Land-use legacies shape soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling functions in rotational shifting cultivation fields of Northern Thailand
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
ISSN
00953628
eISSN
1432184X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105017799668
Pubmed ID
41037127
Journal Title
Microbial Ecology
Volume
88
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Microbial Ecology Vol.88 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Arunrat N., Mhuantong W., Sereenonchai S. Land-use legacies shape soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling functions in rotational shifting cultivation fields of Northern Thailand. Microbial Ecology Vol.88 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1007/s00248-025-02598-x Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/112540
Title
Land-use legacies shape soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling functions in rotational shifting cultivation fields of Northern Thailand
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Corresponding Author(s)
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Abstract
How land-use history—particularly in contrasting systems such as rotational shifting cultivation (RSC) and continuously fallow (CF) fields—influences soil microbial communities and their biogeochemical functions remains insufficiently understood. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to compare the taxonomic composition and functional gene profiles of soils under RSC and CF systems in Northern Thailand. The results revealed distinct microbial assemblages and metabolic potentials shaped by land-use legacy. RSC soils were characterized by a higher abundance of nitrifiers and nitrogen-fixing taxa, including Nitrosocosmicus and Streptomyces, along with enriched genes involved in nitrification (e.g., amoC_B, nxrB) and nitrogen fixation (nifD, nifK), reflecting an enhanced potential for nitrogen acquisition and retention. In contrast, CF soils showed enrichment in Bradyrhizobium, Halobaculum, and Russula, and exhibited higher expression of denitrification-related genes (norB, narJ), suggesting increased nitrogen loss via gaseous emissions. Functional genes related to phosphate metabolism (phoX, glpQ) and nutrient signal transduction were more abundant in RSC soils, indicating active nutrient cycling in response to recent disturbance. Conversely, CF soils demonstrated broader metabolic capabilities, including genes for sulfur oxidation and redox regulation, suggesting microbial adaptation to more stable but nutrient-limited conditions. These findings demonstrate that land-use legacies strongly influence microbial composition and function, with important implications for nutrient cycling and soil fertility restoration in shifting cultivation landscapes.