Bacterial Diversity in the Rhizosphere of Halophyte Phragmites communis at the Western Coastal Mudflats of Korea

This study investigated the population densities and diversity of heterotrophic bacteria, and the rhizosphere-to-soil ratios (R/S) in the rhizosphere soil of halophyte Phragmites communis at the western coastal mudflats of Korea. The population densities of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria on the rhizosphere soil of P. communis were in the range of $3.3\;{\pm}\;0.9\;{\times}\;10^7\;{\sim}\;1.2\;{\pm}\;0.5\;{\times}\;10^8\;cfu\;g^{-1}$ dry weight (d. wt.). Population densities of amylolytic bacteria ranged from $1.1\;{\pm}\;0.2\;{\times}\;10^6$ to $3.0\;{\pm}\;1.2\;{\times}\;10^6\;cfu\;g^{-1}\;d.\;wt.$, while those of cellulolytic bacteria and proteolytic bacteria ranged from $5.6\;{\pm}\;2.3\;{\times}\;10^6$ to $1.5\;{\pm}\;0.3\;{\times}\;10^7\;cfu\;g^{-1}\;d.\;wt.$ and from $1.4\;{\pm}\;0.3\;{\times}\;10^6$ to $3.5\;{\pm}\;2.3\;{\times}\;10^7 \;cfu\;g^{-1}\;d.\;wt.$, respectively. The R/S ratios ranged from 2.26 to 6.89. Genetic (16S DNA) analysis of fifty-one isolates from the roots of P. communis suggested that the dominant species were closely related to the ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria group (18 clones) and the ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria group (14 clones). We found that halophyte species and mudflat environment both affected the rhizosphere bacterial communities.