Integrated metagenomics and network analysis of soil microbial community of the forest timberline

• DOI: 10.1038/srep07994
• Publication Date: 2015-01-23T10:19:26Z
• Authors: Junjun Ding; Yuguang Zhang; Ye Deng; Jing Cong; Hui Lu; Xin Sun; Caiyun Yang; Tong Yuan; Joy D. Van Nostrand; Diqiang Li; Jizhong Zhou; Yunfeng Yang
• Keywords: Biogeochemical Cycle

The forest timberline responds quickly and markedly to climate changes, rendering it a ready indicator. Climate warming has caused an upshift of the worldwide. However, impact on belowground ecosystem biogeochemical cycles remain elusive. To understand soil microbial ecology timberline, we analyzed communities via 16s rRNA Illumina sequencing, microarray-based tool named GeoChip 4.0 random matrix theory-based association network approach. We selected 24 sampling sites at two vegetation belts forming Shennongjia Mountain in Hubei Province China, region with extraordinarily rich biodiversity. found that temperature, among all measured environmental parameters, showed most significant extensive linkages biomass, diversity composition both taxonomic functional gene levels network. Therefore, temperature was best predictor for community variations timberline. Furthermore, abundances nitrogen cycle phosphorus genes were concomitant NH4+-N, NO3−-N total phosphorus, offering tangible clues underlying mechanisms cycles. As first glimpse compositions our findings have major implications predicting consequences future upshift.