Biocrusts impact niche separation of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms in the Gurbantunggut Desert, northwestern China

doi:10.17520/biods.2019415

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims: Biological soil crusts (Biocrusts) are complex assemblages of lichens, bryophytes, cyanobacteria, fungi, and heterotrophic microbial organisms in the top few centimetres of desert soils. Biocrusts perform important ecological roles in the nitrogen cycle of desert ecosystems. In desert ecosystems, water sources are vital, and the seasonal melting snow in early spring resurrects biocrusts in the Gurbantunggut desert and begins nitrogen fixation. However, little is known about how biocrusts impact nitrifier distributions across the landscape, specifically ammonia oxidation archaea (AOA) and ammonia oxidation bacteria (AOB).
Methods: We used fluorescent quantative PCR (qPCR) methods to characterize AOA and AOB amoA gene abundances at different soil depths (0-2, 2-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm) in biocrust and biocrust-removal soils. Desert nitrification potential and soil physicochemical parameters were researched to understand biocrust impacts on the desert soil nitrogen cycle.
Results: The AOA amoA gene abundance was remarkably larger than that of AOB across all soil samples. ANOVA results showed that biocrusts significantly affected AOA and AOB amoA gene abundance (P < 0.01) while PNR results indicated that biocrust removal significantly reduced soil nitrification potential (P < 0.001), which confirmed that biocrusts play an important role in regulating nitrogen transformation in the Gurbantunggut desert. A redundancy analysis confirmed that soil moisture and NH₄ ⁺-N were the key environmental factors affecting niche separation of AOA and AOB in desert soil.
Conclusion: Biocrusts coupled with oil moisture and NH₄⁺-N affected differential distribution of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms in the temperate desert in the early spring.

Key words: biological soil crsut, snowmelt period, ammonia-oxidizing microbes, desert soil, nitrogen transformation

Xin Liu, Xiaoying Rong, Yuanming Zhang. Biocrusts impact niche separation of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms in the Gurbantunggut Desert, northwestern China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2021, 29(1): 43-52.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2019415

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2021/V29/I1/43

Figures/Tables 6

References 52

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	温度 Temperature (℃)	含水量 Soil moisture (%)	pH	电导率 Conductivity (μs/cm)	全碳 Total Carbon (mg/g)	全氮 Total Nitrogen (mg/g)
结皮覆盖 Biocrusts
0-2 cm	0.5 ± 0.0 A**	10.63 ± 0.45 A	8.25 ± 0.05 C	4.55 ± 0.26 A	6.72 ± 0.12 A*	0.38 ± 0.02 A**
2-5 cm	0.2 ± 0.0 B*	6.17 ± 0.23 B**	8.37 ± 0.03 B	3.38 ± 0.17 B	5.76 ± 0.17 A	0.23 ± 0.02 B
5-10 cm	0.2 ± 0.0^a B**	3.90 ± 0.12 C	8.55 ± 0.02 A	2.92 ± 0.04 B**	6.74 ± 0.29 A	0.25 ± 0.01 B
10-20 cm	0.1 ± 0.0 B**	2.00 ± 0.21 D	8.57 ± 0.01 A	3.33 ± 0.16 B**	6.47 ± 0.33 A	0.23 ± 0.02 B
去除结皮 Biocrusts-removal
0-2 cm	0.1 ± 0.0 A	10.75 ± 1.54 A	8.43 ± 0.06 A*	3.96 ± 0.53 A	5.86 ± 0.21 A	0.23 ± 0.01 AB
2-5 cm	0.1 ± 0.0 A	4.90 ± 0.21 B	8.44 ± 0.02 A	3.65 ± 0.24 A	5.83 ± 0.39 A	0.27 ± 0.00 A*
5-10 cm	-0.1 ± 0.0^aB	3.65 ± 0.22 B	8.60 ± 0.05 A	2.37 ± 0.13 B	5.82 ± 0.44 A	0.27 ± 0.02 AB
10-20 cm	-0.2 ± 0.0 C	2.48 ± 0.10 B	8.61 ± 0.07 A	2.65 ± 0.06 B	6.04 ± 0.23 A	0.22 ± 0.01 B

	温度 Temperature (℃)	含水量 Soil moisture (%)	pH	电导率 Conductivity (μs/cm)	全碳 Total Carbon (mg/g)	全氮 Total Nitrogen (mg/g)
结皮覆盖 Biocrusts
0-2 cm	0.5 ± 0.0 A**	10.63 ± 0.45 A	8.25 ± 0.05 C	4.55 ± 0.26 A	6.72 ± 0.12 A*	0.38 ± 0.02 A**
2-5 cm	0.2 ± 0.0 B*	6.17 ± 0.23 B**	8.37 ± 0.03 B	3.38 ± 0.17 B	5.76 ± 0.17 A	0.23 ± 0.02 B
5-10 cm	0.2 ± 0.0^a B**	3.90 ± 0.12 C	8.55 ± 0.02 A	2.92 ± 0.04 B**	6.74 ± 0.29 A	0.25 ± 0.01 B
10-20 cm	0.1 ± 0.0 B**	2.00 ± 0.21 D	8.57 ± 0.01 A	3.33 ± 0.16 B**	6.47 ± 0.33 A	0.23 ± 0.02 B
去除结皮 Biocrusts-removal
0-2 cm	0.1 ± 0.0 A	10.75 ± 1.54 A	8.43 ± 0.06 A*	3.96 ± 0.53 A	5.86 ± 0.21 A	0.23 ± 0.01 AB
2-5 cm	0.1 ± 0.0 A	4.90 ± 0.21 B	8.44 ± 0.02 A	3.65 ± 0.24 A	5.83 ± 0.39 A	0.27 ± 0.00 A*
5-10 cm	-0.1 ± 0.0^aB	3.65 ± 0.22 B	8.60 ± 0.05 A	2.37 ± 0.13 B	5.82 ± 0.44 A	0.27 ± 0.02 AB
10-20 cm	-0.2 ± 0.0 C	2.48 ± 0.10 B	8.61 ± 0.07 A	2.65 ± 0.06 B	6.04 ± 0.23 A	0.22 ± 0.01 B

	差异来源 Source	自由度 df	f值 f	Pr > F
氨氧化古菌 AOA amoA	处理 Treatment	1	0.13	0.725
	土层 Layer	3	64.00	< 0.001
	处理 × 土层 Treatment × layer	3	9.45	< 0.001
氨氧化细菌 AOB amoA	处理 Treatment	1	118.85	< 0.001
	土层 Layer	3	128.34	< 0.001
	处理 × 土层 Treatment × layer	3	103.57	< 0.001
潜在硝化速率 PNR	处理 Treatment	1	24.03	< 0.001
	土层 Layer	3	50.81	< 0.001
	处理 × 土层 Treatment × layer	3	8.69	< 0.001

	差异来源 Source	自由度 df	f值 f	Pr > F
氨氧化古菌 AOA amoA	处理 Treatment	1	0.13	0.725
	土层 Layer	3	64.00	< 0.001
	处理 × 土层 Treatment × layer	3	9.45	< 0.001
氨氧化细菌 AOB amoA	处理 Treatment	1	118.85	< 0.001
	土层 Layer	3	128.34	< 0.001
	处理 × 土层 Treatment × layer	3	103.57	< 0.001
潜在硝化速率 PNR	处理 Treatment	1	24.03	< 0.001
	土层 Layer	3	50.81	< 0.001
	处理 × 土层 Treatment × layer	3	8.69	< 0.001

	潜在硝化速率 Potential nitrification rate
	结皮覆盖土壤 Biocrusts soil	去除结皮土壤 Biocrusts-removal soil
氨氧化古菌 AOA	‒0.73**	‒0.06
氨氧化细菌 AOB	0.88**	0.76**
温度 Tem	0.90**	0.66*
含水量 SM	0.91**	0.87**
pH	‒0.79**	‒0.44
电导率 Cond	0.75**	0.48
全碳 TC	0.05	0.09
全氮 TN	0.80**	‒0.26
铵态氮 NH₄⁺-N	0.93**	0.36
硝态氮 NO₃^--N	‒0.60*	‒0.08