Soil microbes greatly contribute to the regulating of phosphorus (P) cycling, which plays a significant role in maintaining wetland ecosystem processes and function. The microbial functional diversity of soil P cycling in response to wetland degradation, however, remains largely unknown. We used metagenomic sequencing to investigate the microbial community and genes related to soil P cycling in un-degraded marshes and meadows derived from long-term marsh degradation in the Lalu alpine wetland of the Tibetan Plateau. When the marsh degraded into meadow, organic P (OP) mineralization genes increased while genes related to P-starvation response regulation decreased. Proteobacteria (20.5–74.3%) and Actinobacteria (5.6–59.7%) were the dominant phyla in soils and were also the main contributors (39.7–84.1% in total) to soil P-cycling genes. Soil pH was the primary factor influencing the P-cycling functional genes. Soil pH negatively affected the genes related to the P-uptake and transport system and had negative effects on the genes related to P-starvation response regulation, OP mineralization, and inorganic P solubilization. These findings may deepen our understanding of the biogeochemical process of soil OP and may be beneficial for wetland management.

中文翻译：

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从沼泽到草甸的长期退化改变了青藏高原高寒湿地土壤磷循环的微生物功能多样性

土壤微生物极大地促进了磷（P）循环的调节，在维持湿地生态系统过程和功能方面发挥着重要作用。然而，响应湿地退化的土壤磷循环的微生物功能多样性仍然很大程度上未知。我们使用宏基因组测序研究了青藏高原拉鲁高山湿地长期沼泽退化的未退化沼泽和草地中与土壤磷循环相关的微生物群落和基因。当沼泽退化为草甸时，有机磷（OP）矿化基因增加，而与磷饥饿反应调节相关的基因减少。变形菌门(20.5–74.3%) 和放线菌门（5.6-59.7%）是土壤中的优势门，也是土壤磷循环基因的主要贡献者（总共39.7-84.1%）。土壤pH是影响P循环功能基因的主要因素。土壤pH对与P-吸收和转运系统相关的基因产生负面影响，对与P-饥饿反应调节、OP矿化和无机P溶解相关的基因产生负面影响。这些发现可能加深我们对土壤有机磷生物地球化学过程的理解，并可能有利于湿地管理。