TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating the lingering effect of livestock grazing on functional potentials of microbial communities in Tibetan grassland soils
AU - Wang, Mengmeng
AU - Wang, Shiping
AU - Wu, Linwei
AU - Xu, Depeng
AU - Lin, Qiaoyan
AU - Hu, Yigang
AU - Li, Xiangzhen
AU - Zhou, Jizhong
AU - Yang, Yunfeng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - Background and aims: Livestock grazing is a widely practiced land-use regime that can impose lingering effects on global biogeochemical cycles. However, elucidating the mechanisms of related eco-processes, which are largely mediated by the microbial community, remains challenging. Methods: Here, we collected soil samples from two Tibetan grassland sites subjected to grazing in winter followed by a 3-month recovery. We then evaluated functional potentials of microbial communities via a metagenomic tool known as GeoChip 4.0. Results: Significant alterations were detected in post-grazing grassland soils, and further analysis showed that plant diversity was the best indicator of alterations in functional potentials. Relative abundances of labile C degradation genes decreased at the 3400-m site, but those of recalcitrant C degradation genes increased, which could be explained by the higher soil recalcitrant C input owing to their being substantially more forbs species at this site. Nitrification genes decreased at both sites, probably owing to increased soil moisture conducive to oxygen-limiting conditions. Relative abundance of denitrification genes increased at the 3200-m site, concomitant with increased N2O emissions. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that functional gene compositions of the microbial community were altered in post-grazing grassland soils, and linked to soil biogeochemical processes.
AB - Background and aims: Livestock grazing is a widely practiced land-use regime that can impose lingering effects on global biogeochemical cycles. However, elucidating the mechanisms of related eco-processes, which are largely mediated by the microbial community, remains challenging. Methods: Here, we collected soil samples from two Tibetan grassland sites subjected to grazing in winter followed by a 3-month recovery. We then evaluated functional potentials of microbial communities via a metagenomic tool known as GeoChip 4.0. Results: Significant alterations were detected in post-grazing grassland soils, and further analysis showed that plant diversity was the best indicator of alterations in functional potentials. Relative abundances of labile C degradation genes decreased at the 3400-m site, but those of recalcitrant C degradation genes increased, which could be explained by the higher soil recalcitrant C input owing to their being substantially more forbs species at this site. Nitrification genes decreased at both sites, probably owing to increased soil moisture conducive to oxygen-limiting conditions. Relative abundance of denitrification genes increased at the 3200-m site, concomitant with increased N2O emissions. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that functional gene compositions of the microbial community were altered in post-grazing grassland soils, and linked to soil biogeochemical processes.
KW - GeoChip
KW - Microbial functional potential
KW - Post-winter grazing
KW - Tibetan grassland
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84964319336&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11104-016-2897-y
DO - 10.1007/s11104-016-2897-y
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84964319336
SN - 0032-079X
VL - 407
SP - 385
EP - 399
JO - Plant and Soil
JF - Plant and Soil
IS - 1-2
ER -