Microbial community assembly in relation to microclimate and intraspecific trait variation: A case study from the subtropical forests of Mount Wuyi

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtag201

J Plant Ecol ›› Advance articles DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtag201

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Microbial community assembly in relation to microclimate and intraspecific trait variation: A case study from the subtropical forests of Mount Wuyi

Zhi-jie Guan^{1, 2}, Dong-hao Wu³, Ruo-ming Zhang¹, Xiao-yu Liu⁴, Hong-bo Yu⁴ and Wei-bin You^{1, 2*}

1. College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University , Fuzhou 350002 , China;
2. Fujian Southern Forest Resources and Environmental Engineering Technology Research Center , Fuzhou, 350002 , China;
3. State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou, 310058 , China;
4. Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei, 430074 , China
* Correspondence: Wei-bin You E-mail: wbyou@fafu.edu.cn Tel & Fax: + 86 18649708268

Received:2025-12-01 Accepted:2026-07-30 Published:2026-09-09
Supported by:
This work is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32271872).

Abstract

Abstract: Downed log decomposition is a critical process in forest carbon cycling, with microbial communities playing a key role and being modulated by substrate quality. Many studies highlight the effects of interspecific differences of plant litters, yet the effects of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) and its interplay with microclimate on fungal-bacterial interaction patterns remain poorly understood.

This study reveals how intraspecific trait variation (ITV) and microclimate are associated with microbial community assembly and fungal-bacterial interactions during early-stage downed log decomposition. By comparing two forest ecosystems in Mount WuYi, we identified system-specific association patterns between ITV, microclimate, microbial interaction networks, and metabolic pathways, providing exploratory evidence for understanding community assembly patterns during log decomposition.

Key words: Intraspecific trait variation, Microclimate, Fungal-bacterial interaction, Wood decomposition, Downed log

Zhi-jie Guan, Dong-hao Wu, Ruo-ming Zhang, Xiao-yu Liu, Hong-bo Yu, Wei-bin You. Microbial community assembly in relation to microclimate and intraspecific trait variation: A case study from the subtropical forests of Mount Wuyi[J]. J Plant Ecol, DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtag201.

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Microbial community assembly in relation to microclimate and intraspecific trait variation: A case study from the subtropical forests of Mount Wuyi

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