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Vertical distribution of the soil microbiota along a successional gradient in a glacier forefield
Author(s) -
Rime Thomas,
Hartmann Martin,
Brunner Ivano,
Widmer Franco,
Zeyer Josef,
Frey Beat
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.13051
Subject(s) - acidobacteria , biology , soil water , actinobacteria , edaphic , ecology , soil microbiology , botany , bacteria , 16s ribosomal rna , genetics
Spatial patterns of microbial communities have been extensively surveyed in well‐developed soils, but few studies investigated the vertical distribution of micro‐organisms in newly developed soils after glacier retreat. We used 454‐pyrosequencing to assess whether bacterial and fungal community structures differed between stages of soil development ( SSD ) characterized by an increasing vegetation cover from barren (vegetation cover: 0%/age: 10 years), sparsely vegetated (13%/60 years), transient (60%/80 years) to vegetated (95%/110 years) and depths (surface, 5 and 20 cm) along the Damma glacier forefield (Switzerland). The SSD significantly influenced the bacterial and fungal communities. Based on indicator species analyses, metabolically versatile bacteria (e.g. Geobacter ) and psychrophilic yeasts (e.g. Mrakia ) characterized the barren soils. Vegetated soils with higher C, N and root biomass consisted of bacteria able to degrade complex organic compounds (e.g. Candidatus Solibacter ), lignocellulolytic Ascomycota (e.g. Geoglossum ) and ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycota (e.g. Laccaria ). Soil depth only influenced bacterial and fungal communities in barren and sparsely vegetated soils. These changes were partly due to more silt and higher soil moisture in the surface. In both soil ages, the surface was characterized by OTU s affiliated to Phormidium and Sphingobacteriales . In lower depths, however, bacterial and fungal communities differed between SSD. Lower depths of sparsely vegetated soils consisted of OTU s affiliated to Acidobacteria and Geoglossum, whereas depths of barren soils were characterized by OTU s related to Gemmatimonadetes . Overall, plant establishment drives the soil microbiota along the successional gradient but does not influence the vertical distribution of microbiota in recently deglaciated soils.