Deforestation impacts network co-occurrence patterns of microbial communities in Amazon soils

• Published in: FEMS microbiology ecology Vol. 95; no. 2; p. 1
• Main Authors: Khan, M A Wadud, Bohannan, Brendan J M, Nüsslein, Klaus, Tiedje, James M, Tringe, Susannah G, Parlade, Eloi, Barberán, Albert, Rodrigues, Jorge L M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-02-2019; Federation of European Microbiological Societies
• Subjects: Aluminum; amazon; Amazon River region; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Comparative analysis; Conservation of Natural Resources; Correlation analysis; Deforestation; Denitrification; Ecological function; ecological network; Ecology; Ecosystems; Environmental aspects; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; forest; Forests; Gene sequencing; Genes; Land use; land use change; Metabolic pathways; Microbial activity; Microbial colonies; Microbiological research; Microbiology; Microbiota - genetics; Microbiota - physiology; Microorganisms; Network topologies; Nitrification; nitrification, denitrification; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Cycle; Novels; Pasture; Physicochemical properties; RNA; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Soil - chemistry; Soil Microbiology; Soil properties; Soil temperature; Soils; Tropical forests; Amazon River region; forest, land use change; amazon; physicochemical properties; microorganisms; nitrification; pasture; denitrification; ecological network
• ISSN: 1574-6941; 0168-6496; 1574-6941
• DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy230

ABSTRACT
Co-occurrence networks allow for the identification of potential associations among species, which may be important for understanding community assembly and ecosystem functions. We employed this strategy to examine prokaryotic co-occurrence patterns in the Amazon soils and the response of these patterns to land use change to pasture, with the hypothesis that altered microbial composition due to deforestation will mirror the co-occurrence patterns across prokaryotic taxa. In this study, we calculated Spearman correlations between operational taxonomic units (OTUs) as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and only robust correlations were considered for network construction (−0.80 ≥ P ≥ 0.80, adjusted P < 0.01). The constructed network represents distinct forest and pasture components, with altered compositional and topological features. A comparative analysis between two representative modules of these contrasting ecosystems revealed novel information regarding changes to metabolic pathways related to nitrogen cycling. Our results showed that soil physicochemical properties such as temperature, C/N and H++Al3+ had a significant impact on prokaryotic communities, with alterations to network topologies. Taken together, changes in co-occurrence patterns and physicochemical properties may contribute to ecosystem processes including nitrification and denitrification, two important biogeochemical processes occurring in tropical forest systems.
Deforestation of Amazon rainforest alters soil microbial community and physicochemical properties, which subsequently alter microbially mediated biogeochemical processes, notably nitrogen cycle. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest terrestrial ecosystem on Earth and deforestation changes co-occurrence patterns of microbial communities with potential consequences to biogeochemical cycles