A Two-species Test of the Hypothesis That Spatial Isolation Influences Microbial Diversity in Soil

The hypothesis that spatial isolation is a key determinant of microbial community structure in soils was evaluated by examining the competitive dynamics of two species growing on a single resource in a uniform sand matrix under varied moisture content. One species dominated the community under highly connected, saturated treatments, suggesting that these conditions allow competitive interactions to structure the community. As moisture content decreased, however, the less competitive species became established in the community. This effect was most pronounced at a matric water potential of -0.14 MPa where estimates of final population density and species fitness were equal. A second but more closely related species pair exhibited a similar response to decreasing moisture, suggesting that the effects of spatial isolation we observed are not simply a species-pair-specific phenomenon. These findings indicate that spatial isolation, created by low moisture content, plays an important role in structuring soil microbial communities.