The adaptability of protozoa in extremely acid soil revealed

The team of Sun Weimin, a researcher at the Institute of Eco-Environment and Soil Research, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, revealed the diversity of protozoa in the soil eroded by acid mine wastewater and its response mechanism to environmental factors
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Protozoa are the most important predators, decomposers and parasites of soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi.
They play an important role in maintaining the balance of the underground food web and driving the circulation of soil elements
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Taking the extreme soil eroded by acid mine wastewater as an example, the researchers used metagenomics analysis methods to analyze the diversity of protozoa in such extreme environments with strong acidity (pH<3) and high heavy metal concentrations, and explored Their response mechanism to extreme environmental factors
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The study found that the two types of protozoa that were rarely reported in the past, the pyrozoa and the Euglena, are the dominant groups in extremely acidic soils; while some common protozoa, such as the Filariae, have very low abundances.
The soil pH is the most important environmental factor affecting the abundance of protozoa
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In addition, there are a large number of symbiosis between protozoa and bacterial or fungal groups, which indicates that there is a common environmental preference or potential biological interaction between them
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This study reveals the ecological adaptability characteristics of protozoa in extreme soil environments, and provides theoretical support for further research on the interaction between geochemical parameters and soil microorganisms
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Related paper information: https://doi.