Seasonal drivers of plant–soil–microbial community structure and functions in Western Himalayan grasslands, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Himalayan grasslands are biodiversity hotspots vital for soil stabilization, carbon cycling and herbivore sustenance, and yet, studies on seasonal plant–soil–microbe dynamics remain limited in the Western Himalayas.

Methods: We examined seasonal variations in vegetation, soil properties and microbial diversity in subalpine (SAL, Pir Chinasi) and alpine (AL, Ratti Gali) grasslands.

Results: Vegetation communities shifted seasonally, with summer being dominated by Sibbaldia cuneata Hornem. ex Kuntze in SAL and Bistorta affinis (D. Don) Greene in AL, while winter shifted to Poa alpina Pall. ex Roem. & Schult. in SAL. Biodiversity indices were greater (p < 0.05) in summer for SAL, while only richness differed seasonally in AL. Soil moisture correlated with soil organic carbon in winter (r = 0.642, p < 0.01) and in summer (r = 0.756, p < 0.001). Microbial alpha diversity peaked in summer, with communities dominated by Actinomycetota and Pseudomonadota. Microbial composition correlated with different soil properties seasonally with pH and micronutrients in summer and total potassium and phosphorus in winter. Beta diversity differed between grasslands (p = 0.001), while functional profiles remained stable seasonally, indicating metabolic resilience.

Conclusions: Seasonal shifts and grassland type drive the structure of Himalayan ecosystems. Although plant and microbial communities were seasonally dynamic, their core metabolic functions were stable, indicating functional resilience essential for stability of the vulnerable high-altitude ecosystems.

Keywords

functional resilience / Himalayan grasslands / microbial diversity / plant–soil–microbe interactions / seasonal variation / soil biogeochemistry

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