Impacts of land-use change on soil microbial communities and their function in the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest is a global diversity hotspot that has experienced significant level of deforestation over the past half century, primarily for establishment cattle pasture. Characterizing impact this large-scale ecosystem conversion on composition and activity soil microbial community crucial understanding potentially consequential shifts in nutrient greenhouse gas cycling, as well adding to body knowledge concerning how tropical ecosystems respond human disturbance. Research date shown locally, communities microorganisms tend become more diverse upon forest However, these undergo taxonomic homogenization at landscape-level spatial scales, mirroring plant across pastures. Microbial structure distinct between pasture several studies, specific taxa, such Firmicutes Acidobacteria, show consistent association with soils, respectively. In addition, functions have relevant impacts both carbon nitrogen cycling scale: abundance methane-cycling prokaryotes conjunction increased methane flux Further, quantitation profiling free-living fixers demonstrated functional group favored pastures suggests asymbiotic N2 fixation may be significantly augmented process. While human-driven continuing, large percentage once-converted are undergoing process secondary succession. Assessment forests compared primary convergence toward recovery functionality reforestation.