Coastal bacterioplankton community diversity along a latitudinal gradient in Latin America by means of V6 tag pyrosequencing

The bacterioplankton diversity of coastal waters along a latitudinal gradient between Puerto Rico and Argentina was analyzed using a total of 134,197 high-quality sequences from the V6 hypervariable region of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) (mean length of 60 nt). Most of the OTUs were identified into Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria, corresponding to approx. 80% of the total number of sequences. The number of OTUs corresponding to species varied between 937 and 1946 in the seven locations. Proteobacteria appeared at high frequency in the seven locations. An enrichment of Cyanobacteria was observed in Puerto Rico, whereas an enrichment of Bacteroidetes was detected in the Argentinian shelf and Uruguayan coastal lagoons. The highest number of sequences of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were obtained in the Amazon estuary mouth. The rarefaction curves and Good coverage estimator for species diversity suggested a significant coverage, with values ranging between 92 and 97% for Good coverage. Conserved taxa corresponded to aprox. 52% of all sequences. This study suggests that human-contaminated environments may influence bacterioplankton diversity.     

Environmental influences on bacterial diversity of soils on Signy Island,maritime Antarctic

Soil bacterial diversity at environmentally distinct locations on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands was examined using the denaturing gradient gel profiling approach. A range of chemical variables in soils at each site was determined in order to describe variation between locations. No apparent differences in Shannon Diversity Index (H′) were observed. However, as revealed in an analysis of similarity (ANOSIM), the dominant bacterial communities of all eight studied locations were significantly different. Within this, higher levels of similarity were observed between penguin rookeries, seal wallows and vegetated soils, all of which share varying levels of impact from vertebrate activity, in contrast with more barren soil. In addition, the lowest H′ value was detected from the latter soil which also has the most extreme environmental conditions, and its bacterial community has the greatest genetic distance from the other locations. DGGE analyses indicated that the majority of the excised and sequenced bands were attributable to the Bacteroidetes. Across a range of ten environmental variables, multivariate correlation analysis suggested that a combination of pH, conductivity, copper and lead content potentially contributed explanatory value to the measured soil bacterial diversity.     

Response of pioneer soil microalgal colonists to environmental change in Antarctica

There is increasing evidence of climate change in Antarctica, especially elevated temperature and ultraviolet B (UVB) flux within the ozone hole. Its origins are debatable, but the effects on ice recession, water availability, and summer growth conditions are demonstrable. Light-dependent, temperature-sensitive, fast-growing organisms respond to these physical and biogeographical changes. Microalgae (cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae), which are pioneer colonists of Antarctic mineral fellfield soils, are therefore highly suitable biological indicators of such changes. In frost-heaved soil polygons containing naturally sorted fine mineral particles, microalgal growth is restricted to a shallow zone of light penetration. By virtue of this light requirement, microalgae are exposed to extreme seasonal fluctuations in temperature (air and black-body radiation), photosynthetically active radiation, UV radiation, and desiccation. Dominance of conspicuous autofluorescent indicator species with distinctive morphology allowed quantification of responses using epifluorescence microscopy, and image analysis of undisturbed, unstained communities. However, the physical changes in climate, although significant in the long term, are gradual. The changes were therefore amplified experimentally by enclosing the communities at a fellfield site on Signy Island, maritime Antarctica, in cloches (small greenhouses). These were made of polystyrene of either UV transparent or UV opaque acrylic plastic, with or without walls. During a 6-year period, statistically significant changes were observed in microalgal colonization of the soil surface and in the morphology of filamentous populations. Evidence of community succession correlated with measured changes in local environment was found. Results from Signy Island and at continental sites on Alexander Island suggested that rates of microalgal colonization and community development might change significantly during current climate changes in Antarctica. Correspondence to: D.D. Wynn-Williams.     

南极恩克斯堡岛土壤中可培养细菌多样性

【背景】南极地区环境苛刻植被稀少,无冰区面积约占其总面积的0.4%,但是土壤中存在着丰富的微生物群落,对于极地微生物资源仍需要进一步挖掘。【目的】获得南极恩克斯堡岛土壤中可培养细菌多样性信息。【方法】对来源于南极恩克斯堡岛的5个土壤样品采用直接涂布、微好氧富集和有氧富集后涂布3种方法进行细菌分离培养。【结果】共获得144株可培养细菌,分布于5门30个属。这些菌株来自变形菌门(Proteobacteria,38.9%)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria,34.0%)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes,22.2%)、异常球菌-栖热菌门(Deinococcus-Thermus,3.5%)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,1.4%)等。不同土壤样品中可培养细菌多样性存在差异。企鹅粪土中Bacillus是主要属类;Pseudomonas、Streptomyces在植被覆盖区土壤中是优势菌属;Psychrobacter在湖水边土壤中是优势属类,Flavobacterium、Chryseobacterium仅从该样品中分离得到;放线菌门类在干燥土壤样中占优势,Pseudarthrobacter、Rhodococcus、Microbacterium等属仅从这类干燥样品中分离出。经16S rRNA基因序列对比发现,有2株菌为潜在新种。【结论】南极恩克斯堡岛土壤中存在可开发利用的菌种资源,本文为研究该地细菌多样性提供一定的基础数据。     

Interactive effects of resource enrichment and resident diversity on invasion of native grassland by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lolium arundinaceum</Emphasis>

Resident diversity and resource enrichment are both recognized as potentially important determinants of community invasibility, but the effects of these biotic and abiotic factors on invasions are often investigated separately, and little work has been done to directly compare their relative effects or to examine their potential interactions. Here, we evaluate the individual and interactive effects of resident diversity and resource enrichment on plant community resistance to invasion. We factorially manipulated plant diversity and the enrichment of belowground (soil nitrogen) and aboveground (light) resources in low-fertility grassland communities invaded by Lolium arundinaceum, the most abundant invasive grass in eastern North America. Soil nitrogen enrichment enhanced L. arundinaceum performance, but increased resident diversity dampened this effect of nitrogen enrichment. Increased light availability (via clipping of aboveground vegetation) had a negligible effect on community invasibility. These results demonstrate that a community’s susceptibility to invasion can be contingent upon the type of resource pulse and the diversity of resident species. In order to assess the generality of these results, future studies that test the effects of resident diversity and resource enrichment against a range of invasive species and in other environmental contexts (e.g., sites differing in soil fertility and light regimes) are needed. Such studies may help to resolve conflicting interpretations of the diversity–invasibility relationship and provide direction for management strategies.     

The cyanobacterial community of polygon soils at an inland Antarctic nunatak

Inland Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity are poorly understood in comparison with Antarctic coastal regions. Microorganisms, as primary colonists, are integral to Antarctic soil ecosystem development, essential for pedogenesis and structuring the soil, and providing the nutrients necessary for the subsequent establishment of macroorganisms. This study analysed the microbial communities present in polygon soils of Coal Nunatak (Alexander Island, at the southern limit of the maritime Antarctic). Soils were analysed across three polygons (centre and margins) and at three depths (0–1, 1–2, 2–5 cm). Cyanobacterial communities were characterised using two complementary molecular biological approaches, temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and clone library analysis. The three polygons exhibited conspicuous differences in community composition, both between different polygons and spatially (horizontally and vertically) within a single polygon. Comparison of our data with that from previous studies using classical culture and morphological identification techniques clearly shows the need for more intensive research on patterns of microbial diversity in terrestrial habitats throughout the Antarctic. The majority of the 17 cyanobacterial genera identified at Coal Nunatak are thought to have ubiquitous distributions, while none are known only from the Antarctic. Three of the genera present are also known to be capable of being lichen photobionts.     

火电厂周边不同生物结皮细菌群落特征差异及其影响因素

为探究大气降尘重金属污染对矿区周边不同类型生物结皮细菌群落结构的影响,利用高通量测序技术分析位于宁东能源化工基地典型火电厂周边的3类生物结皮(藻结皮ZB、混生结皮HB、苔藓结皮TB)和对照(CK,裸土)的细菌丰度和群落结构,并探讨了影响细菌群落结构的环境因子。结果表明: 不同类型生物结皮的理化性质和重金属含量存在差异,且由于生物结皮对大气降尘重金属的富集作用造成各类结皮均达重度污染级别。在相对丰度排名前10的优势细菌门中,芽单胞菌门、蓝细菌门在不同类型生物结皮之间差异显著。细菌群落α多样性由高到低排序依次为CK>TB>HB>ZB。非度量多维排序(NMDS)结果显示,裸土细菌群落与其他3种生物结皮存在明显差异。相关性分析表明,生物结皮演替对细菌群落组成具有显著影响,细菌多样性和组成与pH、养分、重金属含量等密切相关。放线菌门、绿弯菌门相对丰度与pH值呈显著正相关关系,而与全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)、Pb、Zn、Cd均呈显著负相关关系;冗余分析结果表明,TN、pH、TP、有机碳(SOC)是影响3种生物结皮细菌群落α多样性以及一些优势菌群相对丰度的主要土壤环境因子,而重金属Pb、Zn、Cd是影响细菌群落结构的主要重金属元素,对细菌群落数量和多样性有抑制或刺激作用。说明pH、重金属和养分是影响结皮细菌群落组成的关键因子。总体而言,长期的重金属富集作用会对生物结皮的细菌多样性和群落组成产生影响。     

The Diverse Bacterial Community in Intertidal, Anaerobic Sediments at Sapelo Island, Georgia

The phylogenetic diversity and composition of the bacterial community in anaerobic sediments from Sapelo Island, GA, USA were examined using 16S rRNA gene libraries. The diversity of this community was comparable to that of soil, and 1,186 clones formed 817 OTUs at 99% sequence similarity. Chao1 estimators for the total richness were also high, at 3,290 OTUs at 99% sequence similarity. The program RDPquery was developed to assign clones to taxonomic groups based upon comparisons to the RDP database. While most clones could be assigned to describe phyla, fewer than 30% of the clones could be assigned to a described order. Similarly, nearly 25% of the clones were only distantly related (<90% sequence similarity) to other environmental clones, illustrating the unique composition of this community. One quarter of the clones were related to one or more undescribed orders within the γ-Proteobacteria. Other abundant groups included the δ-Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria. While these phyla were abundant in other estuarine sediments, the specific members at Sapelo Island appeared to be different from those previously described in other locations, suggesting that great diversity exists between as well as within estuarine intertidal sediments. In spite of the large differences in pore water chemistry with season and depth, differences in the bacterial community were modest over the temporal and spatial scales examined and generally restricted to only certain taxa. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Recolonisation of meiofauna after catastrophic iceberg scouring in shallow Antarctic sediments

A series of 10 samples from sediment in and adjacent to a shallow coastal iceberg scour at Signy Island, Antarctica, were taken by hand coring from 17 December 1993 until 23 August 1994. Scouring by the iceberg led to more than a 95% decrease in meiofaunal abundance and to a certain degree of reduction in diversity. Nematodes were always the most dominant group of meiofauna. The return of major meiofauna groups to control levels was accomplished in 30 days, although a decrease in abundance on the 50th day made interpretation difficult. The pioneering meiofaunal colonisers were copepods and ostracods, followed by nematodes. Microlaimus sp.1 was dominant among the nematodes throughout the whole period. Epistratum feeders and non-selective deposit feeders were highly dominant over selective deposit feeders and predators/omnivores. The Maturity Index, a measure for stress within nematode communities, was relatively low at all times and in controls, which indicates that r-strategists prevail in this community. In spite of the catastrophic destruction, nematode community structure was not affected by the iceberg impact, and there was no evidence of succession during recovery. This suggests that the nematode community in the shallow subtidal coast at Signy Island is well adapted to ice disturbance.     

Bryozoan colonization of the marine isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus at Signy Island, Antarctica

Sixty specimens of the giant marine isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights, collected from Borge Bay, Signy Island, Antarctica were examined for epizoans. Ten species of cheilostomatid bryozoans were found on the isopods. The purpose of the study was to quantify the prevalence, intensity, abundance, and spatial distribution of the bryozoans on the isopods. The proportion of isopods colonized was 42%. The larger isopods had both significantly more epizoic bryozoan colonies and species. The greatest density of bryozoans was on the fused pleon and telson. There was no significant difference between the dorsal and ventral abundance of bryozoan colonies. The diversity of epizoic bryozoans on the isopods is higher than on other host organisms from more stable environments. This may be because of active selection by settling larvae. The frequency of local substrata being scoured by ice is high around Signy Island, so there may be a selective advantage in colonizing a motile host. Accepted: 20 June 1998     

浑善达克沙地生物土壤结皮及其下层土壤中固氮细菌群落结构和多样性

【背景】荒漠化是一个重大环境问题,生物土壤结皮(Biological soil crusts,BSCs)可遏制荒漠化,其中的固氮微生物对BSCs的形成和发育有重要作用,但目前BSCs中固氮细菌群落结构和多样性尚不十分清楚。【目的】阐明浑善达克沙地中不同类型生物土壤结皮及其下层土壤固氮细菌的群落结构、多样性及其影响因素。【方法】利用稀释热法和碱解扩散法检测土壤的有机质(Organic matter,OM)和速效氮(Available nitrogen,AN)含量;利用高通量测序对nifH基因进行测序,基于nifH序列比较分析固氮细菌群落结构和多样性;利用典范对应分析(Canonical correlation analysis,CCA)分析群落、样品和土壤理化参数的相关性。【结果】固氮细菌优势菌门除在苔藓结皮(HSM)中为Cyanobacteria和Proteobacteria外,在其他类型BSCs中均只为Cyanobacteria;苔藓结皮下层土壤(HSMs)(下层土壤中只有HSMs检测到了nifH)优势菌门为Proteobacteria,优势菌纲为Alphaproteobacteria和Betaproteobacteria;优势菌属差异较大,藻结皮(HSA)中Unclassified_f_Nostocaceae占90.99%;地衣结皮(HSL)中Scytonema和Unclassified_f_Nostocaceae分别占45.85%和44.14%;HSM中Unclassified_f_Nostocaceae、Scytonema、Nostoc、Skermanella、Unclassified_o_Nostocales分别占29.21%、22.57%、15.34%、14.74%和10.60%;HSMs中Skermanella、Azohydromonas、Unclassified_p_Proteobacteria、Unclassified_c_Alphaproteobacteria分别占33.80%、25.66%、18.20%和10.62%;固氮细菌多样性随结皮的发育逐渐提高;OM和AN对结皮的发育起促进作用。【结论】藻结皮、地衣结皮和苔藓结皮及其紧邻下层土壤中的固氮细菌群落结构和多样性差异明显,且固氮细菌类群和多样性指数随BSCs发育阶段的提高而增加。本研究为认识和利用生物土壤结皮相关固氮细菌提供了基础依据。     

Simulated climate change: a field manipulation study of polar microarthropod community response to global warming

Passive cloches were deployed at three altitudinally distinct sites on Signy Island, maritime Antarctica, to investigate the effect of ameliorated thermal environment upon fellfield microarthropod communities Temperature was monitored at 1 5 m height, at ground surface level, and at 5 cm depth in cloche and control plots During summer (December - March), cloches elevated monthly mean temperatures by up to 2 46°C at the soil surface and 2 20°C at 5 cm depth Integrated air temperatures over consecutive 10 d periods were up to 4 65°C wanner in cloches than controls During winter (April - November), snow cover of the fellfield sites buffered temperature variation and reduced the treatment effect After eight years of these manipulations, sampling of the upper 50 mm of soil revealed consistently greater microarthropod populations within cloches than in controls (treatment effect p<0.05) Maximum difference occurred at high altitude where thermal amelioration was greatest (site effect p<0.05) Cloche populations of the numerically dominant collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus Willem contained an increased proportion of small (length < 750 μm) individuals No species new to Signy Island were recorded Relating these microarthropod populations to the ameliorated thermal environment suggests that Antarctic invertebrate communities may respond to global warming, as predicted by global circulation models, with an increase in abundance with little increase in diversity However, this response could be indirect, the intermediate controlling factor being the percentage cover of the soil surface by vegetation, itself a function of climate change     

Patterns of bacterial diversity across a range of Antarctic terrestrial habitats

Although soil-borne bacteria represent the world's greatest source of biological diversity, it is not well understood whether extreme environmental conditions, such as those found in Antarctic habitats, result in reduced soil-borne microbial diversity. To address this issue, patterns of bacterial diversity were studied in soils sampled along a > 3200 km southern polar transect spanning a gradient of increased climate severity over 27 degrees of latitude. Vegetated and fell-field plots were sampled at the Falkland (51 degrees S), South Georgia (54 degrees S), Signy (60 degrees S) and Anchorage Islands (67 degrees S), while bare frost-sorted soil polygons were examined at Fossil Bluff (71 degrees S), Mars Oasis (72 degrees S), Coal Nunatak (72 degrees S) and the Ellsworth Mountains (78 degrees S). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were recovered subsequent to direct DNA extraction from soil, polymerase chain reaction amplification and cloning. Although bacterial diversity was observed to decline with increased latitude, habitat-specific patterns appeared to also be important. Namely, a negative relationship was found between bacterial diversity and latitude for fell-field soils, but no such pattern was observed for vegetated sites. The Mars Oasis site, previously identified as a biodiversity hotspot within this region, proved exceptional within the study transect, with unusually high bacterial diversity. In independent analyses, geographical distance and vegetation cover were found to significantly influence bacterial community composition. These results provide insight into the factors shaping the composition of bacterial communities in Antarctic terrestrial habitats and support the notion that bacterial diversity declines with increased climatic severity.     

营养盐加富和鱼类添加对浮游植物群落演替和多样性的影响

浮游植物是水体生态系统敞水区最重要的初级生产者,其组成与多样性反映了群落的结构类型和存在状态。通过围隔实验,模拟水库春季发生的营养盐加富和鱼类放养的干扰,分析在这两种干扰下的浮游植物群落演替过程中优势种和稀有种的变化,并通过以丰度与生物量为变量的香农和辛普森多样性指数的计算,分析浮游植物群落演替过程中的多样性变化特征。结果表明,营养盐加富干扰下的浮游植物群落的优势种变化和演替更为明显,营养盐加富与鱼类添加对浮游植物群落多样性变化的影响符合中度干扰理论。在优势种优势度变化较大的浮游植物群落演替过程中,多样性指数与浮游植物生物量有较高的负相关性。在浮游植物群落演替过程中,香农和辛普森多样性指数的变化趋势基本一致,采用丰度与生物量为变量的两种多样性指数的计算结果对实验系统中浮游植物群落多样性的分析结果没有明显的影响。     

农用化学品污染对土壤微生物群落DNA序列多样性影响研究

采用ＲＡＰＤ分子遗传标记技术研究了农用化学品不同使用环境下的４种土壤微生物群落ＤＮＡ序列多样性的变化。结果表明,４种土壤微生物群落ＤＮＡ序列在其丰富度、多样性指数、均匀度等方面均存在差异;农用化学品的使用会对土壤微生物群落在ＤＮＡ分子水平上的多样性产生影响;而冰同的农用化学品对土壤微生物群落ＤＮＡ序列多样性影响各不相同：化肥污染会引起某些土壤微生物的富集和一些微生物物种的丧失;农药杂会引起土壤微生     

Quantifying the effects of nutrient addition on the taxonomic distinctness of serpentine vegetation

Traditional diversity indices summarize the information about the relative abundances of species within a community without regard to differences between species. However, intuitively, a community composed of dissimilar taxa is more diverse than a community composed of more similar taxa. Therefore, useful indices of diversity should account for taxonomic relations among species. In this paper, a new parametric diversity index that combines species relative abundances and their taxonomic distinctiveness is used to quantify the way in which soil fertilization affects the diversity of a garigue community on ultramafic soils of Tuscany (central Italy). Results show that, while ultramafic soils generally host plant communities of limited taxonomic diversity with respect to similar communities on other substrates, fertilization significantly enhances the biomass production of species that are not exclusive to ultramafic soils. As a consequence, if diversity is measured combining species relative abundances with their taxonomic distinctiveness, nutrient addition tends to increase the diversity of ultramafic communities.     

The non-native chironomid Eretmoptera murphyi in Antarctica: erosion of the barriers to invasion

Antarctica is the continent least affected by invasive species, but climate change and increasing human activity are increasing this threat. Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems generally have low biodiversity with simple community structures and little competition for resources. Consequently, species with pre-adaptations or capabilities that allow them to tolerate polar conditions may have disproportionately large ecosystem impacts when introduced to Antarctica compared with other regions of the Earth. Here we investigate the invasion risk associated with the flightless chironomid midge, Eretmoptera murphyi, which was accidentally introduced from South Georgia (54°S) to Signy Island, South Orkney Islands (61°S), probably during plant transplantation experiments in the 1960s. Larval size class distribution analysis indicated that E. murphyi has a 2 year life cycle on Signy Island, supporting previous suggestions. Estimates of litter turnover show that recent large increases in E. murphyi population density and extent are likely to increase nutrient cycling rates on Signy Island substantially. Existing physiological adaptations may allow E. murphyi to colonise higher latitude locations. Growth rate and microhabitat climatic modelling show that temperature constraints on larval development on Anchorage Island (68°S) are theoretically similar to those on Signy Island even though it is ~750 km further south. Establishment of this non-native midge at climatically similar intervening locations along the western Antarctic Peninsula is therefore plausible. Currently, lack of effective natural dispersal mechanisms is probably limiting the spread of the midge. However, dispersal to other areas of the Antarctic Peninsula may occur via human-assisted transportation, highlighting the importance of appropriate biosecurity measures.     

Eretmoptera murphyi: pre‐adapted to survive a colder climate

During the late 1960s, larvae of the flightless midge Eretmoptera murphyi Schaeffer were accidentally transferred from the sub‐Antarctic island of South Georgia to Signy Island in the maritime Antarctic. Higher insects are rare in the Antarctic and the introduction and establishment of a new species is an unusual event. The fly has overcome the two major barriers to colonization of the Antarctic by new species: the geographical isolation of the region and its severe climate. Larvae of the flightless midge overwinter in the surface layers of soil on Signy Island where the temperature may fall to below ?10 °C, compared with as little as ?1.5 °C on South Georgia. This suggests the possession of a level of pre‐adaption to colder conditions. Summer‐collected larvae have a supercooling point (SCP or whole body freezing point) of approximately ?5.0 °C but survive experimental exposure to ?13 °C, giving them a level of freeze tolerance. After acclimation at ?4 °C for 4 days, the SCP changes little but the temperature at which 50% of the population would die decreases to lower than ?19 °C. Larvae are also resistant to dehydration. Under experimental conditions of 88% relative humidity at 5 °C, larvae lose water linearly (0.42% h^?1) over the first 30 h but resist further water loss once their water content decreases to approximately 1.4 g g^?1 dry weight. All larvae survive these conditions for the duration of the experiment (55 h). Eretmoptera murphyi is well adapted to survive on Signy Island, and these studies suggest that it has the ability to survive at more extreme locations at higher latitudes if it were to be inadvertently transferred to a suitable habitat.     

Morphology and adaptation of aquatic mosses in an Antarctic lake

Abstract

Two species of moss growing in Moss Lake on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, had unusual morphologies with large leaves and long internodes. Both Calliergon sarmentosum and Drepanocladus cf. aduncus differed from their terrestrial counterparts and from each other in the character of their leaves. The two genera differed in the ability of the terrestrial forms to develop a large-leaved growth form. Calliergon, which was represented by the same species in both environments, changed to the aquatic morphology when separated shoots were grown either submerged or under damp conditions. Ught intensity was not an important factor influencing change in morphology. In contrast, terrestrial Drepanocladus uncinatus, the closest taxonomic counterpart of D. cf. aduncus on Signy Island, did not show any adaptation under similar conditions. The aquatic forms also showed a corresponding degree of plasticity in their natural habitat. Calliergon varied from robust shoots to microphyllous or even leafless stems whereas Drepanocladus cf. aduncus only grew in the robust form. These differences were related to the success of the two species at different depths and it is suggested that the very low compensation points of the two mosses (reported in a separate study) resulted from the morphology of the plants.     

褐家鼠挖掘活动对上海九段沙湿地植物群落与土壤水盐的影响

上海九段沙是长江口的新生岛洲,目前处于草本植物群落演替阶段。为了探讨登岛褐家鼠的挖掘活动对九段沙湿地植物群落与土壤水盐的影响,我们调查了褐家鼠洞穴区的植物盖度、密度、高度、重要值、物种丰富度、物种均匀度、物种多样性、表层土壤含水量和电导率等与对照区的差异;同时,通过调查褐家鼠洞穴与潮沟在空间位置上的关系探讨了褐家鼠的栖息地选择策略。结果表明:在单一芦苇群落中,洞穴区芦苇的高度和盖度显著低于对照;在芦苇和海三棱藨草混合群落中,洞穴区芦苇的密度、相对密度、重要值和群落总盖度显著低于对照,而洞穴区海三棱藨草的密度、盖度、相对密度、相对高度和重要值显著高于对照;在碱菀和互花米草优势群落中,洞穴区碱菀的相对密度、相对盖度、重要值和群落的物种多样性指数显著高于对照,而互花米草的密度和盖度、芦苇的盖度、高度和相对盖度以及群落总盖度显著低于对照。距洞穴区中心区域洞口不同距离梯度的表层土壤含水量和电导率差异均显著。褐家鼠偏向于将洞穴营造在邻近潮沟处,这有利于提高褐家鼠在九段沙湿地的适应能力。褐家鼠的挖掘活动有利于增加碱菀和互花米草优势群落的物种多样性,会降低植物群落总盖度和表层土壤的水盐含量,对九段沙湿地植物群落的组成与演替具有重要影响。