Shifting of microbial biodiversity and soil health in rhizomicrobiome of natural forest and agricultural soil

Abstract

Abstract Intensive agricultural practices and heavy use of inorganic fertilizers have significantly accelerated soil degradation. Mineralization of the organic matter of soil affects soil health and the abundance of soil beneficial microbes (SBMs) and its dynamics in the soil. The research to investigate the shifting of microbial population and the soil health was conducted in natural forest, agricultural, and degraded ecosystems. The research setting involved randomized block design consisting of six ecosystems, namely, natural forest, agricultural soil (oil palm: 10, 9, 8, and 7 years old), and degraded soils. The soil samples were taken with four replications from rhizomicrobiome of each land use. In the soil health analysis, it was understood that soil beneficial microbes (SBMs) consist of total bacteria, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, total actinomycetes, and total fungi). The results showed that natural forest, oil palm plantation, and degraded land demonstrated a significant effect on the changes in biodiversity of SBM in rhizomicrobiome. The highest population of SBMs was in natural forest followed by the 10-year-old oil palm plantations and the lowest was recorded in degraded soils. These results confirm that the shift of forest ecosystems to agricultural soils will accelerate the degradation and decline of soil health.