3.4 | Beta diversity analysis of the soil samples
Distance was used to identify the variations that influence soil
microbial communities in different soil samples (Figure 5). The samples
were divided into different groups based on forest type, slope position,
and differences in soil depth. When all the samples were divided into
three groups according to the depth, no significant differences in the
microbial communities were recorded (Figure 5a). When samples were
divided into top, midslope, and base of the slope groups, the groups did
not form distinct clusters based on the Bray–Curtis distance of PCoA
analysis (Figure 5b). Four groups from different forest types were not
distinct, indicating no difference in the bacterial community structures
between the groups that were tested (Figure 5c).