Tropical peatlands are complex and globally-important ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic disturbances, primarily via agricultural development. Microbes in peatlands play important roles in governing overall ecosystem functions and sustenance, with specific population dynamics governing carbon sink or source dynamics. We determined phenotypic microbial community structures under forest, drained, burned and oil palm plantation peatlands, using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling. Communities were distinct under each land-use type, varied consistently with depth down to two metres, but with a distinct characteristic shift at circa one metre depth. There was bacterial dominance across all land-use types and depths. The burnt peatland showed the greatest contrast relative to forest, possibly due to the difference in water table level. Gram-positive bacteria was the most dominant group in surface layers under all land-use types except burnt, and their relative abundance decreased with depth, replaced by Gram-negative groups in deeper layers. Fungal relative abundance remained low across both land-use types and depth ranges. Our results shed light on a hitherto virtually unknown tropical peat microbial phenotypic community structure and indicate that anthropogenic disturbance in tropical peatlands severely alter microbial communities.

热带泥炭地是复杂且具有全球重要性的生态系统，越来越受到人为干扰（主要是通过农业发展）的威胁。泥炭地中的微生物在控制整个生态系统功能和维持方面起着重要作用，其中特定的种群动态控制着碳汇或碳源的动态。我们使用磷脂脂肪酸（PLFA）分析法确定了森林，排水，焚烧和油棕种植的泥炭地下的表型微生物群落结构。在每种土地利用类型下，社区都是不同的，深度一直下降到两米，但在大约一米深处有明显的特征性变化。在所有土地利用类型和深度上，细菌占主导地位。相对于森林，烧过的泥炭地表现出最大的反差，可能是由于地下水位不同所致。除烧伤外，在所有土地利用类型中，革兰氏阳性菌是表层中最主要的菌群，它们的相对丰度随着深度的增加而降低，被更深层的革兰氏阴性菌取代。在土地利用类型和深度范围内，真菌的相对丰度均较低。我们的结果揭示了迄今为止几乎未知的热带泥炭微生物表型群落结构，并表明热带泥炭地的人为干扰严重改变了微生物群落。在土地利用类型和深度范围内，真菌的相对丰度均较低。我们的结果揭示了迄今为止几乎未知的热带泥炭微生物表型群落结构，并表明热带泥炭地的人为干扰严重改变了微生物群落。在土地利用类型和深度范围内，真菌的相对丰度均较低。我们的结果揭示了迄今为止几乎未知的热带泥炭微生物表型群落结构，并表明热带泥炭地的人为干扰严重改变了微生物群落。