TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of aggregate size fraction and horizon position on microbial community composition
AU - Fox, Aaron
AU - Ikoyi, Israel
AU - Torres-Sallan, Gemma
AU - Lanigan, Gary
AU - Schmalenberger, Achim
AU - Wakelin, Steve
AU - Creamer, Rachel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - The influence of horizon position and aggregate size on bacterial and fungal community composition was determined. From nine sites, soils were collected from the top three horizon positions (H1, H2 and H3). Physical fractionation separated samples into large macroaggregate (LM, >2000 μm), macroaggregate (MAC, >250 μm), microaggregate (MIC, <250 μm), and silt and clay (SC, 53 μm) fractions. In all samples, the structure of the bacterial and fungal community composition was assessed via restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and for the four aggregate sizes from the top two horizons positions an in-depth analysis of the bacterial community was conducted using next generation sequencing (NGS). Bacterial and fungal communities both differed between aggregate-sizes. Changes in the composition of the bacterial and fungal communities also occurred among horizon positions, with a significant interaction between aggregate size and horizon position evident for the bacterial community. Using NGS, it was shown that aggregate-size had a significant effect on the bacterial community in both horizon positions at both the phyla and family taxonomic levels. MAC and MIC significantly differed in the % relative abundance of bacterial groups, potentially indicating differing predation pressures. These results indicate that both horizon position and aggregate size support distinct microbial communities. Understanding these parameters is critical in our comprehension of the patterns of microbial diversity in soil.
AB - The influence of horizon position and aggregate size on bacterial and fungal community composition was determined. From nine sites, soils were collected from the top three horizon positions (H1, H2 and H3). Physical fractionation separated samples into large macroaggregate (LM, >2000 μm), macroaggregate (MAC, >250 μm), microaggregate (MIC, <250 μm), and silt and clay (SC, 53 μm) fractions. In all samples, the structure of the bacterial and fungal community composition was assessed via restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and for the four aggregate sizes from the top two horizons positions an in-depth analysis of the bacterial community was conducted using next generation sequencing (NGS). Bacterial and fungal communities both differed between aggregate-sizes. Changes in the composition of the bacterial and fungal communities also occurred among horizon positions, with a significant interaction between aggregate size and horizon position evident for the bacterial community. Using NGS, it was shown that aggregate-size had a significant effect on the bacterial community in both horizon positions at both the phyla and family taxonomic levels. MAC and MIC significantly differed in the % relative abundance of bacterial groups, potentially indicating differing predation pressures. These results indicate that both horizon position and aggregate size support distinct microbial communities. Understanding these parameters is critical in our comprehension of the patterns of microbial diversity in soil.
KW - Aggregate sized fraction
KW - Bacteria
KW - Community profiling
KW - Fungi
KW - Horizon position
KW - Next generation sequencing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043311805&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2018.02.023
DO - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2018.02.023
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85043311805
SN - 0929-1393
VL - 127
SP - 19
EP - 29
JO - Applied Soil Ecology
JF - Applied Soil Ecology
ER -