Plant invasion alters latitudinal patterns of soil microbial diversity in coastal wetlands

Abstract

Coastal wetlands are experiencing long-term plant invasions, which pose a significant impact on the soil microbiome. However, the latitudinal diversity patterns of soil microbiome in blue carbon ecosystems under plant invasion remain poorly understood. In this study, 12 sample sites spanning over 2000 km were established along China’s coastlines, with paired mudflat and Spartina alterniflora-invaded habitats. Soil (mudflat sediments included, termed “soil” for consistency) bacterial diversity was assessed across topsoil, subsoil, and deep soil layers. In mudflat habitats, bacterial richness generally increased with latitude. In contrast, S. alterniflora invasion altered this pattern to a hump-shaped distribution. This shift was most pronounced in the topsoil compared to the subsoil and deep soil layers, a consistent trend across the dominant taxa. Additionally, plant invasion accelerated the spatial turnover of bacterial communities in the topsoil, but not in deeper layers. Environmental variables, including soil temperature and salinity, were the predominant factors shaping these latitudinal diversity patterns. Structural equation models revealed that soil temperature, rather than soil depth, was the primary direct driver of bacterial richness, and plant invasion reduced the influence of soil depth on this relationship. Overall, our study revealed that invasive plant regimes profoundly restructured the latitudinal diversity pattern of soil microbiomes, particularly in the topsoil. This study broadens our understanding of how plant invasion affects soil microbial biogeography and its underlying drivers in blue carbon ecosystems.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

coastal wetlands / Spartina alterniflora / soil bacteria / latitudinal distribution / microbial biogeography

Highlight

	● Plant invasion reshaped the latitudinal distribution of soil bacterial diversity.
	● Topsoil bacterial communities were most sensitive to invasion impacts.
	● Plant invasion accelerated the spatial turnover of soil bacterial communities.
	● Soil temperature and salinity primarily regulated latitudinal diversity patterns.

References

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