# Gut Microbiota of Captive and Wild Siberian Cranes and Links to Soil in Poyang Lake Wetlands

## TL;DR

This study compares gut microbiota in wild and captive Siberian cranes and finds links to soil microbes in their wetland habitat.

## Contribution

The study reveals distinct gut microbiota patterns in captive vs. wild cranes and identifies microbial similarities with their surrounding soil.

## Key findings

- Captive cranes have richer and more even gut microbiota than wild cranes.
- Soil and gut microbiota show partial overlap, with Firmicutes dominating gut communities.
- Wild cranes and soil samples have higher levels of Escherichia-Shigella compared to captive cranes.

## Abstract

The gut microbiota of captive and wild Siberian cranes (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) and their associations with soil microbiota in the Poyang Lake wetlands were analyzed and compared in this study. Captive cranes had richer and more even gut microbiota communities than their wild counterparts. While gut and soil microbiota were distinct overall, the gut communities of captive and wild cranes showed some similarity. Firmicutes was the dominant gut microbiota group. Notably, captive cranes had higher levels of certain microbiota like Ligilactobacillus, while wild cranes and soil samples showed higher levels of Escherichia-Shigella. Crucially, the analysis revealed compositional similarities between soil and gut samples. This knowledge can help inform better management and conservation strategies for the Siberian cranes.

Gut microbiota are integral to host health and ecological adaptation, yet their interactions with environmental microbial communities remain understudied in migratory waterbirds. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we compared gut microbiota of captive and wild Siberian cranes and their associations with soil microbiota in the Poyang Lake wetlands. Alpha diversity was significantly higher in soil than in gut microbiota, with captive cranes exhibiting greater microbial richness and evenness than wild individuals. Beta diversity analysis revealed distinct gut and soil microbiota, with partial overlap between captive and wild crane gut microbiota. Firmicutes dominated gut communities, with Ligilactobacillus and Romboutsia enriched in captive cranes, whereas Acidobacteria were predominant in soil. Escherichia-Shigella was more abundant in wild cranes and soil. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) analysis identified 34 differentially enriched taxa, and microbial network analysis indicated stronger gut–soil microbial associations than those between captive and wild hosts. Network analysis further revealed distinct co-occurrence patterns between captive and wild groups, suggesting potential shifts in microbial interaction structures under different living conditions. These findings provide preliminary insights that may inform future conservation strategies for Siberian cranes.