Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community

Livestock grazing may affect small mammalian herbivore-soil microbe interactions and their association with the structure and functions of the ecosystem. However, the role of factors such as vegetation and soil nutrients in regulating these impacts is not clear. Here we conducted a 9-year experiment...

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Main Authors: Yunqi Xiong, Zhenzhen Zheng, Baofa Yin, Guoliang Li, Xinrong Wan, Ruyan Qian, Linfeng Li, Shuntian Guan, Yuan Liu, Yanfen Wang, Xiaoyong Cui, Jianqing Du, Kai Xue, Yanbin Hao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-11-01
Series:Geoderma
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124002994
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author Yunqi Xiong
Zhenzhen Zheng
Baofa Yin
Guoliang Li
Xinrong Wan
Ruyan Qian
Linfeng Li
Shuntian Guan
Yuan Liu
Yanfen Wang
Xiaoyong Cui
Jianqing Du
Kai Xue
Yanbin Hao
author_facet Yunqi Xiong
Zhenzhen Zheng
Baofa Yin
Guoliang Li
Xinrong Wan
Ruyan Qian
Linfeng Li
Shuntian Guan
Yuan Liu
Yanfen Wang
Xiaoyong Cui
Jianqing Du
Kai Xue
Yanbin Hao
author_sort Yunqi Xiong
collection DOAJ
description Livestock grazing may affect small mammalian herbivore-soil microbe interactions and their association with the structure and functions of the ecosystem. However, the role of factors such as vegetation and soil nutrients in regulating these impacts is not clear. Here we conducted a 9-year experiment in temperate steppe to study how Brandt’s vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) affects the soil microbial community under different livestock grazing intensities. This experiment contained 12 field enclosures with three livestock grazing intensities: control (CK), light grazing (LG), and moderate grazing (MG). We found that vole activity does not significantly change soil microbial diversity under non-grazing conditions. However, under livestock grazing conditions, vole activity led to a significant reduction in soil bacterial diversity and an increase in fungal diversity, demonstrating the impacts of livestock grazing on rodents-soil microbe interactions. The activity of voles significantly altered soil bacterial community composition, with changes primarily attributed to variations in the relative abundance of the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria. The soil fungal community remained relatively stable despite vole activity, which can be attributed to the richness of fungal colonies in mycelium and their low sensitivity to changes in external conditions. Vole activity also influenced soil microbial functional groups, and the variations in these groups were further amplified by livestock grazing. Furthermore, the shift in the microbial community composition and diversity induced by vole activity were mainly associated with the reduction of plant aboveground biomass. Overall, our study suggested that livestock grazing enhanced the changes in the soil microbial community induced by rodents, underscoring the importance of managing livestock grazing regimes for grassland conservation.
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spelling doaj-art-8a65c53af5d3447dbc9995d412e343412025-08-20T02:14:20ZengElsevierGeoderma1872-62592024-11-0145111707010.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117070Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial communityYunqi Xiong0Zhenzhen Zheng1Baofa Yin2Guoliang Li3Xinrong Wan4Ruyan Qian5Linfeng Li6Shuntian Guan7Yuan Liu8Yanfen Wang9Xiaoyong Cui10Jianqing Du11Kai Xue12Yanbin Hao13College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, ChinaBeijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China; Corresponding author at: College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.Livestock grazing may affect small mammalian herbivore-soil microbe interactions and their association with the structure and functions of the ecosystem. However, the role of factors such as vegetation and soil nutrients in regulating these impacts is not clear. Here we conducted a 9-year experiment in temperate steppe to study how Brandt’s vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) affects the soil microbial community under different livestock grazing intensities. This experiment contained 12 field enclosures with three livestock grazing intensities: control (CK), light grazing (LG), and moderate grazing (MG). We found that vole activity does not significantly change soil microbial diversity under non-grazing conditions. However, under livestock grazing conditions, vole activity led to a significant reduction in soil bacterial diversity and an increase in fungal diversity, demonstrating the impacts of livestock grazing on rodents-soil microbe interactions. The activity of voles significantly altered soil bacterial community composition, with changes primarily attributed to variations in the relative abundance of the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria. The soil fungal community remained relatively stable despite vole activity, which can be attributed to the richness of fungal colonies in mycelium and their low sensitivity to changes in external conditions. Vole activity also influenced soil microbial functional groups, and the variations in these groups were further amplified by livestock grazing. Furthermore, the shift in the microbial community composition and diversity induced by vole activity were mainly associated with the reduction of plant aboveground biomass. Overall, our study suggested that livestock grazing enhanced the changes in the soil microbial community induced by rodents, underscoring the importance of managing livestock grazing regimes for grassland conservation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124002994Brandt’s voleGrasslandSmall mammalian herbivoresSoil microorganisms
spellingShingle Yunqi Xiong
Zhenzhen Zheng
Baofa Yin
Guoliang Li
Xinrong Wan
Ruyan Qian
Linfeng Li
Shuntian Guan
Yuan Liu
Yanfen Wang
Xiaoyong Cui
Jianqing Du
Kai Xue
Yanbin Hao
Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
Geoderma
Brandt’s vole
Grassland
Small mammalian herbivores
Soil microorganisms
title Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
title_full Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
title_fullStr Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
title_full_unstemmed Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
title_short Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
title_sort livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
topic Brandt’s vole
Grassland
Small mammalian herbivores
Soil microorganisms
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124002994
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