Abstract:Objective Seed endophytes are key components of the plant microbiome, and their community structure and diversity are highly susceptible to environmental changes. Revealing the effects of fencing versus grazing management on the endophytic microbial communities of Caragana korshinskii seeds is essential for elucidating the dynamic interactions among plants, soil, and microorganisms. This study also provides a theoretical foundation for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid grasslands.Methods The study was conducted in Otog Front Banner, Inner Mongolia, focusing on C. korshinskii under two management practices: fencing and grazing. The physicochemical properties of soil were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of seed endophytic microbial communities to assess shifts in their structural composition and diversity under these contrasting regimes.Results Fencing management decreased soil pH while increasing moisture content, total carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus of soil. Grazing management increased the abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE) index of seed endophytic fungi. Fencing increased the relative abundance of Pseudomonadota and decreased the relative abundance of Bacillota in seed endophytic bacteria, while promoting the relative abundance of Pantoea. In seed endophytic fungi community, Alternaria dominated under fencing management, while Trichoderma dominated under grazing management. Additionally, grazing management increased the number of modules and complexity in seed endophytic bacterial-fungal networks.Conclusion The contrasting management practices of fencing and grazing in desert stepps alters soil environment, thereby shaping the diversity and community structure of both bacterial and fungal endophytes in C. korshinskii seeds. This study reveals the impact of different management measures on plant-microbe interactions in desert steppes, providing theoretical support for related research.
