Plant Taxonomic Diversity Better Explains Soil Fungal and Bacterial Diversity than Functional Diversity in Restored Forest Ecosystems

Abstract

Plant attributes have direct and indirect effects on soil microbes via plant inputs and plant-mediated soil changes. However, whether plant taxonomic and functional diversities can explain the soil microbial diversity of restored forest ecosystems remains elusive. Here, we tested the linkage between plant attributes and soil microbial communities in four restored forests (Acacia species, Eucalyptus species, mixed coniferous species, mixed native species). The trait-based approaches were applied for plant properties and high-throughput Illumina sequencing was applied for fungal and bacterial diversity. The total number of soil microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) varied among the four forests. The highest richness of fungal OTUs was found in the Acacia forest. However, bacterial OTUs were highest in the Eucalyptus forest. Species richness was positively and significantly related to fungal and bacterial richness. Plant taxonomic diversity (species richness and species diversity) explained more of the soil microbial diversity than the functional diversity and soil properties. Prediction of fungal richness was better than that of bacterial richness. In addition, root traits explained more variation than the leaf traits. Overall, plant taxonomic diversity played a more important role than plant functional diversity and soil properties in shaping the soil microbial diversity of the four forests.

Effects of Soil Properties and Plant Diversity on Soil Microbial Community Composition and Diversity during Secondary Succession

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that plant communities significantly affect soil microbial communities via litter chemical properties and root exudates [22,23,28]. The diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities was affected by different successional stages [21,52]. Our results showed that the differences in fungal community diversity between successional stages were greater than those in soil bacterial community diversity, with the highest fungal community diversity in the middle successional stage (Figure 1).…”

“…Soil microbial community composition and diversity are affected by multiple biotic and abiotic factors, such as forest succession, plant diversity, carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio, pH, nutrient availability, and land use type [21][22][23][24]. In one study, soil properties rather than the plant community played the decisive part in shaping the soil microbial community [25], whereas in others, the plant community was decisive [26,27].…”

Links Among Crop Diversification, Microbial Diversity, and Soil Organic Carbon: Mini Review and Case Studies

“…Specifically, greater accumulation of SOC in agroecosystems with greater crop diversity mainly occurs through increases in the quality, quantity, and chemical diversity of plant-derived carbon inputs to soils, thereby fostering the growth and diversity of soil microbial communities which enhance the formation and storage of SOC ( Zhang et al, 2021 ). These patterns align with the positive local-scale relationships observed in natural ecosystems among plant diversity, soil microbial diversity, and SOC ( Porazinska et al, 2018 ; Zhang et al, 2018 ; Hanif et al, 2019 ). Still, in practice, responses of soil microbial diversity and SOC to crop diversification are highly variable among agroecosystems ( Venter et al, 2016 ; Tamburini et al, 2020 ; Beillouin et al, 2021 ; Hannula et al, 2021 ).…”

Tree species mixing causes a shift in fine‐root soil exploitation strategies across European forests

“…Tree diversity can increase mycorrhizal diversity (Hanif et al, 2019;Kernaghan et al, 2003;Tedersoo et al, 2016), possibly owing to a greater host-diversity, a greater diversity of organic inputs (Hättenschwiler, Tiunov, & Scheu, 2005) or more favourable micro-climatic conditions (e.g. higher soil moisture) (Joly et al, 2017).…”