Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains
Soil microbial communities are essential drivers of ecosystem functions, yet the factors shaping their structure and function, particularly at different altitudes and between invasive and native plants, remain insufficiently understood. Using high-throughput Illumina sequencing, we assessed the comp...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Jinlin Lyu Ming Yue Wenyan Xue Yuchao Wang Yang Li Xue Wang |
| author_facet | Jinlin Lyu Ming Yue Wenyan Xue Yuchao Wang Yang Li Xue Wang |
| author_sort | Jinlin Lyu |
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| description | Soil microbial communities are essential drivers of ecosystem functions, yet the factors shaping their structure and function, particularly at different altitudes and between invasive and native plants, remain insufficiently understood. Using high-throughput Illumina sequencing, we assessed the composition, diversity, impact factors, and functional potential of the microbial communities associated with <i>Galinsoga quadriradiata</i> (an invasive species) and <i>Artemisia lavandulifolia</i> (a native species) across an altitudinal gradient ranging from 896 m to 1889 m in the Qinling Mountains. The results revealed that both plant species and altitude significantly influenced soil bacterial diversity and community structure. <i>Actinobacteriota</i>, <i>Proteobacteria</i>, and <i>Acidobacteriota</i> accounted for higher proportions in the soils of <i>G. quadriradiata</i> and <i>A. lavandulifolia</i>. A linear discriminant analysis showed that the two species hosted distinct microbial communities, with variations driven by species-specific traits and environmental factors. Compared with plant parameters, environmental factors had a greater impact on plant soil bacterial abundance. Functional analysis indicated that <i>A. lavandulifolia</i> soils were more associated with nitrogen cycling processes, while <i>G. quadriradiata</i> soils contributed more to organic matter decomposition. Therefore, invasive and native plants harbored microbial flora with different nutritional preferences and metabolic characteristics. These findings advance our understanding of plant–microbe interactions along altitudinal gradients, and they have practical implications for managing invasive species and supporting ecosystem resilience. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e6fe62125633471dbd45ddbaddc8b5952025-08-20T02:55:49ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-11-011412281010.3390/agronomy14122810Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling MountainsJinlin Lyu0Ming Yue1Wenyan Xue2Yuchao Wang3Yang Li4Xue Wang5Xi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710061, ChinaXi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710061, ChinaXi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710061, ChinaXi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710061, ChinaXi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710061, ChinaXi’an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710061, ChinaSoil microbial communities are essential drivers of ecosystem functions, yet the factors shaping their structure and function, particularly at different altitudes and between invasive and native plants, remain insufficiently understood. Using high-throughput Illumina sequencing, we assessed the composition, diversity, impact factors, and functional potential of the microbial communities associated with <i>Galinsoga quadriradiata</i> (an invasive species) and <i>Artemisia lavandulifolia</i> (a native species) across an altitudinal gradient ranging from 896 m to 1889 m in the Qinling Mountains. The results revealed that both plant species and altitude significantly influenced soil bacterial diversity and community structure. <i>Actinobacteriota</i>, <i>Proteobacteria</i>, and <i>Acidobacteriota</i> accounted for higher proportions in the soils of <i>G. quadriradiata</i> and <i>A. lavandulifolia</i>. A linear discriminant analysis showed that the two species hosted distinct microbial communities, with variations driven by species-specific traits and environmental factors. Compared with plant parameters, environmental factors had a greater impact on plant soil bacterial abundance. Functional analysis indicated that <i>A. lavandulifolia</i> soils were more associated with nitrogen cycling processes, while <i>G. quadriradiata</i> soils contributed more to organic matter decomposition. Therefore, invasive and native plants harbored microbial flora with different nutritional preferences and metabolic characteristics. These findings advance our understanding of plant–microbe interactions along altitudinal gradients, and they have practical implications for managing invasive species and supporting ecosystem resilience.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/12/2810bacteria communitymicrobial diversityaltitudinal gradientinvasionfunctional prediction |
| spellingShingle | Jinlin Lyu Ming Yue Wenyan Xue Yuchao Wang Yang Li Xue Wang Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains Agronomy bacteria community microbial diversity altitudinal gradient invasion functional prediction |
| title | Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains |
| title_full | Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains |
| title_fullStr | Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains |
| title_short | Diversity and Function Patterns of Soil Microbial Communities in Native and Invasive Plants Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Qinling Mountains |
| title_sort | diversity and function patterns of soil microbial communities in native and invasive plants along an altitudinal gradient in the qinling mountains |
| topic | bacteria community microbial diversity altitudinal gradient invasion functional prediction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/12/2810 |
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