The Effects of Garlic mustard Invasions on Soil Microbiome

Abstract

Plants influence soil biotic and abiotic properties, including microbial communities and nutrient cycling, affecting plant growth and reproduction. This process, known as plant-soil feedback, plays a key role in plant invasion. To investigate how they alter soil microbiome, we analyzed 80 soil samples collected in 2024 from Samcheok, Suwon, and Incheon, South Korea. Bacterial communities were assessed using full-length 16S sequencing, while fungal communities were analyzed through Illumina sequencing of the ITS2 region. Alpha diversity of bacteria was lower in invaded areas. In fungi, patterns varied by site: diversity increased in IC and SC but decreased in SW following invasion. Beta diversity also differed significantly between invaded and non-invaded areas. Differential abundance analysis identified shifts in key taxa. Among bacteria, three bacterial species increased in invaded areas, while one decreased. In fungal communities, eight species increased, whereas five species declined. Functional analysis using FAPROTAX revealed an increase in nitrite respiration, while analysis using FUNGuild showed that pathotroph-saprotroph function was more enriched in invaded areas. Our findings demonstrate that garlic mustard invasion alters microbial community composition and their functional roles, affecting soil ecosystem dynamics. These results provide insights into the mechanisms underlying garlic mustard’s invasion success.