Changes in soil fungal community composition and functional groups during the succession of Alpine grassland

Background and aims This study explores trends in soil fungal patterns, potential functions and their responses to carbon and nitrogen applications over alpine grassland succession in the Qilian Mountain area of China. Methods The soil fungal community was characterized via Illumina sequencing of ITS genes. The FUNGuild database was used to predict functional groups in alpine grassland succession from swamp meadow to alpine meadow and steppe meadow. The levels of soil carbon and nitrogen, vegetation carbon and nitrogen, and soil enzyme activity were also assessed. Results Soil fungal operational taxonomic units increased from swamp meadow to alpine meadow stage and then reached a relatively stable state in steppe meadow successional stage. This result is consistent with the changing trend of sobs and Chao1 index. Moreover, the soil fungal community differed significantly between different succession stages. During succession, while most phyla of soil fungi followed linear decreasing trends, Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum. Its abundance increased significantly, from 60.00% in swamp meadow to 72.26% in steppe meadow. The relative abundances of Pathotroph and Saprotroph fungal functions increased with successional stages, while Symbiotroph did not change significantly. Soil ammonium nitrogen and organic carbon levels dominated the effect on the soil fungal microbial community and functional groups. Conclusion These findings indicate that the fungal community shifted dramatically in the first stage(swamp to alpine meadow) of succession but then reached a relatively stable state in the second(alpine to steppe meadow) successional stage. The soil fungal function group did not follow the same successional trajectory. Soil ammonium nitrogen and soil organic carbon levels imposed the strongest influence on the fungal community and its function, respectively.

Automated summary

This study examines the changes in soil fungal patterns, potential functions, and their responses to carbon and nitrogen applications during alpine grassland succession in the Qilian Mountain area of China. The results show significant changes in the soil fungal community during succession, with soil ammonium nitrogen and organic carbon levels having the strongest influence on the fungal community and its function.