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Title
Abstract:
Soil fungal communities respond to multiple abiotic and biotic factors that change along elevation gradients. The limited information available on fungi and microbial processes along elevation gradients is primarily from temperate areas and very few from tropical regions. This study documents changes in fungal and bacterial diversity, and abundance and composition of microbial functional groups along a subtropical elevation gradient.
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Results: Our results produced humped distributions for Shannon diversity of FAME and fungal to bacteria (F:B) ratios. Both microbial communities differed significantly among forest types. TRFLP were more frequently unique to forest types in fungi than bacteria. In multiple linear regression (MLR) models, soil moisture was predictive for all but Actinomycete FA abundance, and forest type contributed significantly to these same models for F:B ratios and all FA except for Gram negative 10Me18:0 and Gram positive 15:0. Diversity in this elevation gradient is higher at mid-elevations. Most G negative and G positive bacterial FAME were positively related to soil pH in MLR models, lower pH in mid-elevation forest soil may suppress bacteria favoring fungi. Conclusion: These data can be used as a benchmark for monitoring changes in microbial communities along elevation gradients caused by natural and anthropogenic disturbances, as well as global and regional climate changes.
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Variables Descriptions | Data File |
Date Range![]() |
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Soil Microbial FAME in an elfin forest plot |
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2003-03-01 to 2004-12-31 |
Soil Microbial FAME in a palma de sierra forest plot |
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2003-03-01 to 2004-12-31 |
Soil Microbial FAME in a palo colorado forest plot |
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2003-03-01 to 2004-12-31 |
Soil Microbial FAME in a tabonuco forest plot |
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2003-03-01 to 2004-12-31 |
Soil Microbial FAME in a dry forest plot |
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2003-03-01 to 2004-12-31 |