Biogeography and community stability of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in mangrove Kandelia obovata
5 affiliations
- 1Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Department of Oceanography, Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
- 2School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, Guangxi, China
- 3Guangxi Academy of Marine Sciences (Guangxi Mangrove Research Center), Guangxi Key Lab of Mangrove Conservation and Utilization, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Beihai, Guangxi, China
- 4Department of Biological Sciences, Kyonggi University, 154-42, Gwanggyosan-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16227, Republic of Korea
- 5Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Department of Oceanography, Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. [email protected]
Abstract
The leaf endosphere hosts diazotrophs vital for plant health and ecosystem resilience in saline environments. However, the geographic pattern and stability of the diazotrophic community in coastal salt marshes ecosystems are poorly understood. In this study, we examine the biogeographic distribution, assembly processes and community stability of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in the mangrove species Kandelia obovata across multiple regions in China. Our findings reveal that Rhizobiales are the most abundant in the diazotrophic communities. Community assembly is largely governed by stochastic processes, with dispersal limitations playing a dominant role. Soil nutrients emerge as the dominant factor influencing diazotroph composition, surpassing climatic variables and host traits. Notably, soil total sulfur (TS) serves as a key environmental factor shaping the diazotrophic community structure, with low TS environments supporting more stable microbial networks. These findings reveal ecological drivers and adaption strategies of endophytic diazotrophic communities in mangrove ecosystems, emphasizing the influence of nutrients dynamics in leaf endophytic microbial assembly under environmental changes. Geographic patterns of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in Kandelia obovata are shaped by stochastic assembly and dispersal limitation, with soil nutrients, especially total sulfur, driving community structure and stability across coastal regions.
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BibTeX
@article{hou2026biogeography,
title = {{Biogeography and community stability of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in mangrove Kandelia obovata}},
author = {Qinghua Hou and Rajapakshalage Thashikala Nethmini and Feng Qi and Lianghao Pan and Xiaofang Shi and Laizhen Huang and Qing He and Qingxiang Chen and Xiaolei Li and Gonglingxia Jiang and Dong Ke and Nan Li},
journal = {Communications Biology},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1038/s42003-026-10168-1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10168-1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Biogeography and community stability of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in mangrove Kandelia obovata
AU - Qinghua Hou
AU - Rajapakshalage Thashikala Nethmini
AU - Feng Qi
AU - Lianghao Pan
AU - Xiaofang Shi
AU - Laizhen Huang
AU - Qing He
AU - Qingxiang Chen
AU - Xiaolei Li
AU - Gonglingxia Jiang
AU - Dong Ke
AU - Nan Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/09
JO - Communications Biology
DO - 10.1038/s42003-026-10168-1
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10168-1
AB - The leaf endosphere hosts diazotrophs vital for plant health and ecosystem resilience in saline environments. However, the geographic pattern and stability of the diazotrophic community in coastal salt marshes ecosystems are poorly understood. In this study, we examine the biogeographic distribution, assembly processes and community stability of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in the mangrove species Kandelia obovata across multiple regions in China. Our findings reveal that Rhizobiales are the most abundant in the diazotrophic communities. Community assembly is largely governed by stochastic processes, with dispersal limitations playing a dominant role. Soil nutrients emerge as the dominant factor influencing diazotroph composition, surpassing climatic variables and host traits. Notably, soil total sulfur (TS) serves as a key environmental factor shaping the diazotrophic community structure, with low TS environments supporting more stable microbial networks. These findings reveal ecological drivers and adaption strategies of endophytic diazotrophic communities in mangrove ecosystems, emphasizing the influence of nutrients dynamics in leaf endophytic microbial assembly under environmental changes. Geographic patterns of leaf endophytic diazotrophs in Kandelia obovata are shaped by stochastic assembly and dispersal limitation, with soil nutrients, especially total sulfur, driving community structure and stability across coastal regions.
SN - 2399-3642
ER -