The effects of soil erosion on soil bacterial and fungal diversities, composition and co-occurrence networks in Kyushu forests, Japan

Soil erosion is a major threat to soil environment as it involves in degradation of soil physical and chemical properties. Despite numerous studies on soil erosion in forests, little has been reported on the impact of soil erosion on the microbial community, which could give crucial effects on forest ecosystems. The aim of this study was to elucidate how the microbiome changed during soil erosion in forest. We investigated soil microbial communities in 3 sites in Kyushu forests, Japan, where soil erosion has been accelerated due to the increase of the population of sika deer.