Linking soil bacterial diversity to ecosystem multi functionality using backward-elimination boosted trees analysis

Abstract

Background, aim, and scope There is increasing evidence of linkages between biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Recent interests on this topic have expanded from an individual-function perspective to a multifunction perspective. This study aims to explore the soil bacterial diversity- multi functionality relationship. Materials and methods Soil bacterial diversity was determined using culture-independent molecular techniques. Bacterial taxa groups with positive effects on certain ecosystem functions were identified by aggregated boosted tree analysis with a prediction-error-based backward-elimination criterion. Soil bacterial diversity- multi functionality relationship was examined by expl..