Fig 4. Analysis of the significance of differences in the mean relative abundances (±SE) of major bacterial communities in the four rhizocompartments of the three leguminous plants at phylum-order-genus levels.

Group (A) provides the relative abundances of three major bacterial phyla; Group (B) provides the relative abundances of three major bacterial orders; Group (C) provides the relative abundances of three major bacterial genera. Different letters represent the presence of significant differences among the four rhizocompartments (P < 0.05). Black: root; dark gray: rhizosphere soil; light gray: root zone soil; white column: inter-shrub bulk soil. Data presentation: mean ± standard deviation, n = 3. CM: Caragana microphylla; HM: Hedysarum mongolicum; HS: Hedysarum scoparium.