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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2023, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (7): 1957-1967.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202307.031

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Soil microbial community characteristics and the influencing factors at different elevations on the eastern slope of Helan Mountain, Northwest China

PANG Danbo1,2,3,4*, WU Mengyao2,3,5, ZHAO Yaru2,3,4, YANG Juan5, DONG Liguo1, WU Xudong1, CHEN Lin2,3,4, LI Xuebin2,3,4, NI Xilu2,3,4, LI Jingyao6, LIANG Yongliang6   

  1. 1Institute of Forestry and Grassland Ecology, Ningxia Agriculture and Forestry Science Academy/Key Laboratory of Desertification Control and Soil & Water Conservation of Ningxia, Yinchuan 750002, China;
    2Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    3Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    4School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    5School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021,China;
    6Administration of National Nature Reserve of Helan Mountain in Ningxia/Ningxia Helan Mountain Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Yinchuan 750021, China
  • Received:2023-01-10 Accepted:2023-05-02 Online:2023-07-15 Published:2024-01-15

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Abstract: As an important bridge connecting aboveground communities and belowground biological processes, soil microorganisms play an important role in regulating belowground ecological processes. The altitudinal changes and driving factors of soil microbial community in mountain ecosystem in arid region are still unclear. We measured soil physicochemical properties at seven altitudes in the range of 1300-2800 m in Helan Mountains, and investigated the understory community composition, soil physicochemical properties, and soil microbial community. The driving factor for soil microbial community was explored by variance partitioning analysis and redundancy analysis. The results showed that the total amount of soil microorganisms and bacterial biomass first increased and then decreased with the increases of altitude, fungi, actinomyces, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria groups showed a gradual increase. The variation of fungal-to-bacterial ratio (F/B) along the altitude showed that the cumulative ability of soil bacteria was stronger than that of fungi at low altitudes, while the pattern is opposite at high altitudes. The ratio of Gram-positive bacteria to Gram-negative bacteria (GP/GN) showed an overall decreasing trend with the increases of altitude, indicating that soil bacteria and organic carbon availability changed from “oligotrophic” to “eutrophication” and from “low” to “high” transition as the altitude increased. Vegetation properties, soil physical and chemical properties jointly accounted for 95.7% of the variation in soil microbial community. Soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water content (SWC), and total nitrogen (TN) were significantly correlated with soil microbial community composition. Our results revealed the distribution pattern and driving factors of soil microbial communities at different elevations on the eastern slope of Helan Mountain, which would provide theoretical basis and data support for further understanding the interaction between plant-soil-microorganisms in arid areas.

Key words: soil microorganism, phospholipid fatty acid, microbial community, elevational gradient, mountain ecosystem