Analysis of Microbial Community Heterogeneity and Carbon Fixation Capabilities in Oil-Contaminated Soils in Chinese Onshore Oilfields

Abstract

This study selected 27 soil samples from four representative horizontally distributed onshore oilfields in China to explore the diversity of soil microbial communities and their carbon fixation capacity, with a focus on the potential interaction between pollution and carbon fixation under oil pollution stress. The analysis of the soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structures from these oilfield samples confirmed a clear biogeographic isolation effect, indicating spatial heterogeneity in the microbial communities. Additionally, the key factors influencing microbial community composition differed across regions. The dominant bacterial phyla of soil microorganisms under soil pollution stress were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteriota, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Gemmatimonadota. A correlation network analysis identified Immundisolibacter, Acinetobacter, Blastococcus, Truepera, and Kocuria as key players in the microbial network, with most showing positive correlations. The results of the KEGG database functional annotation showed that degradation and carbon fixation metabolic pathways coexist in soil samples and maintain a balanced relative abundance. These metabolic pathways highlight the functional diversity of microorganisms. Among them, prokaryotic and eukaryotic carbon fixation pathways, along with benzoate degradation pathways, are predominant. These findings establish a theoretical basis for further exploration of the synergistic mechanisms underlying pollution reduction and carbon sequestration by microorganisms in petroleum-contaminated soils.

Keywords

• oil-contaminated soils
• microbial diversity
• carbon fixation
• correlation network
• petroleum hydrocarbon degradation
• metabolic pathways