Soil microbiome transfer method affects microbiome composition, including dominant microorganisms, in a novel...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Soil Science
• Molecular Ecology

Background:

• Understanding soil microbiome assembly is crucial for ecological restoration and agriculture.
• Microbial community composition can be influenced by various factors, including introduction methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different soil microbiome transfer methods affect the development of microbial communities in a new environment.
• To determine the impact of direct soil transfer versus soil washing on microbial community similarity to the source.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes (bacteria) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (fungi).
• Compared microbial communities after 3 weeks of incubation in commercial potting mix using direct soil transfers (5% v/v) and a soil wash procedure.

Main Results:

• The transfer method dramatically influenced the developing soil microbiome.
• Greater similarity to the source soil microbiome was observed with higher volume direct soil transfers (5% v/v).
• The soil wash procedure resulted in the least similar microbiome compared to the source soil.

Conclusions:

• The choice of soil transfer method is a critical determinant of soil microbiome establishment.
• Abundant microbial taxa were significantly affected by the transfer method, indicating the importance of transferred compounds and biotic interactions.