Arctic and subarctic soils are undergoing rapid changes that influence vegetation, bacteria, and their interactions with each other and the environment. Our objective was to understand how rhizosphere bacterial communities from diverse Alaskan boreal and tundra habitats and common Alaskan plant species interact with an anthropogenic soil stressor. A variety of soil types associated with plant communities from Interior and Arctic Alaska were selected. Soils were seeded with a forb, grass, or tree, spiked with antimony (Sb) or kept as a control, and grown for 60 days under warm conditions. Plant growth and Sb uptake, rhizosphere prokaryote composition, and mycorrhizal colonization data were collected. Antimony altered rhizosphere bacterial community richness, diversity, and composition, dependent on soil type and plant identity. Of 20 rhizosphere bacterial orders, Burkholderiales proved most responsive to Sb, but the responses varied by plant species. Plant species' uptake of Sb were strongly influenced by soil biological, chemical, and physical properties. Picea glauca (white spruce) accumulated hyperaccumulator-level Sb concentrations in its roots in 2 of 6 soils. Future biotechnology applications to mitigate land degradation in this environment must acknowledge the complex interactions between vegetation, soils, microbes, and climate for successful utilization.

北极和亚北极土壤正在经历快速变化，从而影响植被，细菌及其相互之间以及与环境之间的相互作用。我们的目标是了解来自不同阿拉斯加寒带和苔原生境的根际细菌群落以及常见的阿拉斯加植物物种如何与人为土壤胁迫物相互作用。选择了内陆和北极阿拉斯加与植物群落相关的多种土壤类型。用叉子，草或树播种土壤，掺入锑（Sb）或作为对照，在温暖的条件下生长60天。收集植物生长和Sb吸收，根际原核生物组成和菌根定植数据。取决于土壤类型和植物身份，锑改变了根际细菌群落的丰富度，多样性和组成。在20种根际细菌中，伯克霍尔德氏菌对Sb的反应最强，但反应因植物种类而异。植物物种对Sb的吸收受到土壤生物学，化学和物理特性的强烈影响。青云杉（白云杉）在其6种土壤中的2种土壤的根中积累了高积累水平的Sb浓度。为减轻这种环境下土地退化的未来生物技术应用，必须承认植被，土壤，微生物和气候之间的复杂相互作用才能成功利用。