Analysis of Soil Properties, Bacterial Community Composition, and Metabolic Diversity in Fluvisols of a Floodplain Area

Abstract

The quality of a soil environment affects the microbial community that inhabits it. We decided to examine whether soils formed from river sediments, located in an area of high biodiversity of organisms, are fertile and microbiologically diverse. Fluvisols are considered to be one of the most fertile soils. In this research, bacterial and metabolic diversity, as well as physico–chemical parameters, in three Fluvisols from the Vistula River Gorge of Lesser Poland was investigated. The analysis of physico–chemical and biological parameters demonstrated statistically significant differences between the three Fluvisols examined. While determining the metabolic potential of soil microbiomes with the use of the EcoPlate™ Biolog® technique, we also noted variation between the Fluvisols; however, they were arranged in a significantly different manner from other properties. The next generation sequencing method enabled us to determine the microorganisms common to three Fluvisols, and we identified bacteria specific to individual soils. These results corresponded with the data obtained through EcoPlate™, indicating that the structural diversity and metabolic potential of the microbiome does not always depend on soil quality parameters. Meanwhile, the increased structural diversity of the microbiome was found to improve the metabolic potential of soil microorganisms.

Characterization of Peat Microbial Functional Diversity in Aerobic Rice Rhizosphere

“…The optical densities of 31 carbon sources from the rhizosphere at different fertilizer rate were used to create a heatmap (Figure 4). This study showed that microbes in non-fertilized peat (C) were able to heavily utilize 7 carbon sources (β-methyl- This study is in agreement with previous studies (Furtak et al, 2019;Li et al, 2018). These results suggested that there was variation in the carbon source consumption by the microbes at different fertilizer rate.…”

Morphology and Physicochemical Properties of Alluvial Soils in Riparian Forests after River Regulation

“…Although many authors reported the transformation of drained alluvial soils towards the development of mollic or cambic horizons, which excluded these soils from Fluvisols group according to the statements of WRB classification, Fluvisols are still reported from regulated and drained valleys [10][11][12]32,54,55]. This may indicate that many authors still apply the term "Fluvisols" as a synonym of alluvial soils on the Holocene river terraces, irrespective of the actual stage of their pedogenic transformation.…”

“…Moreover, the launch of the hydroelectric power station in Brzeg Dolny (in 1958) led to the Odra riverbed level being lowered, resulting in the groundwater table lowering in the soils below the weir [29]. The elimination of floods and lowering of the groundwater table allow deeper penetration of the soil by plant roots, soil fauna, and microorganisms, and these changes also create more favorable conditions for the agricultural use of soils [30][31][32]. The transformation of the morphology and properties of agriculturally used alluvial soils in Poland and Central Europe has already been extensively characterized [7,10,12,13,[33][34][35], whereas the studies in the forest areas have primarily focused on the phytosociological transformation of plant communities and changes in tree stand productivity, with the transformation of soils remaining insufficiently documented.…”

Erratum: Furtak, K., et al. Analysis of Soil Properties, Bacterial Community Composition, and Metabolic Diversity in Fluvisols of a Floodplain Area. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3929

“…The authors would like to make the following correction about the published paper [1]. The change is as follows:…”