Soil Biology & Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Decoupled responses of mycorrhizal fungal communities and function to recurrent wildfire","authors":"Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan, Christopher E. Gordon, Rachael H. Nolan, Pushpinder Matta, Amaia Montalban de la Mata, Jeff R. Powell","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110070","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anammox dominated As(V/III) speciation during long-term anaerobic conditions","authors":"Taicong Liu ,&nbsp;Shuting Tang ,&nbsp;Yingpeng Sun ,&nbsp;Zhongtao Lao ,&nbsp;Daijie Chen ,&nbsp;Ming Ao ,&nbsp;Haojie Qu ,&nbsp;Chao Jin ,&nbsp;Liying Lan ,&nbsp;Roland Bol ,&nbsp;Miaoyue Zhang ,&nbsp;Yingjie Cao ,&nbsp;Jean Louis Morel ,&nbsp;Yuanqing Chao ,&nbsp;Yetao Tang ,&nbsp;Rongliang Qiu ,&nbsp;Shizhong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reduction of As(V) to As(III) under anaerobic conditions significantly increases arsenic (As) toxicity and bioavailability, making it a crucial process that drives As contamination. Simultaneously, co-occurring microbial nitrogen (N) transformations may accelerate As(V/III) conversion through complex interactions and competition, yet their competing effects remain insufficiently resolved. To address this, we applied six N-addition treatments with varying total N input and form to anaerobic microcosms established with As-contaminated soil. N treatments receiving NH₄⁺ only (MN(NH₄⁺)) and NO₃⁻ only (MN(NO₃⁻)) were included to examine how specific N forms and their associated transformations affect As(V/III) speciation. Additionally, low (LN), medium (MN), and high (HN) N levels were applied as NH₄NO₃ to increase N availability and intensify competition among N transformations. Results showed that MN(NH₄⁺) increased As(III) in soil (1.4–36.0 mg kg⁻¹) and porewater (0.1–138.7 μg L⁻¹) by enhancing anammox (∼40 %) and promoting DOC and Fe(II) accumulation. Conversely, MN(NO₃⁻) lowered As(III) by stimulating denitrification and restricting DOC and Fe(II) accumulation. Increasing N input from LN to HN decreased denitrification rates by 19.9–51.5 % while enhancing anammox rates by 51.9–199.2 % and the transcriptional activity of the anammox gene <em>hzs</em> (up to 1.5). It also increased the abundance of the As-reducing gene <em>arrB</em>, DOC accumulation, and Fe(III) reduction, ultimately elevating As(III) by 22.3–31.4 mg kg⁻¹ and 35.0–130.8 μg L⁻¹ in soil and porewater, respectively. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and linear mixed-effects models (LMM) identified the largest standardized effect (0.79) and importance (19.1 %) for anammox, highlighting anammox as the dominant driver of As(V/III) speciation. This study provides novel insights into N–As interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110065"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced methanogenesis in acidic fen peatlands via ferrihydrite reduction-driven microbial metabolisms","authors":"Hong-Yan Wang ,&nbsp;Xin-Yi Hu ,&nbsp;Feng-Wu Zhou ,&nbsp;Julio-Castillo Hernandez ,&nbsp;Zhi-Guo Yu ,&nbsp;Maxim Dorodnikov ,&nbsp;Klaus-Holger Knorr ,&nbsp;Andreas Kappler","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110068","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110068","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interactions between Fe(III) reduction and methanogenesis in regulating CH₄ emissions remain controversial, particularly in peatlands. To address this, we investigated the effects of ferrihydrite amendments on net CH₄ formation in four moderately acidic fen soils from the Great Khingan Mountains, the Changbai Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and Dajiuhu. Anaerobic microcosms were established to monitor gas formation and porewater chemistry, while detailed geochemical and microbiome profiling was conducted for the soils from the Changbai Mountains. Ferrihydrite additions increased net CH₄ formation rates by 1.4–6.2 times, with stronger effects observed in soils with more available carbon. As expected, secondary crystalline magnetite did not form. Ferrihydrite reduction mainly occurred during the pre-methanogenic stage and was mediated by fermentative Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, such as <em>Clostridium</em> and <em>OPB41</em>. These microbes lowered H₂ levels, reducing the relative abundance of <em>Methanobacterium</em> from 86% to 56%. However, fermentative Fe(III) reduction mitigated limitations on organic matter decomposition by elevating pH and improving the thermodynamic feasibility of organic carbon fermentation in the pre-methanogenic stage. Beyond enhanced substrate supply, the legacy of elevated pH further promoted activities of acetoclastic methanogens, as indicated by faster net acetate consumption in ferrihydrite treatments. Enriched metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with <em>Sumerlaeaceae</em>, <em>Clostridium</em>, <em>OPB41</em>, and <em>Prolixibacteraceae</em> revealed the potential for polysaccharide hydrolysis and acetogenesis. Most of the enriched acetogens engaged in syntrophic interactions with methanogens. Collectively, our findings suggest that fermentative Fe(III) reduction can stimulate organic matter decomposition, while its legacy of elevated pH further accelerates organic matter decomposition and methanogenesis in acidic peatland soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110068"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145728777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant functional groups shape microbial colonization and decomposition dynamics in grassland soils","authors":"Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah ,&nbsp;Catarina S.C. Martins ,&nbsp;Eleonora Egidi ,&nbsp;Catriona A. Macdonald ,&nbsp;Jun-Tao Wang ,&nbsp;Nico Eisenhauer ,&nbsp;Peter B. Reich ,&nbsp;Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo ,&nbsp;Brajesh K. Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110067","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110067","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Litter decomposition is a key ecosystem process that governs nutrient release and organic matter turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. While plants are known to influence rhizosphere microbiome, their role in shaping microbial colonization of litter, and further regulating decomposition remains less understood. Here, we employed a field-based Tea Bag Index (TBI) experiment to investigate how living plant functional groups (PFGs), including C3, C4, forb, and N₂-fixing legumes affect decomposition of standardized tea substrates (Green tea = labile; Rooibos tea = recalcitrant) and the associated microbial communities. Our results demonstrate that PFG type exerted a stronger influence on decomposition rate than species richness. The PFG impacts on decomposition were linked directly with shifts in substrate-colonizing communities, and indirectly with higher soil nitrate, N mineralization, and favourable moisture conditions. Microbial assemblages on Green vs Rooibos tea were distinct, indicating strong substrate filtering with PFG-mediated selection of decomposer communities. Across both substrates, PFGs and soil properties jointly explained most of the variance in decomposition rate, with additional, context-dependent contributions from bacterial and faunal (protist and metazoan) diversity reflecting their functional roles in litter breakdown. These findings underscore the central role of PFGs in structuring decomposer communities and regulating key soil processes. Preserving plant functional diversity is therefore essential for preserving microbial-mediated soil processes and ensuring grassland ecosystem resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110067"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Benchmarking GC and HPLC for amino sugar analyses across soils: A comprehensive evaluation","authors":"Zhijian Mou ,&nbsp;Xuefeng Zhu ,&nbsp;Mengqiang Zhu ,&nbsp;Hongfei Liu ,&nbsp;Chao Liang ,&nbsp;Zhanfeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110066","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110066","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amino sugars are key tracers of microbial necromass in soil organic carbon, yet the lack of direct methodological comparison between gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) limits cross-study integration. Here, we provide the first systematic evaluation of both methods using 395 field samples and 1900 published observations across global ecosystems. GC and HPLC showed strong analytical agreement (R² &gt; 0.92; RSD &lt;5 %), but GC yielded more accurate measurements in C- and N-rich soils due to superior cleanup and purification, whereas HPLC offered higher throughput and operational simplicity. These results establish a quantitative benchmark for harmonizing amino-sugar datasets and highlight that method choice should align with soil matrix complexity and analytical goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110066"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145730836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Root tissue chemistry influences the formation and composition of new mineral-associated organic matter","authors":"Brian Rinehart ,&nbsp;Joe P. Noel ,&nbsp;Justin Allen ,&nbsp;Joeri Kaal ,&nbsp;Dave McNear ,&nbsp;Hanna Poffenbarger","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interest in managing soil organic matter through plant inputs is increasing, but the role of plant litter chemistry in organic matter cycling is still debated. While roots are an important carbon input, there are conflicting findings on how root litter chemistry affects the formation and composition of organic matter across soil types. Roots of seven plant species with diverse chemical composition were incubated for six months in two soil types differing in texture and pH. Soil respiration was measured regularly and the movement of root carbon into soil organic matter fractions was tracked using carbon-13 natural abundance. In both soils, litters with high guaiacyl and syringyl lignin units had less respiration and less transformation of litter C into heavy particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). High suberin content decreased respiration and increased the recovery of litter C in light POM, but had no effects on its transfer to heavy POM or MAOM. On the other hand, <em>p</em>-hydroxyphenyl lignin units had positive effects on the transformation of litter C into MAOM but limited effects on respiration or recovery of litter C in POM. The litter treatments had similar effects on litter-derived MAOM across both soils despite overall less litter C in that fraction for the coarse, low pH soil. We also found evidence of chemical changes to the MAOM, with the ratios of lignin subunits shifting towards the ratios found in the litters. Our results highlight that lignin composition, in addition to total amount, seems to shape decomposition dynamics. Our results also support the idea that microbial processing of high-quality litters facilitates stabilization of C in MAOM. However, we show that regardless of degradability roots leave a chemical imprint on MAOM, particularly through their lignin composition, suggesting that direct contributions of plant C to MAOM cannot be overlooked.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110064"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145728778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Organic nutrient amendments enhance the accrual of mineral associated soil organic carbon via microbial processes in a marginal Miscanthus agroecosystem","authors":"Jennifer L. Kane ,&nbsp;Ronald G. Schartiger ,&nbsp;Zachary B. Freedman ,&nbsp;Ember M. Morrissey","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110063","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110063","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interactivity between plants and microorganisms underpin the cycling and storage of carbon in soil, processes that are especially critical to understand on marginal lands. Nutrient amendments may impact these processes by shaping plant productivity and microbial activity with implications for the stabilization of carbon in soil organic matter (SOM). In year three of nutrient management, we investigated the impact of conventional (mineral N–P–K, 300 kg ha⁻¹) and organic (composted dairy manure, 57 kg N ha⁻¹) nutrient additions on <em>Miscanthus x giganteus</em> grown on marginal land. We surveyed plant productivity, microbial activity, and SOM pools (particulate and mineral-associated). Plant productivity increased with both conventional (+70 %) and organic (+94 %) nutrient amendments (p &lt; 0.05). Using quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP), we identified bacterial genera exhibiting increased C assimilation under each nutrient treatment (16 genera for organically amended plots and 9 genera for conventionally amended plots). At the community level, microbial activity was also responsive to nutrient treatments (e.g., +43 % and +50 % increases in microbial respiration rate for conventional and organic amendments respectively, p &lt; 0.05). Soil carbon content in organically amended plots was 21 % higher than control plots and 27 % higher than conventionally fertilized plots (p &lt; 0.05) with increases in both particulate and mineral-associated organic matter pools. Direct addition of carbon with the manure amendment could account for 44 % of the observed increase in particulate organic matter carbon but only 5 % of mineral-associated carbon gains, suggesting that stimulated microbial activity shapes carbon accrual under organic amendments. These results suggest that organic amendments may stimulate both plant productivity and microbially mediated soil carbon sequestration to meet agronomic and environmental goals simultaneously.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110063"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tree species richness effects on soil multifunctionality vary with proximity to target trees","authors":"Henriette Christel ,&nbsp;Rémy Beugnon ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Huang ,&nbsp;Benjamin M. Delory ,&nbsp;Olga Ferlian ,&nbsp;Hafeez Ul Haq ,&nbsp;Tesfaye Wubet ,&nbsp;Nico Eisenhauer ,&nbsp;Simone Cesarz","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microorganisms are vital for forest ecosystem functioning, and tree species richness is expected to enhance soil microbial functionality. Yet, evidence remains inconclusive, possibly because local small-scale tree–tree interactions and their associated mycorrhizal relationships introduce additional complexity. Variation in belowground competition, root distributions, mycorrhizal hyphal networks, and microsite nutrient availability around individual trees may modify microbial activity and, consequently, influencing how multiple soil functions operate together.</div><div>We assessed how tree species richness, mycorrhizal associations, and local fine-scale differences affect soil microbial functioning using a temperate forest biodiversity experiment (MyDiv). Plots contained monocultures, 2-species, or 4-species mixtures composed of tree species associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), ectomycorrhizal (EM), or mixed (MIX) communities. We sampled soil near target trees to assess individual effects and in interaction zones to capture tree–tree interaction effects. We analysed microbial biomass and respiration, enzyme activities, aggregate stability, and calculated soil multifunctionality. Environmental variables (soil water and carbon content, pH, and tree basal area) were assessed to potentially explain tree community effects on multifunctionality.</div><div>We found that tree species richness increased soil multifunctionality by enhancing microbial biomass and enzyme activities related to nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Mycorrhizal type strongly affected soil multifunctionality in EM plots, while mixing mycorrhizal types did not yield synergistic effects. However, individual soil functions showed distinct patterns: microbial biomass and nitrogen cycle-related enzyme activity peaked in EM plots, whereas carbon cycle-related enzyme activity was highest in AM plots. Tree species richness increased soil multifunctionality close to the target tree but not in the interaction zone, and the environmental variables measured could not explain these relationships.</div><div>Overall, tree species richness enhanced soil multifunctionality, particularly in EM-associated plots. Importantly, positive diversity effects were highly localized, suggesting that individual tree responses and mycorrhizal-mediated interactions may play a stronger role than broader tree–tree interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110060"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Belowground perspectives: how plant functional type clipping reshapes soil fungal communities across peat depths","authors":"Xin Guo ,&nbsp;Meng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vascular plant encroachment at the expense of <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses may threaten peatland carbon (C) stocks, yet the role of plant functional types (PFTs) and their fungal partners remains unclear. We conducted an <em>in situ</em> clipping experiment in a montane peatland to examine how shrubs, graminoids, and <em>Sphagnum</em> mosses shape fungal abundance, diversity, and functional composition across acrotelm (0–20 cm) and mesotelm (20–30 cm) layers. Shrub clipping reduced overall fungal diversity and the relative abundances of ericoid (ErMF) and ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcMF) in the acrotelm, while increasing the relative abundance of lignocellulose-degrading fungi. In contrast, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were less abundant than ErMF and EcMF, and responded primarily to edaphic conditions, especially low phosphate availability. Although the relative abundance of <em>Sphagnum</em>-associated fungi increased with <em>Sphagnum</em> cover, their distribution was mainly governed by temperature rather than host abundance. Notably, shrub encroachment may enhance peatland C stocks by increasing plant–fungal C inputs and suppressing decomposition, partially counteracting climate-driven C losses. By disentangling PFT and depth effects, this study demonstrates that shrub clipping selectively alters mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in surface peat, whereas AMF respond mainly to edaphic variation. This depth-dependent decoupling between host and edaphic controls provides new insight into how vegetation change restructures fungal networks and regulates peatland C dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110055"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How to integrate biology, physics and chemistry for a better description of soil water dynamics?","authors":"C. Pelosi ,&nbsp;E. Michel ,&nbsp;P. Beltrame ,&nbsp;S. Cazaurang ,&nbsp;A. Bérard ,&nbsp;N. Beudez ,&nbsp;F. Cajot ,&nbsp;C. Caurel ,&nbsp;C. Serbource ,&nbsp;P. Renault ,&nbsp;C. Doussan","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Numerous and diverse edaphic organisms have the capacity to modify several physical and chemical soil characteristics that influence water transfers. Considering these modifications in modeling approaches would make for more accurate descriptions and modeling of water fluxes in soils. Some impacts of biological activity on soil physical aspects (e.g. modification of the pore space) have been described for 5–10 years now, and are being increasingly accounted for in water transfer models. However, the situation is not the same for biologically-driven chemical modifications linked to the secretion of organic molecules by soil organisms: modeling their consequences on pore space chemical properties and water transfers has just started. We here shortly survey prominent effects of biological activity on water-transfer related soil properties, and describe their coupling with existing water transfer models. We then propose possible ways for a better integration of biological soil modifications into such models. Among these, we point out that an energy-based theoretical framework would not only be consistent with the basic principles of thermodynamics, but would also foster synergies between ecologists, physicists and chemists, to better describe and predict water dynamics in soils and interactions with the soil biota. This would pave the way to model the evolution, on the scale of a few decades, of the water flow regulation services provided by soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110057"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}