DOI: 10.5061/dryad.brv15dvm1
title: Data from: Grazing-induced enhancement of shrub 'multifunctional island' effect is associated with altered soil bacterial β diversity in shrub-encroached grasslands

description: The presence of shrubs improves ecosystem multifunctionality within their
 patches, an effect termed the 'multifunctional island' effect.
 However, the mechanisms underlying the 'multifunctional island'
 effect of shrubs and its response to grazing are unclear. This study
 investigated how grazing regulates these effects through a field
 experiment conducted on three paired grazed and ungrazed sites within
 shrub-encroached grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China. The analysis
 included 14 functional variables related to plant productivity and soil
 carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. The results indicated that
 shrubs significantly improved ecosystem multifunctionality, creating thus
 a pronounced 'multifunctional island' effect. This effect varied
 with grazing conditions and was more pronounced under grazed scenarios.
 Structural equation modeling indicated that grazing directly increased
 shrub 'multifunctional island' effect and indirectly enhanced it
 through changes in soil bacterial β diversity, with 51% of the variance in
 'multifunctional island' effect being explained. Copiotrophic
 bacteria, notably Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and
 Actinobacteria, known for accelerating nutrient cycling,
 played a pivotal role in mediating this effect. Synthesis and
 applications: Collectively, our study provides robust evidence that
 grazing intensifies the relative advantage of shrubs and advances our
 understanding of the impact of grazing on the spatial variation of
 biogeochemical cycling in shrub-encroached grasslands.
description: # Data from: Grazing-induced enhancement of shrub 'multifunctional
 island' effect is associated with altered soil bacterial diversity in
 shrub-encroached grasslands
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.brv15dvm1](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.brv15dvm1) ## Description of the data and file structure We have submitted our raw data (dataset.zip). The original data corresponding to each figure (including the supplementary figures) are reflected in the table below. * **n/a**: Not applicable; * **null**: Cannot be calculated (divisor = 0); * **RII**: Relative interaction intensity of shrub; * **G**: Grazed conditions; * **UG**: Ungrazed conditions; * **S**: Shrub; * **I**: Interspace; * **SE**: Standard error; * **pH**: Soil pH; ### Figure 1 data NMDS1 and NMDS2 data were obtained by analyzing bacterial and fungal communities using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). ### Figure 2 data Number of functions above the threshold represents the multithreshold multifunctional index under different thresholds. ### Figures 3 and 5 data Standardized direct and indirect effects generated by structural equation modeling. ### Figure 4 data The Relative Interaction Intensity (RII) of shrubs on soil microbial diversity, environmental factors, average multifunctionality, and the functional indices related to plant productivity, soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling, as well as their mean ± 95% Confidence Interval (CI) under grazed and ungrazed conditions. ### Table S1 Background characteristics of shrubs and interspaces under different grazing conditions at three sites (Mean ± SE). ### Table S2 Effects of shrubs and grazing on the relative abundance of the top 10 soil bacterial taxonomic groups. Bold text indicates significant results (P&lt;0.05). * **a** denotes that the relative abundance of this taxonomic group significantly increased in shrub patches or under ungrazed conditions. * **b** signifies that the relative abundance of this taxonomic group significantly increased in interspaces or under grazed conditions. ### Table S3 Effects of shrubs and grazing on the relative abundance of the top 10 soil fungal taxonomic groups. Bold text indicates significant results (P&lt;0.05). * **a** signifies that the relative abundance of this taxonomic group significantly increased in shrub patches or under ungrazed conditions. * **b** denotes that the relative abundance of this taxonomic group significantly increased in interspaces or under grazed conditions. * The **F**-value refers to the ratio of the treatment effect to the error term in a linear mixed-effects model. * The **P**-value represents the statistical significance of this effect in a linear mixed-effects model. ### Table S4 Significance tests of shrubs and grazing effects on bacterial and fungal community compositions using three non-parametric multivariate analyses. The interaction of shrubs and grazing on bacterial and fungal community compositions was evaluated with the Adonis method. * Adonis: Permutational multivariate analysis of variance. * ANOSIM:  Analysis of Similarities. * MRPP:  Multiple Response Permutation Procedure. * **R2**: the proportion of total variation explained by the effect term. * **R:** standardized measure of differences between and within groups, ranging from -1 to 1. * **δ：** the actual observed average intra-group distance within the entire dataset. * ***P*** : the significance of the difference. ### Figure S2 data The raw data of dim1 of the multidimensional multifunctionality, average multifunctionality, and weighted multifunctionality. * **G1S1** represents data from shrub patches under grazed conditions in site 1; * **G1I1** represents data from interspaces under grazed conditions in site 1; * **U1S1** represents data from shrub patches under ungrazed conditions in site 1; * **U1I1** represents data from interspaces under ungrazed conditions in site 1. ### Figure S3 data Bacterial and fungal β diversity based on their NMDS1. ### Figure S4 data Effect of shrubs on the microbial Shannon index, soil bulk density, and soil pH under grazed and ungrazed conditions. SE: standard error. ### Figure S5 data Effect of shrubs on the observed variables of plant productivity and soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling under grazed and ungrazed conditions. SE: standard error. ### Figure S6 data Bacterial and fungal β diversity based on their NMDS1. Number of functions above the threshold represents the multithreshold multifunctional index under different thresholds. ### Figure S7 data The raw data of average multifunctionality, soil bulk density, and soil pH. ### Figure S8 data The raw data of average multifunctionality and 24 bacterial classes. ### Figure S9 data Years represent grazing exclusion years. ### Figure S10 data The Relative Interaction Intensity (RII) of shrubs on significant bacterial predictors that are remarkably related to multifunctionality under grazed and ungrazed conditions (mean ± 95% CI). ### Figure S11 data * **G**: under grazed conditions; * **UG**: under ungrazed conditions.