Effects of an alien species (Spartina alterniflora) on soil microorganism diversity in salt marshes,Jiangsu coastal inter-tidal ecosystem
外来种互花米草对盐沼土壤微生物多样性的影响——以江苏滨海为例

Spartina alterniflora, an introduced species vegetating on inter-tidal flats from the eastern coast of the United States, has become a hot topic focusing on its invasion to local species in the coastal zone of China. Impacts of S. alterniflora to inter-tidal soil microbiological properties and soil microbial diversity in Jiangsu coastland are discussed in the paper by the control of those living in barren tidal flats. The soil microbial biomass in inter-tidal zone increases more with the growth of S. alterniflora comparing with the barren tidal flats, which also indicating seasonal changes with the plant. Less carbon and nutrients are demanded to form the body of soil microorganism in Spartina salt marshes. The community components may be more complicated in Spartina salt marshes with the dominant components activities in microbial physiological function group. Analysis on functions of microbial physiological groups indicates that the carbon utilization of soil microbes is lower at inter-tidal area, which focusing on carbohydrate, amino acid and carboxyl acid as its primary carbon substances and differing with seasonal variety. The soil microbes shows some similarities in physiology with those living in mudflats when Spartina withers in autumn. The function diversity of microbes increases with the vegetation blooming in spring as well as contributing to larger size of microbial population, metabolic activities and composition. S. alterniflora has greatly ameliorated soil characteristics by providing carbon sources, increasing microbe activities and changing its physiological structure when being introduced to Jiangsu coastal inter-tidal zone.