Diversity characteristics and driving factors of phyllosphere bacterial communities in shrubs of the Gurbantunggut Desert

doi:10.17520/biods.2025340

Biodiv Sci ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (12): 25340. DOI: 10.17520/biods.2025340 cstr: 32101.14.biods.2025340

• Original Paper: Microbial Diversity • Previous Articles Next Articles

Diversity characteristics and driving factors of phyllosphere bacterial communities in shrubs of the Gurbantunggut Desert

Chunsheng Luo^1,2,3,4, Jun Zhang^2,3,4*, Hua Jin^1*, Xiangzheng Yin^2,3,4,5, Yuanming Zhang^2,3

1 College of Environment and Resources, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, Liaoning 116600, China

2 State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safe and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

3 Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

4 Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Forest, Grassland, Desertification Mitigation and Desert Land Development, Institute of Sand Control, Xinjiang Academy of Forestry, Urumqi 830063, China

5 College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010000, China

Received:2025-08-26 Revised:2025-11-12 Accepted:2025-12-10 Online:2025-12-20 Published:2026-01-09
Contact: Jun Zhang, Hua Jin

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims: Phyllosphere microorganisms play a crucial role in host plant health, adaptability, and ecosystem stability. However, research on the diversity characteristics and driving mechanisms of phyllosphere microbial communities in temperate desert shrubs remains limited.

Methods: This study focused on three typical desert shrubs (Calligonum leucocladum, Ephedra przewalskii, and Haloxylon persicum) in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology, combined with principle coordinate analysis (PCoA), redundancy analysis, and null models, we systematically examined the diversity characteristics of phyllosphere bacterial communities and the relative contributions of deterministic and stochastic processes to their assembly.

Results: The results showed that both host plant identity and geographic location significantly influenced the diversity and structure of phyllosphere bacterial communities (P < 0.05), with host identity explaining a substantially higher proportion of the variance (R² = 0.766) compared to geographic location (R² = 0.046). The independent contribution of plant functional traits to the variation in phyllosphere bacterial community structure (9.39%–47.45%) was far greater than that of climatic factors (0%–0.38%) and soil properties (1.23%–6.21%). Stochastic processes (75.53%–95.24%) dominated the assembly of phyllosphere bacterial communities, with ecological drift (60.01%–91.43%) being the core driving force. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed tightly connected network structures and significant modularity features in the phyllosphere bacterial communities of different desert shrubs.

Conclusion: This study elucidates the diversity characteristics and assembly mechanisms of phyllosphere bacterial communities in arid desert shrubs, highlighting the key role of host functional traits, and provides theoretical foundations and practical guidance for adaptive management strategies of desert ecosystems under global climate change.

Key words: desert shrubs, phyllosphere bacteria, community diversity, community assembly, plant functional traits, co-occurrence network

Chunsheng Luo, Jun Zhang, Hua Jin, Xiangzheng Yin, Yuanming Zhang. Diversity characteristics and driving factors of phyllosphere bacterial communities in shrubs of the Gurbantunggut Desert[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2025, 33(12): 25340.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2025340

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2025/V33/I12/25340

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Diversity characteristics and driving factors of phyllosphere bacterial communities in shrubs of the Gurbantunggut Desert

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