Effects of plant functional groups and plant species on soil microbial composition in a Inner Mongolian grassland

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2012.07160

Abstract

Abstract:

In order to study the effect of plant community composition on soil microbial communities in a typical Inner Mongolian grassland, the abundance and community structure of bacteria and fungi in bulk soils under different plant functional groups and in soils from the rhizosphere of different grass species were analyzed using real-time PCR and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) under plant functional group removal treatments. Our results indicated that changes in plant functional group affect bacterial abundance, but not fungal abundance or bacterial/fungal community structure in bulk soil. The abundance of bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere soil varied with plant species. Cluster analysis revealed that community structure of bacteria and fungi also varied among plant species in the rhizosphere soil but not in the bulk soil. which was more evident for bacteria. Our results point to the ways in which plant species can influence soil microbial and fungal communities through the action of their roots.

Key words: plant diversity, rhizosphere microorganisms, real-time PCR, ARISA

Ying Chen, Xiaoxiao Li, Jiaoyan Ying, Cunzhu Liang, Yongfei Bai. Effects of plant functional groups and plant species on soil microbial composition in a Inner Mongolian grassland[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2012, 20(1): 59-65.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2012.07160

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2012/V20/I1/59

Figures/Tables 4

Fig. 1 Abundance of bacteria and fungi in rhizosphere soil of different grass species. Letters above bars indicate significance (P < 0.05) among different treatments 1, Leymus chinensis; 2, Stipa grandis; 3, Agropyron cristatum; 4, Achnatherum sibiricum; 5, Cleistogenes squarrosa.

Fig. 2 Abundance of bacteria and fungi under different plant functional group removal treatments. CK, No removal; PR, The remaining group is perennial rhizome forbs; PB, The remaining group is perennial bunch-grass; BL, All the plants were removed. Letters above bars indicate significance (P< 0.05) among treatments.

Fig. 3 Cluster analysis of soil bacterial (A) and fungal(B) community structure in rhizosphere soil of different grass species based on ARISA data.

Fig. 4 Cluster analysis of soil bacterial (A) and fungal (B) community structure under different functional group removal treatments based on ARISA data. CK, No removal; PR, The remaining group was perennial rhizome forbs; PB, The remaining group was perennial bunch-grass; BL, All the plants were removed.

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