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Local variation in soil microbial community structure in seminatural and artificial grasslands
Author(s) -
Hossain M. Zabed,
Okubo Atsushi,
Sugiyama Shuichi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
grassland science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.388
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1744-697X
pISSN - 1744-6961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-697x.2007.00087.x
Subject(s) - vegetation (pathology) , plant community , community structure , grassland , environmental science , microbial population biology , grazing , soil fertility , ecology , agronomy , vegetation type , soil water , biology , ecological succession , soil science , bacteria , medicine , genetics , pathology
Although above‐ground and below‐ground biological communities have mutual functional links, less is known about structural relationships between them. This study examines how soil microbial community structure is related to plant vegetation types and soil fertility in seminatural and artificial grasslands of Shiriyazaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Soil microbial community structure was analyzed by profiles of phospholipids fatty acid (PLFA). Soil nitrogen and phosphorus contents were much higher in artificial grasslands than in seminatural grasslands. Seminatural and artificial grasslands showed significant differences between them in relative abundances of six PLFA peaks out of 16 peaks used in this study. Seminatural grasslands consist of two distinctive vegetation types depending on grazing intensity: short‐grass vegetation and tall‐grass vegetation. Although plant species composition largely differed between the short‐grass and tall‐grass vegetation types, the soil microbial community structure did not show a significant difference between them. These results indicate strong influences of human management on the soil microbial community.