. Due to climate change and human activities, that wetland has degraded to a successional gradient from the original flooded wetland to dry shrub vegetation and a forest area with lower ground water level, which may result in changes in soil microbiologic structure and functions. The present study investigated the microbial diversity and community structure in relation to soil properties along that successional gradient. The soil physico-chemical properties changed significantly with degradation stage. The Shannon diversity index of both soil bacteria (5.90-6.42) and fungi (1.7-4.19) varied significantly with successional stage (both p < .05). The community structures of soil bacteria and fungi in the early successional stages (i.e., the wetland) were significantly determined by water content, total nitrogen, and available nitrogen concentrations in soils, while those in the later successional stages (i.e., forests) were significantly structured by soil organic carbon, soil pH, and available phosphorus concentrations. These results suggest that the soil microbial structure is mainly determined by soil properties rather than by plant community such as plant species composition along successional stages.
The Sanjiang Plain is the biggest freshwater wetland locating innortheastern China. Due to climate change and n class="Species">human activities, that wetland has degraded to a successional gradient from the original flooded wetland to dry shrub vegetation and a forest area with lower ground water level, which may result in changes in soil microbiologic structure and functions. The present study investigated the microbial diversity and community structure in relation to soil properties along that successional gradient. The soil physico-chemical properties changed significantly with degradation stage. The Shannon diversity index of both soil bacteria (5.90-6.42) and fungi (1.7-4.19) varied significantly with successional stage (both p < .05). The community structures of soil bacteria and fungi in the early successional stages (i.e., the wetland) were significantly determined by water content, total nitrogen, and available nitrogen concentrations in soils, while those in the later successional stages (i.e., forests) were significantly structured by soil organic carbon, soil pH, and available phosphorus concentrations. These results suggest that the soil microbial structure is mainly determined by soil properties rather than by plant community such as plant species composition along successional stages.
Authors: Brajesh K Singh; Naoise Nunan; Karyn P Ridgway; Jim McNicol; J Peter W Young; Tim J Daniell; James I Prosser; Peter Millard Journal: Environ Microbiol Date: 2007-12-13 Impact factor: 5.491