Influence of forest type on dark-spored myxomycete community in subtropical forest soil, China

Publication date: Available online 17 September 2019Source: Soil Biology and BiochemistryAuthor(s): Yang Gao, Xian Zhang, Gang He, Oleg N. Shchepin, Shuzhen Yan, Shuanglin ChenAbstractMyxomycetes are the most species-rich Amoebozoa group and one of the major components of soil protist diversity. However, information on their ecology in soil remains surprisingly scarce, since most ecological myxomycete studies focused on microhabitats where fruiting bodies occur. Using DNA metabarcoding method, this study investigated the community of dark-spored myxomycetes in the soil of a subtropical forest in central China. The main predictors of their diversity and community structure were determined based on floristic, edaphic, and seasonal factors. A total of 195 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected in 75 soil samples representing six different forest types. Based on sequence similarity, eight myxomycetes were identified, including three nivicolous species that were recorded for the first time in China. The α-diversity and community structure differed significantly between the investigated forest types, and the highest α-diversity was observed in Pinus armandii forests. However, no seasonality was detected for the myxomycete community. Among the investigated environmental factors, forest type was the strongest predictor of the community composition, and soil pH, C:N ratio, and other spatial factors were also significantly correlated with myxomycete communities. In summary,...
Source: Soil Biology and Biochemistry - Category: Biology Source Type: research