3.5 | Linear discriminant analysis effect size
LEfSe was used to evaluate the different taxa among the different soil depths, slope positions, and forest types (LDA > 3). The results of the LEfSe analysis suggest that there was no significant difference in the taxa across the different soil depth layers and slope positions (Figure 6). However, several significant microbial biomarker taxa were present across the different forest type groups. Furthermore, 117 species were differentially abundant among the forest type groups. There were 32 biomarkers in the NA, of which the Acidobacteria contributed the most, followed by Chloroflexi at the phylum level of the bacterial communities. There were 49 and 17 biomarkers in GLF and LF, respectively, with the Proteobacteria contributing the most at both sites. There were 19 biomarkers in GNA, and the dominant taxon was Gemmatimonadetes. These results indicate that the rhizosphere soil exhibited a higher number of the dominant genera from the bacterial or fungal communities than the endophytic environments.