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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Terrestrial Microbiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1455891

Soil bacterial community composition is altered more by soil nutrient availability than pH following long-term nutrient addition in a temperate steppe

Provisionally accepted
Hao Zhang Hao Zhang 1Na Jiang Na Jiang 1Siyu Zhang Siyu Zhang 2*Xiaoyu Zhu Xiaoyu Zhu 1Hui Wang Hui Wang 1Weiming Xiu Weiming Xiu 1*Jianning Zhao Jianning Zhao 1Hongmei Liu Hongmei Liu 1*Haifang Zhang Haifang Zhang 1*Dianlin Yang Dianlin Yang 1*
  • 1 Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China
  • 2 State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    While above-ground biodiversity has been extensively studied, the response of soil microbial populations to nutrient enrichment remains unclear. Soil microorganisms serve as important indicators in shaping soil nutrient cycling processes and are typically sensitive to nutrient additions. For this, we employed a factorial combination design to examine the impact of nutrient additions on the composition and function of soil bacteria in a temperate steppe. Nitrogen addition promoted the growth of copiotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota) but inhibited the growth of oligotrophic bacteria (Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Verrucomicrobiota). Phosphorus addition alleviated phosphorus deficiency, resulting in a decrease in the abundance of phoDharboring bacteria (Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria). Significant enhancement of soil bacterial alpha diversity was observed significantly only in treatments with added phosphorus. Changes in NO3--N, NH4+-N, available phosphorus, and dissolved organic carbon resulting from nutrient addition may have a greater impact on microbial community structure than changes in soil pH caused by nitrogen addition. Moreover, nutrient addition may indirectly impact microbial ecological function by altering nutrient availability in the soil. In conclusion, our study suggests that soil nutrient availability, particularly available phosphorus, affects soil bacterial communities and potentially regulates the biogeochemical cycles of soil ecosystems.

    Keywords: Nutrient addition, bacterial diversity, nutrient cycling, bacterial community composition, Temperate steppe

    Received: 27 Jun 2024; Accepted: 19 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Jiang, Zhang, Zhu, Wang, Xiu, Zhao, Liu, Zhang and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Siyu Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
    Weiming Xiu, Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China
    Hongmei Liu, Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China
    Haifang Zhang, Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China
    Dianlin Yang, Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, China

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