Boreal forest soil microbial diversity under rock fragment gradients

This study investigates how soil rock fragments regulate microbial community composition and greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O) fluxes in boreal forest ecosystems of the Daxingan Mountains in northeastern China. Experimental plots with different rock fragment contents were established, and soil bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed using PacBio amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS genes, along with measurements of soil carbon, nitrogen, and greenhouse gas fluxes. The results provide insights into the ecological role of rock fragments in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and their relevance for soil climate interactions under global change.