Ecological insights into soil health according to the genomic traits and environment-wide associations of bacteria in agricultural soils

Wilhelm, Roland C.; Amsili, Joseph P.; Kurtz, Kirsten S. M.; van Es, Harold M.; Buckley, Daniel H.

doi:10.1038/s43705-022-00209-1

Ecological insights into soil health according to the genomic traits and environment-wide associations of bacteria in agricultural soils

Journal Article · Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 EST 2023 · ISME Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-022-00209-1· OSTI ID:1908294

; Amsili, Joseph P.; Kurtz, Kirsten S. M.; van Es, Harold M.; Buckley, Daniel H.

Abstract

Soil microbiomes are sensitive to current and previous soil conditions, and bacterial ‘bioindicators’ of biological, physical, and chemical soil properties have considerable potential for soil health assessment. However, the lack of ecological or physiological information for most soil microorganisms limits our ability to interpret the associations of bioindicators and, thus, their utility for guiding management. We identified bioindicators of tillage intensity and twelve soil properties used to rate soil health using a 16S rRNA gene-based survey of farmland across North America. We then inferred the genomic traits of bioindicators and evaluated their environment-wide associations (EWAS) with respect to agricultural management practice, disturbance, and plant associations with 89 studies from agroecosystems. Most bioindicators were either positively correlated with biological properties (e.g., organic matter) or negatively correlated with physical and chemical properties. Higher soil health ratings corresponded with smaller genome size and higher coding density, while lower ratings corresponded with larger genomes and higher rrn copy number. Community-weighted genome size explained most variation in health ratings. EWAS linked prominent bioindicators with the impacts of environmental disturbances. Our findings provide ecological insights into bioindicators of soil properties relevant to soil health management, illustrating the tight coupling of microbiome and soil function.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0016364; SC0016364

OSTI ID:: 1908294

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2228459

Journal Information:: ISME Communications, Journal Name: ISME Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 3; ISSN 2730-6151

Publisher:: Oxford University PressCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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