Pub Date : 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110072
Sen-Mao Zhang , Wan-Jia Hu , Xin-Rong Shi , Robert L. Kallenbach , Zhi-You Yuan
Global warming is altering nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, it remains uncertain whether these alterations are consistent across different ecosystems and environmental gradients, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. We conducted a meta-analysis of 2496 observations from 262 experimental warming studies to assess global patterns in N cycle dynamics. Warming significantly increased belowground plant N, ammonium and nitrate N, net mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, N2O emissions, and leaching, while reducing N resorption efficiency and microbial N immobilization. These findings suggest that warming influences N fluxes more extensively than N pools, leading to greater overall N losses. The magnitude of warming, associated soil moisture changes, and initial soil pH emerged as key drivers of these responses, highlighting the strong dependence of N cycling on soil properties at the global scale. Meta-regression analysis further showed that warming beyond 2 °C could markedly reduce microbial N pool, disrupting N cycling across ecosystems. Responses were more pronounced in acidic soils (pH ≤ 6.5) than in non-acidic soils. Our findings indicate that plant roots act as important N sinks under warming. We recommend increased attention to the management of acidic soil ecosystems to mitigate their potential feedback effects on climate change. This work improves our understanding of climate–N cycle feedbacks and strengthens the basis for predictive models of biogeochemical cycling under future climate scenarios.
{"title":"Global patterns and soil controls governing terrestrial nitrogen cycling in response to experimental warming: A meta-analysis","authors":"Sen-Mao Zhang , Wan-Jia Hu , Xin-Rong Shi , Robert L. Kallenbach , Zhi-You Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110072","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110072","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global warming is altering nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, it remains uncertain whether these alterations are consistent across different ecosystems and environmental gradients, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. We conducted a meta-analysis of 2496 observations from 262 experimental warming studies to assess global patterns in N cycle dynamics. Warming significantly increased belowground plant N, ammonium and nitrate N, net mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, N<sub>2</sub>O emissions, and leaching, while reducing N resorption efficiency and microbial N immobilization. These findings suggest that warming influences N fluxes more extensively than N pools, leading to greater overall N losses. The magnitude of warming, associated soil moisture changes, and initial soil pH emerged as key drivers of these responses, highlighting the strong dependence of N cycling on soil properties at the global scale. Meta-regression analysis further showed that warming beyond 2 °C could markedly reduce microbial N pool, disrupting N cycling across ecosystems. Responses were more pronounced in acidic soils (pH ≤ 6.5) than in non-acidic soils. Our findings indicate that plant roots act as important N sinks under warming. We recommend increased attention to the management of acidic soil ecosystems to mitigate their potential feedback effects on climate change. This work improves our understanding of climate–N cycle feedbacks and strengthens the basis for predictive models of biogeochemical cycling under future climate scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110072"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784844","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-14DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110071
Kimberly J. Komatsu , Kurt Reinhart , Sarah Alley , Lauren M. Porensky , Kevin R. Wilcox , Sally E. Koerner
Nutrient cycling is a soil function that may be impacted by global change-induced droughts and alterations to grazing pressure. While belowground responses to drought are increasingly studied, the combined effects of altered rainfall and grazing on soil nutrients and microbial processes remain poorly understood. We tested how a two-year rainfall reduction interacted with a grazing intensity gradient during drought and two years of recovery to influence soil nutrient pools and microbial processes at two northern mixed-grass prairie sites. Rainfall reductions decreased soil available P and micronutrients between 10 and 50 %, but increased soil NO3− up to 4-fold during drought and into recovery years. In contrast, bacterial and fungal community compositions and extracellular enzyme activities were relatively resistant to rainfall reduction and grazing intensity treatments. Together, these results highlight the sensitivity of soil nutrient pools to drought, contrasted with the relative stability of belowground microbial processes in semi-arid rangelands in the face of drought and grazing management strategies.
{"title":"Sensitivity of soil nutrient pools, but stability of microbial processes, under reduced rainfall and altered grazing management in northern mixed-grass prairie","authors":"Kimberly J. Komatsu , Kurt Reinhart , Sarah Alley , Lauren M. Porensky , Kevin R. Wilcox , Sally E. Koerner","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110071","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110071","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nutrient cycling is a soil function that may be impacted by global change-induced droughts and alterations to grazing pressure. While belowground responses to drought are increasingly studied, the combined effects of altered rainfall and grazing on soil nutrients and microbial processes remain poorly understood. We tested how a two-year rainfall reduction interacted with a grazing intensity gradient during drought and two years of recovery to influence soil nutrient pools and microbial processes at two northern mixed-grass prairie sites. Rainfall reductions decreased soil available P and micronutrients between 10 and 50 %, but increased soil NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> up to 4-fold during drought and into recovery years. In contrast, bacterial and fungal community compositions and extracellular enzyme activities were relatively resistant to rainfall reduction and grazing intensity treatments. Together, these results highlight the sensitivity of soil nutrient pools to drought, contrasted with the relative stability of belowground microbial processes in semi-arid rangelands in the face of drought and grazing management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110071"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145753156","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110070
Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan , Christopher E. Gordon , Rachael H. Nolan , Pushpinder Matta , Amaia Montalban de la Mata , Jeff R. Powell
Understanding the effects of fire on ecosystem function is critical for both above- and belowground processes. Mycorrhizal fungi play essential roles belowground, yet most studies rely on DNA-based methods that capture community composition but not functional attributes. Here, we assessed mycorrhizal fungal community responses alongside functional traits of biomass, and hyphal chemistry using in-growth mesh bags. We studied 12 dry sclerophyll forest sites in the Sydney Basin, spanning gradients of historical fire frequency and fire severity from the most recent fire (the 2019/20 Black Summer fires). We evaluated the effects of fire regime and soil nutrient availability using high-throughput DNA sequencing, joint species distribution modelling, and direct measurements of biomass and hyphal elemental composition.
Mycorrhizal community composition was associated with fire frequency and severity, but did not correspond to measured functional changes. In contrast, nutrient availability, particularly soil orthophosphate, had limited effects on community composition, but influenced fungal function, increasing biomass and altering hyphal stoichiometry. Our study establishes critical post-fire baselines for these traits and suggests that fire regimes select for particular mycorrhizal fungal communities, but that responses are decoupled between community composition and function three years post-fire. This highlights the resilience of mycorrhizal function under varying fire regimes.
{"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":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the effects of fire on ecosystem function is critical for both above- and belowground processes. Mycorrhizal fungi play essential roles belowground, yet most studies rely on DNA-based methods that capture community composition but not functional attributes. Here, we assessed mycorrhizal fungal community responses alongside functional traits of biomass, and hyphal chemistry using in-growth mesh bags. We studied 12 dry sclerophyll forest sites in the Sydney Basin, spanning gradients of historical fire frequency and fire severity from the most recent fire (the 2019/20 Black Summer fires). We evaluated the effects of fire regime and soil nutrient availability using high-throughput DNA sequencing, joint species distribution modelling, and direct measurements of biomass and hyphal elemental composition.</div><div>Mycorrhizal community composition was associated with fire frequency and severity, but did not correspond to measured functional changes. In contrast, nutrient availability, particularly soil orthophosphate, had limited effects on community composition, but influenced fungal function, increasing biomass and altering hyphal stoichiometry. Our study establishes critical post-fire baselines for these traits and suggests that fire regimes select for particular mycorrhizal fungal communities, but that responses are decoupled between community composition and function three years post-fire. This highlights the resilience of mycorrhizal function under varying fire regimes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"214 ","pages":"Article 110070"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110065
Taicong Liu , Shuting Tang , Yingpeng Sun , Zhongtao Lao , Daijie Chen , Ming Ao , Haojie Qu , Chao Jin , Liying Lan , Roland Bol , Miaoyue Zhang , Yingjie Cao , Jean Louis Morel , Yuanqing Chao , Yetao Tang , Rongliang Qiu , Shizhong Wang
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 hzs (up to 1.5). It also increased the abundance of the As-reducing gene arrB, 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.
{"title":"Anammox dominated As(V/III) speciation during long-term anaerobic conditions","authors":"Taicong Liu , Shuting Tang , Yingpeng Sun , Zhongtao Lao , Daijie Chen , Ming Ao , Haojie Qu , Chao Jin , Liying Lan , Roland Bol , Miaoyue Zhang , Yingjie Cao , Jean Louis Morel , Yuanqing Chao , Yetao Tang , Rongliang Qiu , 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 NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> only (MN(NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>)) and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> only (MN(NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>)) 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 NH<sub>4</sub>NO<sub>3</sub> to increase N availability and intensify competition among N transformations. Results showed that MN(NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>) increased As(III) in soil (1.4–36.0 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>) and porewater (0.1–138.7 μg L<sup>−1</sup>) by enhancing anammox (∼40 %) and promoting DOC and Fe(II) accumulation. Conversely, MN(NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) 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<sup>−1</sup> and 35.0–130.8 μg L<sup>−1</sup> 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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110068
Hong-Yan Wang , Xin-Yi Hu , Feng-Wu Zhou , Julio-Castillo Hernandez , Zhi-Guo Yu , Maxim Dorodnikov , Klaus-Holger Knorr , Andreas Kappler
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 Clostridium and OPB41. These microbes lowered H2 levels, reducing the relative abundance of Methanobacterium 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 Sumerlaeaceae, Clostridium, OPB41, and Prolixibacteraceae 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.
{"title":"Enhanced methanogenesis in acidic fen peatlands via ferrihydrite reduction-driven microbial metabolisms","authors":"Hong-Yan Wang , Xin-Yi Hu , Feng-Wu Zhou , Julio-Castillo Hernandez , Zhi-Guo Yu , Maxim Dorodnikov , Klaus-Holger Knorr , 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 CH<sub>4</sub> emissions remain controversial, particularly in peatlands. To address this, we investigated the effects of ferrihydrite amendments on net CH<sub>4</sub> 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 CH<sub>4</sub> 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 H<sub>2</sub> 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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110067
Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah , Catarina S.C. Martins , Eleonora Egidi , Catriona A. Macdonald , Jun-Tao Wang , Nico Eisenhauer , Peter B. Reich , Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo , Brajesh K. Singh
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.
{"title":"Plant functional groups shape microbial colonization and decomposition dynamics in grassland soils","authors":"Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah , Catarina S.C. Martins , Eleonora Egidi , Catriona A. Macdonald , Jun-Tao Wang , Nico Eisenhauer , Peter B. Reich , Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo , 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 N<sub>2</sub>-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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110066
Zhijian Mou , Xuefeng Zhu , Mengqiang Zhu , Hongfei Liu , Chao Liang , Zhanfeng Liu
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 > 0.92; RSD <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.
{"title":"Benchmarking GC and HPLC for amino sugar analyses across soils: A comprehensive evaluation","authors":"Zhijian Mou , Xuefeng Zhu , Mengqiang Zhu , Hongfei Liu , Chao Liang , 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 (R<sup>2</sup> > 0.92; RSD <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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110064
Brian Rinehart , Joe P. Noel , Justin Allen , Joeri Kaal , Dave McNear , Hanna Poffenbarger
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, p-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.
{"title":"Root tissue chemistry influences the formation and composition of new mineral-associated organic matter","authors":"Brian Rinehart , Joe P. Noel , Justin Allen , Joeri Kaal , Dave McNear , 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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-08DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110063
Jennifer L. Kane , Ronald G. Schartiger , Zachary B. Freedman , Ember M. Morrissey
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 Miscanthus x giganteus 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 < 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 < 0.05). Soil carbon content in organically amended plots was 21 % higher than control plots and 27 % higher than conventionally fertilized plots (p < 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.
植物和微生物之间的相互作用是土壤中碳循环和储存的基础，这一过程对于了解边缘土地尤为重要。养分修正可能通过塑造植物生产力和微生物活动来影响这些过程，从而影响土壤有机质（SOM）中碳的稳定。在养分管理的第三年，我们研究了常规（矿质N - p - k， 300 kg ha - 1）和有机（堆肥牛粪，57 kg N - ha - 1）营养添加对边缘土地上生长的芒草的影响。我们调查了植物生产力、微生物活动和SOM池（颗粒和矿物相关）。常规（+ 70%）和有机（+ 94%）养分改良均能提高植物生产力（p < 0.05）。通过定量稳定同位素探测（qSIP），我们发现了在每种营养处理下都表现出碳同化增加的细菌属（有机改良样地16属，常规改良样地9属）。在群落水平上，微生物活性也对营养处理有响应（例如，常规和有机处理的微生物呼吸率分别增加43%和50%，p < 0.05）。土壤碳含量在有机改良地块比对照地块高21%，比常规施肥地块高27% (p < 0.05)，颗粒和矿物相关有机质库均增加。通过粪便改进剂直接添加的碳可以占到观察到的颗粒有机质碳增加的44%，但仅占矿物相关碳增加的5%，这表明受刺激的微生物活动决定了有机改进剂下的碳积累。这些结果表明，有机改良可能同时刺激植物生产力和微生物介导的土壤碳固存，以同时满足农艺和环境目标。
{"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 , Ronald G. Schartiger , Zachary B. Freedman , 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<sup>−1</sup>) and organic (composted dairy manure, 57 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) 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 < 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 < 0.05). Soil carbon content in organically amended plots was 21 % higher than control plots and 27 % higher than conventionally fertilized plots (p < 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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-06DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110060
Henriette Christel , Rémy Beugnon , Yuanyuan Huang , Benjamin M. Delory , Olga Ferlian , Hafeez Ul Haq , Tesfaye Wubet , Nico Eisenhauer , Simone Cesarz
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.
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.
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.
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.
{"title":"Tree species richness effects on soil multifunctionality vary with proximity to target trees","authors":"Henriette Christel , Rémy Beugnon , Yuanyuan Huang , Benjamin M. Delory , Olga Ferlian , Hafeez Ul Haq , Tesfaye Wubet , Nico Eisenhauer , 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}
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