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Soil Microbial Diversity under Contrasting Land Use: A Metagenomic Comparison of Farmland and Meadow Soils Using Nanopore Sequencing
University of Skövde, School of Bioscience.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

Agricultural intensification is a major driver of global biodiversity loss, yet its effects on soil microbial communities remain poorly understood. This study compared bacterial and fungal community composition in conventionally managed farmland and a biodiverse meadow in Vastergotland, Sweden, using environmental DNA and third­ generation nanopore sequencing with the Oxford Nanopore MiniON. Four soil samples were collected from each site and sequenced, and taxonomic classification to the genus level was performed using Kraken2 with the RefSeq core_nt database. Diversity within samples, also referred to as alpha diversity, was quantified using the Shannon index and Pielou's evenness index. Differences between sites were tested with the Mann-Whitney U test, which found no significant differences for either bacteria (U = 5.0, p = 0-486) or fungi (U = 13.5, p = 0.124). Differences in community composition, or beta diversity, were measured using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, visualised with Principal Coordinates Analysis, and statistically assessed with PERMANOVA. No significant separation was detected (pseudo-F = 1.52, p = 0.142). Although statistical significance was not reached, trends in the data suggested ecological differences between groups. Bacterial communities showed high overlap in general between sites, whereas fungal communities shared only a single genus and were sparse in farmland soils. These contrasting patterns indicate the value of including both bacterial and fungal taxa in biodiversity assessments. The study was constrained by small sample size, variability in DNA yield, and potential effects of soil type, all of which may have reduced the ability to detect subtile patterns. Even with these limitations, the results align with previous research suggesting that nanopore sequencing can provide useful insights into microbial community composition. Larger-scale studies will be needed to more fully evaluate land-use impacts on soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 36
National Category
Ecology Microbiology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:his:diva-25792OAI: oai:DiVA.org:his-25792DiVA, id: diva2:1994659
Subject / course
Bioscience
Educational program
Molekylär biodesign 180 hp
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Available from: 2025-09-03 Created: 2025-09-03 Last updated: 2025-09-29Bibliographically approved

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