Global patterns in the growth potential of soil bacterial communities

Abstract

Despite the growing catalogue of studies detailing the taxonomic and functional composition of soil bacterial communities, the life history traits of those communities remain largely unknown. This study analyzes a global dataset of soil metagenomes to explore environmental drivers of growth potential, a fundamental aspect of bacterial life history. We find that growth potential, estimated from codon usage statistics, was highest in forested biomes and lowest in arid latitudes. This indicates that bacterial productivity generally reflects ecosystem productivity globally. Accordingly, the strongest environmental predictors of growth potential were productivity indicators, such as distance to the equator, and soil properties that vary along productivity gradients, such as pH and carbon to nitrogen ratios. We also observe that growth potential was negatively correlated with the relative abundances of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, demonstrating tradeoffs between growth and resource acquisition in soil bacteria. Overall, we identify macroecological patterns in bacterial growth potential and link growth rates to soil carbon cycling.This study analyzes a global dataset of soil metagenomes to explore environmental drivers of growth potential, a fundamental aspect of bacterial life history. The authors show that growth potential, estimated from codon usage statistics, was highest in forested biomes and lowest in arid latitudes, which indicates that bacterial productivity generally reflects ecosystem productivity globally.

Published in

Nature Communications
2024, Volume: 15, number: 1, article number: 6881
Publisher: NATURE PORTFOLIO

SLU Authors

• Bahram, Mohammad

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Aarhus University
  • University of Tartu

UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology
Soil Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50382-1

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/131785