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The Variations of Microbial Diversity and Community Structure Along Different Stream Orders in Wuyi Mountains

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Abstract

The surface water is an important habitat for freshwater microorganisms, but there is a lack of understanding of the pattern of microbial diversity and structure in stream continuums of small subtropical forest watersheds. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the variations in microbial diversity and community structure along stream orders (1–5) in the small subtropical forest catchments of the Wuyi Mountains. Using GIS software, 20 streams were chosen and classified into 5 orders. Illumina sequencing was used to analyze the dynamics of microbial communities, along with stream orders and hydro-chemical properties of stream water were also determined. Our results indicated that the bacterial and fungal richness (ACE index) was higher in low-order (1 and 2 orders) streams than in high-order (3, 4, and 5 orders) streams, with the highest value in the order 2 streams (P < 0.05). The water temperature and dissolved oxygen were positively correlated with fungal richness (P < 0.05). The bacterial rare taxa had a significant correlation with the abundance taxa (P < 0.05). The relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Chytridiomycota microbial phyla were significantly different among different order streams (P < 0.05). Using the neutral community model, we found that the fungal community structure was significantly shaped by hydro-chemical properties, while the bacterial community structure was largely regulated by stochastic processes. Our findings suggest that variations in microbial community structure in subtropical headwaters are largely shaped by the water temperature and dissolved oxygen.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Changshan ** and Wei He for the logistic support, and the anonymous reviewers for the valuable suggestions.

Funding

This work was supported by Fujian Forestry Science and Technology Project (grant nos: 2018-26 and 2020-29) and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nan**g Forestry University, Nan**g, 210037, Jiangsu, China

    Boran Liu, Yuchao Wang, Nan Yang & Weifeng Wang

  2. National Observation and Research Station of Fujian Wuyishan Forest Ecosystem, Wuyishan, 354300, Fujian, China

    Boran Liu, Yuchao Wang, Huiguang Zhang, Yan Zhou, Chenhui Zhang & Weifeng Wang

  3. Wuyishan National Park Research and Monitoring Center, Wuyishan, 354300, Fujian, China

    Huiguang Zhang, Yan Zhou & Chenhui Zhang

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  1. Boran Liu
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  2. Yuchao Wang
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  3. Huiguang Zhang
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  4. Yan Zhou
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  6. Nan Yang
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Contributions

Investigation, conceptualization, visualization, formal analysis, and writing original draft by Boran Liu. Investigation, methodology, visualization, and formal analysis by Boran Liu and Yuchao Wang. Funding acquisition and project administration by Huiguang Zhang, Yan Zhou, and Chenhui Zhang. Writing review and editing by Nan Yang and Weifeng Wang. Conceptualization, supervision, and writing—review and editing—by Weifeng Wang. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Nan Yang or Weifeng Wang.

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Liu, B., Wang, Y., Zhang, H. et al. The Variations of Microbial Diversity and Community Structure Along Different Stream Orders in Wuyi Mountains. Microb Ecol 86, 2330–2343 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02240-8

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