Elevational distribution and seasonal dynamics of alpine soil prokaryotic communities

The alpine grassland ecosystem is a biodiversity hotspot of plants on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, where rapid climate change altering patterns plant along elevational and seasonal gradients environments. However, how belowground microbial changes gradient during growing season not well understood yet. Here, we investigated distribution soil prokaryotic communities by using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing an between 3,200 4,200 m, June September in grasslands. First, found diversity community composition significantly shifted gradient, mainly driven temperature moisture. Species richness did show consistent trends, while those evenness declined with elevation. Copiotrophs symbiotic diazotrophs elevation, oligotrophs AOB increased, affected temperature. Anaerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria AOA were hump-shaped, influenced Second, aboveground biomass, precipitation, dynamics indicated that community, particularly Actinobacteria, was sensitive to short-term change, such as monthly precipitation variation. At last, dispersal limitation consistently dominated assembly process both gradients, especially for rare species, deterministic abundant species relatively higher at drier sites July. balance stochastic processes subcommunities might be strongly water conditions (precipitation/moisture). Our findings suggest elevation can alter which experiencing change. This work provides new insights into response season, helps us understand temporal spatial variations change-sensitive regions.