Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2022.920618
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Effects of tree composition and soil depth on structure and functionality of belowground microbial communities in temperate European forests
Author Prada-Salcedo, L.D.; Prada-Salcedo, J.P.; Heintz-Buschart, A.; Buscot, F.; Goldmann, K. ORCID logo
Source Titel Frontiers in Microbiology
Year 2022
Department BOOEK; iDiv
Volume 13
Page From art. 920618
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Keywords bacterial pathways; Deciduous/evergreen; Fungal guilds; microbial indicator taxa; random forest; R/K-strategists
Abstract Depending on their tree species composition, forests recruit different soil microbial communities. Likewise, the vertical nutrient gradient along soil profiles impacts these communities and their activities. In forest soils, bacteria and fungi commonly compete, coexist, and interact, which is challenging for understanding the complex mechanisms behind microbial structuring. Using amplicon sequencing, we analyzed bacterial and fungal diversity in relation to forest composition and soil depth. Moreover, employing random forest models, we identified microbial indicator taxa of forest plots composed of either deciduous or evergreen trees, or their mixtures, as well as of three soil depths. We expected that forest composition and soil depth affect bacterial and fungal diversity and community structure differently. Indeed, microbial relative abundances changed more across soil depths than in relation to forest composition. The microbial Shannon diversity was especially affected by soil depth, and by the proportion of evergreen trees. Our results also reflected that bacterial communities are primarily shaped by soil depth, while fungi were influenced by forest tree species composition. An increasing proportion of evergreen trees did not provoke differences in main bacterial metabolic functions, e.g., carbon fixation, degradation, or photosynthesis. However, significant responses related to specialized bacterial metabolisms were detected. Saprotrophic, arbuscular mycorrhizal and plant pathogenic fungi were related to proportion of evergreen trees, particularly in topsoil. Prominent microbial indicator taxa in deciduous forests were characterized to be r-strategists, whereas K-strategists dominated evergreen plots. Considering simultaneously forest composition and soil depth to unravel differences in microbial communities, metabolic pathways and functional guilds has the potential to enlighten mechanisms that maintain forest soil functionality, and provide resistance against disturbances.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=26233
Prada-Salcedo, L.D., Prada-Salcedo, J.P., Heintz-Buschart, A., Buscot, F., Goldmann, K. (2022):
Effects of tree composition and soil depth on structure and functionality of belowground microbial communities in temperate European forests
Front. Microbiol. 13 , art. 920618 10.3389/fmicb.2022.920618