Lirong Liao, Feike A. Dijkstra, Jie Wang, Lu Zhang, Shilong Lei, Guobin Liu, Chao Zhang
<jats:list> <jats:list-item> Despite extensive studies on the taxonomic diversity and metabolic capacity of microbiomes in response to drought, drought effects on the soil microbial co‐occurrence networks and their function roles are less understood. This is partly due to the distinct microbial composition and activities in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Here, we conducted a 2‐year controlled watering experiment to examine the effects of drought on the network structure and functions of soil microbiomes in both the rhizosphere and bulk soil of the native grass <jats:italic>Bothriochloa ischaemum</jats:italic> . We evaluated the secretion rate and composition of root exudates linked to microbial variation under three different watering regimes: well‐watered (80% field capacity), moderate drought (60% field capacity) and severe drought (40% field capacity). Microbial community composition was analysed using amplicon sequencing, and functional gene abundance was quantified via qPCR. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We found that, compared to the weak response of the microbial community in the bulk soil, drought markedly reduced the diversity of bacteria, fungi and protists, their network complexity (e.g. nodes and edges numbers, average degree, modularity and clustering coefficient), and the abundance of genes related to C degradation ( <jats:italic>sga</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>amyX</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>abfA</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>and xlyA</jats:italic> ), N fixation ( <jats:italic>nifH</jats:italic> ), ammonification ( <jats:italic>ureC</jats:italic> ), denitrification ( <jats:italic>nirK</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>nirS</jats:italic> ), and assimilatory ( <jats:italic>nasA</jats:italic> ) and dissimilatory ( <jats:italic>napA</jats:italic> ) N reduction in the rhizosphere. The reduction in microbial network complexity and reduced C‐ and N transformation genes were highly correlated with the drought‐induced decline in root C exudation and changes in the component diversity of exudate components, including amino acids, lipids, organic acids, vitamins, cofactors and carbohydrates. Among the root exudates, organic acids played a crucial role in shaping microbial occurrence networks, while amino acids were essential in regulating functional genes involved in C and N cycling. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> <jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic> . Our results suggest that drought reduced microbial diversity, co‐occurrence network complexity and key C and N cycling gene abundances, with root exudates such as organic acids and amino acids being crucial in shaping these responses. These findings deepen our understanding of plant–microbe interactions under drought stress and underscore the essential role of root exudates in mediating microbial structure and functions amid escalating climate change. Such drought‐induced disruptions in microbial networks and functional gene expression may cons
{"title":"Drought reduces rhizosphere microbial network complexity and nutrient cycling dynamics mediated by root exudates","authors":"Lirong Liao, Feike A. Dijkstra, Jie Wang, Lu Zhang, Shilong Lei, Guobin Liu, Chao Zhang","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70213","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item> Despite extensive studies on the taxonomic diversity and metabolic capacity of microbiomes in response to drought, drought effects on the soil microbial co‐occurrence networks and their function roles are less understood. This is partly due to the distinct microbial composition and activities in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Here, we conducted a 2‐year controlled watering experiment to examine the effects of drought on the network structure and functions of soil microbiomes in both the rhizosphere and bulk soil of the native grass <jats:italic>Bothriochloa ischaemum</jats:italic> . We evaluated the secretion rate and composition of root exudates linked to microbial variation under three different watering regimes: well‐watered (80% field capacity), moderate drought (60% field capacity) and severe drought (40% field capacity). Microbial community composition was analysed using amplicon sequencing, and functional gene abundance was quantified via qPCR. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We found that, compared to the weak response of the microbial community in the bulk soil, drought markedly reduced the diversity of bacteria, fungi and protists, their network complexity (e.g. nodes and edges numbers, average degree, modularity and clustering coefficient), and the abundance of genes related to C degradation ( <jats:italic>sga</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>amyX</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>abfA</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>and xlyA</jats:italic> ), N fixation ( <jats:italic>nifH</jats:italic> ), ammonification ( <jats:italic>ureC</jats:italic> ), denitrification ( <jats:italic>nirK</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>nirS</jats:italic> ), and assimilatory ( <jats:italic>nasA</jats:italic> ) and dissimilatory ( <jats:italic>napA</jats:italic> ) N reduction in the rhizosphere. The reduction in microbial network complexity and reduced C‐ and N transformation genes were highly correlated with the drought‐induced decline in root C exudation and changes in the component diversity of exudate components, including amino acids, lipids, organic acids, vitamins, cofactors and carbohydrates. Among the root exudates, organic acids played a crucial role in shaping microbial occurrence networks, while amino acids were essential in regulating functional genes involved in C and N cycling. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> <jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic> . Our results suggest that drought reduced microbial diversity, co‐occurrence network complexity and key C and N cycling gene abundances, with root exudates such as organic acids and amino acids being crucial in shaping these responses. These findings deepen our understanding of plant–microbe interactions under drought stress and underscore the essential role of root exudates in mediating microbial structure and functions amid escalating climate change. Such drought‐induced disruptions in microbial networks and functional gene expression may cons","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"118 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145760072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Boyuan Bi, Tongtong Xu, Qiong Chen, Zhanqing Hao, Ji Ye, Fei Lin, Zikun Mao, Shuai Fang, Xugao Wang, Zuoqiang Yuan, Hans Lambers
Intensified human‐derived nitrogen (N) loading may induce extensive phosphorus (P) uptake limitations in temperate forests. It remains unclear how plants will acclimate to such progressively deprived P environments under N input, especially in terms of adjustments in root P‐acquisition strategies. Here, we show, conducting N input experiments in two temperate forests (natural and secondary forest), that low, medium and high N inputs reduced plant‐available soil P concentrations by 9.3%, 15.7% and 16.3% in natural forests, and by 29.0%, 31.0% and 28.2% in secondary forests, respectively. This suggested that the natural forest had a stronger buffering capacity for N inputs, consequently resulting in a relatively lower impact on soil P availability. Importantly, continuous N input stepwise altered the P‐acquisition strategy of temperate forest plant roots. This transition moved from an initial dependence on mycorrhizal symbiosis for soil P acquisition to the mobilization of soil inorganic P by root‐released carboxylates, and ultimately to the inorganic P acquisition through the facilitation of the mineralization of organic P by rhizosheath phosphatases and by the enhancement of the ability of roots to scavenge the soil matrix. Simultaneously, plant rhizosheath phosphomonoesterase, phosphodiesterase and phytase activities responded divergently to declined soil P availability, suggesting that increased N inputs altered plant mineralization preference and strategy for soil organic P with different chemical forms. Synthesis . These shifts in root P‐acquisition strategy reveal the adaptive strategies adopted by plants when soil P becomes increasingly limiting, also reflecting the profound effects of N inputs on plant allocation of below‐ground carbon (C) resources. Together, this study elucidated that N inputs remodelled C‐P coupling in temperate forests by altering root plasticity and C‐investment strategies.
{"title":"Stepwise shift in root phosphorus‐acquisition strategies with nitrogen input in temperate forests","authors":"Boyuan Bi, Tongtong Xu, Qiong Chen, Zhanqing Hao, Ji Ye, Fei Lin, Zikun Mao, Shuai Fang, Xugao Wang, Zuoqiang Yuan, Hans Lambers","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70218","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item> Intensified human‐derived nitrogen (N) loading may induce extensive phosphorus (P) uptake limitations in temperate forests. It remains unclear how plants will acclimate to such progressively deprived P environments under N input, especially in terms of adjustments in root P‐acquisition strategies. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Here, we show, conducting N input experiments in two temperate forests (natural and secondary forest), that low, medium and high N inputs reduced plant‐available soil P concentrations by 9.3%, 15.7% and 16.3% in natural forests, and by 29.0%, 31.0% and 28.2% in secondary forests, respectively. This suggested that the natural forest had a stronger buffering capacity for N inputs, consequently resulting in a relatively lower impact on soil P availability. Importantly, continuous N input stepwise altered the P‐acquisition strategy of temperate forest plant roots. This transition moved from an initial dependence on mycorrhizal symbiosis for soil P acquisition to the mobilization of soil inorganic P by root‐released carboxylates, and ultimately to the inorganic P acquisition through the facilitation of the mineralization of organic P by rhizosheath phosphatases and by the enhancement of the ability of roots to scavenge the soil matrix. Simultaneously, plant rhizosheath phosphomonoesterase, phosphodiesterase and phytase activities responded divergently to declined soil P availability, suggesting that increased N inputs altered plant mineralization preference and strategy for soil organic P with different chemical forms. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> <jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic> . These shifts in root P‐acquisition strategy reveal the adaptive strategies adopted by plants when soil P becomes increasingly limiting, also reflecting the profound effects of N inputs on plant allocation of below‐ground carbon (C) resources. Together, this study elucidated that N inputs remodelled C‐P coupling in temperate forests by altering root plasticity and C‐investment strategies. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145760071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}