Variations of bacterial and diazotrophic community assemblies throughout the soil profile in distinct paddy soil types and their contributions to soil functionality

Soil microbiomes play critical roles in maintaining ecosystem services and functioning from the superficial layer to subsurface, including soil formation (pedogenesis), plant productivity and biogeochemical processes, especially for agriculture system. Despite their ubiquitousness along soil profiles, the contribution of soil microbiomes to pedological characteristics and differentiated multifunctionality among distinct soil types with depth are still poorly understood. Here, we sampled three types of paddy soils (Stagnic Anthrosols) through soil profiles at a local scale, and investigated the variations in community assembly of soil bacteria/diazotrophs and in multi-nutrient cycling with depth among the varied soil types.