Journal Article

Conversion of the Amazon rainforest to agriculture results in biotic homogenization of soil bacterial communities

Nüsslein, Klaus, Pellizari, Vivian H., Rodrigues, Jorge L. M., Hamaoui, George S., Tsai, Siu Mui, Mueller, Rebecca, Paula, Fabiana S., Bohannan, Brendan J. M., Feigl, Brigitte, Mirza, Babur, da C. Jesus, Ederson, Baek, Kyunghwa, Tiedje, James M.

2013

Overview

The Amazon rainforest is the Earth’s largest reservoir of plant and animal diversity, and it has been subjected to especially high rates of land use change, primarily to cattle pasture. This conversion has had a strongly negative effect on biological diversity, reducing the number of plant and animal species and homogenizing communities. We report here that microbial biodiversity also responds strongly to conversion of the Amazon rainforest, but in a manner different from plants and animals. Local taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of soil bacteria increases after conversion, but communities become more similar across space. This homogenization is driven by the loss of forest soil bacteria with restricted ranges (endemics) and results in a net loss of diversity. This study shows homogenization of microbial communities in response to human activities. Given that soil microbes represent the majority of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems and are intimately involved in ecosystem functions, we argue that microbial biodiversity loss should be taken into account when assessing the impact of land use change in tropical forests.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences,National Acad Sciences
• Subject: adverse effects / Agricultural soils / Agriculture / Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions / Amazonia / Animal species / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / Bacteria / Bacteria - classification / Bacteria - genetics / Bacteria - isolation & purification / Biodiversity / Biodiversity loss / Biological and medical sciences / Biological Sciences / Brazil / Cattle / Ecological function / Ecosystem / Forest ecosystems / Forest soils / Forestry / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / General agroecology / General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping / General agronomy. Plant production / General forest ecology / Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development / Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology / Homogenization / Humans / Land use / land use change / Microbial activity / microbial communities / Microbial ecology / Pasture / Pastures / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / plants (botany) / Rain / Rainforests / soil bacteria / Soil Microbiology / Soil microorganisms / Soil samples / Taxa / Terrestrial ecosystems / Trees / Tropical Climate / Tropical forests / Tropical rain forests / Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water)