J Plant Ecol ›› Advance articles     DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtaf017

   

Solidago canadensis modifies microbial community and soil physicochemical properties through litter leachates and root exudates

Yanwen Bo1,3, Yali Liao1, Mark Pawlett3, Rasheed Akbar1,4, Nickolas Girkin3,5, Jianfan Sun1,2*, Amjad Ali6, Naushad Ahmad7, Wei Liu8, Xiaoyan Wang8 and Daolin Du9   

  1. 1Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
    2Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
    3Faculty of Engineering and Bioscience, Cranfield University, Building 52a, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK.
    4Department of Entomology, Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences, The University of Haripur, Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22062 Pakistan
    5School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
    6School of Material Science & Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
    7Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh-11451, Saudi Arabia.
    8College of Optical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China.
    9Jingjiang College, Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Emergency Management, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.

    *Correspondence: Jianfan Sun
    Email: zxsjf@ujs.edu.cn
    Tel & Fax: +86 15252904573
  • Online:2025-02-15 Published:2025-02-15
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971427), Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Technology Innovation Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20220030), and the Young Scientist Fund of Jiangsu Province (BK20200905). Part of the funding for this research was supported by the Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment and the Special Scientific Research Project of the School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University. The authors would also like to thank the Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSPD2025R668), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract: Invasive plant inputs alter soil microbial communities via chemical compounds in litter, root exudates, and leachate, impacting a range of soil processes, but precise effects are poorly understood. We examined Solidago canadensis, a common invasive species in China, and its litter effects on soil microbial communities under natural conditions. Experimental treatments included S. canadensis seedling density (1 and 2 plants/pot) and quantity of litter (10 and 20 g/pot), with control groups that contained no plants or litter. After 120 days, soil samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties, GC-MS chemical composition, and bacterial community composition using high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that S. canadensis seedlings and litter inputs increased soil pH, organic matter (SOM), and nitrogen (TN), while phosphorus and potassium remained unchanged. We identified 66 chemical compounds, predominantly ketones, alcohol, aldehyde, hydrocarbon, ester, acid, terpenoids, and alkaloids, associated with the presence of the invasive species, alongside shifts in dominant bacterial genera including Sphingomonas, Acidobacteriales, and Gemmatimonas. Rarer genera under the invasive treatment species, such as Candidatus, Rhodoplanes and Novosphingobium, correlated positively with soil TN, pH, and SOM. Collectively, our results demonstrate how the increased presence of allelochemicals from S. canadensis litter significantly impact soil properties and bacterial communities, and may therefore have implications for ecosystem dynamics.

Key words: invasive plant, litter effects, root exudates, soil microbial communities, high-throughput sequencing