[Objective] To compare the physicochemical properties and fungal community characteristics between rhizosphere soil and non-rhizosphere soil ofHippophae rhamnoides growing for different years in Pisha sandstone area of Inner Mongolia. [Methods] A total of 12 rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil samples were collected from the Pisha sandstone area of Ordos. Chemical methods were used to analyze soil physicochemical properties, and the fungal community composition in soil was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The correlations between fungal community characteristics and soil properties were analyzed. [Results] Total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK), organic matter (OM), and electrical conductivity (EC) of rhizosphere soil were higher than those of non-rhizosphere soil (P < 0.05). Soil moisture content (SMC) increased as the planting years increased (P < 0.05). The fungal richness and diversity in rhizosphere soil were higher than those in non-rhizosphere.Ascomycota andMortierellomycota were the common dominant phyla in rhizosphere soil and non-rhizosphere soil, andMortierella,Penicillium, andAspergillus were the common dominant genera. The key fungal groups in non-rhizosphere soil and rhizosphere soil wereMortierella andGibberella, respectively. The redundancy analysis showed that OM was a key soil factor affecting the soil fungal distribution.Mortierella was correlated with OM, AN, and total potassium (TK) (P < 0.05).Gibberella was correlated with AN, OM, and EC (P < 0.05). [Conclusion] The planting ofH.rhamnoides in Pisha sandstone area of Inner Mongolia increases the nutrients and fungal richness in the rhizosphere soil, improving the stability of the soil environment. Moreover, the cultivation ofH.rhamnoides increases the soil moisture, improving soil and water conservation and contributing to the ecological restoration. This study provides a theoretical basis for biodiversity conservation in the study area as well as for the ecological restoration and sustainable management ofH.rhamnoides shrubland.

[Objective] To investigate the effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment on the physicochemical properties and biogas production of lignite. [Methods] We carried out orthogonal experiments to optimize the conditions of hydrogen peroxide pretreatment for Shenli No.5 lignite. Lignite was treated under the optimal conditions to obtain coal residues and treatment solutions. The physicochemical properties, including elemental and maceral composition, mineral components, microcrystalline structure, porosity, permeability, surface morphology, organic functional groups, and organic composition in the treatment solution were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), brunauer-emmett-teller (BET), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The physicochemical properties were then compared among the raw coal, treated residue, and treatment solution. [Results] The optimal pretreatment conditions of lignite were treatment with 5.0% hydrogen peroxide at a liquid-to-solid ratio of 30:1 for 20 days, under which the total organic carbon yield in the treatment solution was 105 mg/L. After treatment under these optimal conditions, the treated residue exhibited increased cracks and dents on the surface and loosened surface structures. In addition, the interlayer spacing of the aromatic plains of the coal increased while the aromatic ring structure became more open with smaller crystal nucleus structures. Both porosity and specific surface area increased after the treatment. Compared with that before treatment, the treated residue showcased decreased fixed carbon, carbon, and vitrinite and increased ash, volatile matter, oxygen and hydrogen, and inertinite. The content of functional groups such as O=C−O, C=C, and C=O increased in the treated residue, while that of N−H and C−H reduced. The biogas production of the treatment solution and the treated residue was 39.13% and 94.46%, respectively, lower than that of raw coal. Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment primarily acted on vitrinite, dissolving organic carbon and altering the functional groups of large molecular structures in coal. This altered the aromatic ring structure of coal, causing small molecules to dissolve into the treatment solution under oxidative conditions. The organic compounds in the treatment solution mainly consisted of short-chain fatty acids. After biogas production, the number of low-molecule-weight acids and organic compounds decreased in the treatment solution. The relative abundance of dominant microbial phyla and genera varied significantly among different microcosms. Regarding the archaea for biogas production, the dominant phylum and genus wereHalobacteriota andMethanosarcina in the raw coal andThermoproteota andBathyarchaeia in the treatment solution, respectively. In terms of the bacteria for biogas production, the dominant phylum and genus wereActinomycetota andGaiellales in the raw coal andPseudomonadota andDelftia in the treatment solution, respectively. [Conclusion] The organic carbon dissolved from coal can be utilized by microorganisms for biogas production. However, the removal of organic components by over-oxidation may decrease the biogas production.

[Background] Yuncheng Salt Lake is a high-salt environment with intensive human activities. The community structure and ecological diversity of bacteria in Yuncheng Salt Lake are similar to those in other salt lakes while having their particularities. [Objective] Yuncheng Salt Lake is rich in color and harbors abundant halophilic and salt-tolerant microorganisms. To understand the distribution of bacterial resources in Yuncheng Salt Lake, we measured the bacterial diversity and community structures in different areas of this lake. [Methods] We employed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to study the community structures of halophiles in different areas of Yuncheng Salt Lake and predicted the potential metabolic functions of the bacteria. [Results] The dominant bacteria varied in different areas of Yuncheng Salt Lake. Specifically,Pseudomonadota,Actinobacteriota, andBacteroidota were dominant in the central lake,Bacillota in the eastern lake, andPatescibacteria in the western lake. The bacterial diversity in the central lake area with light yellow water was significantly higher than that in the eastern and western lake. However, the bacterial diversity was low in the central lake area with red water. This result indicated that the bacterial distribution was different in the central lake areas with different water colors the metabolic pathway activity of bacteria in the salt lake and strong regional distribution. The microbial metabolism in the east and west lake was more active than that in the lake. [Conclusion] Bacteria show high diversity in Yuncheng Salt Lake. The environment in different of lake influence the community structure of bacteria. This study provides a theoretical basis for the diversity conservation, development, and utilization of the bacterial resources in Yuncheng Salt Lake.

[Objective] Currently, there are few studies on microorganisms in Antarctic ice cores, and the available studies mostly employ the pure culture and high-throughput sequencing methods, with limited knowledge about the microbial diversity. We studied the microbial community composition of the meltwater at −183 m depth of the Dalk Glacier in eastern Antarctica, aiming to provide a reference for the development of extremophiles in Antarctica. [Methods] We employed the culture, single-cell sorting, and high-throughput sequencing methods to study the microbial community composition in the meltwater at −183 m depth of the Dalk Glacier. [Results] We obtained bacterial isolates belonging to 94 genera, 19 orders of 10 phyla, in whichProteobacteria,Alphaproteobacteria, andSphingomonas were the dominant phylum, order, and genus, respectively. This result indicated high microbial diversity in the meltwater. The culture, single-cell sorting, and high-throughput sequencing yielded 25 bacterial strains, 24 bacterial strains, and 55 183 sequences (116 operational taxonomic units), respectively. The dominant taxa were different among the three methods. By the culture and single-cell sorting methods, we identified 7 bacterial strains with the 16S rRNA gene identity less than 98.65% compared with their closest relatives in GenBank, of which two strains had the identity less than 95.00% identity. Accordingly, we inferred that there may be two potential new genera and five potential new species. [Conclusion] We studied the microbial diversity in the meltwater of the Dalk Glacier in eastern Antarctica by using the culture, single-cell sorting, and high-throughput sequencing method and discovered rich bacterial species in the meltwater. Each method has its own advantages and limitations. This means that when studying microbial diversity, more comprehensive information about the composition of the microbial community can be obtained by combining different methods. The results of this study can serve as a reference for further research on the genetic resources in Antarctica.

[Objective] Microbial prospecting for oil and gas, characterized by high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio, minimal environmental interference, low costs, and short time consumption, garners increasing attention from exploration experts. However, in most cases, microbial prospecting is based on laboratory culture and analysis, which cannot accurately and comprehensively reflect thein-situ dynamic changes of microbiota in oil and gas resources in the geological history. In this study, we compared the microbial community structure and developmental characteristics between the gas-producing zone and the background zone in Hangjinqi Gas Field, aiming to identify the surface microbial anomalies related to oil and gas. [Methods] We conducted the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing for the soil samples collected from Xinzao and Shiguhao areas of Hangjinqi. Furthermore, we compared the microbial diversity, analyzed the impacts of physicochemical parameters on microbial distribution, and identified microbial anomalies. The co-occurrence network analysis was employed to explore the assembly process and functional composition of microbial community in the surface soil above the reservoir. [Results] In the Hangjinqi area,Actinobacteria andProteobacteria were dominant, accounting for 72.47% of the total microbial abundance. The correlation analysis of environmental factors with microbial abundance showed that the distribution of microorganisms in this area was not significantly correlated with environmental factors. The microbial community structure presented significant differences between the gas-producing area and the background area. The co-occurrence network analysis of the gas-producing area revealed non-randomness and connectivity in the microbial community, indicating deterministic factors play a dominant role in the construction of microbial communities. Modular co-occurrence network analysis revealed the formation of specific functional modules within the microbial community, and different modules possibly served different functions. [Conclusion] By comparing the microbial diversity between the gas-producing and background area of Hangjinqi area, we identified the indicator genera in the gas-producing fields of Xinzao and Shiguhao. Furthermore, the co-occurrence network analysis identifiedGemmatimonas,Solirubrobacter,Pseudonocardia,Brevibacillus,Aeromicrobium, andNocardioides as the key taxa in the gas-producing area, which were associated with the main functional modules of carbon and nitrogen cycling and organic matter degradation, contributing to the degradation of hydrocarbons in the surface soil of the gas-producing area.

[Objective] To isolate efficient phosphorus-solubilizing strains from soils in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and provide strain resources for the activation of unavailable phosphorus in the soil of the Plateau. [Methods] The selective media with organic and inorganic phosphorus were used to isolate phosphorus-solubilizing strains from the soil samples collected in the permafrost region around the Tanggula Pass of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau by the plate streaking method. The phylogenetic tree was built based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences to identify the strains, and then the phosphorus-solubilizing abilities and stress tolerance of the strains were determined. [Results] Five strains belonging toPseudomonas were isolated, including three inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing strains (i5, i6, and i9L) and two organic phosphorus-solubilizing strains (Qb and Qo). After 7 days of incubation in shake flasks at 30 ℃, the content of available phosphorus in the supernatants of Qb and Qo was 534.8 mg/L and 723.7 mg/L, respectively, which was significantly higher than that (166.9–210.5 mg/L) in the supernatants of i5, i6, and i9L. The available phosphorus content in the supernatant of Qo was the highest (519.7–683.0 mg/L) among the five isolates under different concentrations of PEG6000. The phosphorus-solubilizing abilities of Qb and Qo were stronger than those of the other strains at 5 ℃ and 10 ℃. [Conclusion] Qo outperformed the other strains in terms of tolerance to low temperature and drought stress, serving the development of microbial fertilizers and vegetation restoration in alpine regions such as the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

[Objective] Studies have discovered that magnetite could be used as an extracellular electron transfer mediator to increase or decrease the microbial reduction rate of dyes. However, the mechanisms underlying these two distinct results remain to be elucidated. [Methods] In this study, magnetite was synthesized by the hydrothermal method and used for the anaerobic reduction of methyl orange (MO), a typical azo dye, byShewanella oneidensis MR-1. [Results] Magnetite exerted concentration-dependent effects on the degradation of MO. Specifically, low concentrations (20–50 mg/L) of magnetite increased the decolorization efficiency of MO by 4.07%–10.64%, while high concentrations (100–200 mg/L) of magnetite decreased the efficiency by 3.92%–18.35%, compared with the group with only bacteria for degradation. Furthermore, the changes in magnetite concentration affected cell surface morphology, metabolic activity, and electron transfer efficiency rather than the distribution of dyes on the microbial surface in the microbial reduction of MO. Low concentrations of magnetite increased ATP production by 1.08%–7.65% and led to the production of 0.033–0.051 mg/L Fe²⁺, while the high concentrations of magnetite decreased ATP production by 38.74%–60.14% and increased Fe²⁺ concentration to 0.091 mg/L. In addition, exogenous Fe²⁺ showed similar concentration-dependent effects on the anaerobic reduction of MO, i.e., promoting the MO reduction at low concentrations (0.01–0.02 mg/L) and inhibiting the reduction at high concentrations (> 0.05 mg/L). [Conclusion] Low concentrations of magnetite did not affect the bacterial cell morphology and improved the cell metabolic activity. A small amount of dissolved Fe²⁺ in the system favored the reduction of MO by bacteria, whereas high concentrations of magnetite showed an opposite influencing trend. This work enriches our understanding about the effect of magnetite on extracellular electron transfer and its application in the reductive transformation of organic pollutants.

[Objective] To study the variations of soil fungal diversity in the coal mine residue hills with vegetation restored for different years. [Methods] We selected the soil on the coal mine reside hills of Jiangcang Mine with different planting years (2, 4, and 6 years) as the research object, measured the soil chemical property and enzyme activity, and used high-throughput sequencing methods to measure the soil fungal diversity. [Results] As the duration of restoration increased, significant differences were observed in soil pH, total potassium, and organic matter. The activities of enzymes such as sucrase, urease, catalase, and phosphatase gradually increased, which enhanced the fungal richness and diversity in soil. The variations were more obvious after four years of restoration. The fungi were primarily dominated byAscomycota andBasidiomycota, with saprophytic fungi accounting for 43.2%–89.7%. Nitrogen content and soil enzyme activity were the key factors influencing fungal diversity in the grasslands of the coal mine area in Jiangcang. [Conclusion] Vegetation restoration can improve the chemical properties and fungal diversity in soil.

[Objective] Coastal wetland ecosystems, situated at the interface of freshwater and seawater, are characterized by the seepage of groundwater with high Fe²⁺ concentrations into the surface layers of sediments, which forms wetland runoff. This runoff, combined with periodic tidal flooding, creates an oxic-anoxic interface conducive to the bio-oxidation of Fe²⁺ by Fe-oxidizing bacteria. However, there is a lack of comprehensive assessment of Fe-oxidizing bacterial communities in coastal wetland ecosystems. [Methods] We measured the basic environmental parameters such as the oxygen penetration depth in the sediments of five coastal wetland sites in Xisha Wetland Park in Chongming, Shanghai and Dongsha Beach in Zhujiajian Island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang. The community composition and distribution of bacteria and Fe-oxidizing bacteria were comprehensively deciphered by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. [Results] Dongsha Beach in Zhujiajian Island exhibited deeper oxygen penetration (reaching more than 10 mm) than Xisha Wetland in Chongming. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) results indicated that the bacterial community structure was primarily influenced by environmental conditions that varied with geographical location, while the community structure of Fe-oxidizing bacteria was influenced by both the geographical location of the sampling sites and the oxygen penetration depth of the sediments. The dominant bacteria in Xisha Wetland and Dongsha Beach wereCyanobacteria,Gammaproteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Alphaproteobacteria, andActinobacteria. The dominant genera of Fe-oxidizing bacteria wereGallionella,Rhodobacter,Lepthothrix, andSideroxydans. [Conclusion] We studied the Fe-oxidizing bacteria in the sediments of Xisha Wetland in Chongming and Dongsha Beach in Zhujiajian Island and discovered that the composition of Fe-oxidizing bacterial communities was closely linked to the oxygen penetration depth variations caused by different types of wetland sediments.

[Objective] Hydrothermal plumes exchange matter and energy with background seawater during the processes of buoyant rising and non-buoyant lateral migration. Due to the dynamic variability of both hydrothermal activity and ocean currents, the pattern, physico-chemical parameters, and microbial communities of hydrothermal plumes experience spatio-temporal variations. However, due to the lack of long-term monitoring and time-series sampling of hydrothermal plumes, the diversity and spatio-temporal variations of microbial communities, especially archaea, remain unclear. [Methods] From July 2018 to June 2019, a mooring system with two sediment traps (one for collection of hydrothermal plume samples 300 m above seafloor and the other for collection of near-bottom water 40 m above seafloor) and a turbidity sensor (150 m above seafloor) was deployed at 300 m southeast of the active Wocan-1 hydrothermal field for 18 months. We employed 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to study the diversity and spatio-temporal variations of archaeal communities in the samples on the monthly scale. [Results] The abundance of hydrothermal plume-associated archaea includingThermoplasmata,Methanosarcinia, andMethanobacteria increased when turbidity anomalies were higher. Spatially, the archaeal community structures in the hydrothermal plume and near-bottom water were similar at the phylum and class levels but showed differences at the order level. The relative abundance ofThermoplasmata was generally higher in the plume, whereas ammonia-oxidizing archaea andMethanosarcinia were more abundant in the near-bottom water. [Conclusion] Both the hydrothermal plume and the near-bottom water from 300 m southeast of the Wocan-1 hydrothermal field were affected by hydrothermal fluids, with the plume layer being more significantly affected. The near-bottom layer was affected by re-suspended sediments in addition to hydrothermal fluids. Dynamic changes of hydrothermal contributions and re-suspension of sediments were probably the main factors responsible for the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of archaeal communities. This study gives insights into the structure and spatio-temporal evolution of the archaeal community in the hydrothermal-influenced zone on a monthly scale.