Altitudinal distribution patterns of soil bacterial communities in the Huoditang coniferous forests of the Qinling Mountains
Aims:Soil bacteria play an important role in maintaining forest ecosystem function and soil nutrient cycling.The Huoditang forest area is a representative region in the southern slope of the Qinling Mountains,but the altitude distribution pattern of soil bacterial communities in its coniferous forests is still unclear.Our study aims to explore the distribution of soil bacterial communities in the Huoditang coniferous forests,as well as provide basic data and decision-making references for further research to protect the Qinling ecosystem.Methods:Soil samples were collected from two typical coniferous forests(Tsuga chinensis forest and Larix principis-rupprechtii forest)from a range of altitudes.16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to characterize the soil microbial communities.Canonical correspondence and correlation analyses were used to identify the driving factors that affect the soil microbial communities in these areas.Results:(1)There was no significant difference in the α-diversity of soil microbial communities in coniferous forests at different altitudes,but the β-diversity changed significantly.(2)The dominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria,Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria,which accounted for 66.02％-73.78％of the total bacteria.At the genus level,the bacterial community composition varied greatly with altitude.(3)Our LEfSe(linear discriminant analysis effect size)and FAPROTAX(functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa)functional prediction also indicated that high-altitude coniferous forest soils were mainly enriched in Proteobacteria with nitrogen(N)cycle-related functions,while low-and mid-altitude coniferous forest soils were largely enriched in Acidobacteria and carbon(C)cycle-related functions.(4)Altitude,pH,TK and C/N were also correlated with bacterial community structure.Proteobacteria were positively correlated with altitude and C/N,while Acidobacteria were negatively correlated.However,Actinobacteria were negatively correlated with pH and positively correlated with TK.Conclusion:In summary,the composition and structure of soil bacterial communities in the Huoditang coniferous forests changed significantly with the altitudinal gradient,which greatly influenced their function.Together,this study creates an in-depth understanding of the changes and driving mechanisms of soil bacterial community composition in the Huoditang coniferous forests and provides a theoretical basis for their conservation and ecological restoration in the Qinling Mountains.
coniferous forestbacterial community structurealtitudeenvironmental factorsQinling Mountains
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
