Bacterial diversity and influencing factors in soil sediments of Yuncheng Salt Lake, Shanxi

Abstract:

Yuncheng Salt Lake, located in the southwest of Shanxi Province, has a long history and unique climatic and geographical features, harboring rich microbial resources. The soil ecosystem is of great significance for understanding the diversity and functions of bacteria in the saline-alkali soil. [Objective] To explore the diversity of bacteria in the soil and sediment of Yuncheng Salt Lake, analyze its influencing factors, and provide a scientific basis and reference for the sustainable management of saline-alkali soil ecosystems and the mining of pure cultures. [Methods] Eighteen soil samples were collected from six sampling sites of Yuncheng Salt Lake. We measured the soil physicochemical properties and carried out high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to analyze the impact of environmental factors on bacterial diversity. [Results] Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, and Bacillota were the dominant bacteria in the soil of Yuncheng Salt Lake. The bacterial diversity and community composition showed significant differences among different sampling sites. The results of canonical correlation analysis indicated that total dissolved solids (TDS), total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), and SO₄^2- had the greatest impacts on soil microbial diversity, followed by Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^-, available phosphorous (A-P), and pH. HCO₃^-, nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N), ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), K⁺, and Mg²⁺ had mild impacts on the diversity. [Conclusion] The soil microorganisms of Yuncheng Salt Lake had high diversity which was closely related to environmental factors. This study provides comprehensive biological information on the bacterial resources in the soil of Yuncheng Salt Lake, offering a theoretical basis for the exploration and research of bacterial resources in this lake.