Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2023, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 97-106.doi: 10.19741/j.issn.1673-4831.2022.0111

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Effects of Different Biological Soil Crust Types on Microbial Community Structure and Composition in Baijitan, China

LI Jing-yu1,2,3, YANG Rui1,2, DUAN Xiao-min1,3, LIU Jian-li1,2,3, LIU Bing-ru1,3   

  1. 1. College of Biological Science & Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    2. Ningxia Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Development and Applications in Special Environment, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    3. Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin, National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China, Yinchuan 750021, China
  • Received:2022-02-13 Online:2023-01-25 Published:2023-01-14

Abstract: Vegetation restoration on the Baijitan National Nature Reserve and in the surrounding areas promotes improvements in the regional ecological environment. A large area of mossy and algal biocrust with a mosaic structure is distributed within the vegetation restoration zone, and this plays an important role in blocking wind, fixing sand and improving the surface soil quality of this desert ecosystem. To fully understand the microbial community structure and differences in different biological soil crusts, sampling sites with a mosaic distribution of mossy and algal biocrust were selected, and the bacteria and fungi within the biocrust were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq technology. The results show that the α diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities in different biological soil crusts tended to be consistent. The Ace and Chao indices, which only reflected the richness of the bacterial community, were significantly higher in the moss biocrust than in the algal biocrust. The bacterial community was mainly composed of Microvirga, Rubrobacter, Geodermatophilus, Blastococcus, Sphingomonas, Solirubrobacter, Rubellimicrobium, Nocardioides and Bryobacter genera, while the fungal community mainly included Gibberella, Knufia, Mortierella, Endocarpon, Alternaria, Bahusakala, Phaeomycocentrospora, Preussia and Omphalina genera. The relative abundance of Rubrobacter in the mossy biocrust was significantly lower than in the algal biocrust, while the relative abundance of Bryobacter was significantly higher in the mossy biocrust than in the algal biocrust. The relative abundance of Knufia, Bahusakala, Omphalina, Lamprospora, Vishniacozyma, Phoma, Entoloma and Trichoderma genera in the mossy biocrust was significantly higher than in the algal biocrust, while the relative abundance of Powellomyces, Sporormiella, Thielavia, Iodophanus, Agaricus and Acrophialophora genera in the mossy biocrust was significantly lower than in the algal biocrust. Biological soil crust types have a significant impact on the bacterial and fungal community structure, and can explain 14% of the differences in the bacterial community structure and 8% of the differences in the fungal community structure. These results can provide microbial diversity data for an in-depth understanding of the ecological functions of different biological soil crusts in the process of desert ecosystem restoration.

Key words: biological soil crust, bacteria, fungi, community structure, Illumina MiSeq sequencing

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