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Impacts of Invasive Australian Acacias on Soil Bacterial Community Composition, Microbial Enzymatic Activities, and Nutrient Availability in Fynbos Soils

  • Soil Microbiology
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Abstract

Invasive plants often impact soil conditions, notably through changes in soil chemistry and microbial community composition, potentially leading to altered soil functionality. We determine the impacts of invasive nitrogen-fixing Australian Acacia trees on soil chemistry and function (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling) in South Africa’s Core Cape Subregion, and whether any differences in soil function are linked to differences in soil chemical properties and bacterial community composition between neighbouring acacia-invaded and uninvaded sites. We do so by using Illumina MiSeq sequencing data together with soil chemistry and soil enzyme activity profiles. Acacias significantly increased levels of soil nitrogen (NO3−, NH4+, and total N), C, and pH. Although we did not find evidence that acacias affected soil bacterial community diversity, we did find them to alter bacterial community composition. Acacias also significantly elevated microbial phosphatase activity, but not β-glucosidase, whilst having contrasting effects on urease. Changes in soil chemical properties under acacia invasion were found to correlate with changes in enzyme activities for urease and phosphatase. Similarly, changes in soil bacterial community composition were correlated to changes in phosphatase enzymatic activity levels under acacia invasion. Whilst we found evidence for acacias altering soil function by changing soil chemical properties and bacterial community composition, these impacts appear to be specific to local site conditions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Angel Valverde for assistance and advice regarding next-generation sequencing methodologies, as well as all the various landowners and managers who generously allowed us to sample on their properties. Specifically, we would like to thank Sean and Michelle Privett from Flower Valley, Simon and Shawn Graaff from Koude Vlakte, Peter Borain from Vermaaklikheid, Jacques van Rensburg from Vergelegen Wine Estate, and Russel Metcalf from Walshacres. Finally, the authors wish to thank Nkoliso Magona and Florencia Yannelli for assistance with field and lab work.

Funding

This research was funded by the South African National Research Foundation (grant nos. 93591 to JLR; 89967, 109244, and 109683 to CH). AN acknowledges funding from EXPRO grant no. 19-28807X (Czech Science Foundation) and long-term research development project RVO 67985939 (The Czech Academy of Sciences).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Jan-Hendrik Keet, Allan G. Ellis & Johannes J. Le Roux

  2. Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Jan-Hendrik Keet

  3. Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Cang Hui

  4. Mathematical and Physical Biosciences, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa

    Cang Hui

  5. Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic

    Ana Novoa

  6. Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Johannes J. Le Roux

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  1. Jan-Hendrik Keet
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  2. Allan G. Ellis
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  3. Cang Hui
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  4. Ana Novoa
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Correspondence to Jan-Hendrik Keet.

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Keet, JH., Ellis, A.G., Hui, C. et al. Impacts of Invasive Australian Acacias on Soil Bacterial Community Composition, Microbial Enzymatic Activities, and Nutrient Availability in Fynbos Soils. Microb Ecol 82, 704–721 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01683-1

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