Rhizospheric soil microbial community structure and metabolic characteristics of wild Cymbidium mastersii at different altitudes

Introduction: , a perennial orchid of high ornamental value, faces severe survival challenges due to extremely low natural seed germination rates (<15%), habitat degradation, and illegal harvesting. It is listed as a Category II Nationally Protected Plant Species in China. Methods: across different elevations. Results: > 0.7). Our findings underscore the critical role of trophic interactions in shaping rhizosphere community assembly in alpine plants, thereby contributing to the broader understanding of microbial biogeography along elevational gradients. Discussion: , but more importantly, by integrating metagenomic and metabolomic approaches, we systematically reveal for the first time that altitude differentially selects for microbial taxa with specific functions, ultimately driving the restructuring of the rhizosphere metabolic environment. Moving beyond mere community description, our work aims to elucidate the underlying pathways responsible for these shifts and their potential functional implications for host plant adaptation.