5. Conclusion
Bathyarchaeia is highly abundant in most paddy soils across eastern China, which is predominated by Bathy-6 . The abundance and diversity of Bathyarchaeia vary considerably among different soils. The relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia in paddy soils is majorly regulated by the C/N ratio and MAT, whereas soil pH is the key factor influencing Bathyarchaeia structure. Bathy-6 is assembled mainly by deterministic progress with higher relative abundance in high temperature, low C/N, and slightly acidic environments. The network analysis revealed that Bathyarchaeiahelps in maintaining the stability of archaea community structure, with high co-occurrence with methanogen and archaeal ammonia oxidizers. Our results further elaborate our knowledge of Bathyarchaeia niche differentiation. However, further research is required to reveal the specific functions of these organisms in paddy soils.