Microbial impact on initial soil formation in arid and semiarid environments under simulated climate change

• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1319997
• Publication Date: 2024-01-17T04:20:00Z
• Authors: Victoria Rodríguez; Alexander Barthol...; Kristina Witzgall; Nicolás Riveras-M...; Romulo Oses; Susanne Liebner; Jens Kallmeyer; Oliver Rach; Carsten W. Mueller; Oscar Seguel; Thomas Scholten; Dirk Wagner
• Keywords: Subsoil; Topsoil; Semi-arid climate; Desert climate

The microbiota is attributed to be important for initial soil formation under extreme climate conditions, but experimental evidence its relevance scarce. To fill this gap, we investigated the impact of in situ microbial communities and their interrelationship with biocrust plants compared abiotic controls on arid semiarid soils. Additionally, assessed response bacterial change. Topsoil subsoil samples from sites Chilean Coastal Cordillera were incubated 16 weeks diurnal temperature moisture variations simulate humid conditions as part a change scenario. Our findings indicate that microorganism-plant interaction intensified aggregate stabilized structure, facilitating formation. Interestingly, microorganisms alone or conjunction showed no discernible patterns controls, potentially due water-masking effects. Arid soils displayed reduced diversity developed new community structure dominated by Proteobacteria , Actinobacteriota Planctomycetota while maintained consistently dominant Acidobacteriota . This highlighted sensitive specialized soils, exhibited more complex stable community. We conclude has measurable impacts regions short time scales propose legacies are decisive present interactions, future development, responses.