Chinese researchers have investigated the grasslands in northern China and found that plant diversity had a stronger linkage with soil fungal diversity than with bacterial diversity.
The interactions between plants and soil microbes play crucial roles in modulating the function and stability of terrestrial ecosystems.
The researchers from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted a two-year survey across semi-arid grasslands and the correlation between plant and bacterial diversity varied by phyla and functional guilds, resulting in decoupling between plant and soil bacterial diversity.
The diversity of both plant and fungus is driven by soil nutrients and texture, while bacterial diversity is mainly influenced by the pH value of soil, according to the research article published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography.
The findings suggested that integrating soil fungi into plant diversity conservation is helpful to biodiversity restoration in degraded grassland ecosystems. (Xinhua)
A joint study conducted by Chinese and Spanish researchers has found that soil microbes are closely related to crop yield, and the protection of certain microbes may help reduce the need for fertilizers and increase crop production.
Researchers from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture investigated the microbial resource limitation in a karst region. The team found that overall soil microbes in karst ecosystems were more limited by carbon and phosphorus, rather than by nitrogen.
86-10-68597521 (day)
86-10-68597289 (night)
86-10-68511095 (day)
86-10-68512458 (night)
cas_en@cas.cn
52 Sanlihe Rd., Xicheng District,
Beijing, China (100864)
Copyright © 2002 - Chinese Academy of Sciences
