Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates

Abstract Yutangba, situated in Enshi City, Hubei Province, is globally noted for its high selenium (Se) content. Soil invertebrates are essential to the functionality and services of terrestrial ecosystems, yet their community composition in this region remains under-explored. This study utilized en...

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Main Authors: Bin Mao, XiangLiang Fang, HongLing Lei, YunLi Xiao, Yue Fu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87917-5
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author Bin Mao
XiangLiang Fang
HongLing Lei
YunLi Xiao
Yue Fu
author_facet Bin Mao
XiangLiang Fang
HongLing Lei
YunLi Xiao
Yue Fu
author_sort Bin Mao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Yutangba, situated in Enshi City, Hubei Province, is globally noted for its high selenium (Se) content. Soil invertebrates are essential to the functionality and services of terrestrial ecosystems, yet their community composition in this region remains under-explored. This study utilized environmental DNA metabarcoding to investigate the interrelations among environmental factors, soil invertebrate diversity, and community characteristics concerning soil Se content, pH, and moisture content in the region. Environmental factors such as Se concentration, water content, and pH were strongly associated with species beta diversity of soil invertebrates in Se-rich areas, reshaping their distribution and abundance, while alpha diversity remained relatively stable. Among these, Se notably emerges as the primary regulatory factor increasing soil invertebrate diversity. The acidic soil pH, along with moisture, plays a fine-tuning role in regulating the species richness and community composition. Unexpectedly, certain species, such as the Formicidae (ants, e.g., Odontomachus troglodytes), the Noctuidae (e.g., Diarsia rosaria), and the annelid Haplotaxida Perionyx excavates, exhibit a strong positive association with Se, indicating a high level of Se tolerance among the native species. This novel perspective reveals the complex role of Se in soil ecosystems, emphasizing the necessity of understanding its ecological functions and potential implications for ecosystem health and stability.
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spelling doaj-art-2d0b703f6ffe401e812d0f8ae279993b2025-02-02T12:22:52ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-87917-5Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebratesBin Mao0XiangLiang Fang1HongLing Lei2YunLi Xiao3Yue Fu4Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Hubei Zhongke Research Institute of Industrial Technology, Huanggang Normal UniversityHubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Hubei Zhongke Research Institute of Industrial Technology, Huanggang Normal UniversityCollege of Biological and Food Engineering, Hubei University for NationalitiesHubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Hubei Zhongke Research Institute of Industrial Technology, Huanggang Normal UniversityHubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Hubei Zhongke Research Institute of Industrial Technology, Huanggang Normal UniversityAbstract Yutangba, situated in Enshi City, Hubei Province, is globally noted for its high selenium (Se) content. Soil invertebrates are essential to the functionality and services of terrestrial ecosystems, yet their community composition in this region remains under-explored. This study utilized environmental DNA metabarcoding to investigate the interrelations among environmental factors, soil invertebrate diversity, and community characteristics concerning soil Se content, pH, and moisture content in the region. Environmental factors such as Se concentration, water content, and pH were strongly associated with species beta diversity of soil invertebrates in Se-rich areas, reshaping their distribution and abundance, while alpha diversity remained relatively stable. Among these, Se notably emerges as the primary regulatory factor increasing soil invertebrate diversity. The acidic soil pH, along with moisture, plays a fine-tuning role in regulating the species richness and community composition. Unexpectedly, certain species, such as the Formicidae (ants, e.g., Odontomachus troglodytes), the Noctuidae (e.g., Diarsia rosaria), and the annelid Haplotaxida Perionyx excavates, exhibit a strong positive association with Se, indicating a high level of Se tolerance among the native species. This novel perspective reveals the complex role of Se in soil ecosystems, emphasizing the necessity of understanding its ecological functions and potential implications for ecosystem health and stability.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87917-5InsectsSelenium toleranceSoilEcosystem health
spellingShingle Bin Mao
XiangLiang Fang
HongLing Lei
YunLi Xiao
Yue Fu
Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates
Scientific Reports
Insects
Selenium tolerance
Soil
Ecosystem health
title Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates
title_full Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates
title_fullStr Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates
title_full_unstemmed Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates
title_short Unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium-containing soil invertebrates
title_sort unexpected species diversity in the understanding of selenium containing soil invertebrates
topic Insects
Selenium tolerance
Soil
Ecosystem health
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87917-5
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AT honglinglei unexpectedspeciesdiversityintheunderstandingofseleniumcontainingsoilinvertebrates
AT yunlixiao unexpectedspeciesdiversityintheunderstandingofseleniumcontainingsoilinvertebrates
AT yuefu unexpectedspeciesdiversityintheunderstandingofseleniumcontainingsoilinvertebrates