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Updated: Nov 17, 2025
A Lipid Extraction and Analysis Method for Characterizing Soil Microbes in Experiments with Many Samples
Published on: July 16, 2017
Edaphic variables are better indicators of soil microbial functional structure than plant-related ones in subtropical
Jingmin Cheng1, Zhongjie Han2, Jing Cong3
1Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Key Laboratory of Biological Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Abstract:
Soil microorganisms play important roles in the ecosystem functioning of subtropical broad-leaved forests (SBFs). However, the patterns and environmental indicators of soil microbial functional structure remain unclear in SBFs. In the present work, we used a functional microarray (GeoChip 4.0) to examine the soil microbial functional structure of three types of SBFs, including a deciduous broad-leaved forest (DBF), a mixed evergreen-deciduous broad-leaved forest (MBF), and an evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF). We found that microbial functional structure was significantly different among SBFs (P < 0.05). Compared to the DBF and the EBF, the MBF had higher functional α-diversity (P = 0.001, F = 12.55) but lower β-diversity (P < 0.001, F = 61.09), and showed more complex functional gene networks. Besides, the MBF had higher relative abundances of functional genes for carbon (C) decomposition, C fixation, nitrogen (N) cycling, sulfur (S) cycling, and phosphorus (P) cycling (P < 0.05), indicating stronger microbial functional capabilities of nutrient cycling processes. Edaphic variables (i.e., soil pH and soil nutrient content) were revealed as better indicators of soil microbial functional structure than plant-related ones (i.e., vegetation type and plant diversity) in SBFs. For example, functional gene structure of the DBF was significantly related to soil total S (P = 0.041), that of the MBF was significantly related to soil organic C (P = 0.027) and plant available P (P = 0.034), and that of the EBF was significantly related to soil pH (P = 0.006) and total potassium (K) (P = 0.038). Overall, through the analysis of microbial functional gene profiles, this study yields unique insights into the environmental indicators of patterns and mechanisms of soil microbial functional structure in SBFs.
