Changes of soil fungi and bacteria after forest mother soil transplantation

Abstract:

[Background] Forest topsoil transplantation has been widely used in the restoration of degraded ecosystems because it carries a large number of seed banks and microbial communities. However, there are few studies had been carried out on the changes of fungi and bacteria communities after soil transplantation. [Objective] This study compared the composition and diversity of fungi and bacteria of transplanted soil to its mother soil and receptor soil. [Methods] Using Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology, the characteristics of fungi and bacteria of mother soil, 15 months of transplanted soil and receptor soil were obtained, and their diversity and richness were compared. [Results] Basidiomycota and Ascomycota were the dominant fungi in the three soil types; Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacteria, the relative abundance of dominant fungi and bacteria changed significantly after soil transplantion. PCA analysis showed that there were significant differences in community structure of fungi and bacteria among the three soil types. UPGMA analysis showed that the distance between the transplanted soil and the receptor soil was closer, the species composition of the transplanted soil was more similar to the receptor soil, and there was no significant difference between the dominant genera of fungi and bacteria in the transplanted soil and the receptor soil. After transplantion, the abundance and diversity of fungi and bacteria were significantly different from its mother soil. [Conclusion] The composition and diversity of bacteria and fungi of transplanted soil turned toward the receptor soil after 15 months. The findings provide a theoretical reference for further study of microbial ecosystem on rocky desertification environment, and provide a scientific base for the improvement of soil translocation technology.

Key words:Transplanted soil, Receptor soil, Forest mother soil, Microbial diversity, Rocky desertification, High-throughput sequencing