title: Differential distribution patterns of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in acidic soils of Nanling National Nature Reserve forests in subtropical China.
abstract: In addition to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) the more recently discovered ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) can also oxidize ammonia, but little is known about AOA community structure and abundance in subtropical forest soils. In this study, both AOA and AOB were investigated with molecular techniques in eight types of forests at surface soils (0-2 cm) and deep layers (18-20 cm) in Nanling National Nature Reserve in subtropical China. The results showed that the forest soils, all acidic (pH 4.24-5.10), harbored a wide range of AOA phylotypes, including the genera Nitrosotalea, Nitrososphaera, and another 6 clusters, one of which was reported for the first time. For AOB, only members of Nitrosospira were retrieved. Moreover, the abundance of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) from AOA dominated over AOB in most soil samples (13/16). Soil depth, rather than forest type, was an important factor shaping the community structure of AOA and AOB. The distribution patterns of AOA and AOB in soil layers were reversed: AOA diversity and abundances in the deep layers were higher than those in the surface layers; on the contrary, AOB diversity and abundances in the deep layers were lower than those in the surface layers. Interestingly, the diversity of AOA was positively correlated with pH, but negatively correlated with organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, and the abundance of AOA was negatively correlated with available phosphorus. Our results demonstrated that AOA and AOB were differentially distributed in acidic soils in subtropical forests and affected differently by soil characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xian-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Toxicology, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang-Qiu
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ji-Dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yue-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Qing
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiu-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Nanling National Nature Reserve, Shaoguan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guo-Guang
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-control for the Forest Disease and Pest, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. david_hku@qq.com.|Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Toxicology, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, No. 233, Guangshan 1st Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. david_hku@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yong-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D000641:Ammonia
keywords: Acidic soil; Ammonia-oxidizing archaea; Nanling Mountains; Subtropical forest; Thaumarchaeota