Microbial structure, diversity, and function in saline soils of Belozem, Bulgaria: a metagenomic and enzymatic activity assessment Mikrobna struktura, raznolikost i funkcija u zaslanjenim tlima Belozema, Bugarska: metagenomska analiza i procjena enzimske aktivnosti

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Asare G., Popova V., Petkova M., Shilev S., Dengiz O.

Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus, cilt.91, sa.2, 2026 (Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 91 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.5513/mooj3392
  • Dergi Adı: Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Geobase
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: 16S rRNA sequencing, Enzymes, Halotolerant bacteria, Soil bacteriome, Soil respiration
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Saline soils represent a major challenge to agricultural productivity, particularly in regions like Belozem, Bulgaria, where salinisation is both naturally occurring and anthropogenically induced. This study investigated the microbial status of strongly saline soils through a combination of conventional microbiological methods and metagenomic sequencing. Soil respiration, substrate induced respiration, colony-forming units, and enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase) were assessed, alongside high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results indicated that increased soil salinity and gravimetric water content negatively affected microbial respiration and diversity. The microbial community was dominated by halotolerant taxa including Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes. Soil respiration was significantly correlated with moisture, and substrate induced respiration values revealed high microbial dormancy under saline stress. Enzyme assays indicated suppressed metabolic activity in high-salt environments, particularly in soils with the lowest pH and highest conductivity values. Metagenomic analysis revealed variations in alpha and beta diversity across the three soil types, reflecting salinity-induced shifts in microbial community structure and function. These findings highlight the ecological consequences of salinity on soil microbial dynamics and suggest that metagenomic approaches can offer valuable insights for managing saline-affected ecosystems.