Effects of mixed biocrusts on soil nutrients and bacterial community structure: a case study from Hilly Loess Plateau, China

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 21265 - 9
• Main Author: Zhang, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 11.09.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/326; 704/158; 704/172; Algae; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Biodiversity; Biological crusts; China; Community composition; Community structure; Developmental stages; Ecological function; Ecosystem; Environmental factors; Gullies; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lichens; Microbiota; Mixed biocrusts; multidisciplinary; Next-generation sequencing; Nitrogen - analysis; Nitrogen - metabolism; Nutrient cycles; Nutrients - analysis; Organic carbon; Organic phosphorus; Organic soils; Phosphorus - analysis; Phosphorus - metabolism; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soil - chemistry; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soil nutrients; Soils; Structure-function relationships; Subsoils; Total organic carbon; China; Loess Plateau; Bacteria; Soil nutrients; Biological crusts; Mixed biocrusts
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71927-w

The ecological function of biological crusts in arid and semi-arid areas is of great importance. Bacteria, as a crucial microbial group in biological crusts, play a key role in the formation, nutrient cycling, and regulation of these crusts. However, the succession of biological crusts and the diversity of bacterial communities, along with key environmental factors in the Loess Plateau’s hilly and gully areas, remain unclear. This study investigated soil bacterial abundance and diversity in bare soil (BS), alga-lichen mixed crust (MC), and alga-lichen mixed crust subsoil (MCS) using high-throughput sequencing methods. It explored the relationship between the bacterial community in biological crusts and key environmental factors. The results indicated that the Chao1, Shannon index, and phylogenetic diversity of bacteria significantly increased with the succession of biological crusts. There were notable differences in the community composition and structure of bacteria at different stages of crust development, with Rubrobacteria and Cyanobacteriia dominating in MCS. Effective phosphorus, available potassium, nitrogen, pH, and total organic carbon were identified as key environmental factors affecting soil bacterial communities. In summary, the succession of biological crusts alters soil physicochemical characteristics and creates different ecological niches for bacterial communities. Soil nutrients and pH play a crucial role in the selection of bacterial species and the shaping of bacterial communities in the Loess Plateau’s hilly and gully areas.