Similarities and differences in the rhizosphere biota among different ephemeral desert plants in Gurbantünggüt Desert

Background

The interactions between rhizosphere microbial community and ephemeral desert plants strongly affect the ecological protection, restoration and reconstruction in deserts. Ephemeral desert plants as the pioneer plants in the succession are widely distributed in deserts. However, how the ephemeral desert plants assemble their rhizosphere microbiota to adapt to arid and semi-arid environments has been little explored. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques to compare rhizosphere bacterial communities and functions with different ephemeral desert plants composition from Gurbantünggüt Desert in western China.

Results

These plants had the same dominant bacterial phyla, which approximately counted 98% of the total bacterial communities. But the bacterial communities had significant differences (P < 0.05) in the composition, structure, diversity and functions of all groups. When comparing every two groups, similarities appeared in the composition, structure and functions of rhizosphere microbiota, and within each group, it is more likely that the rhizosphere bacterial communities of closely related ephemeral desert plants tend to be consistent. Additionally, the rhizosphere bacterial taxa had more similarities in predicted functions. And the predicted functions were correlated with the dominant bacterial phyla.

Conclusions

Overall, to adapt to the arid and semi-arid environments, the rhizosphere bacterial communities of ephemeral desert plants appear similarities based on having differences. This finding will help to understand the importance of how plants and soil microorganisms cooperate in the process of adaption to arid and semi-arid environments.