Abstract
Salinization is a global issue that constrains farmland productivity and ecosystem stability, yet the community patterns and functional differentiation mechanisms of soil prokaryotes under saline conditions remain insufficiently understood. In this study, soil samples were collected across different land use types (farmland and wasteland) and salinization gradients, and their physicochemical properties, prokaryotic community composition, and potential functional traits were comprehensively analyzed. The results showed that prokaryotic community diversity in farmland soils was significantly higher than in wastelands, with distinct distributions of unique taxa between land use types. Soil electrical conductivity, pH, and soil organic matter were identified as key drivers of community differentiation, with synergistic effects observed among multiple environmental factors. Functional prediction further indicated that farmland soils were enriched in functional groups related to nitrogen cycling and plant growth promotion, while wasteland soils harbored halophilic archaea and organic matter decomposers, reflecting contrasting microbial adaptation strategies and ecological functions across niches. Based on these findings, this study proposes an ecological framework of “salinization–land use–microbial feedback” to elucidate the diversity patterns, environmental driving mechanisms, and functional responses of prokaryotic communities in saline soils. The novelty of this work lies in the dual comparison of land use types and salinization gradients, revealing the environmental adaptability and functional response patterns of microbial communities, thereby providing new microbiological insights for saline soil ecological restoration and sustainable farmland management.
