Rhizosphere Microorganisms and Soil Physicochemical Properties of Restored Wetland Plant Communities at Cutting Slash of Populus Deltoides in Dongting Lake

Rhizosphere microorganisms and soil physicochemical properties play a vital role in the natural restoration of plant communities. However, the mechanism of action between rhizosphere microorganisms and soil factors interact during natural restoration in plant communities is still unknown. Therefore, more attention is needed in this area based on typical vegetation, which supports the restoration of the structure and function of wetland ecosystems. Carex spp . and Artemisia selengensis communities are typical renewal wetland plant communities at cutting slash of Populus deltoides . In the current study, plots containing Carex spp. and Artemisia spp. in the slash were investigated, and an area of P. deltoides plantation on a lake shore was sampled as a control to navigate the rhizosphere microorganisms and soil physicochemical properties of the restored wetland plant community. The results revealed that the richness and diversity indices of the fungal community in the Carex spp. community were higher than those in the A. selengensis and P. deltoides undergrowth communities. Ascomycota was the dominant phylum in the soil of Carex spp. community whereas Basidiomycota was the dominant phylum in the A. selengensis community. The richness and diversity indices of the rhizosphere bacterial community in the control were higher than those in communities of Carex spp. and A. Selengensis. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla of the rhizosphere bacterial community in the control plot. Soil water content (WC), proportion of clay (CY), and nutrient content, as well as catalase activity (CAT) in the soil of Carex spp. community were the highest, whereas those in the control were the lowest. Conversely, the bulk density (BK) and proportion of gravel in the control plot were the highest. RDA found that the CY, organic matter (OM), ammonium nitrogen (AN) and nitrate nitrogen (NN) content in the soil were the key factors affecting the structure and composition of the rhizosphere microbial community.