Urbanization reduces soil microbial network complexity and stability in the megacity of Shanghai

Urbanization is altering the co-occurrence networks of ecological communities that are critical to maintaining ecosystem functions and services. Soil microbial communities play key roles in various ecosystem processes, but how soil microbial co-occurrence networks respond to urbanization is unclear. Here we analyzed co-occurrence networks in soil archaeal, bacterial, and fungal communities from 258 soil sampling sites across the megacity of Shanghai along large urbanization gradients. We found that topological features of microbial co-occurrence networks were strongly altered by urbanization. In particular, microbial communities in more urbanized land-use and highly impervious land cover had less connected and more isolated network structures. These structural variations were accompanied by the dominance of connectors and module hubs affiliated with the Ascomycota in fungi and Chloroflexi in bacteria, and there were greater losses in efficiency and connectivity in urbanized than in remnant land-use in simulated disturbances. Furthermore, even though soil properties (especially soil pH and organic carbon) were major factors shaping topological features of the microbial networks, urbanization still uniquely explained a proportion of the variability, particularly those describing network connections. These results demonstrate that urbanization has clear direct and indirect effects on microbial networks and provide novel insights into how urbanization alters soil microbial communities.

Automated summary

Urbanization strongly alters the topological features of soil microbial co-occurrence networks, leading to less connected and more isolated structures. Urbanized land-use and impervious land cover dominate the network structures, with a loss in efficiency and connectivity compared to remnant land-use. Soil properties and urbanization jointly shape the microbial networks, highlighting the clear direct and indirect effects of urbanization on microbial communities.