High-throughput sequencing reveals soil bacterial community structure and their interactions with environmental factors of the grassland fairy ring

Author: mycolabadmin
2022-04-03
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Summary

This research investigated how bacteria in soil interact with fairy rings – circular patterns of mushroom growth found in grasslands. The study revealed that different types and amounts of bacteria exist in different parts of fairy rings, which affects how nutrients cycle through the soil and how plants grow. This understanding helps explain how fairy rings form and expand over time. Impacts on everyday life: – Helps understand how soil microorganisms influence plant growth and grassland health – Provides insights into natural soil fertility processes that could inform agricultural practices – Advances our understanding of complex ecological relationships in grassland environments – Could help in managing and preserving grassland ecosystems – Demonstrates how microscopic life forms shape visible landscape features

Background

Fairy rings (FRs) are common ecological grassland landscapes caused by basidiomycetes in the soil that play an important role in grassland vegetation evolution. While there have been many studies on FR soil fungi communities and plants, there are few studies focused on bacteria. Understanding the bacterial community structure and its interactions with environmental factors is important for comprehending FR formation and growth.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the community structure and diversity of soil bacteria on, inside and outside fairy rings during peak FR periods using high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA. Additionally, the study sought to determine soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities to examine their effect on bacterial structure and plant growth to understand the outward expansion of fairy rings.

Results

The study found that nutrients and enzyme activities were higher on the ring compared to inside and outside zones. Bacterial species diversity was lowest on the ring, with dominant genera including Pseudonocardia, Streptosporangium, Kribbella, and Promicromonospora. Soil available phosphorus, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, and organic matter positively correlated with bacterial distribution. The imbalance of microbial community structure at different ring zones may drive continuous outward expansion of fairy rings.

Conclusion

The production and growth of fairy rings showed close relation with bacterial community structure. Bacteria played a significant role in soil nutrient transformation and plant growth, affecting the micro-ecological environment through metabolic activities. The micro-ecological environment of the fairy ring in turn affected bacterial distribution and types. The main driver for fairy ring expansion appears to be the imbalance of microbial community structure in different regions of the ring.

Published in:Environmental Microbiology Reports,
Study Type:Field Research Study,
Source: 10.1111/1758-2229.13065