Roles of soil microbes in shaping the nutrient accumulation of dietary bamboo of giant pandas

Soil microbes play key roles in the nutrient acquisition of plants, and plant nutrients are a key determinant of herbivore foraging behavior and nutritional physiology which would further affect their life history strategies. Giant pandas Ailuropoda melanoleuca , as obligate bamboo herbivores, rely heavily on bamboo for sustenance. We here evaluate the potential impact of soil microbes on the dietary bamboo of giant panda by monitoring bamboo growth dynamics alongside soil properties and microbial community patterns. Our results revealed that soil bacterial and fungal composition significantly influence the availability of soil available phosphorus (AP), ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + –N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 − –N). Notably, bacterial and fungal genera associated with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition were significantly enriched during the new shoot season. Higher soil AP and NH 4 + –N level were found to significantly enhance the growth of new bamboo shoots. Combined with the life histories of giant pandas and the nutrient contents of bamboo, it is evidenced that the soil microbes provide essential nutritional foundations for the foraging and reproductive timing of giant pandas during the new shoot season. This study offers novel insights into the critical role of soil microbes in the soil–plant–herbivore system, which plays an indirect role in shaping the foraging and reproductive strategies of a large mammalian herbivore.