Different degrees of plant invasion significantly affect the richness of the soil fungal community

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 31;8(12):e85490. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085490. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Several studies have shown that soil microorganisms play a key role in the success of plant invasion. Thus, ecologists have become increasingly interested in understanding the ecological effects of biological invasion on soil microbial communities given continuing increase in the effects of invasive plants on native ecosystems. This paper aims to provide a relatively complete depiction of the characteristics of soil microbial communities under different degrees of plant invasion. Rhizospheric soils of the notorious invasive plant Wedelia trilobata with different degrees of invasion (uninvaded, low-degree, and high-degree using its coverage in the invaded ecosystems) were collected from five discrete areas in Hainan Province, P. R. China. Soil physicochemical properties and community structure of soil microorganisms were assessed. Low degrees of W. trilobata invasion significantly increased soil pH values whereas high degrees of invasion did not significantly affected soil pH values. Moreover, the degree of W. trilobata invasion exerted significant effects on soil Ca concentration but did not significantly change other indices of soil physicochemical properties. Low and high degrees of W. trilobata invasion increased the richness of the soil fungal community but did not pose obvious effects on the soil bacterial community. W. trilobata invasion also exerted obvious effects on the community structure of soil microorganisms that take part in soil nitrogen cycling. These changes in soil physicochemical properties and community structure of soil microbial communities mediated by different degrees of W. trilobata invasion may present significant functions in further facilitating the invasion process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / growth & development
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Fungi / growth & development*
  • Introduced Species*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism
  • Soil / chemistry
  • Soil Microbiology*
  • Wedelia / growth & development*

Substances

  • Soil
  • Nitrogen

Grants and funding

This study was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30970556, 31170386), the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20093227110004), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), and Universities Natural Science Research Project of Jiangsu Province (13KJB610002). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.