Journal article
Recovery of soil microbiota in naturally regenerating Acacia mangium ecosystems
PeerJ, Vol.14, pp.1-41
2026
Abstract
Forest ecosystem restoration often focuses on the recovery of tree diversity and carbon stocks, with minimal attention given to soil microbial communities. Given the essential role of soil microorganisms for ecosystem health and recovery, this lack of understanding may limit reforestation success. In this study, we address this gap by analysing the taxonomic and functional characteristics of fungal and bacterial communities in minimally managed Acacia mangium plantations, especially considering their role in carbon sequestration and ecosystem functioning. We sampled naturally regenerating Acacia mangium plantations aged 2, 10, and 24 years, grasslands of Imperata cylindrica as the baseline condition, and remnant forests as reference state. We identified soil fungal and bacterial taxa through high-throughput amplicon sequencing of soil environmental DNA (eDNA), targeting ITS and 16S rRNA metabarcoding markers. Our results showed that microbial community and functional groups composition differed among landcover types, although taxonomic richness did not. Bulk topsoil organic carbon, pH, and total nitrogen were key factors associated with the composition of microbial communities, especially dominant fungal phyla. Symbiotrophic fungi and copiotrophic bacteria generally increased and recovered over time, potentially enhancing carbon (C) sequestration and balancing nutrient cycles. These findings demonstrate that natural regeneration in A. mangium plantations can promote the recovery of soil microbial communities and their associated functions, including those relevant for climate change mitigation. Furthermore, our study highlights the effectiveness of eDNA and high-throughput sequencing in monitoring early ecosystem shifts in soil microbial communities, which could be used to guide reforestation efforts towards desired ecosystem services.
Details
- Title
- Recovery of soil microbiota in naturally regenerating Acacia mangium ecosystems
- Authors
- Jenny Vivian (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastMichelle Scriver - Sequench Ltd. (New Zealand)Anastasija Zaiko - Sequench Ltd. (New Zealand)Alison Shapcott - University of the Sunshine CoastRobin L. Chazdon - University of the Sunshine CoastAlexandra A. Catling - University of the Sunshine CoastDavid J. Lee - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- PeerJ, Vol.14, pp.1-41
- Publisher
- PeerJ, Ltd.
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.7717/peerj.21048
- ISSN
- 2167-8359
- Copyright note
- © 2026 Vivian et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
- Data Availability
- See article text for data availablilty.
- Grant note
- This research was undertaken with financial support provided by the University of the Sunshine Coast.
- Organisation Unit
- K'gari Research Cluster; Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; Forest Industries Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991224894802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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