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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2025, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (6): 1849-1858.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202506.006

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The role of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in the replacement of Mikania micrantha by Pueraria lobata

ZENG Ziyin1, YU Hanxia2, ZHOU Qimeng1, YOU Junjie1, LI Weihua1*   

  1. 1Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China;
    2Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
  • Received:2025-01-12 Accepted:2025-03-17 Online:2025-06-18 Published:2025-12-18

Abstract: We investigated the role of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in the process of Pueraria lobata replacement for controlling the invasive plant, Mikania micrantha. We examined the effects of P. lobata replacement on the regeneration of M. micrantha, plant nitrogen absorption, soil nitrogen transformation, and ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities. The results demonstrated that one year after P. lobata replacement, there were significant increases in soil total nitrogen (109.4%), ammonium (78.1%), and nitrate (20.3%), accompanied by a remarkable 213.0% elevation in the net nitrification rate. The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria AOB-amoA gene copy number was significantly increased, which was positively correlated with soil total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. Results of random forest model analysis showed that comammox clade A.2 and AOB jointly dominated the nitrification process. The soil net nitrification rate, AOB-amoA gene copy number, and plant tissue total nitrogen content were identified as the primary factors influencing the relative cover of P. lobata. The enhanced activity of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms improved soil nitrogen conversion efficiency, giving P. lobata a competitive advantage over M. micrantha in nitrogen uptake and accumulation, thereby effectively inhibiting the regeneration of M. micrantha.

Key words: Mikania micrantha, replacement control, Pueraria lobata, ammonia-oxidizing microorganism, nitrification