Summary
This field study characterised soil microbial communities—bacteria, archaea, fungi and AMF—across six contrasting agrosystems in the Madeira Archipelago. Despite varying edaphoclimatic conditions and management practices, bacterial communities showed consistent taxonomic structure dominated by copiotrophs, suggesting soil nutrient content as a primary driver. Fungal and AMF communities exhibited greater sensitivity to management and soil properties, with Glomus representing over 50% of AMF across all sites, findings the authors propose are valuable for predicting agrosystem resilience and productivity under climate change.
Regional applicability
The Madeira Archipelago's subtropical climate and edaphoclimatic conditions differ substantially from United Kingdom temperate agroecosystems. However, the methodological approach and insights into how management practices and soil properties structure microbial communities have potential applicability to UK soil monitoring and prediction of climate impacts on agricultural productivity, particularly for understanding microbial drivers of soil function.
Key measures
Relative abundance (%) of bacterial classes (Alphaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Clostridia); archaeal classes (Crenarchaeota, Methanomicrobia, Methanococci); fungal classes (Sordaryomycetes, Agaricomycetes); AMF genus composition (Glomus); diversity indices; edaphoclimatic and management variables
Outcomes reported
The study characterised bacterial, archaeal, fungal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities across six agrosystems in the Madeira Archipelago using classical microbiology and molecular techniques. Findings revealed distinct patterns in microbial composition influenced by soil nutrient content, management practices and soil texture.
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