Soil core microbiota drive community resistance to mercury stress and maintain functional stability

Soil microbial communities have resistance to environmental stresses and thus can maintain ecosystem functions such as decomposition, nutrient provisioning, and plant pathogen control. However, predominant factors driving community resistance of soil microbiome to heavy metal pollution stresses and ecosystem functional stability are still unclear, limiting our ability to forecast how soil pollution might affect ecosystem sustainability. Here, we conducted microcosm experiments to estimate the importance of soil microbiome in predicting community resistance to heavy metal mercury (Hg) stress in paired paddy and upland fields. We found that community resistance of soil microbiome was strongly correlated with ecosystem functional stability, so were the individual groups of organisms such as bacteria, saprotrophic fungi, and phototrophic protists. The core phylotypes within soil microbiome had a major contribution to community resistance, which was essential for the maintenance of functional stability. Co-occurrence network further confirmed that community resistances of main ecological clusters were positively correlated with ecosystem functional stability. Together, our results provide new insights into the link between community resistance and functional stability, and highlight the importance of core microbiota in driving community resistance to environmental stresses and maintain functional stability.

Automated summary

Soil microbial communities have resistance to environmental stresses and are important for maintaining ecosystem functions. However, the factors driving community resistance to heavy metal pollution and functional stability are still unclear.