Changes in Soil Microbial Community and Carbon Flux Regime across a Subtropical Montane Peatland-to-Forest Successional Series in Taiwan

Subtropical montane peatland is among several rare ecosystems that continue to receive insufficient scientific exploration. We analyzed the vegetation types and soil bacterial composition, as well surface carbon dioxide methane fluxes along a successional peatland-to-upland-forest series in one such ecosystem Taiwan. The Yuanyang Lake (YYL) study site characterized by low temperature, high precipitation, prevailing fog, acidic soil, which are typical conditions for surrounding dominant Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana forest. Bacterial communities were dominated Acidobacteriota Proteobacteria. Along bog-to-forest gradient, Proteobacteria decreased increased while CO2 CH4 decreased. Principal coordinate analysis allowed separating samples into four clusters, correspond from bog, marsh, forest, forest outside of watershed. majority genera found all plots, suggesting these can easily switch other types. Variation same type suggests influence habitat heterogeneity on community composition. Variations water content season caused variations fluxes. While flux exponentially with increasing content, exhibited an exponential increase together content. Because YYL process gradual terrestrialization, especially under warming climate, we expect changes microbial composition greenhouse gas budget at landscape scale within next decades.