Livestock grazing strengthens the effect of vole activity on the soil microbial community
Yunqi Xiong,
Zhenzhen Zheng,
Baofa Yin,
Guoliang Li,
Xinrong Wan,
Ruyan Qian,
Linfeng Li,
Shuntian Guan,
Yuan Liu,
Yanfen Wang,
Xiaoyong Cui,
Jianqing Du,
Kai Xue,
Yanbin Hao
Affiliations
Yunqi Xiong
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Zhenzhen Zheng
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Baofa Yin
College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Guoliang Li
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Xinrong Wan
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Ruyan Qian
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Linfeng Li
College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Shuntian Guan
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Yuan Liu
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Yanfen Wang
College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
Xiaoyong Cui
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
Jianqing Du
Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
Kai Xue
College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
Yanbin Hao
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China; Corresponding author at: College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Livestock grazing may affect small mammalian herbivore-soil microbe interactions and their association with the structure and functions of the ecosystem. However, the role of factors such as vegetation and soil nutrients in regulating these impacts is not clear. Here we conducted a 9-year experiment in temperate steppe to study how Brandt’s vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) affects the soil microbial community under different livestock grazing intensities. This experiment contained 12 field enclosures with three livestock grazing intensities: control (CK), light grazing (LG), and moderate grazing (MG). We found that vole activity does not significantly change soil microbial diversity under non-grazing conditions. However, under livestock grazing conditions, vole activity led to a significant reduction in soil bacterial diversity and an increase in fungal diversity, demonstrating the impacts of livestock grazing on rodents-soil microbe interactions. The activity of voles significantly altered soil bacterial community composition, with changes primarily attributed to variations in the relative abundance of the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria. The soil fungal community remained relatively stable despite vole activity, which can be attributed to the richness of fungal colonies in mycelium and their low sensitivity to changes in external conditions. Vole activity also influenced soil microbial functional groups, and the variations in these groups were further amplified by livestock grazing. Furthermore, the shift in the microbial community composition and diversity induced by vole activity were mainly associated with the reduction of plant aboveground biomass. Overall, our study suggested that livestock grazing enhanced the changes in the soil microbial community induced by rodents, underscoring the importance of managing livestock grazing regimes for grassland conservation.
