Distribution pattern and influencing factors of soil bacterial diversity in the karst seasonal rainforest of northern tropics

Abstract:

The karst seasonal rainforest of northern tropics in Guangxi is a unique forest ecosystem in China. However, the soil microbial diversity and its maintenance mechanism remain unclear.Objective This study explored the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of soil bacterial diversity in a karst seasonal rainforest of northern tropics, aiming to provide a reference for analyzing soil microbial diversity and its maintenance mechanisms in this region.Methods Soil samples were collected from a long-term dynamic monitoring plot in the karst rainforest of northern tropics (referred to as the Nonggang plot). The composition and distribution pattern of soil bacterial community were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and the potential influencing factors were identified by the correlation analysis.Results The soil in Nonggang plot harbored a total of 5 841 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which were annotated to 1 501 species belonging to 677 genera, 373 families, 242 orders, 104 classes of 35 phyla. The dominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota. The dominant bacterial phylum was Proteobacteria in both the depression and the slope habitats, and Actinobacteriota in the hilltop habitat. The number of total and specific bacterial OTUs displayed a pattern of depression>slope>hilltop habitats. The hilltop habitat association had the fewest total OTUs but the most specific OTUs. The soil bacterial alpha diversity indexes (Chao1, Sobs, Shannon, and Simpson) were not significantly different between the depression and slope habitats, while they were significantly lower in the hilltop habitat. Similarly, the hilltop habitat association had the lowest bacterial alpha diversity indexes than the other associations. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of beta diversity showed differences in the bacterial communities among different habitats and associations. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) identified more differential groups in the depression and hilltop habitats than in the slope habitat. The Spearman correlation analysis, Mantel test and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that elevation was the primary factor influencing the distribution of soil bacteria in Nonggang plot, followed by soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus. Tax4Fun predicted that there were significant differences in the function of soil bacterial communities among different habitats and associations, especially in the hilltop habitat.Conclusion This study revealed the community composition and diversity distribution pattern of soil bacteria in Nonggang plot and identified elevation as the primary factor affecting the distribution. These results contribute to the understanding of soil bacterial diversity and its maintaining mechanism in the karst seasonal rainforest of the northern tropics in Guangxi.