y2018m05b04N
20180528103600
assa
nadine@assaf.org.za
assa
South African Journal of Science
S. Afr. J. Sci
1996-7489
05302018
114
5/6
Arable agriculture changes soil microbial communities in the South African Grassland Biome
Gilbert
Kamgan Nkuekam
Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Don A.
Cowan
Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Angel
Valverde
Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Many studies, mostly in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, have demonstrated that agricultural practices affect the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities. However, very little is known about the impact of agriculture on the microbial communities in other regions of the world, most particularly on the African continent. In this study, we used MiSeq amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS regions to characterise microbial communities in agricultural and natural grassland soils located in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Nine soil chemical parameters were also measured to evaluate the effects of edaphic factors on microbial community diversity. Bacterial and fungal communities were significantly richer and more diverse in natural grassland than in agricultural soils. Microbial taxonomic composition was also significantly different between the two habitat types. The phylum Acidobacteria was significantly more abundant in natural grassland than in agricultural soils, while Actinobacteria and the family Nectriaceae showed the opposite pattern. Soil pH and phosphorus significantly influenced bacterial communities, whereas phosphorus and calcium influenced fungal communities. These findings may be interpreted as a negative impact of land-use change on soil microbial diversity and composition.
05302018
1
10.17159/sajs.2016/crossmark
sajs.co.za
false
2017-08-21
2018-01-15
2018-05-30
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
10.17159/sajs.2018/20170288
20180528103600
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173
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https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685
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https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685
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https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685
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https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685
-
https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/5173/6685