Taxonomic and functional diversity covary in rock pool microalgal communities despite their different drivers

Local biodiversity has traditionally been estimated with taxonomic diversity metrics such as species richness. Recently, the concept of biodiversity has been extended beyond species identity by ecological traits determining the functional role of a species in a community. This interspecific functional diversity typically responds more strongly to local environmental variation compared with taxonomic diversity, while taxonomic diversity may mirror more strongly dispersal processes compared with functional metrics. Several trait‐based indices have been developed to measure functional diversity for various organisms and habitat types, but studies of their applicability on aquatic microbial communities have been underrepresented. We examined the drivers and covariance of taxonomic and functional diversity among diatom rock pool communities on the Baltic Sea coast. We quantified three taxonomic (species richness, Shannon''s diversity, and Pielou''s evenness) and three functional (functional richness, evenness, and divergence) diversity indices and determined abiotic factors best explaining variation in these indices by generalized linear mixed models. The six diversity indices were highly collinear except functional evenness, which merely correlated significantly with taxonomic evenness. All diversity indices were always explained by water conductivity and temperature–sampling month interaction. Taxonomic diversity was further consistently explained by pool distance to the sea, and functional richness and divergence by pool location. The explained variance in regression models did not markedly differ between taxonomic and functional metrics. Our findings do not clearly support the superiority of neither set of diversity indices in explaining coastal microbial diversity, but rather highlight the general overlap among the indices. However, as individual metrics may be driven by different factors, the greatest advantage in assessing biodiversity is nevertheless probably achieved with a simultaneous application of the taxonomic and functional diversity metrics.     

A comparison of DNA profiling techniques for monitoring nutrient impact on microbial community composition during bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils

Amplicon length heterogeneity PCR (LH-PCR) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (TRFLP) were used to monitor the impact that nutrient amendments had on microbial community dynamics and structural diversity during bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils. Slurried soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons were treated in airlift bench-scale bioreactors and were either amended with optimal inorganic nutrients or left unamended. Direct DNA extraction and PCR amplification of whole eubacterial community DNA were performed with universal primers that bracketed the first two or three hypervariable regions of the 16S rDNA gene sequences. The LH-PCR method profiled a more diverse microbial community than did the TRFLP method. The LH-PCR method also tracked differences between the communities due to nutrient amendments. An in silico database search for bacterial genera with amplicon lengths represented in the community fingerprints was performed. It was possible to qualitatively identify different groups in the microbial community based on the amplicon length variations. A similar "virtual" search was performed for the TRFLP fragments using the web-based TAP-TRFLP program. Cloning and sequencing of the PCR products confirmed the in silico database matches. The application of the LH-PCR method as a monitoring tool for bioremediation could greatly enhance and extend the current understanding of the microbial community dynamics during the biodegradation of environmental contaminants.     

Conversion of sagebrush shrublands to exotic annual grasslands negatively impacts small mammal communities

Aim The exotic annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is fast replacing sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) communities throughout the Great Basin Desert and nearby regions in the Western United States, impacting native plant communities and altering fire regimes, which contributes to the long‐term persistence of this weedy species. The effect of this conversion on native faunal communities remains largely unexamined. We assess the impact of conversion from native perennial to exotic annual plant communities on desert rodent communities. Location Wyoming big sagebrush shrublands and nearby sites previously converted to cheatgrass‐dominated annual grasslands in the Great Basin Desert, Utah, USA. Methods At two sites in Tooele County, Utah, USA, we investigated with Sherman live trapping whether intact sagebrush vegetation and nearby converted Bromus tectorum‐dominated vegetation differed in rodent abundance, diversity and community composition. Results Rodent abundance and species richness were considerably greater in sagebrush plots than in cheatgrass‐dominated plots. Nine species were captured in sagebrush plots; five of these were also trapped in cheatgrass plots, all at lower abundances than in the sagebrush. In contrast, cheatgrass‐dominated plots had no species that were not found in sagebrush. In addition, the site that had been converted to cheatgrass longer had lower abundances of rodents than the site more recently converted to cheatgrass‐dominated plots. Despite large differences in abundances and species richness, Simpson’s D diversity and Shannon‐Wiener diversity and Brillouin evenness indices did not differ between sagebrush and cheatgrass‐dominated plots. Main conclusions This survey of rodent communities in native sagebrush and in converted cheatgrass‐dominated vegetation suggests that the abundances and community composition of rodents may be shifting, potentially at the larger spatial scale of the entire Great Basin, where cheatgrass continues to invade and dominate more landscape at a rapid rate.     

历山自然保护区猪尾沟森林群落植物多样性研究

采用丰富度指数、物种多样性指数和均匀度指数对山西历山自然保护区猪尾沟森林群落多样性进行研究。结果表明 :1 )同一群落内 ,多样性指数存在一定的波动范围 ;不同群落间 ,物种多样性也存在差异 ,但其并不一定具有统计学意义。由此表明 ,群落之间存在差异 ,同时也存在着连续性。 2 )海拔高度是决定本区多样性分布格局的主导因子 ,随着群落分布海拔高度的增加 ,多样性呈一致的上升趋势 ,即多样性与海拔呈正相关关系。 3)群落物种多样性对海拔的敏感性由大到小的次序为草本层 >乔木层 >灌木层 ,其中乔木层的丰富度指数、草本层均匀度指数与海拔有着极显著的正相关关系 ,而乔木层的多样性指数、草本层的丰富度指数与海拔有着极显著的负相关关系 ,灌木层的多样性与海拔没有显著的相关性。 4)群落中不同结构、不同层次对群落总体多样性的贡献是不同的 ,两种测定方法所产生的总体多样性之间呈显著相关关系 ,表明给定加权参数的测定方法没有影响客观生态意义的反映 ,同时也更好地反映出群落结构对于群落多样性的功能差异     

A Comparative Analysis of Evenness Index Sensitivity

Evenness indices are numerous but the lack of knowledge of their properties is a limitation to their biological usefulness. 15 evenness indices, two of them being recently proposed, were studied in this work. We investigated the sensitivity of each index using (1) 189 macroinvertebrate communities sampled in the field, and (2) a set of communities modified in a controlled way. There is no single way to measure evenness. We demonstrated that a measure should be chosen considering (1) the kind of data analysed and, (2) the index properties wanted by users. Depending on the ecological data set the index should be more sensitive to variations in rare, median or abundant species. For most of macroinvertebrate community analyses, a convenient evenness index requirs to be symmetric, unsensitive to variation on rare taxa, with a large range of variation and can be compared with a diversity index. Depending on diversity measure used, five indices correspond to these criteria: E_Pielou, E_Hurlbert, E_–ln(D), E_1–D, E_MI. Our results were summarized in a table which may help users to select a convenient evenness measure according to their specific data. Concerning index properties, three main features that an evenness index should meet are briefly discussed: dependence with richness, symmetry criteria and variation range. A revue of this controversial subject allowed a best understanding of values obtained with evenness measures depending on their own features.     

长期不同施肥对稻田土壤微生物群落功能多样性的影响

微生物群落功能多样性对土壤管理具有重要指示作用,施肥措施对土壤微生物群落功能多样性产生重要的影响,从而影响土壤有机质的含量,引起土地碳贮量变化,进而影响到陆地生态系统的碳汇.以位于湖南省桃江县国家级稻田肥力长期定位试验点的土样为研究对象,采用BIOLOG测试板对不同施肥处理下土壤微生物功能多样性进行了研究.研究结果显示,土壤微生物的碳源利用率因长期不同的施肥处理而发生分异.Shannon和Simpson指数的结果显示所有施肥处理均有利于维持微生物群落多样性,但秸秆还田和习惯施肥使群落均匀度(McIntosh指数)降低.主成分分析表明,试验点土壤微生物群落利用的主要碳源为氨基酸类和糖类,但不同施肥处理碳源利用类型有差异.结果可以得出,不同的施肥对土壤微生物功能多样性产生了不同影响,从而影响土壤有机质中碳、氮含量.这些信息可以为深入研究施肥对全球碳氮循环以及全球气候变迁提供依据.     

山西五鹿山森林群落木本植物功能多样性

通过选取群落中木本植物种子的扩散方式、传粉方式、植株高度和盖度等13个功能性状,计算出群落的6个功能多样性指数:功能性状距离、功能性状平均距离、功能体积、功能均匀度、功能分散指数和Rao二次熵指数,结合群落物种丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener指数和物种均匀度指数对山西五鹿山森林群落木本植物功能多样性进行研究。结果表明:(1)功能性状距离、功能性状平均距离、功能体积与物种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener指数显著正相关;功能均匀度与Shannon-Wiener指数、物种均匀度指数显著正相关;功能分散指数、Rao二次熵指数与物种均匀度指数、Shannon-Wiener指数显著正相关;(2)功能多样性的差异很大程度上是由于物种差异所引起的;(3)6个功能多样性指数可分为三类:功能性状距离、功能性状平均距离、功能体积为功能丰富度指数;功能均匀度为功能均匀度指数;功能分散指数和Rao二次熵指数为功能离散度指数。该分类结果符合指数的计算方法和生态学意义,以及相互独立的标准。     

Measuring soil microbial community diversity using polar lipid fatty acid and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis data

The possibility of calculating useful microbial community diversity indices from environmental polar lipid fatty acid and 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE data was investigated. First, the behavior of the species richness, Shannon's, and Simpson's diversity indices were determined on polar lipid fatty acid profiles of 115 pure cultures, communities constructed from those profiles with different numbers of species, and constructed communities with different distributions of species. Differences in the species richness of these artificial communities was detected by all three diversity indices, but they were insensitive to the evenness of the distribution of species. Second, data from a field experiment with substrate addition to soil was used to compare the methods developed for lipid- and DNA-based diversity indices. Very good agreement was found between indices calculated from environmental polar lipid fatty acid profiles and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles from matched samples (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=0.95-0.96). A method for data pre-treatment for diversity calculations is described.     

Interpreting ecological diversity indices applied to terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism data: insights from simulated microbial communities

Ecological diversity indices are frequently applied to molecular profiling methods, such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), in order to compare diversity among microbial communities. We performed simulations to determine whether diversity indices calculated from T-RFLP profiles could reflect the true diversity of the underlying communities despite potential analytical artifacts. These include multiple taxa generating the same terminal restriction fragment (TRF) and rare TRFs being excluded by a relative abundance (fluorescence) threshold. True community diversity was simulated using the lognormal species abundance distribution. Simulated T-RFLP profiles were generated by assigning each species a TRF size based on an empirical or modeled TRF size distribution. With a typical threshold (1%), the only consistently useful relationship was between Smith and Wilson evenness applied to T-RFLP data (TRF-E(var)) and true Shannon diversity (H'), with correlations between 0.71 and 0.81. TRF-H' and true H' were well correlated in the simulations using the lowest number of species, but this correlation declined substantially in simulations using greater numbers of species, to the point where TRF-H' cannot be considered a useful statistic. The relationships between TRF diversity indices and true indices were sensitive to the relative abundance threshold, with greatly improved correlations observed using a 0.1% threshold, which was investigated for comparative purposes but is not possible to consistently achieve with current technology. In general, the use of diversity indices on T-RFLP data provides inaccurate estimates of true diversity in microbial communities (with the possible exception of TRF-E(var)). We suggest that, where significant differences in T-RFLP diversity indices were found in previous work, these should be reinterpreted as a reflection of differences in community composition rather than a true difference in community diversity.     

Biodiversity Studies on Quercus ilex Woods in Veneto,Italy

The species diversity indices and the species abundance distribution of Ouercus ilex L. woods in Veneto, Italy were studied. The results are as follows: 1. The Menhinicht s index, Shannont s index, Brillouin’s index, Simpsont s index Piulout s evenness, V′ evenness of PIE, V evenness of PIE, Mclntosh evenness could be used to study the diversity of O. ilex woods in Veneto. They showed that from the area of Lago ki Garda, to Foci del Tagliamento, Bosco Nordio, and Colli Euganei, the value of species diversity indices decreased gadually. 2. The geometric series of species abundance distribution dould be used best to study the diversity of O. ilex woods, and the log-normal distribution of species abundance distribution could also be a good index used to study did. The results of the study of species abundance distribution were the same as those of species diversity indices. 3. Diversity did not always increase in succession. In the earlier stage of succession, the diversity usually was relatively large owing to the invasion of many species and the lack of dominance. In the subsequent stage, the diversity was relatively minimized as the dominance increases. In the late stage, the diversity would increase as the structure of community became complicated and the number of species increased.     

山西翅果油树群落的多样性研究

用丰富度指数、多样性指数和均匀度指数对山西翅果油树群落的多样性进行了研究 ,并用相关分析研究了海拔与多样性指数及多样性指数间的关系 ,结果表明 :1 )在干扰强烈的生境中 ,翅果油树群落具有较低的丰富度指数、多样性指数的均匀性 ,而接近顶极群落阶段 ,多样性指数和丰富度指数也较低 ,但具有较高的均匀性 ;干扰强度较小的生境中 ,群落具有较高的丰富度指数、多样性指数和均匀性。2 )灌木层和草本层的丰富度、多样性指数和均匀度指数呈现多元化的趋势。 3)海拔对山西翅果油树群落多样性的影响不显著。     

庙岛群岛典型植物群落物种、功能、结构多样性及其对环境因子的响应

海岛植被在全球生物多样性研究中起重要作用,研究海岛植被多样性对于理解海陆相互作用下植物群落的多样性维持机制有重要意义.本研究以庙岛群岛的麻栎群落、刺槐群落、黑松群落、荆条群落4种典型植物群落为对象,采用物种多样性指数、功能多样性指数和结构多样性指数,在群落尺度上探讨了海岛典型植物群落物种、功能、结构多样性间的关系及其对环境因子的响应.结果表明: 黑松群落的物种丰富度与Rao指数高于刺槐群落与麻栎群落,而结构多样性却较低;荆条灌丛的物种、结构多样性均低于森林群落,而功能多样性高于部分森林群落.物种丰富度与Rao指数以及树高多样性间呈显著正相关,与功能均匀度呈显著负相关.结构多样性主要由坡度决定且与坡度呈负相关;功能均匀度与坡度呈正相关,而功能异质性、功能离散度和物种多样性则更多地受土壤理化性质的影响,与土壤容重及土壤总碳呈正相关,与土壤含水率呈负相关.总体而言,庙岛群岛的植物群落多样性格局既有与大陆植被相似的特征,但也有其海岛特殊性.     

小叶锦鸡儿根际微生物群落功能多样性对环境变化的响应

利用Biolog技术对内蒙古草原灌丛优势种小叶锦鸡儿(Caragana microphylla)根际土壤微生物群落功能多样性特征及其对大气CO2浓度、土壤氮水平和土壤水分3个环境因子变化的响应进行了研究。结果表明:(1)小叶锦鸡儿根际土壤微生物利用碳源总量在整个培养过程中呈逐渐增加的趋势。其利用比例较高的碳源类型为聚合物、糖类和氨基酸。(2)主成分分析表明,8个处理组的微生物群落功能多样性差异显著,其中与主成分1显著相关的碳源有14种,分别属于聚合物、糖类、氨基酸和羧酸。(3)加倍CO2浓度极显著提高平均颜色变化率(AWCD)以及丰富度指数和Shannon均匀度。(4)氮素添加使AWCD、丰富度指数和Shannon均匀度均极显著降低,其抑制效应在加倍CO2浓度时有所缓解。(5)加水处理对上述指标均有一定的促进作用,但是差异未达显著水平。(6)加倍CO2浓度和氮素添加联合处理下,小叶锦鸡儿根际微生物活性高于对照处理,说明加倍CO2浓度对微生物活性的促进效应强于添加氮素的抑制效应。(7)CO2和氮素对上述指标有交互作用。综上所述,小叶锦鸡儿根际土壤微生物群落的功能在很大程度上受到外界环境因子的影响,对环境变化较敏感的碳源类型为聚合物、糖类、氨基酸和羧酸,与利用比例较高的碳源类型基本一致。     

白龙江上游地区森林植物群落物种多样性的研究

 白龙江上游地区属长江防护林工程重点地区之一。根据36个样地的调查资料,分析了该地区森林植物群落物种多样性的特征：群落内各层物种丰富度指数的大小顺序为“灌木层>草本层>乔木层”;均匀度指数变化比较复杂,在杜鹃巴山冷杉（Rhododendron fastigiatum-Abies fargesii）林中为“草本层>灌木层>乔木层”,在苔藓巴山冷杉林中为“乔木层>灌木层>草本层”,其余群落中为“灌木层>草本层>乔木层”;多样性指数的大小顺序为“乔木层<灌木层和草本层”,而灌木层与草本层的多样性指数随林分郁闭度变化而变化,在郁闭度30%的杜鹃巴山冷杉林中,草本层大于灌木层,在郁闭度47%的箭竹巴山冷杉林中,草本层和灌木层相当,在郁闭度55%以上的各个群落内,灌木层大于草本层。同一海拔不同坡向群落的物种多样性表现为分布于阳坡的油松（Pinus tabulaeformis）林大于分布于阴坡的草类云杉（Picea asperata）林。物种多样性沿海拔梯度的变化表现为随海拔升高先降低后增加,从海拔2 400 m的栎类阔叶林,2 600 m的草类云杉林,2 800 m的箭竹(Sinarundinaria nitida)巴山冷杉林,到3 000 m的苔藓巴山冷杉林和3 200 m的杜鹃巴山冷杉林,物种多样性依次下降,到海拔3 400 m的高山杜鹃（Rhododendron fastigiatum）灌丛,物种多样性增加。物种多样性在紫果云杉(Picea purpurea)林的演替系列中表现为随群落演替发展而增加,后降低,在针阔混交林阶段达到最大。     

戴云山物种多样性与系统发育多样性海拔梯度分布格局及驱动因子

生物多样性的海拔分布格局是生态学研究的热点。海拔作为综合性因子驱动着植物群落的物种、系统发育与功能多样性的空间分布。以戴云山南坡900-1600 m森林植物群落为研究对象,探讨物种多样性、系统发育指数与环境驱动因子的相互关系以及环境因子在群落构建与多样性维持中的重要意义。结果表明：（1）森林植物群落的系统发育多样性与物种多样性沿海拔均呈现中间高度膨胀格局。（2）物种多样性Margalef指数、Shannon-Wiener指数与系统发育多样性指数呈显著正相关,表明物种多样性越高,系统发育多样性也越高。Shannon-Wiener指数与物种多样性指数（Margalef、Pielou、Simpson指数）、系统发育多样性及系统发育结构都存在显著相关性,一定程度上Shannon-Wiener指数可以代替其他指数。Pielou指数、Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数与系统发育结构NRI （Net relatedness index）指数、NTI （Net nearest taxa index）指数存在显著正相关,表明群落优势度、均匀度与系统发育结构相关性较强。（3）土壤全磷含量是影响系统发育多样性和物种多样性的主要驱动因子,土壤含水量是影响Shannon-Wiener、Pielou、Simpson指数的最显著因子,海拔是影响群落系统发育结构的主要因素。海拔是影响系统发育结构变化的主要环境因子,而土壤因子是影响物种多样性与系统发育多样性的主要因素,进一步验证了物种多样性与系统发育多样性的高度相关,结果旨在揭示物种群落空间分布规律。     

库姆塔格沙漠南缘荒漠植物群落多样性分析

 根据20个样地的调查资料,应用重要值计算多样性指数、均匀度指数、丰富度指数 、优势度指数,对库姆塔格沙漠南缘荒漠植物群落物种多样性进行分析。结果表明: 1）荒漠植物群落分布随其生境地貌不同而不同,山前戈壁上分布有合头草(Sympegma regelii)群落,冲积河道低地分布有荒漠林胡杨(Populus euphratica)、多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)、胀果甘草（Glycyrrhiza inflata）群落,戈壁沙漠过渡带为梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)群落,低海拔的沙山上分布有沙拐枣(Calligonum mongolicum)群落、膜果麻黄(Ephedra rzewalskii)群落和梭梭群落。2）荒漠植物群落物种多样性水平较低,群落结构简单,物种组成单一。群落Shannon_Wiener物种多样性水平表现为合头草群落最高（1.706）,具有草原化荒漠植被类型的成分;梭梭群落、膜果麻黄群落居中（0.875～0.890）,荒漠植被类型特征明显;沙拐枣群落、胡杨群落、多枝 柽柳群落、胀果甘草群落较低（0.079～0.495）,荒漠林、盐地沙生灌丛及盐化草甸植被均有零星分布。3）荒漠植物群落结构层次中,灌木层占居主导地位,群落灌木层物种多样性水平（0.769～1.451）远远大于草本层（0.193～0.254）,且草本层物种多样性受灌木层影响较大。4）荒漠植物群落物种多样性分布格局表现为经向、纬向和海拔梯度的变化,经向、纬向变化为物种多样性水平较高的草原化植物合头草群落（1.706）向物种多样性水平较低的荒漠植物梭梭群落（1.379）和盐化植物多枝柽柳群落（0.376）的过渡,海拔梯度则 呈现低水平的沙拐枣群落（0.819）到高水平的膜果麻黄群落（0.890）向低水平的梭梭群落 （0.645）变化。荒漠植物群落过渡地带一般具有较高的物种多样性和较低的生态优势度。     

Survey on the community and dynamics of lactic acid bacteria in Grana Padano cheese

Grana Padano (GP) is a Protected Designation of Origin cheese made with raw milk and natural whey culture (NWC) that is characterised by a long ripening period. In this study, six GP productions were considered in order to evaluate the trend of microbial dynamics and compare lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population levels in cheeses during the entire cheese-making process. To reach this goal, for each GP production, samples of vat raw milk, NWC and cheeses at 48 h, 2, 6, 9 and 13 months were subjected to plate counts and direct counts by fluorescence microscopy, as well as amplicon length heterogeneity-PCR (LH-PCR). Statistical analysis was applied to the results and ecological indices were estimated. It was demonstrated that the LAB able to grow in the cheese-environment conditions could arise from both raw milk and NWC. Starter lactobacilli (SLAB) from NWC were the main species present during acidification, and non-starter LAB (NSLAB), mainly from milk but also from NWC, were able to grow after brining and they dominated during ripening. The peak areas of LH-PCR profiles were used to determine ecological indices during manufacture and ripening. Among cheese ecosystems with different ageing times, diversity, Evenness and Richness were different, with highest bacterial growth and diversity occurring in cheese ripening at 2 months. At this time point, which seemed to be a crucial moment for GP microbial evolution, cell lysis of both SLAB and NSLAB was also observed.     

红火蚁对新入侵龙眼园和荒草地蚂蚁类群多样性的影响

于2007年7月至2008年2月期间在增城龙眼园及周边的荒草地人工移殖1蚁巢及10蚁巢红火蚁,并采用陷阱法和诱饵诱集法调查研究红火蚁对新入侵龙眼园区和荒草地区蚂蚁类群多样性的影响。结果表明,在荫蔽、少干扰的龙眼园和杂草茂密、少干扰的未割草区,红火蚁难以成功定殖,对这两种生境蚂蚁类群的多样性几乎没有影响;在红火蚁成功定殖的1蚁巢割草区和10蚁巢割草区,红火蚁以这两种密度入侵对蚂蚁类群多样性的影响程度不同。在1蚁巢割草区,红火蚁入侵后5个月期间,由于其数量占蚂蚁个体总数的比例很少,对蚂蚁类群多样性的影响很小;在红火蚁成功定殖5个月后,第6—7个月其工蚁所占比例增加,蚂蚁类群个体数和优势度下降,多样性和均匀度增加;第8—9个月其工蚁所占比例继续增加,而蚂蚁个体数、多样性和均匀度下降,优势度增加。在10蚁巢割草区,红火蚁入侵后,蚂蚁类群个体数、多样性和均匀度下降,优势度增加。红火蚁入侵对1蚁巢割草区和10蚁巢割草区蚂蚁物种数的影响较小。     

Effects of plant species richness and evenness on soil microbial community diversity and function

Understanding the links between plant diversity and soil communities is critical to disentangling the mechanisms by which plant communities modulate ecosystem function. Experimental plant communities varying in species richness, evenness, and density were established using a response surface design and soil community properties including bacterial and archaeal abundance, richness, and evenness were measured. The potential to perform a representative soil ecosystem function, oxidation of ammonium to nitrite, was measured via archaeal and bacterial amoA genes. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the direct and indirect effects of the plant community on soil diversity and potential function. Plant communities influenced archaea and bacteria via different pathways. Species richness and evenness had significant direct effects on soil microbial community structure, but the mechanisms driving these effects did not include either root biomass or the pools of carbon and nitrogen available to the soil microbial community. Species richness had direct positive effects on archaeal amoA prevalence, but only indirect impacts on bacterial communities through modulation of plant evenness. Increased plant evenness increased bacterial abundance which in turn increased bacterial amoA abundance. These results suggest that plant community evenness may have a strong impact on some aspects of soil ecosystem function. We show that a more even plant community increased bacterial abundance, which then increased the potential for bacterial nitrification. A more even plant community also increased total dissolved nitrogen in the soil, which decreased the potential for archaeal nitrification. The role of plant evenness in structuring the soil community suggests mechanisms including complementarity in root exudate profiles or root foraging patterns.