Effects of altitude gradient on plant and soil microbial community structure and diversity in the middle part of the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2024.0157

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Plants and soil microorganisms play crucial roles in regulating the function and stability of terrestrial ecosystems. Exploring the variations in community composition and diversity of plants and soil microorganisms and their driving mechanisms along altitude gradients provides a better understanding of their responses to changes in terrestrial ecosystems and the mechanisms that maintain biodiversity under global change.

Methods In this study, a vertical gradient experiment was conducted across three grassland types on the northern slope of Kunlun Mountains. High-throughput sequencing was employed to assess soil bacterial and fungal communities. The study examined the patterns of variation in community structure, composition, and species diversity of plants and soil microorganisms along an altitudinal gradient (2 200-3 800 m) and explored their potential interrelationships.

Important findings The species diversity and productivity of plants, as well as the diversity of soil microorganisms (including bacteria and fungi) and soil nutrients content, all increased monotonically along the altitudinal gradient, with peak values observed in the alpine steppe. Soil fungi were more sensitive to environmental gradient than bacteria. The aboveground plant community and soil fungal community showed significant variation along the altitude gradient, while the structure and composition of the soil bacterial community remained largely unchanged. The species diversity and aboveground biomass of the plant community were significantly correlated with the diversity of the soil microbial community, with a stronger relationship observed with bacterial diversity than with fungal diversity. The species diversity of soil microorganisms and plants was positively correlated with mean annual precipitation (MAP) and soil carbon and nutrient (phosphorus and potassium) contents, but negatively correlated with mean annual air temperature (MAT). The pattern analysis showed that altitude (geographical distance) and climate factors had greater contributions to microbial and plant diversity than soil factors. The variation in climate factors (MAT and MAP) due to the altitude gradient was the dominant drivers of community dynamics in both plant and soil microorganisms, though their roles differed. Soil nutrients also played an important role in the diversity of both soil microorganisms and plants. In summary, the regional distribution pattern of aboveground plant and soil microbial communities in mountain steppe ecosystems is co-regulated by climate and soil factors associated with the altitude gradient in arid regions. This study highlights that climatic factors in arid areas are the dominant drivers of variations in the distribution pattern and structural composition of plant and soil microbial communities. Moreover, soil microbial diversity, especially bacterial diversity, plays a crucial role in enhancing grassland community productivity. The findings of this research provide valuable insights for grassland ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation in arid regions.

Key words: arid region, mountain steppe, community structure, biodiversity, altitude gradient, driving mechanism

MA Fu-Long, WANG Yu-Qing, HAO Yu, DUAN Ji-Chao, LIU Fei-Fei, XI Lin-Qiao, HAN Lu. Effects of altitude gradient on plant and soil microbial community structure and diversity in the middle part of the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2025, 49(5): 732-747.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2024.0157

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Figures/Tables 11

References 44

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环境因子 Environmental factor	温性荒漠草原 Ds (2 200-2 600 m)	温性典型草原 Ws (2 800-3 200 m)	高寒草原 As (3 400-3 800 m)	r
土壤水分含量 Soil moisture (%)	8.22 ± 0.53^c	13.31 ± 0.68^b	17.89 ± 0.66^a	0.992^**
土壤密度 Soil density (g·cm^-3)	1.45 ± 0.01^a	1.35 ± 0.04^b	1.22 ± 0.02^c	0.984^**
土壤pH pH value of soil	7.72 ± 0.02^a	7.73 ± 0.08^a	7.75 ± 0.04^a	0.185
总盐含量 Total salt content (g·kg^-1)	137.33 ± 12.32^a	94.19 ± 11.26^b	132.46 ± 6.54^a	-0.247
有机质含量 Organic matter content (g·kg^-1)	2.52 ± 0.63^c	9.14 ± 0.34^b	24.20 ± 0.49^a	0.736^*
全氮含量 Total nitrogen content (mg·kg^-1)	0.21 ± 0.00^c	3.93 ± 0.00^b	5.03 ± 0.00^a	0.768^*
速效磷含量 Available phosphorus content (mg·kg^-1)	0.09 ± 0.01^c	0.55 ± 0.02^b	0.85 ± 0.05^a	0.673
速效钾含量 Available potassium content (mg·kg^-1)	106.74 ± 1.55^c	155.38 ± 2.62^b	180.94 ± 5.18^a	0.765^*
年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	7.97 ± 0.60^a	4.09 ± 0.20^b	1.13 ± 0.76^c	-0.994^**
年降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)	29 ± 0.0^a	33 ± 0.0^b	34 ± 0.1^c	0.999^**
风速 Wind speed (m·s^-1)	1.63 ± 0.06^b	1.93 ± 0.02^b	2.11 ± 0.19^a	0.969^**
水蒸气压 Water vapor pressure (kPa)	0.50 ± 0.01^a	0.35 ± 0.01^b	0.28 ± 0.02^c	-0.992^**

环境因子 Environmental factor	温性荒漠草原 Ds (2 200-2 600 m)	温性典型草原 Ws (2 800-3 200 m)	高寒草原 As (3 400-3 800 m)	r
土壤水分含量 Soil moisture (%)	8.22 ± 0.53^c	13.31 ± 0.68^b	17.89 ± 0.66^a	0.992^**
土壤密度 Soil density (g·cm^-3)	1.45 ± 0.01^a	1.35 ± 0.04^b	1.22 ± 0.02^c	0.984^**
土壤pH pH value of soil	7.72 ± 0.02^a	7.73 ± 0.08^a	7.75 ± 0.04^a	0.185
总盐含量 Total salt content (g·kg^-1)	137.33 ± 12.32^a	94.19 ± 11.26^b	132.46 ± 6.54^a	-0.247
有机质含量 Organic matter content (g·kg^-1)	2.52 ± 0.63^c	9.14 ± 0.34^b	24.20 ± 0.49^a	0.736^*
全氮含量 Total nitrogen content (mg·kg^-1)	0.21 ± 0.00^c	3.93 ± 0.00^b	5.03 ± 0.00^a	0.768^*
速效磷含量 Available phosphorus content (mg·kg^-1)	0.09 ± 0.01^c	0.55 ± 0.02^b	0.85 ± 0.05^a	0.673
速效钾含量 Available potassium content (mg·kg^-1)	106.74 ± 1.55^c	155.38 ± 2.62^b	180.94 ± 5.18^a	0.765^*
年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	7.97 ± 0.60^a	4.09 ± 0.20^b	1.13 ± 0.76^c	-0.994^**
年降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)	29 ± 0.0^a	33 ± 0.0^b	34 ± 0.1^c	0.999^**
风速 Wind speed (m·s^-1)	1.63 ± 0.06^b	1.93 ± 0.02^b	2.11 ± 0.19^a	0.969^**
水蒸气压 Water vapor pressure (kPa)	0.50 ± 0.01^a	0.35 ± 0.01^b	0.28 ± 0.02^c	-0.992^**

功能群 Functional group	温性荒漠草原 Ds		温性典型草原 Ws		高寒草原 As
功能群 Functional group	物种 Species	重要值 IV	物种 Species	重要值 IV	物种 Species	重要值 IV
	新疆绢蒿 Seriphidium rhodanthum	0.452	寒生羊茅 Festuca kryloviana	0.357	西山银穗草 Leucopoa olgae	0.352
	驼绒藜 Krascheninnikovia ceratoides	0.389	昆仑针茅 Stipa roborowskyi	0.198	紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea	0.236
	内蒙古旱蒿 Artemisia xerophytica	0.058	藏新黄耆 Astragalus tibetanus	0.160	草 Koeleria cristata	0.195
	合头草 Sympegma regelii	0.030	新疆绢蒿 Seriphidium rhodanthum	0.149	珠芽蓼 Polygonum viviparum	0.122
	昆仑针茅 Stipa roborowskyi	0.022	密穗早熟禾 Poa spiciformis	0.018	寒生羊茅 Festuca kryloviana	0.069
	骆驼蓬 Peganum harmala	0.012	野葱 Allium chrysanthum	0.050	二裂委陵菜 Potentilla bifurca	0.064
	雾冰藜 Grubovia dasyphylla	0.008	紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea	0.037	车前 Plantago asiatica	0.060
	倒披针叶虫实 Corispermum lehmannianum	0.005	劲直鹤虱 Lappula stricta	0.032	垂穗披碱草 Elymus nutans	0.060
			垂穗披碱草 Elymus nutans	0.019	高原委陵菜 Potentilla pamiroalaica	0.052
			半卧狗娃花 Aster semiprostratus	0.008	矮火绒草 Leontopodium nanum	0.046
			车前 Plantago asiatica	0.009	丘陵老鹳草 Geranium collinum	0.037
					蒲公英 Taraxacum mongolicum	0.033
					新疆龙胆 Gentiana karelinii	0.017
					肋柱花 Lomatogonium carinthiacum	0.014
一年生 Annual	2		1		2
二年生、多年生 Biennial, perennial	6		10		12

功能群 Functional group	温性荒漠草原 Ds		温性典型草原 Ws		高寒草原 As
功能群 Functional group	物种 Species	重要值 IV	物种 Species	重要值 IV	物种 Species	重要值 IV
	新疆绢蒿 Seriphidium rhodanthum	0.452	寒生羊茅 Festuca kryloviana	0.357	西山银穗草 Leucopoa olgae	0.352
	驼绒藜 Krascheninnikovia ceratoides	0.389	昆仑针茅 Stipa roborowskyi	0.198	紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea	0.236
	内蒙古旱蒿 Artemisia xerophytica	0.058	藏新黄耆 Astragalus tibetanus	0.160	草 Koeleria cristata	0.195
	合头草 Sympegma regelii	0.030	新疆绢蒿 Seriphidium rhodanthum	0.149	珠芽蓼 Polygonum viviparum	0.122
	昆仑针茅 Stipa roborowskyi	0.022	密穗早熟禾 Poa spiciformis	0.018	寒生羊茅 Festuca kryloviana	0.069
	骆驼蓬 Peganum harmala	0.012	野葱 Allium chrysanthum	0.050	二裂委陵菜 Potentilla bifurca	0.064
	雾冰藜 Grubovia dasyphylla	0.008	紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea	0.037	车前 Plantago asiatica	0.060
	倒披针叶虫实 Corispermum lehmannianum	0.005	劲直鹤虱 Lappula stricta	0.032	垂穗披碱草 Elymus nutans	0.060
			垂穗披碱草 Elymus nutans	0.019	高原委陵菜 Potentilla pamiroalaica	0.052
			半卧狗娃花 Aster semiprostratus	0.008	矮火绒草 Leontopodium nanum	0.046
			车前 Plantago asiatica	0.009	丘陵老鹳草 Geranium collinum	0.037
					蒲公英 Taraxacum mongolicum	0.033
					新疆龙胆 Gentiana karelinii	0.017
					肋柱花 Lomatogonium carinthiacum	0.014
一年生 Annual	2		1		2
二年生、多年生 Biennial, perennial	6		10		12

指标 Index	温性荒漠草原 Ds (2 200-2 600 m)	温性典型草原 Ws (2 800-3 200 m)	高寒草原 As (3 400-3 800 m)
地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (kg·hm^-2)	1 133.36 ± 47.21^b	5 896.99 ± 256.07^a	7 293.66 ± 312.29^a
盖度 Coverage (%)	46.33 ± 13.05^b	81.67 ± 7.77^a	96.00 ± 2.65^a
Patrick指数 Patrick index	6.00 ± 0.58^b	8.00 ± 1.00^b	11.00 ± 1.00^a
Margalef指数 Margalef index	1.80 ± 0.14^b	2.46 ± 0.15^a	2.59 ± 0.30^a
Shannon-Wiener指数 Shannon-Wiener index	0.74 ± 0.03^b	0.88 ± 0.01^a	0.78 ± 0.06^b
Simpson指数 Simpson index	0.67 ± 0.04^b	0.75 ± 0.03^a	0.76 ± 0.03^a
Pielou指数 Pielou index	0.88 ± 0.20^a	0.89 ± 0.12^a	1.12 ± 0.12^a