The impact of tropical forest logging and oil palm agriculture on the soil microbiome

Selective logging and forest conversion to oil palm agriculture are rapidly altering tropical forests. However, functional responses of the soil microbiome to these land-use changes are poorly understood. Using 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we compared composition and functional attributes of soil biota between unlogged, once-logged and twice-logged rainforest, and areas converted to oil palm plantations in Sabah, Borneo. Although there was no significant effect of logging history, we found a significant difference between the taxonomic and functional composition of both primary and logged forests and oil palm. Oil palm had greater abundances of genes associated with DNA, RNA, protein metabolism and other core metabolic functions, but conversely, lower abundance of genes associated with secondary metabolism and cell–cell interactions, indicating less importance of antagonism or mutualism in the more oligotrophic oil palm environment. Overall, these results show a str...

选择性采伐与森林转化为油棕农业种植园的活动，正快速重塑热带森林生态系统。然而，土壤微生物组（soil microbiome）对这类土地利用变化的功能响应仍鲜为人知。本研究通过16S rRNA基因（16S rRNA gene）与鸟枪宏基因组测序（shotgun metagenomic sequencing）技术，对比了婆罗洲沙巴地区未采伐、一次采伐、两次采伐的雨林，以及转化为油棕种植园的土壤生物群落组成与功能特征。尽管采伐历史未产生显著影响，但我们发现原生林与各采伐林的分类学组成、功能组成，均与油棕种植园存在显著差异。油棕种植园土壤中，与DNA、RNA、蛋白质代谢及其他核心代谢功能相关的基因丰度更高；但与之相反，与次级代谢、细胞间互作相关的基因丰度更低，这表明在营养更匮乏的油棕生境中，拮抗或共生作用的重要性有所降低。综上，本研究结果表明……