There is little knowledge about microbial functional community structures and the relationships between microbial communities and nitrogen transformation processes. Here, we investigated the relationships between soil microbial communities and nitrogen mineralisation potentials in a cool temperate forest throughout the growing season. Microbial communities were assessed by quantification of the total bacterial, archaeal, and fungal gene abundances and the bacterial and archaeal amoA gene abundances, functional predictions of bacteria and fungi, and analysis of the bacterial-fungal co-occurrence network. In mid-summer, ectomycorrhizal fungal abundance was significantly higher, whereas the total bacterial abundance was significantly lower. Bacterial and archaeal amoA gene abundances were also significantly higher in mid-summer. However, regardless of the seasonal fluctuation of microbial gene abundances, the net nitrification and nitrogen mineralisation potential did not show clear seasonality. In the network analysis, the microbial community was divided into 13 modules, which were subgroups assumed to have similar niches. Furthermore, two modules that mainly consisted of microbial species of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were significantly and positively correlated with the net nitrification and mineralisation potentials. Our results indicated that microbial subgroups sharing similar niches, instead of total microbial abundances and functional gene abundances, could be important factors affecting the net nitrogen mineralisation potential.

关于微生物功能群落结构以及微生物群落与氮转化过程之间的关系知之甚少。在这里，我们调查了整个生长季节凉爽温带森林中土壤微生物群落与氮矿化潜力之间的关系。通过对总细菌、古菌和真菌基因丰度以及细菌和古菌 amoA 基因丰度的定量、细菌和真菌的功能预测以及细菌-真菌共生网络的分析来评估微生物群落。在盛夏，外生菌根真菌丰度显着升高，而细菌总丰度显着降低。细菌和古菌 amoA 基因丰度在仲夏也显着升高。然而，尽管微生物基因丰度的季节性波动，净硝化和氮矿化潜力没有表现出明显的季节性。在网络分析中，微生物群落被分为 13 个模块，这些模块是假设具有相似生态位的亚群。此外，主要由 Proteobacteria 和 Bacteroidetes 微生物物种组成的两个模块与净硝化和矿化潜力显着正相关。我们的结果表明，共享相似生态位的微生物亚群，而不是总微生物丰度和功能基因丰度，可能是影响净氮矿化潜力的重要因素。净硝化和氮矿化潜力没有表现出明显的季节性。在网络分析中，微生物群落被分为 13 个模块，这些模块是假设具有相似生态位的亚群。此外，主要由 Proteobacteria 和 Bacteroidetes 微生物物种组成的两个模块与净硝化和矿化潜力显着正相关。我们的结果表明，共享相似生态位的微生物亚群，而不是总微生物丰度和功能基因丰度，可能是影响净氮矿化潜力的重要因素。净硝化和氮矿化潜力没有表现出明显的季节性。在网络分析中，微生物群落被分为 13 个模块，这些模块是假设具有相似生态位的亚群。此外，主要由 Proteobacteria 和 Bacteroidetes 微生物物种组成的两个模块与净硝化和矿化潜力显着正相关。我们的结果表明，共享相似生态位的微生物亚群，而不是总微生物丰度和功能基因丰度，可能是影响净氮矿化潜力的重要因素。主要由 Proteobacteria 和 Bacteroidetes 微生物物种组成的两个模块与净硝化和矿化潜力显着正相关。我们的结果表明，共享相似生态位的微生物亚群，而不是总微生物丰度和功能基因丰度，可能是影响净氮矿化潜力的重要因素。主要由 Proteobacteria 和 Bacteroidetes 微生物物种组成的两个模块与净硝化和矿化潜力显着正相关。我们的结果表明，共享相似生态位的微生物亚群，而不是总微生物丰度和功能基因丰度，可能是影响净氮矿化潜力的重要因素。