Landslide Microbiome New Zealand's Southern Alps West Coast
Landslides are frequent natural disturbances that reset ecosystem development, yet little is known about the succession of microbial communities following such events. In this study we investigated prokaryotic (16S rRNA), fungal (ITS), and phototrophic (UPA) community dynamics along a 67-year landslide chronosequence in a temperate rainforest in the western Southern Alps of New Zealand. Along soil microbial communities, investigated over four consecutive seasons, targeted batch incubations were used to assess the influence of environmental parameters on microbial community development. Microbial communities showed rapid and domain-specific successional trajectories. Young landslide soils were dominated by pioneering photoautotrophic taxa (algae, non-vascular plants, Cyanobacteria) and copiotrophic bacteria, while fungal communities were comprised of early-colonizing saprotrophs. In contrast, older landslide soils hosted more diverse and structured communities, including ectomycorrhizal and lignocellulose-degrading fungi, oligotrophic bacterial taxa, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Surface and depth soil communities became increasingly differentiated with soil age, driven by vertical stratification of TOC, pH, and nutrients. Network analyses revealed a shift in keystone taxa from autotroph-dominated modules in early-stage soils to heterotroph-dominated, functionally specialized clusters in advanced soils. Our results demonstrate that microbial succession proceeds rapidly in upper soils following landslide disturbance and is tightly linked to soil development and resource availability. Autotrophic taxa played a central scaffolding role in early ecosystem assembly, while niche partitioning and trophic complexity increased with successional age. These findings offer new insights into microbial resilience and ecosystem recovery in erosion-prone landscapes.
Landslides are frequent natural disturbances that reset ecosystem development, yet little is known about the succession of microbial communities following such events. In this study we investigated prokaryotic (16S rRNA), fungal (ITS), and phototrophic (UPA) community dynamics along a 67-year landslide chronosequence in a temperate rainforest in the western Southern Alps of New Zealand. Along soil microbial communities, investigated over four consecutive seasons, targeted batch incubations were used to assess the influence of environmental parameters on microbial community development. Microbial communities showed rapid and domain-specific successional trajectories. Young landslide soils were dominated by pioneering photoautotrophic taxa (algae, non-vascular plants, Cyanobacteria) and copiotrophic bacteria, while fungal communities were comprised of early-colonizing saprotrophs. In contrast, older landslide soils hosted more diverse and structured communities, including ectomycorrhizal and lignocellulose-degrading fungi, oligotrophic bacterial taxa, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Surface and depth soil communities became increasingly differentiated with soil age, driven by vertical stratification of TOC, pH, and nutrients. Network analyses revealed a shift in keystone taxa from autotroph-dominated modules in early-stage soils to heterotroph-dominated, functionally specialized clusters in advanced soils. Our results demonstrate that microbial succession proceeds rapidly in upper soils following landslide disturbance and is tightly linked to soil development and resource availability. Autotrophic taxa played a central scaffolding role in early ecosystem assembly, while niche partitioning and trophic complexity increased with successional age. These findings offer new insights into microbial resilience and ecosystem recovery in erosion-prone landscapes.