Protist species richness and soil microbiome complexity increase towards climax vegetation in the Brazilian Cerrado

• Published in: Communications biology Vol. 1; no. 1; p. 135
• Main Authors: de Araujo, Ademir Sergio Ferreira, Mendes, Lucas William, Lemos, Leandro Nascimento, Antunes, Jadson Emanuel Lopes, Beserra, Jose Evando Aguiar, de Lyra, Maria do Carmo Catanho Pereira, Figueiredo, Marcia do Vale Barreto, Lopes, Ângela Celis de Almeida, Gomes, Regina Lucia Ferreira, Bezerra, Walderly Melgaço, Melo, Vania Maria Maciel, de Araujo, Fabio Fernando, Geisen, Stefan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-01-2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/158/2450; 631/158/855; 631/326/2565/2134; Biodiversity; Biology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecological succession; Host plants; Life Sciences; Microbiomes; Pathogens; Species richness; Systems stability; Vegetation; Cerrado
• ISSN: 2399-3642; 2399-3642
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0129-0

Biodiversity underlies ecosystem functioning. While aboveground biodiversity is often well studied, the belowground microbiome, in particular protists, remains largely unknown. Indeed, holistic insights into soil microbiome structures in natural soils, especially in hyperdiverse biomes such as the Brazilian Cerrado, remain unexplored. Here, we study the soil microbiome across four major vegetation zones of the Cerrado, ranging from grass-dominated to tree-dominated vegetation with a focus on protists. We show that protist taxon richness increases towards the tree-dominated climax vegetation. Early successional habitats consisting of primary grass vegetation host most potential plant pathogens and least animal parasites. Using network analyses combining protist with prokaryotic and fungal sequences, we show that microbiome complexity increases towards climax vegetation. Together, this suggests that protists are key microbiome components and that vegetation succession towards climax vegetation is stimulated by higher loads of animal and plant pathogens. At the same time, an increase in microbiome complexity towards climax vegetation might enhance system stability.
Araujo et al. investigate the soil microbiome across four major vegetation zones of the Brazilian Cerrado and find that protist taxon richness increases towards the tree-dominated climax vegetation. Their findings suggest that increased microbiome complexity might enhance system stability towards climax vegetation.