The heterogeneity of microhabitat soils drives differences in the spatial distributions of three species of Meconopsis (Papaveraceae)

Plant growth and distribution are highly dependent on microhabitat conditions. Microhabitats can influence the spatial distribution of different plants through variability in soil physicochemical properties and diversity in soil microbial communities and ecological functions. In this study, we assessed differences in the soil characteristics, microbial communities, and ecological functions of microhabitats where three species of Meconopsis grow. The results indicate that there was no significant difference in microbial α diversity among the three different microhabitats (MP, MH and MB), but soil pH, microbial community structure and the abundance of functional traits were very sensitive to changes in microhabitat. The Pearson correlation results indicate that bacterial diversity was positively correlated with total phosphorus content, whereas fungal diversity was positively correlated with total potassium (TK) content. The RDA results indicate that the predominant bacterial phylum Proteobacteria was positively correlated with soil pH and the TK content, whereas the predominant fungal phylum Basidiomycota was negatively correlated with soil pH and the TK content. Regression analysis results indicate that the functional abundances of bacteria and fungi responded to soil pH and TK content to varying degrees. These findings reveal the close relationship between soil properties and the structure and functional group abundance of soil microbial communities while also indicating the potential effect of soil heterogeneity in microhabitats on driving the small-scale spatial distributions of different plants. This study provides valuable insights into how abiotic factors, such as soil environmental factors, drive the spatial distribution of different sympatric species.