Plant and microbiome interactions are necessary for plant nutrient acquisition. However, relatively little is known about the responses of roots, bulk, and rhizosphere soil microbial communities in different artificial vegetation types (woody and herbaceous) in riparian areas of massive dams and reservoirs. Therefore, this study aims to assess such responses at elevations of 165–170 m a.s.l. in the riparian zones of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir, China. The samples were collected containing the rhizosphere soil, bulk soil, and roots of herbaceous and woody vegetation at different emergence stages in 2018. Then, all the samples were analyzed to quantify the soil properties, bacterial community characteristics, and their interaction in the early and late emergence phases. In different periods, the weight of dominant soil bacteria, including Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Cyanobacteria, was higher, and their composition was different in the rhizosphere, bulk soil, and endophytes. Moreover, the soil co-occurrence networks indicated that the weight of soil physical properties was higher than chemical properties in the early emergence stage. In contrast, the weight of chemical properties was relatively higher in the late emergence stage. Furthermore, the richness and diversity of the bacterial community were mainly affected by soil organic matter. This study suggests that these herbaceous and woody vegetation are suitable for planting in reservoir areas affected by hydrology and human disturbance in light of soil nutrients and soil microbial communities, respectively. Additionally, these results provide valuable information to inoculate the soil with key microbiota members by applying fertilizers, potentially improving plant health and soil production.

Ecological stoichiometric studies can be useful for managing the deteriorated riparian zones of mega-reservoirs in which nutrients significantly impact the balanced vegetation cover. The present study aims to explore the effects of periodic submergence on the stoichiometric ecological characteristics of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), as well as the growth conditions of two leading conifer species (Taxodium distichum and Taxodium ascendens) in the hydro-fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region, China. The stoichiometrical contents of C, N, and P in fine roots, leaves, and branches, and the growth conditions of T. distichum and T. ascendens were measured in July 2019. The results showed that periodic submergence affected the stoichiometric characteristics and growth conditions of these two woody species, and the impact was restrained, but both grew well. The effects of inundation on the C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics differed in different parts of trees. In general, the C contents showed the following pattern: leaves > branches > fine roots. The N and P content showed the following pattern: leaves > fine roots > branches, while the C/N and C/P ratios showed an opposite trend to that of N and P. The N and P content in all parts of T. distichum (with means of 17.18 and 1.70 g/kg for leaves, 4.80 and 0.57 g/kg for branches, and 6.88 and 1.10 g/kg for fine roots, respectively) and T. ascendens (with means of 14.56 and 1.87 g/kg for leaves, 5.03 and 0.63 g/kg for branches, and 8.17 and 1.66 g/kg for fine roots, respectively) were higher than the national average level (with means of 14.14 and 1.11 g/kg for leaves, 3.04 and 0.31 g/kg for branches, and 4.85 and 0.47 g/kg for fine roots, respectively). Except for N and P contents in the leaves of T. distichum, there was a significant correlation between N and P elements in other parts (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, the N/P ratio (10.15, 8.52, 6.44, and 7.93, 8.12, 5.20 in leaves, branches, and fine roots of T. distichum and T. ascendens, respectively) was lower than the critical ratio of 14. The growth conditions of T. distichum and T. ascendens were significantly negatively correlated with their leaf C contents and significantly positively correlated with their fine root N and P contents. This study showed that T. distichum and T. ascendens could maintain their normal growth needs by properly allocating nutrients between different organs to adapt to the long periodic submergence in the hydro-fluctuation zone of the TGR region.