Spatial difference in phoD-harboring bacterial landscape between soils and sediments along the Yangtze River

[Display omitted] •Higher alkaline phosphatase activity was found for sediments rather than soils.•Community similarity decayed against higher geographical distance.•Different landscapes of phoD-harboring bacteria between soils and sediments.•Electrical conductivity shaping taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversities.•Ecological processes drive biogeography of phoD-harboring bacteria. Deciphering biogeographical patterns of alkaline phosphatase (phoD)-harboring bacteria is essential to understand organic phosphorus mineralization. However, it is poorly understood about distribution pattern and diversity maintenance mechanisms of phoD-harboring bacteria (PHB) in watershed ecosystems. Here, we estimated ecological processes shaping landscape of PHB in soils and sediments along the Yangtze River. The PHB community similarity decayed against higher geographical distance at taxonomic and phylogenetic levels, and larger compositional variation in PHB community were found in sediments only. The PHB displayed higher α-diversities, broader environmental breadths, higher community stability, and stronger species replacement in soils. Conversely, PHB showed stronger phylogenetic signals in sediments. Stochastic and differentiating processes dominated community assemblies of PHB in both soils and sediments. Electrical conductivity displayed decisive roles in shaping PHB diversity for soils and sediments at taxonomic and phylogenetic levels. Our results emphasized differences in distribution patterns of PHB between soils and sediments, and highlighted ecological processes shaping landscapes of PHB in soils and sediments along the Yangtze River. The phosphorus cycling-related findings might be helpful to estimate ecological potential of a watershed ecosystem and could provide new insights for ecological protection policy for the Yangtze River.