Microbial Community Dynamics in Primary Succession Soils

Primary succession soils develop on newly exposed substrates such as glacial forelands, volcanic deposits or landslides, offering a natural laboratory to study how microbial communities assemble, change and influence ecosystem development. Initial colonists often comprise lithotrophic bacteria and resilient fungi that derive energy from mineral substrates or atmospheric gases, initiating nutrient accumulation and the formation of organic matter. As soil properties evolve—driven by microbial activity, weathering and pioneer plants—carbon and nitrogen cycles become increasingly complex. Successional trajectories typically involve shifts from chemolithotrophy towards photo- and heterotrophy, increases in species richness and the emergence of stable microbial networks. Environmental filtering by pH, moisture and nutrient availability selects for functionally important taxa, while biotic interactions between bacteria, fungi, archaea and algae underpin nutrient retention and soil structure. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting ecosystem responses to deglaciation and land-use change, for informing restoration strategies in disturbed landscapes and for assessing feedbacks between soil microbiomes and global biogeochemical cycles.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have shown that freshwater systems in deglaciated landscapes undergo genomic succession from chemolithotrophic to photo- and heterotrophic metabolisms, with consequential increases in methane and nitrous oxide saturation. This work highlights how microbial succession in Arctic lakes contributes to greenhouse-gas fluxes and provides a mechanistic basis for positive feedback loops in a warming climate. Complementary research on high-latitude glacier forelands has revealed that soil fungal communities follow a directional replacement model, with a pronounced peak in species richness at mid-successional stages. A nested community structure emerges as pioneer, mid- and late-successional fungi co-occur, reflecting the interplay between soil development processes and competitive exclusion in shaping fungal diversity over decades.

Microbial Community Dynamics in Primary Succession Soils publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in microbial community dynamics in primary succession soils across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Primary succession: Colonisation and ecological development on newly exposed or formed substrates lacking prior soil or vegetation.

Chronosequence: A series of sites of different ages used to infer temporal changes in ecosystem development.

Chemolithotrophy: Metabolism using inorganic compounds as electron donors to generate energy.

Heterotrophy: Metabolism deriving energy and carbon from organic compounds.

Rhizosphere: Soil zone directly influenced by root exudates and associated microbial communities.

Environmental filtering: The process by which abiotic factors select for organisms with suitable traits in a given habitat.

References

1. The role of microorganisms at different stages of ecosystem development for soil formation. Biogeosciences (2013).
2. Trajectories of freshwater microbial genomics and greenhouse gas saturation upon glacial retreat. Nature Communications (2023).
3. Soil fungal community development in a high Arctic glacier foreland follows a directional replacement model, with a mid-successional diversity maximum. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Plant colonization mediates the microbial community dynamics in glacier forelands of the Tibetan Plateau. iMeta (2023).
5. Differential Colonization and Succession of Microbial Communities in Rock and Soil Substrates on a Maritime Antarctic Glacier Forefield. Frontiers in Microbiology (2020).
6. The stage of soil development modulates rhizosphere effect along a High Arctic desert chronosequence. The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology (2018).