Diversity of soil microbial community identified by Biolog method and the associated soil characteristics on reclaimed Scirpus mariqueter wetlands

Abstract

We examined how various soil characteristics are associated with Scirpus mariqueter growth and spatial heterogeneity in Shanghai Nanhui Dongtan wetlands and addressed a major knowledge gap regarding the effects of reclamation on microbial communities in the soil. Biolog was used to examine soil carbon resources, diversity, abundance, and community structure of S. mariqueter soil microbes after a 72-h culture. Tidal elevation influenced soil microbes, which used carbon resources at higher rates, exhibited more community diversity and had greater species richness in areas with dense S. mariqueter cover than in bare tidal flats (P < 0.05). Microbial functional diversity also differed significantly across the study region in a manner that reflected S. mariqueter spatial heterogeneity (P < 0.05). In terms of soil characteristics, microbial community diversity was positively correlated with soil salinity, organic carbon, and total phosphorus (P < 0.05), whereas negatively correlated with soil particle size (P < 0.05). The results of this study provide insight into plant–soil interactions of disturbed S. mariqueter wetland ecosystems through clarifying factors that influence soil microbes.