Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows
Abstract Background Soil organic matter composition and microbial communities are key factors affecting ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) during ecosystem restoration. However, there is little information on their interacting mechanisms in degraded and restored meadows. To fill this knowledge gap,...
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Environmental Microbiome |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00678-6 |
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| author | Wenyin Wang Sisi Bi Fei Li A. Allan Degen Shanshan Li Mei Huang Binyu Luo Tao Zhang Shuai Qi Tianyun Qi Yanfu Bai Peipei Liu Zhanhuan Shang |
| author_facet | Wenyin Wang Sisi Bi Fei Li A. Allan Degen Shanshan Li Mei Huang Binyu Luo Tao Zhang Shuai Qi Tianyun Qi Yanfu Bai Peipei Liu Zhanhuan Shang |
| author_sort | Wenyin Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Soil organic matter composition and microbial communities are key factors affecting ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) during ecosystem restoration. However, there is little information on their interacting mechanisms in degraded and restored meadows. To fill this knowledge gap, plant, root and soil samples from alpine swamp meadows, alpine Kobresia meadows, severely degraded alpine meadows, short-term restored meadows (< 5 years) and long-term restored meadows (6–14 years) were collected. We leveraged high-throughput sequencing, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to characterize soil microbial communities and soil organic matter composition, measured microbial carbon metabolism and determined EMF. Results It emerged that the similarity of soil microorganisms in meadows decreased with increasing heterogeneity of soil properties. Dispersal limitation and ecological drift led to the homogenization of the bacterial community. Based on co-occurrence network analysis, an increase in microbial network complexity promoted EMF. Root total phosphorus and soil organic matter components were the key predictors of EMF, while organic acids and phenolic acids increased the stability of the microbial network in long-term restored meadows. Carbon metabolism did not increase in restored meadows, but the niche breadth of soil microorganisms and the utilization efficiency of small molecular carbon sources such as amino acids did increase. Conclusions These findings emphasize the importance of soil organic matter composition in ecological restoration and that the composition should be considered in management strategies aimed at enhancing EMF. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-062ffeea21394d76aa5dc24206a7ee4d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2524-6372 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj-art-062ffeea21394d76aa5dc24206a7ee4d2025-02-09T12:55:06ZengBMCEnvironmental Microbiome2524-63722025-02-0120111510.1186/s40793-025-00678-6Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadowsWenyin Wang0Sisi Bi1Fei Li2A. Allan Degen3Shanshan Li4Mei Huang5Binyu Luo6Tao Zhang7Shuai Qi8Tianyun Qi9Yanfu Bai10Peipei Liu11Zhanhuan Shang12State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityBlaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevNorthwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou UniversityAbstract Background Soil organic matter composition and microbial communities are key factors affecting ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) during ecosystem restoration. However, there is little information on their interacting mechanisms in degraded and restored meadows. To fill this knowledge gap, plant, root and soil samples from alpine swamp meadows, alpine Kobresia meadows, severely degraded alpine meadows, short-term restored meadows (< 5 years) and long-term restored meadows (6–14 years) were collected. We leveraged high-throughput sequencing, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to characterize soil microbial communities and soil organic matter composition, measured microbial carbon metabolism and determined EMF. Results It emerged that the similarity of soil microorganisms in meadows decreased with increasing heterogeneity of soil properties. Dispersal limitation and ecological drift led to the homogenization of the bacterial community. Based on co-occurrence network analysis, an increase in microbial network complexity promoted EMF. Root total phosphorus and soil organic matter components were the key predictors of EMF, while organic acids and phenolic acids increased the stability of the microbial network in long-term restored meadows. Carbon metabolism did not increase in restored meadows, but the niche breadth of soil microorganisms and the utilization efficiency of small molecular carbon sources such as amino acids did increase. Conclusions These findings emphasize the importance of soil organic matter composition in ecological restoration and that the composition should be considered in management strategies aimed at enhancing EMF.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00678-6Soil organic matter compositionEcosystem multifunctionalitySoil microorganismMicrobial diversityMicrobial network complexityEcological restoration |
| spellingShingle | Wenyin Wang Sisi Bi Fei Li A. Allan Degen Shanshan Li Mei Huang Binyu Luo Tao Zhang Shuai Qi Tianyun Qi Yanfu Bai Peipei Liu Zhanhuan Shang Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows Environmental Microbiome Soil organic matter composition Ecosystem multifunctionality Soil microorganism Microbial diversity Microbial network complexity Ecological restoration |
| title | Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows |
| title_full | Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows |
| title_fullStr | Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows |
| title_short | Soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long-term restored meadows |
| title_sort | soil organic matter composition affects ecosystem multifunctionality by mediating the composition of microbial communities in long term restored meadows |
| topic | Soil organic matter composition Ecosystem multifunctionality Soil microorganism Microbial diversity Microbial network complexity Ecological restoration |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00678-6 |
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