Moss and underlying soil bacterial community structures are linked to moss functional traits

Mosses are among the first colonizing organisms after glacier retreat and can develop into thick moss mats during later successional stages. They key players in N2 fixation through their microbiome, which is an important process for nutrient buildup primary succession. How these moss–microbe interactions succession not well studied relevant light of climate change increased retreat. We examined how bacterial communities associated with two species genus Racomitrium underlying soil, as traits nitrogen fixation, along a gradient forefield Fláajökull southeast Iceland. In addition, we tested whether functional traits, such total carbon (TC) (TN) contents, moisture content, shoot length drivers soil communities. Although time since deglaciation did affect TN TC deglaciation. Moss were distinct. While community structure was driven by C/N ratios, linked to deglaciation, ratio, content. N2-fixation rates composition nifH gene abundance rather than or This accompanied shift from autotrophic heterotrophic diazotrophs. Overall, our results suggest that there little lateral transfer between structure. Only changed determined structure, study on interplay succession, mosses, soils, will inform future work fate newly exposed areas result