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Schagen M, Bosch J, Johnson J, Duker R, Lebre P, Potts AJ, Cowan DA. The soil microbiomics of intact, degraded and partially-restored semi-arid succulent thicket (Albany Subtropical Thicket). PeerJ 2021; 9:e12176. [PMID: 34707927 PMCID: PMC8501999 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examines the soil bacterial diversity in the Portulacaria afra-dominated succulent thicket vegetation of the Albany Subtropical Thicket biome; this biome is endemic to South Africa. The aim of the study was to compare the soil microbiomes between intact and degraded zones in the succulent thicket and identify environmental factors which could explain the community compositions. Bacterial diversity, using 16S amplicon sequencing, and soil physicochemistry were compared across three zones: intact (undisturbed and vegetated), degraded (near complete removal of vegetation due to browsing) and restored (a previously degraded area which was replanted approximately 11 years before sampling). Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASV) richness was similar across the three zones, however, the bacterial community composition and soil physicochemistry differed across the intact and degraded zones. We identified, via correlation, the potential drivers of microbial community composition as soil density, pH and the ratio of Ca to Mg. The restored zone was intermediate between the intact and degraded zones. The differences in the microbial communities appeared to be driven by the presence of plants, with plant-associated taxa more common in the intact zone. The dominant taxa in the degraded zone were cosmopolitan organisms, that have been reported globally in a wide variety of habitats. This study provides baseline information on the changes of the soil bacterial community of a spatially restricted and threatened biome. It also provides a starting point for further studies on community composition and function concerning the restoration of degraded succulent thicket ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Schagen
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jason Bosch
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jenny Johnson
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Robbert Duker
- Botany Department, South Campus, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Pedro Lebre
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Alastair J Potts
- Botany Department, South Campus, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
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Prescribing Innovation within a Large-Scale Restoration Programme in Degraded Subtropical Thicket in South Africa. FORESTS 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/f6114328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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