Forest succession is a key process driving changes in soil properties and ecosystem functioning. However, it remains unclear whether microbial successional patterns are consistent across regions or shaped by local environmental conditions.

In a study published in Microbial Ecology, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators reveal that forest succession drives predictable changes in soil microbial communities, but the key environmental factors controlling these changes vary strikingly between regions.

The researchers investigated the impact of forest succession on soil microbial communities, focusing on the relationships between microbial diversity and environmental factors across different regions and varying soil depths.

They analyzed soil bacterial and fungal communities across three successional stages (early, mid, and late) and three soil depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–50 cm) in forests located in China and Pakistan, using high-throughput sequencing techniques.

They found that forest succession significantly alters soil properties, but the patterns differ between regions. Soil pH was identified as the primary driver of microbial community structure in Pakistan. In Pakistan’s subtropical forests, succession was accompanied by declining pH (soil acidification) and increasing organic carbon and total nitrogen. In contrast, in China’s tropical forests, potassium availability was the dominant factor shaping microbial communities, with soil organic carbon and total potassium peaking at mid-successional stages.

They also found striking differences between bacterial and fungal communities. Bacterial diversity reached its maximum at mid-successional stages in both regions, whereas fungal diversity peaked later in succession. Late-stage forests, which harbor the highest fungal diversity, appear to act as critical reservoirs for decomposer fungi that break down recalcitrant organic matter like lignin.

Despite regional differences, a common successional pattern emerged: early-stage forests were dominated by copiotrophic taxa that thrive on easily decomposable organic matter, while mature forests shifted toward oligotrophic taxa, including specialized decomposers adapted to stable, resource-limited conditions.

The research also confirmed that mid-successional stages represent a transitional “hotspot” of bacterial diversity, but a period of weaker soil–microbe linkages,likely due to rapid changes in plant inputs and soil resources.

“Our study shows that forest succession is not merely an aboveground process, it fundamentally reshapes belowground microbial ecosystems. Late-successional forests, in particular, serve as irreplaceable reservoirs of soil carbon and microbial diversity, enhancing ecosystem stability and climate resilience,” said LU Huazheng of XTBG.

Contact

LU Huazheng Ph.D

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences

E-mail: luhuazheng@xtbg.ac.cn

Published: 23 March 2026