Soil microbial ecology in brazilian restingas: Influence of phytophysiognomies and edaphic attributes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v15i3.50825Keywords:
Coastal ecosystems, Vegetation formations, Microbiology, Microbiome, Rhizosphere.Abstract
Brazilian restingas constitute coastal ecosystems marked by high phytophysiognomic heterogeneity and strong edaphic restrictions—conditions that directly influence the composition, diversity, and functioning of soil microbial communities. In this context, the present study aimed to gather, organize, and analyze scientific evidence on soil microbial ecology in Brazilian restingas, highlighting the influence of phytophysiognomies and edaphic attributes on the microbiota. The gathered evidence indicates that the phytophysiognomic heterogeneity of restingas, associated with gradients of drainage, salinity, fertility, organic matter, and water regime, acts as an important organizing axis for the soil microbiota. The results also show that the restinga presents a distinct microbial composition compared to adjacent ecosystems, such as mangroves and Atlantic Forest, in addition to harboring relevant symbiotic groups, especially mycorrhizal fungi, which remain insufficiently explored. It is concluded that the microbial ecology of restingas must be interpreted through an integrated approach between soil, vegetation, and microorganisms, an understanding that is fundamental for advancing ecological knowledge and supporting conservation strategies for fragile and threatened coastal environments.
References
Bardgett, R. D. & Van der Putten, W. H. (2014). Belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Nature. 515(7528), 505-11. DOI: 10.1038/nature13855.
Bonilha, R. M., Casagrande, J. C., Soares, M. R. & Reis-Duarte, R. M. (2012). Characterization of the soil fertility and root system of restinga forests. Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo. 36(6), 1804-13. DOI: 10.1590/S0100-06832012000600014.
Brito, L. S., Irmler, U., Forte, B. V. G., Xavier, T. P. & Martins, R. L. (2018). Matter turnover in the oligotrophic restinga ecosystem and the importance of the key species Clusia hilariana. Biota Neotropica. 18(4), e20180552. DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-BN-2018-0552.
Brockett, B. F. T., Prescott, C. E. & Grayston, S. J. (2012). Soil moisture is the major factor influencing microbial community structure and enzyme activities across seven biogeoclimatic zones in western Canada. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 44(1), 9-20. DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.09.003.
Correia, B. E. F., Almeida, J. R. E. B. & Zanin, M. (2020). Key Points about North and Northern Brazilian Restinga: a Review of Geomorphological Characterization, Phytophysiognomies Classification, and Studies’ Tendencies. The Botanical Review. 86(3-4), 329-37. DOI: 10.1007/s12229-020-09230-2.
Duarte, L. M., Bertini, S. C. B., Stürmer, S. L., Lambais, M. R. & Azevedo, L. C. B. (2019). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in soils under three phytophysiognomies of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Acta Botanica Brasilica. 33(1), 50-60. DOI: 10.1590/0102-33062018abb0236.
Fenandes, J. M. B., Vieira, L. T. & Castelhano, M. V. C. (2023). Revisão narrativa enquanto metodologia científica significativa: reflexões técnico-formativas. REDES – Revista Educacional da Sucesso. 3(1), 1-7. ISSN: 2763-6704.
Fierer, N. & Jackson, R. B. (2006). The diversity and biogeography of soil bacterial communities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103(3), 626-31. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0507535103.
Fierer, N., Leff, J. W., Adams, B. J., Nielsen, U. N., Bates, S. T., Lauber, C. L., Owens, S., Gibert, J. A., Wall, D. H. & Caporaso, J. G. (2012). Cross-biome metagenomic analyses of soil microbial communities and their functional attributes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109(52), 21390-5. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1215210110.
Furtado, A. N. M., Leonardi, M. Comandini, O., Neves, M. A. & Rinaldi, A. C. (2023). Restinga ectomycorrhizae: a work in progress. F1000Research. 12, 317. DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.131558.1.
Giaretta, A., Menezes, L. F. T. & Pereira, O. J. (2013). Structure and floristic pattern of a coastal dunes in southeastern Brazil. Acta Botanica Brasilica. 27(1), 87-107. DOI: 10.1590/S0102-33062013000100011.
Lauber, C. L., Hamady, M., Knight, R. & Fierer, N. (2009). Pyrosequencing-based assessment of soil pH as a predictor of soil bacterial community structure at the continental scale. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 75(15), 5111-20. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00335-09.
Lourenço, J. R. J., Newman, E. A., Ventura, J. A., Milanez, C. R. D., Thomaz, L. D., Wanderkoren, D. T. & Enquist, B. J. (2021). Soil-associated drivers of plant traits and functional composition in Atlantic Forest coastal tree communities. Ecosphere. 12(7), e03629. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3629.
Magnago, L. F. S., Martins, S. V. & Pereira, O. J. (2011). Heterogeneidade florística das fitocenoses de restingas nos estados do Rio de Janeiro e Espírito Santo, Brasil. Revista Árvore. 35(2), 245-54. DOI: 10.1590/S0100-67622011000200009.
Magnago, L. F. S., Martins, S. V., Schefer, C. E. G. R. & Neri, A. V. (2010). Gradiente fitofisionômico-edáfico em formações florestais de Restinga no sudeste do Brasil. Acta Botanica Brasilica. 24(3), 734-46. DOI: 10.1590/S0102-33062010000300017.
Mendes, L W. & Tsai, S. M. (2018). Distinct taxonomic and functional composition of soil microbiomes along the gradient forest-restinga-mangrove in southeastern Brazil. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. 111(1), 101-14. DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-0931-6.
Menezes, L. F. T., Araujo, D. S. D. & Nettesheim, F. C. (2010). Estrutura comunitária e amplitude ecológica do componente lenhoso de uma floresta de restinga mal drenada no sudeste do Brasil. Acta Botanica Brasilica. 24(3), 825-39. DOI: 10.1590/S0102-33062010000300025.
McGuire, K. L. & Treseder, K. K. (2009). Microbial communities and their relevance for ecosystem models: decomposition as a case study. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 42(4), 529-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.11.016.
Pereira, O. J. & Assis, A. M. (2000). Florística da restinga de Camburi, Vitória, ES. Acta Botanica Brasilica. 14(1), 99-111. DOI: 10.1590/S0102-33062000000100009.
Pereira, A. S. et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. [free ebook]. Santa Maria: Editora da UFSM.
Risemberg, R. I. C. et al. (2026). A importância da metodologia científica no desenvolvimento de artigoscientíficos. E-Acadêmica, 7(1), e0171675. https://eacademica.org/eacademica/article/view/675.
Pinto, A. L., Canei, A. D., De Armas, R. D., Silva, E. P., Herández, A. G., Giachini, A. J., Soares, C. R. F. S. (2020). Structure of microbial soil communities in areas of restinga: a case study in a conservation unit in the Atlantic Forest of the Southern Brazilian coast. Tropical Ecology. 61, 594-600. DOI: 10.1007/s42965-020-00103-8.
Pupin, B. & Nahas, E. (2014). Microbial populations and activities of mangrove, restinga and Atlantic forest soils from Cardoso Island, Brazil. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 116(4), 851-64. DOI: 10.1111/jam.12413.
Rother, E. T. (2007). Revisão sistemática vs. revisão narrativa. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem. 20(2), 5-6.
Santos, C. R., Freitas, R. R. & Medeiros, J. D. (2023). Participação social e retrocessos na proteção da vegetação de restinga no Brasil no período entre 1965 e 2021. Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente. 61, 58-84. DOI: 10.5380/dma.v61i0.81531.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research. 104, 333-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039.
Van der Heijden, M. G. A., Bardgett, R. D. & Van Straalen, N. M. (2008). The unseen majority: soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology Letters. 11(3), 296-310. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01139.x.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Deivson Nacim Teixeira Sousa, Ralph Wendel Oliveira de Araújo, Raillane Oliveira de Araujo, Davi Ferreira de Amorim, Ariston de Lima Cardoso, Emellinne Ingrid de Sousa Costa, Ossival Lolato Ribeiro
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
