Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep
Gut microbiota “enterotypes” are strongly associated with diet and host health. For grazing animals, plant species richness and nutrient content of vegetation may alter the food supply and diet composition of animals. Understanding this relationship is critical to clarify the adaption of gut microbi...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Pengzhen Li Zhenhao Zhang Thomas A. Monaco Yao Dong Yuping Rong |
| author_facet | Pengzhen Li Zhenhao Zhang Thomas A. Monaco Yao Dong Yuping Rong |
| author_sort | Pengzhen Li |
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| description | Gut microbiota “enterotypes” are strongly associated with diet and host health. For grazing animals, plant species richness and nutrient content of vegetation may alter the food supply and diet composition of animals. Understanding this relationship is critical to clarify the adaption of gut microbiota to changes in vegetation quantity and quality in grassland ecosystems. Here, we studied the relationship between dietary and gut microbiota composition of sheep (lambs) over a growing season in a grassland ecosystem in northern China. Variation in vegetation composition among grazing intensities was greatest in September: and sheep preferred forbs and Rosaceae throughout the grazing period in all grazing treatments, yet their preference for Fabaceae was reduced in HG treatments in September. Grazing intensity and seasonal variations in food resource availability influenced dietary patterns, which in turn affected gut bacterial community composition. Enterotype 1, dominated by <i>Christensenellaceae_R_7_group</i> and <i>Clostridia_UCG_014_unclassified</i>, predominated during the warm season (July) for both LG and HG treatments. In contrast, Enterotype 2, dominated by <i>Escherichia_Shigella</i>, prevailed during the cool season (September) in HG. Diversity of Enterotype 1 exceeded (<i>p</i> < 0.001) that of Enterotype 2. For MG, Enterotype 1 and Enterotype 2 were evenly distributed over the grazing period. Our results highlight the importance of regulating grazing intensity to maintain the balance and health of gut microbiota according to temporal changes in plant nutrients and aboveground biomass of grassland ecosystems. |
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| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-a033bdc2f62e4e45bb99cdab1b11d25b2025-06-25T14:12:45ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-06-01136139210.3390/microorganisms13061392Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of SheepPengzhen Li0Zhenhao Zhang1Thomas A. Monaco2Yao Dong3Yuping Rong4Department of Grassland Resource and Ecology, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaDepartment of Grassland Resource and Ecology, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300, USADepartment of Grassland Resource and Ecology, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaDepartment of Grassland Resource and Ecology, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaGut microbiota “enterotypes” are strongly associated with diet and host health. For grazing animals, plant species richness and nutrient content of vegetation may alter the food supply and diet composition of animals. Understanding this relationship is critical to clarify the adaption of gut microbiota to changes in vegetation quantity and quality in grassland ecosystems. Here, we studied the relationship between dietary and gut microbiota composition of sheep (lambs) over a growing season in a grassland ecosystem in northern China. Variation in vegetation composition among grazing intensities was greatest in September: and sheep preferred forbs and Rosaceae throughout the grazing period in all grazing treatments, yet their preference for Fabaceae was reduced in HG treatments in September. Grazing intensity and seasonal variations in food resource availability influenced dietary patterns, which in turn affected gut bacterial community composition. Enterotype 1, dominated by <i>Christensenellaceae_R_7_group</i> and <i>Clostridia_UCG_014_unclassified</i>, predominated during the warm season (July) for both LG and HG treatments. In contrast, Enterotype 2, dominated by <i>Escherichia_Shigella</i>, prevailed during the cool season (September) in HG. Diversity of Enterotype 1 exceeded (<i>p</i> < 0.001) that of Enterotype 2. For MG, Enterotype 1 and Enterotype 2 were evenly distributed over the grazing period. Our results highlight the importance of regulating grazing intensity to maintain the balance and health of gut microbiota according to temporal changes in plant nutrients and aboveground biomass of grassland ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1392enterotypeseasonal diet16S rRNA sequencinglamb |
| spellingShingle | Pengzhen Li Zhenhao Zhang Thomas A. Monaco Yao Dong Yuping Rong Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep Microorganisms enterotype seasonal diet 16S rRNA sequencing lamb |
| title | Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep |
| title_full | Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep |
| title_fullStr | Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep |
| title_short | Grazing Intensities Regulated the Effects of Seasonal Dietary Pattern on Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Sheep |
| title_sort | grazing intensities regulated the effects of seasonal dietary pattern on gut bacterial community composition of sheep |
| topic | enterotype seasonal diet 16S rRNA sequencing lamb |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1392 |
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