Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2013, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (5): 397-406.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00041

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Variations of soil microbial community diversity along an elevational gradient in mid-subtropical forest

WU Ze-Yan1,2,LIN Wen-Xiong2,*(),CHEN Zhi-Fang3,FANG Chang-Xun2,ZHANG Zhi-Xing2,WU Lin-Kun2,ZHOU Ming-Ming2,CHEN Ting2   

  1. 1College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
    2Institute of Agroecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
    3College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
  • Published:2013-05-16
  • Contact: LIN Wen-Xiong

Abstract:

Aims Soil microbes play a key role in material recycling and energy conversion in forest ecosystems. We studied the functional diversity of microbial communities and soil physical-chemical properties in order to illustrate variations of soil microbial community diversity along an elevational gradient in the Wuyi Mountains of China and influencing factors.
Methods Evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF), coniferous forest (CF), dwarf forest (DF) and alpine meadow (AM) were chosen as experimental sites along an elevation gradient in the National Natural Reserve of the Wuyi Mountains. We used Biolog EcoPlate analysis to study the functional diversity of microbial communities.
Important findings There were significant differences in functional diversity of microbial communities in different soil elevations. The average well color development (AWCD), which directly reflected microbial activity and functional diversity, increased over time, while AWCD at the same soil depth gradually decreased along with increasing altitude and in the order of EBF > CF > DF > AM. The AWCD of different soil depths for the same vegetation type was in the order of 0-10 cm > 10-25 cm > 25-40 cm. The Simpson index, Shannon-Wiener index, richness index and McIntosh index of EBF were all higher than AM. There was variation among substrates used by soil microbial communities in different soil elevations. The substrate used in EBF was significantly higher than the substrate used in AM. The carbon sources mostly used by soil microbes were carbohydrates and carboxylic acids, followed by amino acids, phenolic acids and polymers; the lowest was amines. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified two factors in relation to carbon sources; they explained 75.27% and 16.14% of the variation. The carbon sources used by soil microbial communities were different among different vegetation types. Amino acids and amides were the two main carbon sources separating the two principal component factors. Soil microbial community diversity decreased along the elevation gradient and with soil thickness, and vegetative biomass, forest litter, soil nutrient, microzoon and plant roots might be the major factors controlling this diversity.

Key words: Biolog EcoPlate, community diversity, elevation gradient, soil microorganism, Wuyi Mountains