Soil Bacteria and Soil Fungi Respond Differently to the Changes in Aboveground Plants along Slope Aspect in a Subalpine Coniferous Forest

In a locale-scale mountainous forest, changes in slope aspect can cause microclimate heterogeneity, which can impact both soil environment and plant community, and influence the soil microbial communities as well. However, the relationship between the aboveground plant community and belowground soil microbial communities and the change in slope aspect is not well understood. A case study was carried out in a subalpine coniferous forest in western China to investigate the above- and belowground relationship of three slope aspects, the north-facing slope, the flat site and the south-facing slope. The plant community attributes were evaluated by the community survey, considering species diversity and the plant total basal area of trees and shrubs to represent the plant productivity. Soil bacteria were determined based on 16S rRNA gene and soil fungi on a nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. The results showed that slope aspects significantly affect the aboveground plant productivity and diversity, and the community composition and structure of both aboveground plants and soil bacteria and soil fungi. Soil bacteria and soil fungi correlated differently with aboveground plant community changes in the slope aspects in terms of diversity and community composition and structure. A structural equation model (SEM) revealed that slope aspects caused by aboveground plant productivity changes correlated significantly with the soil fungal community composition and structure, while the soil bacterial community was rather weakly correlated with the plant community, and its changes in community composition and structure were mainly affected by the soil properties and soil fungal community. Further studies considering plant functional traits, soil microbial functional groups, and seasonal changes may reveal a deeper correlation between the aboveground plants and belowground soil microbials at the local scale in subalpine coniferous forests.

Automated summary

In a mountainous forest, changes in slope aspect can affect both aboveground plant community and belowground soil microbial communities. A case study in a subalpine coniferous forest in China found that slope aspects significantly impact the plant productivity, diversity, and the community composition and structure of aboveground plants, soil bacteria, and soil fungi. The relationship between aboveground plants and soil microorganisms varied, with soil fungi being more correlated with plant productivity changes and soil bacterial community composition and structure being mainly influenced by soil properties and soil fungal community. Further studies are needed to explore the correlation at a local scale.