Differential responses of termite gut bacterial and fungal community to tropical forest conversion

Land-use change significantly impacts biodiversity, but its effects on the gut microbiomes of soil invertebrates remain poorly understood. We investigated how forest conversion to rubber plantations alters bacterial and fungal diversity, composition, and function in termite guts within a biodiversity hotspot Xishuangbanna, China. Our results showed that termites from natural forests harbored higher gut bacterial diversity than those from plantations, with effects varying across host species. Fungal diversity was shaped primarily by host species identity, with Odontotermes yunnanensis exhibiting the highest diversity index. While termite species solely governed bacterial community composition, both termite species and forest type shaped fungal composition. Fungal community variation correlated with local soil properties, whereas bacterial variation only associated with soil pH. Termites shared 17% of core gut bacteria (e.g., Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium) but 100% of fungi with the environment. Co-occurrence networks exhibited species-specific responses to forest conversion. Host species (Ancistrotermes and Odontotermes) predicted bacterial functional potential, but both forest type and host species influenced fungal functional potential. These findings demonstrate that termite gut microbiome responses to land-use change are multifaceted and taxon-specific, highlighting their role in ecosystem functional resilience under anthropogenic disturbance.