Habitat-specific environmental factors regulate spatial variability of soil bacterial communities in biocrusts across northern China's drylands

摘要: Abstract Biocrusts are common biotic components in dryland ecosystems worldwide, they contain diverse soil organisms and effectively enhance stability perform a series of key ecological functions. However, the geographical pattern microbial communities biocrusts is rarely assessed, despite it closely related to spatial variation ecosystem functions drylands. We assessed bacterial across four (Gobi, desert, desert steppe grassland) precipitation gradient (16–566 mm yr−1) northern China. Bacterial OTU number phylogenetic diversity did not linearly increase with decreasing aridity, were significantly lower Gobi similar among grassland. Soil community composition different than those grassland, between this suggests role habitat structuring communities. The geographic was strongly influenced by both distance environmental factors. first explanatory factor for dissimilarity differed ecosystems, being aridity steppe, inorganic nitrogen functional group profile showed groups containing mobile elements gram negative bacteria more abundant drier habitats desert. Our results reveal non-linear changes diversity, from hyper-arid semi-humid regions, suggest that habitat-specific factors determine distribution ecosystems.