Long-Term Nitrogen Amendment Alters the Diversity and Assemblage of Soil Bacterial Communities in Tallgrass Prairie

Anthropogenic changes are altering the environmental conditions and the biota of ecosystems worldwide. In many temperate grasslands, such as North American tallgrass prairie, these changes include alteration in historically important disturbance regimes (e.g., frequency of fires) and enhanced availability of potentially limiting nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Such anthropogenically-driven changes in the environment are known to elicit substantial changes in plant and consumer communities aboveground, but much less is known about their effects on soil microbial communities. Due to the high diversity of soil microbes and methodological challenges associated with assessing microbial community composition, relatively few studies have addressed specific taxonomic changes underlying microbial community-level responses to different fire regimes or nutrient amendments in tallgrass prairie. We used deep sequencing of the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene to explore the effects of contrasting fire regimes and nutrient enrichment on soil bacterial communities in a long-term (20 yrs) experiment in native tallgrass prairie in the eastern Central Plains. We focused on responses to nutrient amendments coupled with two extreme fire regimes (annual prescribed spring burning and complete fire exclusion). The dominant bacterial phyla identified were Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteriodetes, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria and made up 80% of all taxa quantified. Chronic nitrogen enrichment significantly impacted bacterial community diversity and community structure varied according to nitrogen treatment, but not phosphorus enrichment or fire regime. We also found significant responses of individual bacterial groups including Nitrospira and Gammaproteobacteria to long-term nitrogen enrichment. Our results show that soil nitrogen enrichment can significantly alter bacterial community diversity, structure, and individual taxa abundance, which have important implications for both managed and natural grassland ecosystems.     

Above‐ and belowground insect herbivores mediate the impact of nitrogen eutrophication on the soil food web in a grassland ecosystem

Insect herbivores are important drivers of ecosystem processes in grasslands, and can mediate the grassland's response to environmental change. For example, recent evidence shows that above‐ and belowground herbivory, individually and in combination, can modify how a plant community responds to nitrogen (N) eutrophication, an important driver of global change. However, knowledge about how such effects extend to the associated soil food web is lacking. In a mesocosm experiment, we investigated how communities of soil nematodes – an abundant and functionally important group of soil organisms – responded to above‐ and belowground insect herbivory at contrasting N levels. We found that the strongest influence of above‐ and belowground herbivory on the nematode community appeared at elevated N. The abundance of root‐feeding nematodes increased when either above‐ or belowground insect herbivores were present at elevated N, but when applied together the two herbivore types cancelled out one another's effect. Additionally, at elevated N aboveground herbivory increased the abundance of fungal‐feeders relative to bacterial‐feeders, which indicates changes in decomposition pathways induced by N and herbivory. Belowground herbivory increased the abundance of omnivorous nematodes. The shifts in both the herbivorous and detrital parts of the soil food web demonstrate that above‐ and belowground herbivory does not only mediate the response of the plant community to N eutrophication, but in extension also the soil food web sustained by the plant community. We conclude that feedbacks between effects of above‐ and belowground herbivory mediate the response of the grassland ecosystem to N eutrophication.     

Sentinel Nematodes of Land-Use Change and Restoration in Tallgrass Prairie

Changes in land use and the associated changes in land cover are recognized as the most important component of human-induced global change. Much attention has been focused on deforestation, but grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth. The North American tallgrass prairie is a dramatic example, exhibiting a greater than 95% decline in historical area. Renewed interest in prairie conservation and restoration has highlighted the need for ecological indicators of disturbance and recovery in native systems, including the belowground component. The tallgrass prairie differs from the agricultural systems that have replaced it in having greater diversity and heterogeneity of resources, less physical soil disturbance (although other disturbances, such as fire and grazing, are prominent), and greater nitrogen limitation. Understanding the responses of nematode taxa to these characteristic differences is crucial to the development and improvement of community indices, but while knowledge of disturbance responses by individual taxa is accumulating, the level of necessary taxonomic resolution remains in question. Although nematode communities generally are better described for temperate grasslands than for other natural ecosystems, identification of sentinel taxa is further confounded by high levels of diversity, and both spatial and temporal heterogeneity.     

High‐throughput amplicon sequencing of rRNA genes requires a copy number correction to accurately reflect the effects of management practices on soil nematode community structure

Nematodes are abundant consumers in grassland soils, but more sensitive and specific methods of enumeration are needed to improve our understanding of how different nematode species affect, and are affected by, ecosystem processes. High‐throughput amplicon sequencing is used to enumerate microbial and invertebrate communities at a high level of taxonomic resolution, but the method requires validation against traditional specimen‐based morphological identifications. To investigate the consistency between these approaches, we enumerated nematodes from a 25‐year field experiment using both morphological and molecular identification techniques in order to determine the long‐term effects of annual burning and nitrogen enrichment on soil nematode communities. Family‐level frequencies based on amplicon sequencing were not initially consistent with specimen‐based counts, but correction for differences in rRNA gene copy number using a genetic algorithm improved quantitative accuracy. Multivariate analysis of corrected sequence‐based abundances of nematode families was consistent with, but not identical to, analysis of specimen‐based counts. In both cases, herbivores, fungivores and predator/omnivores generally were more abundant in burned than nonburned plots, while bacterivores generally were more abundant in nonburned or nitrogen‐enriched plots. Discriminate analysis of sequence‐based abundances identified putative indicator species representing each trophic group. We conclude that high‐throughput amplicon sequencing can be a valuable method for characterizing nematode communities at high taxonomic resolution as long as rRNA gene copy number variation is accounted for and accurate sequence databases are available.     

Rapid recovery of kohekohe (

Soil conditions, vegetation features and soil fauna were recorded in montane tall tussock grassland dominated by narrow- leaved snow tussock Chionochloa rigida ssp. rigida up to 30 months after a spring fire. Burning reduced the stature of tussocks and the size and density of tillers in the first growing season. After two growing seasons, tussock canopy development and tiller size remained below those found in the unburnt grassland nearby. New tillers and tussocks established following the prolific fire-induced flowering one year after burning. After the fire and sheep grazing, intertussock cover became progressively dominated by introduced grasses and herbs. While soil pH, moisture content, bulk density, surface litter and total nematodes showed significant treatment (burning) effects, these properties also showed significant year-to-year variation. The greatest increase in any nematode group was in Paratylenchus, a distinctive genus widespread in tussock grasslands and apparently responsive to environmental fluctuation and root development; its population was 100x and 29x greater in the burned area than in the control area 16 and 30 months after burning. Subject to detailed testing, populations of mites and collembola may provide relatively simple indicators of recovery of ecosystem function of such grasslands after burning.     

Regional‐scale patterns of soil microbes and nematodes across grasslands on the Mongolian plateau: relationships with climate,soil, and plants

Belowground communities exert major controls over the carbon and nitrogen balances of terrestrial ecosystems by regulating decomposition and nutrient availability for plants. Yet little is known about the patterns of belowground communities and their relationships with environmental factors, particularly at the regional scale where multiple environmental gradients co‐vary. Here, we describe the patterns of belowground communities (microbes and nematodes) and their relationships with environmental factors based on two parallel studies: a field survey with two regional‐scale transects across the Mongolia plateau and a water‐addition experiment in a typical steppe. In the field survey, soils and plants were collected across two large‐scale transects (a 2000‐km east–west transect and a 900‐km south–north transect). At the regional‐scale, the variations in soil microbes (e.g. bacterial PLFA, fungal PLFA, and F/B ratio) were mainly explained by precipitation and soil factors. In contrast, the variation in soil nematodes (e.g. density of trophic groups and the bacterial‐feeding/fungal‐feeding nematode ratio) were primarily explained by precipitation. These variations of microbe or nematode variables explained by environmental factors at regional scale were derived from different vegetation types. Along the gradient from nutrient‐poor to nutrient‐rich vegetation types, the total variation in soil microbes explained by precipitation increased and that explained by plant and soil decreased, while the opposite was true for soil nematodes. Experimental water addition, which increased rainfall by 30% during the growing season, increased biomass or density of belowground communities, with the nematodes being more responsive than the microbes. The different responses of soil microbial and nematode communities to environmental gradients at the regional scale likely reflect their different adaptations to climate, soil nutrients, and plants. Our findings suggest that the soil nematode and microbial communities are strongly controlled by bottom‐up effects of precipitation alone or in combination with soil conditions.     

Global change belowground: impacts of elevated CO2, nitrogen,and summer drought on soil food webs and biodiversity

The world's ecosystems are subjected to various anthropogenic global change agents, such as enrichment of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, nitrogen (N) deposition, and changes in precipitation regimes. Despite the increasing appreciation that the consequences of impending global change can be better understood if varying agents are studied in concert, there is a paucity of multi‐factor long‐term studies, particularly on belowground processes. Herein, we address this gap by examining the responses of soil food webs and biodiversity to enrichment of CO₂, elevated N, and summer drought in a long‐term grassland study at Cedar Creek, Minnesota, USA (BioCON experiment). We use structural equation modeling (SEM), various abiotic and biotic explanatory variables, and data on soil microorganisms, protozoa, nematodes, and soil microarthropods to identify the impacts of multiple global change effects on drivers belowground. We found that long‐term (13‐year) changes in CO₂ and N availability resulted in modest alterations of soil biotic food webs and biodiversity via several mechanisms, encompassing soil water availability, plant productivity, and – most importantly – changes in rhizodeposition. Four years of manipulation of summer drought exerted surprisingly minor effects, only detrimentally affecting belowground herbivores and ciliate protists at elevated N. Elevated CO₂ increased microbial biomass and the density of ciliates, microarthropod detritivores, and gamasid mites, most likely by fueling soil food webs with labile C. Moreover, beneficial bottom‐up effects of elevated CO₂ compensated for detrimental elevated N effects on soil microarthropod taxa richness. In contrast, nematode taxa richness was lowest at elevated CO₂ and elevated N. Thus, enrichment of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and N deposition may result in taxonomically and functionally altered, potentially simplified, soil communities. Detrimental effects of N deposition on soil biodiversity underscore recent reports on plant community simplification. This is of particular concern, as soils house a considerable fraction of global biodiversity and ecosystem functions.     

Nitrogen Addition Regulates Soil Nematode Community Composition through Ammonium Suppression

Nitrogen (N) enrichment resulting from anthropogenic activities has greatly changed the composition and functioning of soil communities. Nematodes are one of the most abundant and diverse groups of soil organisms, and they occupy key trophic positions in the soil detritus food web. Nematodes have therefore been proposed as useful indicators for shifts in soil ecosystem functioning under N enrichment. Here, we monitored temporal dynamics of the soil nematode community using a multi-level N addition experiment in an Inner Mongolia grassland. Measurements were made three years after the start of the experiment. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the mechanisms regulating nematode responses to N enrichment. Across the N enrichment gradient, significant reductions in total nematode abundance, diversity (H' and taxonomic richness), maturity index (MI), and the abundance of root herbivores, fungivores and omnivores-predators were found in August. Root herbivores recovered in September, contributing to the temporal variation of total nematode abundance across the N gradient. Bacterivores showed a hump-shaped relationship with N addition rate, both in August and September. Ammonium concentration was negatively correlated with the abundance of total and herbivorous nematodes in August, but not in September. Ammonium suppression explained 61% of the variation in nematode richness and 43% of the variation in nematode trophic group composition. Ammonium toxicity may occur when herbivorous nematodes feed on root fluid, providing a possible explanation for the negative relationship between herbivorous nematodes and ammonium concentration in August. We found a significantly positive relationship between fungivores and fungal phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), suggesting bottom-up control of fungivores. No such relationship was found between bacterivorous nematodes and bacterial PLFA. Our findings contribute to the understanding of effects of N enrichment in semiarid grassland on soil nematode trophic groups, and the cascading effects in the detrital soil food web.     

Development of taxon‐specific markers for high‐throughput screening of microbial‐feeding nematodes

In an effort to assess the taxonomic identity of large‐scale samplings of nematodes from the Konza Tallgrass Prairie, we sequenced a portion of the 18S rRNA gene and its associated internally transcribed spacer (ITS1) from 74 nematodes encompassing four taxonomic families. From these sequences, we have developed a series of molecular probes to distinguish 16 distinct microbivorous nematode taxa. Using a combination of low power microscopy and taxon‐specific real‐time probes, the 74 nematodes were correctly assigned to their respective taxonomic groups. This optimized method provides a high‐throughput assay to determine nematode identities across larger data sets.     

氮沉降对土壤线虫群落影响的研究进展

综述了主要陆地生态系统(草原、农田和森林)土壤线虫群落对氮沉降增加的响应格局和机制。总体上,氮沉降增加对线虫数量一般无显著影响,但增加了土壤中富集机会主义者(即低营养级的r-策略者)数量,降低了线虫群落成熟度指数(MI),表明氮沉降增加可能会使土壤食物网简化。氮沉降增加主要通过改变土壤微环境(如增加含氮离子浓度、降低土壤pH)直接影响土壤线虫群落,或者改变植物地上地下资源的输入和线虫与其他土壤动物的关系,间接影响线虫群落。最后,根据目前研究现状,指出了当前研究存在的局限性,包括研究时间和空间尺度上以及研究技术手段上的局限。建议综合多个全球环境变化因子,并结合室内试验及分子手段的方法对土壤线虫群落进行研究。     

The effects of fire frequency and grazing on tallgrass prairie productivity and plant composition are mediated through bud bank demography

Periodic fire, grazing, and a variable climate are considered the most important drivers of tallgrass prairie ecosystems, having large impacts on the component species and on ecosystem structure and function. We used long-term experiments at Konza Prairie Biological Station to explore the underlying demographic mechanisms responsible for tallgrass prairie responses to two key ecological drivers: fire and grazing. Our data indicate that belowground bud banks (populations of meristems associated with rhizomes or other perennating organs) mediate tallgrass prairie plant response. Fire and grazing altered rates of belowground bud natality, tiller emergence from the bud bank, and both short-term (fire cycle) and long-term (>15 year) changes in bud bank density. Annual burning increased grass bud banks by 25% and decreased forb bud banks by 125% compared to burning every 4 years. Grazing increased the rate of emergence from the grass bud bank resulting in increased grass stem densities while decreasing grass bud banks compared to ungrazed prairie. By contrast, grazing increased both bud and stem density of forbs in annually burned prairie but grazing had no effect on forb bud or stem density in the 4-year burn frequency treatment. Lastly, the size of the reserve grass bud bank is an excellent predictor of long-term ANPP in tallgrass prairie and also of short-term interannual variation in ANPP associated with fire cycles, supporting our hypothesis that ANPP is strongly regulated by belowground demographic processes. Meristem limitation due to management practices such as different fire frequencies or grazing regimes may constrain tallgrass prairie responses to interannual changes in resource availability. An important consequence is that grasslands with a large bud bank may be the most responsive to future climatic change or other global change phenomena such as nutrient enrichment, and may be most resistant to exotic species invasions.     

Soil Nematode Responses to Increases in Nitrogen Deposition and Precipitation in a Temperate Forest

The environmental changes arising from nitrogen (N) deposition and precipitation influence soil ecological processes in forest ecosystems. However, the corresponding effects of environmental changes on soil biota are poorly known. Soil nematodes are the important bioindicator of soil environmental change, and their responses play a key role in the feedbacks of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. Therefore, to explore the responsive mechanisms of soil biota to N deposition and precipitation, soil nematode communities were studied after 3 years of environmental changes by water and/or N addition in a temperate forest of Changbai Mountain, Northeast China. The results showed that water combined with N addition treatment decreased the total nematode abundance in the organic horizon (O), while the opposite trend was found in the mineral horizon (A). Significant reductions in the abundances of fungivores, plant-parasites and omnivores-predators were also found in the water combined with N addition treatment. The significant effect of water interacted with N on the total nematode abundance and trophic groups indicated that the impacts of N on soil nematode communities were mediated by water availability. The synergistic effect of precipitation and N deposition on soil nematode communities was stronger than each effect alone. Structural equation modeling suggested water and N additions had direct effects on soil nematode communities. The feedback of soil nematodes to water and nitrogen addition was highly sensitive and our results indicate that minimal variations in soil properties such as those caused by climate changes can lead to severe changes in soil nematode communities.     

As above,not so below: Long-term dynamics of net primary production across a dryland transition zone

Drylands are key contributors to interannual variation in the terrestrial carbon sink, which has been attributed primarily to broad-scale climatic anomalies that disproportionately affect net primary production (NPP) in these ecosystems. Current knowledge around the patterns and controls of NPP is based largely on measurements of aboveground net primary production (ANPP), particularly in the context of altered precipitation regimes. Limited evidence suggests belowground net primary production (BNPP), a major input to the terrestrial carbon pool, may respond differently than ANPP to precipitation, as well as other drivers of environmental change, such as nitrogen deposition and fire. Yet long-term measurements of BNPP are rare, contributing to uncertainty in carbon cycle assessments. Here, we used 16 years of annual NPP measurements to investigate responses of ANPP and BNPP to several environmental change drivers across a grassland–shrubland transition zone in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. ANPP was positively correlated with annual precipitation across this landscape; however, this relationship was weaker within sites. BNPP, on the other hand, was weakly correlated with precipitation only in Chihuahuan Desert shrubland. Although NPP generally exhibited similar trends among sites, temporal correlations between ANPP and BNPP within sites were weak. We found chronic nitrogen enrichment stimulated ANPP, whereas a one-time prescribed burn reduced ANPP for nearly a decade. Surprisingly, BNPP was largely unaffected by these factors. Together, our results suggest that BNPP is driven by a different set of controls than ANPP. Furthermore, our findings imply belowground production cannot be inferred from aboveground measurements in dryland ecosystems. Improving understanding around the patterns and controls of dryland NPP at interannual to decadal scales is fundamentally important because of their measurable impact on the global carbon cycle. This study underscores the need for more long-term measurements of BNPP to improve assessments of the terrestrial carbon sink, particularly in the context of ongoing environmental change.     

Fire affects the taxonomic and functional composition of soil microbial communities,with cascading effects on grassland ecosystem functioning

Fire is a crucial event regulating the structure and functioning of many ecosystems. Yet few studies have focused on how fire affects taxonomic and functional diversities of soil microbial communities, along with changes in plant communities and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Here, we analyze these effects in a grassland ecosystem 9 months after an experimental fire at the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment site in California, USA. Fire altered soil microbial communities considerably, with community assembly process analysis showing that environmental selection pressure was higher in burned sites. However, a small subset of highly connected taxa was able to withstand the disturbance. In addition, fire decreased the relative abundances of most functional genes associated with C degradation and N cycling, implicating a slowdown of microbial processes linked to soil C and N dynamics. In contrast, fire stimulated above‐ and belowground plant growth, likely enhancing plant–microbe competition for soil inorganic N, which was reduced by a factor of about 2. To synthesize those findings, we performed structural equation modeling, which showed that plants but not microbial communities were responsible for significantly higher soil respiration rates in burned sites. Together, our results demonstrate that fire ‘reboots’ the grassland ecosystem by differentially regulating plant and soil microbial communities, leading to significant changes in soil C and N dynamics.     

宁南山区不同植被恢复方式下土壤线虫群落特征:形态学鉴定与高通量测序法比较

线虫是土壤食物网的重要组分, 也是土壤健康与生态系统恢复的重要指示生物, 因此准确测定线虫群落特征是发挥其生态指示作用的基础。传统线虫学研究多采用形态学鉴定方法, 但高通量测序技术近年来也逐渐受到重视。然而, 关于这两种方法的对比研究目前仍比较缺乏。本研究同时采用形态学鉴定和高通量测序法, 在黄土高原宁夏南部山区, 对不同植被恢复方式下(农田、自然恢复草地、柠条(Caragana korshinskii)人工林地和苜蓿人工草地)土壤线虫的数量、群落格局和生态指数进行了测定和比较。结果表明: (1)高通量测序仅能提供线虫类群的相对多度, 而形态学鉴定法能够测定土壤线虫的绝对多度, 后者测定结果表明3种植被恢复样地, 特别是自然恢复草地和柠条人工林地, 较农田具有更高的土壤线虫多度; (2)高通量测序法检获的线虫类群数(3纲4目26科42属)高于形态学鉴定法的测定结果(2纲3目18科27属), 但两种方法仅检获15个共有线虫属, 前者检测到的植物寄生线虫属数(22属)较后者(7属)显著增加, 而食细菌线虫和杂食-捕食线虫则相反; (3)在两种方法下, 相比农田, 3种植被恢复样地尤其是自然恢复草地和柠条人工林地, 其食微线虫的相对多度均显著下降, 而植物寄生线虫和杂食-捕食线虫的相对多度大幅上升, 这也导致线虫成熟度指数(MI)和植物寄生线虫指数(PPI)的提高及瓦斯乐卡指数(WI)的显著下降; (4)相比形态学鉴定法, 高通量测序法能检测到更丰富多样的植物寄生线虫, 在该方法下土壤线虫群落的组成、结构和生态指数在植被恢复样地与农田之间的差异也更为显著。综上所述, 采用形态学鉴定和高通量测序法测定的不同植被恢复方式下的线虫群落特征具有显著差异。     

Can litter addition mediate plant productivity responses to increased precipitation and nitrogen deposition in a typical steppe?

Plant litter is a key component of grassland and plays a major role in terrestrial ecosystem processes. Global climate change has been shown to considerably alter litter inputs to soils, which may feed back to the grassland ecosystem responses to climate change. In order to explore whether litter addition could mediate above and belowground productivity responses to short-term increases in growing-season precipitation and nitrogen deposition, we conducted a two-year study on water, nitrogen and litter addition in Inner Mongolia grassland. After two years of treatments, our results showed that water, nitrogen, and litter addition increased aboveground biomass (AB) and belowground net primary productivity (BNPP). Besides, litter addition increased BNPP responses to water addition. These litter addition effects could be attributed to the influence of litter on soil moisture and soil nitrogen availability, ultimately increasing belowground water use efficiency (WUE_BNPP) and plant nitrogen uptake (NUP_BNPP). However, litter addition suppressed the aboveground biomass (AB) responses to nitrogen addition under ambient precipitation conditions by affecting soil moisture. In conclusion, our results suggest that ecosystem responses to short-term increases in growing-season precipitation and nitrogen deposition could be mediated by the increased litter input caused by climate change.     

Soil acidification reduces the effects of short‐term nutrient enrichment on plant and soil biota and their interactions in grasslands

Soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, and soil acidification have greatly increased in grassland ecosystems due to increased industrial and agricultural activities. As major environmental and economic concerns worldwide, nutrient enrichment and soil acidification can lead to substantial changes in the diversity and structure of plant and soil communities. Although the separate effects of N and P enrichment on soil food webs have been assessed across different ecosystems, the combined effects of N and P enrichment on multiple trophic levels in soil food webs have not been studied in semiarid grasslands experiencing soil acidification. Here we conducted a short‐term N and P enrichment experiment in non‐acidified and acidified soil in a semiarid grassland on the Mongolian Plateau. We found that net primary productivity was not affected by N or P enrichment alone in either non‐acidified or acidified soil, but was increased by combined N and P enrichment in both non‐acidified and acidified soil. Nutrient enrichment decreased the biomass of most microbial groups in non‐acidified soil (the decrease tended to be greatest with combined N and P enrichment) but not in acidified soil, and did not affect most soil nematode variables in non‐acidified or acidified soil. Nutrient enrichment also changed plant and microbial community structure in non‐acidified but not in acidified soil, and had no effect on nematode community structure in non‐acidified or acidified soil. These results indicate that the responses to short‐term nutrient enrichment were weaker for higher trophic groups (nematodes) than for lower trophic groups (microorganisms) and primary producers (plants). The findings increase our understanding of the effects of nutrient enrichment on multiple trophic levels of soil food webs, and highlight that soil acidification, as an anthropogenic stressor, reduced the responses of plants and soil food webs to nutrient enrichment and weakened plant–soil interactions.     

青藏高原高寒草地地下生物多样性: 进展、问题与展望

栖息于土壤中的微生物和微型动物种类繁多、数量巨大, 在对地上生物多样性的调控和在生态系统功能与服务的维系中, 具有举足轻重的作用。虽然对土壤微生物以及土壤动物已经开展了广泛的调查, 但是整体上对于地下生物多样性的分布格局、驱动机制及其对全球变化的响应与适应过程, 仍缺乏深刻的认识。青藏高原是全球变化的敏感区域, 其中高寒草地是高原最主要的植被类型, 占高原面积的60%左右, 在高寒生态系统生物多样性维持中具有重要意义。近年来, 已有大量研究关注于高寒草地地下生物多样性, 但是缺乏系统的总结与论述。基于此, 本文从细菌、真菌、古菌、线虫、节肢动物五大土壤生物类群出发, 阐述了青藏高原高寒草地的地下物种丰富度、分布格局及其影响因素, 重点探讨了它们对气候变化和人类活动的响应, 并就未来高寒草地地下生物多样性亟需关注的关键问题进行了展望, 包括: (1)地下各个生物类群的分布格局、各类群之间的联系及驱动机制; (2)地上与地下生物多样性耦联的机制; (3)地下生物多样性对生态系统功能和健康的影响; (4)地下生物多样性的调控实验研究。     

Diversity of bacteria associated with grassland soil nematodes of different feeding groups

The bacterial diversity associated with soil nematodes and its relationship with their feeding habits are as yet poorly understood. In the present study the diversity and abundance of bacteria from nematodes and their surrounding soil were analysed and compared. The nematodes were collected from a grassland soil and sorted into bacterial, fungal, plant, predatory and omnivore feeding groups and assigned to taxonomic groups. Total DNA was extracted from the nematodes and partial bacterial 16S rRNA genes were PCR amplified, cloned and sequenced. The abundance and composition of bacterial taxa differed between and within feeding groups. The lowest bacterial diversity was found in the predatory nematodes Prionchulus sp., whereas the highest bacterial diversity was associated with the bacterial-feeding nematode Acrobeles sp. The soil had a more diverse bacterial community than the communities found in the nematode groups. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of bacteria associated with nematodes did not overlap with those detected in soil as determined using the cloning screening approach. However, bacterial sequences identified from nematodes could be detected in the soil with targeted PCR. Our data suggest that the nematodes do not feed on the most abundant bacteria present in soil. Furthermore, several nematodes contained suspected bacterial symbionts and parasites.     

Latitudinal variation in soil nematode communities under climate warming‐related range‐expanding and native plants

Current climate change has led to latitudinal and altitudinal range expansions of numerous species. During such range expansions, plant species are expected to experience changes in interactions with other organisms, especially with belowground biota that have a limited dispersal capacity. Nematodes form a key component of the belowground food web as they include bacterivores, fungivores, omnivores and root herbivores. However, their community composition under climate change‐driven intracontinental range‐expanding plants has been studied almost exclusively under controlled conditions, whereas little is known about actual patterns in the field. Here, we use novel molecular sequencing techniques combined with morphological quantification in order to examine nematode communities in the rhizospheres of four range‐expanding and four congeneric native species along a 2,000 km latitudinal transect from South‐Eastern to North‐Western Europe. We tested the hypotheses that latitudinal shifts in nematode community composition are stronger in range‐expanding plant species than in congeneric natives and that in their new range, range‐expanding plant species accumulate fewest root‐feeding nematodes. Our results show latitudinal variation in nematode community composition of both range expanders and native plant species, while operational taxonomic unit richness remained the same across ranges. Therefore, range‐expanding plant species face different nematode communities at higher latitudes, but this is also the case for widespread native plant species. Only one of the four range‐expanding plant species showed a stronger shift in nematode community composition than its congeneric native and accumulated fewer root‐feeding nematodes in its new range. We conclude that variation in nematode community composition with increasing latitude occurs for both range‐expanding and native plant species and that some range‐expanding plant species may become released from root‐feeding nematodes in the new range.