Biogeographic distribution, assembly processes and potential nutrient cycling functions of myxobacteria communities in typical agricultural soils in China

Predatory myxobacteria are important soil micropredators with the potential to regulate soil microbial community structure and ecosystem function. However, the biogeographic distribution patterns, assembly processes, and potential nutrient cycling functions of myxobacteria communities in typical agricultural soils in China are still poorly understood. High-throughput sequencing, phylogenetic zero modeling, and the multi-nutrient cycling index were used to assess the biogeographic distribution, assembly processes, and soil ecosystem functions of predation myxobacteria communities in typical agricultural soils of six long-term fertilization ecological experimental stations. The results demonstrated a hump-shaped distribution of myxobacteria α-diversity along the latitudinal gradient and significant differences in myxobacteria β-diversity in typical agricultural soils (P