Wetland Degradation Alters Rhizosphere Fungal Diversity and Bacterial Strategies in Deyeuxia Angustifolia

In an investigation of Deyeuxia angustifolia rhizosphere communities across four wetland habitats in the Sanjiang Plain, China, researchers observed that fungal diversity differed significantly across a degradation gradient, while bacterial life-history strategies demonstrated a significant, non-linear shift across degradation stages. The study examined marsh (ZZ), typical meadow (DC), slightly degraded (DN), and severely degraded (DS) wetland types to assess the effects of altered rhizosphere habitats and resource availability on microbial communities. The authors measured plant biomass and soil properties and analyzed microbial assemblages using 16S rRNA gene and ITS amplicon sequencing, life-history strategy indices, and partial least-squares path modeling (PLS-PM).

Microbial community composition for both bacteria and fungi differed significantly among the four wetland types (P ≤ 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively). Bacterial alpha diversity showed no statistically significant differences across the gradient. In contrast, fungal Shannon and ACE indices were significantly lower in slightly degraded wetlands (DN) than in typical meadows (DC) (P < 0.05). Ascomycota dominated fungal communities overall. Taxonomically, the relative abundances of Acidobacteriota and Archaeorhizomyces increased with degradation, whereas the relative abundances of Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota peaked in typical meadow soils (DC).

Bacterial life-history strategies shifted significantly among degradation stages, as evidenced by alterations in the relative dominance of oligotrophic and copiotrophic taxa. The bacterial oligotrophic-to-copiotrophic ratio was highest in marsh habitats (ZZ), followed by slightly degraded wetlands (DN), with both exhibiting significantly higher ratios than typical meadows (DC) and severely degraded wetlands (DS) (P < 0.05). In contrast, the fungal ectomycorrhizal-to-saprotrophic ratio showed no significant differences among the wetland types.

Partial least-squares path modeling indicated that wetland degradation was negatively associated with soil environmental conditions (P < 0.001). These soil conditions were positively associated with the bacterial oligotrophic-to-copiotrophic ratio (P < 0.05) and negatively associated with fungal alpha diversity (P < 0.05). The authors concluded that these community-level responses and life-history shifts provide insight into how wetland rhizosphere microbial communities respond to degradation and may inform wetland restoration.

Subject of Research: Rhizosphere microbial community responses to wetland degradation in Deyeuxia angustifolia

Article Title: Diversity and Life-History Strategies of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Associated with Deyeuxia Angustifolia Along a Wetland Degradation Gradient

Article References: Li, W., Wang, M., Ma, Y., Wang, L., Zhang, R., Cao, H., Wang, J., Liang, J., Mu, L., & Liu, Y. (2026). Diversity and Life-History Strategies of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Associated with Deyeuxia Angustifolia Along a Wetland Degradation Gradient. Microbial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-026-02925-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s00248-026-02925-w

Keywords: Wetland degradation, Rhizosphere microbiome, Deyeuxia angustifolia, Microbial ecology, Bacterial life-history strategies, Fungal diversity, Sanjiang Plain, Diversity, Life-History, Strategies, Rhizosphere, Microbial