# Impact of Habitat Transformation on Soil Microbial Diversity and Functionality in Karst Mountainous Parks: A Comparative Study of Remnant Forests and Artificial Green Spaces

## TL;DR

Urbanization changes soil microbes in parks, with natural forests supporting richer and more connected microbial communities compared to artificial green spaces.

## Contribution

This study reveals how habitat transformation affects microbial diversity and function in urban parks, emphasizing the importance of preserving natural forests.

## Key findings

- Bacterial evenness is higher in artificial green spaces, but richness is greater in remnant forests.
- Artificial green spaces show increased functional genes related to metabolism and antibiotic resistance.
- Remnant forests have more complex microbial networks, indicating better ecosystem resilience.

## Abstract

The structure of microbial communities is deeply influenced by the nature of urban green spaces. Our research evaluated the effects of habitat transformation on soil microbial species composition, functional gene diversity, and microbial co‐occurrence networks across three urban parks in Guiyang, spanning natural to semi‐natural environments. Bacterial evenness, as indicated by Pielou's index, was elevated in artificial green spaces, whereas bacterial and archaeal richness were substantially higher in remnant forests. This disparity underscores a crucial shift in microbial diversity linked with urbanization and landscape management. Common bacterial, fungal, and archaeal species were present across all sites, yet specific taxa distribution varied significantly with habitat type. Remnant forests harbored a greater abundance of functional genes associated with virulence factors and potential pathogenic impacts. In contrast, artificial green spaces contained a higher prevalence of genes involved in metabolic pathways, carbohydrate‐activation, and antibiotic resistance, suggesting a shift toward functional adaptations that possibly compensate for the reduced microbial species richness in more managed environments. Moreover, the complexity of microbial co‐occurrence networks was notably greater in remnant forests than in artificial green spaces, reflecting an enhanced interconnectivity that supports robust ecosystem resilience and functionality. These findings emphasize that while artificial green spaces can foster communities with greater metabolic flexibility, they do so at the cost of reduced overall microbial richness and abundance. This reduction potentially undermines ecosystem microbial diversity and ecological connectivity. Therefore, our recommendations for park management include focusing on preserving native vegetation in remnant forests and reducing organic soil amendments or chemical inputs.

Urbanization significantly reshapes the structure of microbial communities within urban parklands, as shown in our study comparing natural to semi‐natural environments across Guiyang's green spaces. Our findings indicate a stark contrast in microbial richness and functional diversity between remnant forests and artificial green spaces, with forests showing greater species richness and network complexity, which suggests better ecosystem resilience. To enhance ecosystem health in urban parks, management practices should prioritize the conservation of remnant forests and improve microbial diversity in artificially maintained areas.