Soil microorganisms play an indispensable role in the forest ecosystem. It is necessary to study the soil microorganisms in Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, which is one of the afforestation species widely planted in the northern sandy region of China. We collected soil samples of P. sylvestris at large spatial scales and analyzed bacterial and fungal community composition differences using high-throughput sequencing techniques. The results showed that: (1) the richness index of different sandy lands was significantly different. The α-diversity of bacteria was the highest in Mu Us Sandy Land, and the α-diversity of fungi was the highest in Horqin Sandy Land. (2) The dominant phyla of bacteria were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria, while the dominant phyla of fungi were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. The relative abundance of dominant phyla was different. (3) Temperature and precipitation were the main driving factors of bacterial and fungal community change at large spatial scale. In addition, bacteria were also affected by total nitrogen, soil organic carbon and pH content; fungal community was affected by pH. The microorganisms showed obvious differences in geographical distribution, which could provide ideas for promoting sustainable management of P. sylvestris stand.

Afforestation plays a pivotal role in ecosystem restoration, exemplified by the Saihanba Mechanized Forest Farm, the world’s largest planted forest; however, the assembly mechanisms and interactions of soil microbial communities in such forests remain inadequately understood. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of different afforestation tree species, namely Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii, Picea asperata, and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, on soil bacterial diversity and community structure in comparison to grassland. Sixty soil samples were collected at a 20 cm depth, and high-throughput sequencing was employed to identify bacterial communities and assess their interactions with environmental factors. A total of 6528 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified, with Solirubrobacter, Conexibacter, Bacillus, Massilia, Gaiella, Acidibacter, and Vicinamibacter being the dominant genera. Afforestation significantly impacted soil bacterial alpha diversity, with notable influence from key soil chemical properties, including available phosphorus (AP), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of soil organic matter (SOM-C/N). The Mantel test highlighted pH, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and spatial variable (dbMEM) as primary environmental factors influencing dominant bacterial genera. The bacterial community structure demonstrated deterministic homogeneous selection, wherein SOM-C/N emerged as a significant factor influencing the dissimilarity of soil bacterial communities. Furthermore, plantation soils exhibited a more complex network structure than grassland soil, highlighting the crucial role of bacterial communities in vegetation changes and providing valuable insights into their response to environmental factors during the reforestation process.

Populus euphratica Oliv., an indicator species for eco-environmental change in arid areas, plays a key role in maintaining the stability of fragile oasis–desert ecosystems. Owing to human interference as well as to the harshness of the natural environment, P. euphratica forests have suffered severe damage and degradation, with trunk cavities (i.e., hollows) becoming increasingly pronounced, and thus posing a great threat to the growth, health, and survival of the species. Currently, there is a gap in our understanding of cavity formation and its distribution in P. euphratica. Here, cavities in the trunks and branches of a P. euphratica in a typical transect (Arghan) along the lower Tarim River were studied based on field positioning observations combined with laboratory analysis. The results revealed a large number of hollow-bearing P. euphratica stands in the study area; indeed, trees with hollows accounted for 56% of the sampled trees, with approximately 159 trees/ha. Sixty-six percent of hollow trees exhibited large (15 cm ≤ cavity width (CW) < 30 cm) or very large (CW > 30 cm) hollows. The main types of cavities in the trees were trunk main (31.3%), trunk top (20.7%), branch end (19.5%), and branch middle (19.5%). Tree parameters, such as diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (TH), east–west crown width (EWCW), height under branches (UBH), and crown loss (CL) were significantly different between hollow and non-hollow trees. Both cavity height and width were significantly and positively correlated with DBH and CL, as well as with average crown width (ACW) (p < 0.001) and the distance from the tree to the river. The proportion of P. euphratica trees with cavities showed an overall increasing trend with increasing groundwater depth. Our findings show that cavities in P. euphratica varied with different tree architectural characteristics. Water availability is a major environmental factor influencing the occurrence of hollowing in desert riparian forests. The results provide scientific support for the conservation and sustainable management of existing desert riparian forest ecosystems.

Revealing the biogeography and community assembly mechanisms of soil microorganisms is crucial in comprehending the diversity and maintenance of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica forests. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques and null model analysis to explore the distribution patterns and assembly processes of abundant, rare, and total fungal communities in P. sylvestris var. mongolica forests based on a large-scale soil survey across northern China. Compared to the abundant and total taxa, the diversity and composition of rare taxa were found to be more strongly influenced by regional changes and environmental factors. At the level of class, abundant and total taxa were dominated by Agaricomycetes and Leotiomycetes, while Agaricomycetes and Sordariomycetes were dominant in the rare taxa. In the functional guilds, symbiotrophic fungi were advantaged in the abundant and total taxa, and saprotrophic fungi were advantaged in the rare taxa. The null model revealed that the abundant, rare, and total taxa were mainly governed by stochastic processes. However, rare taxa were more influenced by deterministic processes. Precipitation and temperature were the key drivers in regulating the balance between stochastic and deterministic processes. This study provides new insights into both the biogeographical patterns and assembly processes of soil fungi in P. sylvestris var. mongolica forests.

Macrofungi are a group of fungi with important ecological functions and economic value in forest ecosystems. In this study, the species diversity and community composition of macrofungi in different areas, vegetation types, and elevation gradients from the Lingshan Natural Scenic Area and Xiaolongmen National Forest Park of the Dongling Mountains, Western Beijing were investigated. A total of 1379 specimens were collected. All specimens were identified by morphological and molecular methods, resulting in the identification of 311 species belonging to two phyla, four classes, 18 orders, 74 families, and 147 genera. The alpha diversity analysis indicated that the alpha diversity was significantly different among different vegetation types. The Betula spp. and Populus davidiana of the Lingshan Natural Scenic Area, and Quercus liaotungensis of Xiaolongmen National Forest Park had higher macrofungal alpha diversity. The difference in alpha diversity between the two areas was not significant. The principal coordinate analysis indicated a significant difference in macrofungal community composition among different vegetation types. The fungal community composition of the two areas was also significantly different. The fungal species richness and unique species tended to increase and then decrease with increasing elevation. The species composition of neighboring elevation gradients was more similar. The macrofungal species richness and the number of unique species were not significantly affected by elevation gradient. The vegetation types with higher fungal alpha diversity in the Dongling Mountains were Betula spp., Populus davidiana, and Quercus liaotungensis, and there were abundant fungal species in deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests. Macrofungal diversity and community composition was significantly affected by vegetation type. To better protect the macrofungi, the protection of these four vegetation types in the Dongling Mountains should be strengthened in the future.