Soil Bacterial and Archaeal Communities of the Periodic Flooding Zone of Three Main Reservoirs in the South Ural Region (Russia)

Studying the soils in the periodical flood zone of three reservoirs is of promising importance for their subsequent return to economic activities. Research on the bacterial and archaeal communities of soils that are periodically or continuously flooded by reservoirs is still insufficient. To evaluate the chemical status of soils and their microbiota, the study was conducted in the Yumaguzino, Nugush, and Slak reservoir sites in the South Ural area (Russian Federation). The bacterial and archaeal communities of periodically flooded and non-flooded soils were investigated after a comparative investigation of chemical, hydrological, and climatic factors. It was discovered that flooded soils had anoxic conditions during the whole of the year, with brief drying intervals of limited length and low levels of effective temperatures. In terms of chemistry, flooded soils are distinguished by increased acidity, a fall in organic matter, and an increase in alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen. Compared to their counterparts in non-flooded soils, bacterial and archaeal communities in flooded soils are significantly different. Generally speaking, the biodiversity of flooded soils rises with the duration and depth of floods. Significant variations at the phylum level are mostly caused by a decline in the relative presence of Thaumarchaeota and an increase in Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi representation. It was discovered that the Euryarchaeota phylum was either absent or had a significantly decreased relative prevalence at the sites of intermittently flooding soils.