Fig. 6: Conceptual model on the adaptive strategy of soil microbiome along a latitudinal pH gradient across 12 forests. | Nature Communications

Fig. 6: Conceptual model on the adaptive strategy of soil microbiome along a latitudinal pH gradient across 12 forests.

From: Bacterial genome size and gene functional diversity negatively correlate with taxonomic diversity along a pH gradient

Fig. 6

Oligotrophs characterized by larger genome are adapted to the acidic, resource-poor soil, with an enrichment on functions of cell motility, bacterial chemotaxis, secretion system, signal transduction and complex matter degradation. The copiotrophs characterized by smaller genome are adapted to the neutral, resource-rich soil, with an enrichment on the functions of energy metabolism, membrane transport and amino acid metabolism. Note in our study system the resource availability was poor in acid pH soil, and rich in neutral pH soil. However, resources availability is known to be low in some neutral pH soil and high in some acid pH soil and microbial functional traits and adaptive strategies in these two conditions remain unresolved.

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