What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to explore how bryophytes affect the soil environment on karst rock surfaces and their role in ecosystems.

March 8, 2026Open Access

Bryophytes promote the development of soil function on karst rock surfaces

Key Points

This research aims to explore how bryophytes affect the soil environment on karst rock surfaces and their role in ecosystems.
Compared soil fertility metrics (SOC, TN, TP, TK) on rock surfaces with and without bryophytes.
Analyzed organic acids and microbial diversity in both environments.
Measured growth rates of different microorganism groups in bryophyte-covered surfaces.
Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen increased on bryophyte-covered surfaces.
Total phosphorus and total potassium levels decreased with bryophyte presence.
Microbial growth rates showed significant increases: fungi (52%), eukaryotes (78%), and carbon-fixing microorganisms (37%).

Abstract

Introduction Bryophytes is a pioneer plant in the development of karst ecosystems and plays an important role in altering the surface environment of rocks. Studying the interaction mechanism between bryophyte and rock surface environment in karst can reveal the role of bryophyte in karst ecosystems and provide technical methods for the restoration of rocky desertification. Methods By comparing the soil fertility, organic acids, microbial diversity, and community composition in the rock surface covered with bryophyte or without. Results The experimental results show that when the rock surface covered with bryophyte, the overall contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) was increased, whereas the contents of total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) decreased. And Hyophila involute can increase the content of malic acid and acetic acid in rock surface. In addition, the growth rates of various microorganisms were as follows: fungi, 52%; bacteria, 11%; eukaryotes, 78%; Archaea, 27%; and viruses, 146% in the rock surface covered with bryophyte. The number of carbon-fixing microorganisms increased by 37%, the number of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms increased by 49%, and the number of phosphorus-metabolizing microorganisms increased by 53% in the rock surface covered with bryophyte. Acidimimicrobiabacterium, Acidimimicrobiaceaebacterium, Acidimimicrobialesbacterium, and IamiaceaebacteriumSCSIO₅8843 were significantly positively correlated with the potassium content in the soil. Alphaprotoobjectivebacterium, Solirubrobacterialesbacterium, and Betaproteobjectivebacterium were significantly positively correlated with the succinic acid content in the soil. Chloroflexibacterium was significantly positively correlated with the oxalic acid content in the soil. Discussion Bryophytes can increase the number of microorganisms related to nitrogen fixation, carbon sequestration, phosphorus metabolism, as well as soil nitrogen, organic carbon, and malic acid content, promoting the positive succession of rock surface ecosystems. This study makes it possible to use lithophytic bryophyte to control the bare rock of rocky desertification.

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Cite This Study

Meng et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69ada873bc08abd80d5bb6f1 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2026.1725613

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