Backgrounds
The high-altitude desert ecosystem is fragile, and planting Caragana korshinskii is a key measure for ecological restoration, effectively improving soil quality, windbreak and sand fixation, and water conservation. However, how the establishment of plantations affects soil microbial community-mediated multifunctional regulation remains unclear.
Methods
This study investigated the effects of soil and rhizosphere microbial community characteristics on soil multifunctionality across six planting years (0a, 5a, 15a, 25a, 35a, 50a) in alpine sandy regions.
Results
The results demonstrated significantly higher soil multifunctionality in the 35a and 50a compared to CK and 5a. The linear mixed-effects model revealed a significant positive correlation between soil bacterial OTUs richness and soil multifunctionality (p < 0.05), whereas both the Shannon diversity index and Pielou's evenness index exhibited significant negative relationships as well as soil multifunctionality (p < 0.05). Notably, both soil fungal OTUs richness and Chao1 were significantly positively correlated with soil multifunctionality (p < 0.001). Additionally, soil bacterial phyla (Bdellovibrionota and MBNT15), rhizosphere bacterial (Bdellovibrionota and Nitrospirota), and soil factors (pH and soil bulk density) were significantly negatively correlated with soil multifunctionality (p < 0.05). Structural equation modeling indicated that soil factors had a direct negative impact on soil multifunctionality (p < 0.01), followed by the composition of the rhizosphere bacterial community.
Conclusion
Our study demonstrated that the responses of soil factors and rhizosphere microbial community composition to Caragana korshinskii artificial plantations establishment were crucial for maintaining soil multifunctionality in alpine sandy regions. We propose that enhanced research into the rhizosphere microenvironment could provide critical insights for establishing systematic approaches to desertification prevention and control.
Single ecosystem function and soil multifunctionality under different restoration durations with Caragana korshinskii plantations. Different lowercase letters indicates significant differences (P < 0.05). TC, soil total C; TN, soil total N; TP, soil total P; BG, soil 1,4-β-glucosidase activity; LAP, soil leucine aminopeptidase activity; NAG, soil 1,4-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase; SOM, soil organic matter; AP, soil available phosphorus; AN, soil available nitrogen; NO3−-N, soil nitrate nitrogen; NH4+-N, soil ammonium nitrogen
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