ITS_Amplicons of Soil
To investigate the impact of water and vegetation presence on the soil microbiome, soil was collected in August 2023 from the canopy of Acacia spp trees near Thuwal (2217&#39;38.4&quot;N, 3912&#39;12.1&quot;E). The collected soil was used to fill 10-liter pots, into which 20 cm-long Acacia gerrardii Acacia seedlings were transplanted. The plants were grown in an open field for two months, receiving water every 23 days to allow root establishment before being relocated to a shade house to prevent exposure to unexpected rainfall. Prior to the experiment, all pots were placed in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and uniformly watered with 100 ml of water two weeks in advance to acclimate the plants to shade house conditions. Soil samples were collected before the first watering to represent Day 0 (SN, D0). Pots were then assigned to four treatments: 1) soil, non-watered (SN); 2) soil, watered (SW); 3) vegetation, non-watered (VN); 4) vegetation, watered (VW). Irrigation involved applying 100 ml of water weekly immediately after sampling. Soil samples were collected daily for the first three days, then weekly until Day 49. Soil samples were obtained at a depth of 510 cm using five mixed cores per pot to ensure representative sampling from all sides. A portion of these samples was immediately stored at -80C for DNA extraction and microbial community analysis.