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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2017, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (10): 179-187.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2016500

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Comparison of functional diversity of rhizosphere soil microorganisms between the exotic plant Xanthium italicum and its native partner Xanthium sibiricum by the Biolog method

ZHANG Ming-Li, CHANG Hong-Lei, MA Miao*   

  1. Life Science College, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
  • Received:2016-12-28 Online:2017-10-20 Published:2017-10-20

Abstract: The aim of this research was to analyze differences in functional diversity and the carbon source utilization of the rhizosphere soil microbial community between the invasive plant Xanthium italicum and its native partner, Xanthium sibiricum. The two plants were cultivated in a put experiment and their soil microbial communities were analyzed using the Biolog technique. Soil with no plants served as the blank control (CK). The results indicated that the functional diversity of the soil microbial community was significantly higher for the invasive plant X. italicum than for the native plant X. sibiricum. The rhizosphere soil microbes from X. italicum significantly increased the average well color development (AWCD) (72 h, P<0.05) for 31 carbon sources. The treatments were ranked, from largest change in AWCD to smallest, as follows: X. italicum>X. sibiricum>CK. The values of Shannon’s diversity index (H), Simpson’s dominance index (D), and substrate richness index (S) were significantly higher for X. italicum rhizosphere soil microbes than for those of X. sibiricum and CK. The Shannon’s indexes (H, D, S) of the X. italicum rhizosphere soil microbial community were 3.13%, 0.77%, and 21.67% higher, respectively, than those of X. sibiricum; and 4.59%, 0.89%, and 35.18% higher, respectively, than those of CK. The lowest values of H, D, and S, were in CK. The carbon metabolic fingerprint analysis showed that carbon source utilization differed significantly between X. italicum soil microbes and X. sibiricum soil microbes. The rhizosphere soil microbes of X. italicum showed the highest utilization of amines, phenolic acids, amino acids, and sugars. A principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the carbon utilization features of soil microbial communities differed between the two plants. The soil microbial community of X. italicum was concentrated in the first principal component (score coefficient, 3.3102) and that of X. sibiricum was concentrated in the second principal component (score coefficient, -1.9616). Carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, polymers, and amino acids were the major carbon sources utilized by rhizosphere soil microbes. Therefore, the reasons for the successful invasion for X. italicum could include: (1) changes in the structure and function of soil microbial communities; (2) increased metabolic activity of rhizosphere soil microbes; and (3) the formation of a soil microenvironment that benefits its own growth.