Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110085
Shunyin Huang, Chen Huang, Yan Xiao
Global soil microplastics (MPs) pollution has become increasingly severe and is exerting persistent impacts on soil bacterial communities. Thus, a thorough investigation is imperative to elucidate the integrated impacts of MPs on soil microbial diversity, community composition, network patterns, and potential metabolic functions. In this study, we conducted a data synthesis of 182 publications and demonstrated that MPs exert pronounced adverse impacts on soil bacterial communities. Firstly, MPs significantly reduced soil bacterial alpha diversity (−1.1 % ∼ −3.2 %), with stronger inhibitory effects observed for conventional MPs, small size particles, and high dose MPs exposure. Further, biodegradable MPs significantly decreased the heterogeneity of soil bacterial communities, whereas conventional MPs increased it. Furthermore, the presence of MPs induced substantial changes in both the composition and structure of bacterial communities. Briefly, MPs significantly decreased the relative abundance of phylum Firmicutes, Campilobacterota, and WPS2 while increased the relative abundance of class Alphaproteobacteria and Blastocatellia. Meanwhile, MPs diminished the complexity and stability of bacterial co-occurrence networks, suggesting the soil microbial community exhibits higher vulnerability to environmental disturbances. The bacterial network exhibited a keystone transition favoring organic-degrading taxa. Finally, functional profiling showed significant upregulation of genes associated with human pathogenesis, organic degradation, and nitrogen fixation, while downregulation of nitrification. Collectively, our results highlight the pervasive negative impacts of MPs on soil bacterial communities, providing critical insights for assessing the ecological consequences of soil MPs pollution.
{"title":"Microplastics reduce soil bacterial alpha diversity and network stability","authors":"Shunyin Huang, Chen Huang, Yan Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global soil microplastics (MPs) pollution has become increasingly severe and is exerting persistent impacts on soil bacterial communities. Thus, a thorough investigation is imperative to elucidate the integrated impacts of MPs on soil microbial diversity, community composition, network patterns, and potential metabolic functions. In this study, we conducted a data synthesis of 182 publications and demonstrated that MPs exert pronounced adverse impacts on soil bacterial communities. Firstly, MPs significantly reduced soil bacterial alpha diversity (−1.1 % ∼ −3.2 %), with stronger inhibitory effects observed for conventional MPs, small size particles, and high dose MPs exposure. Further, biodegradable MPs significantly decreased the heterogeneity of soil bacterial communities, whereas conventional MPs increased it. Furthermore, the presence of MPs induced substantial changes in both the composition and structure of bacterial communities. Briefly, MPs significantly decreased the relative abundance of phylum <em>Firmicutes</em>, <em>Campilobacterota</em>, and <em>WPS2</em> while increased the relative abundance of class <em>Alphaproteobacteria</em> and <em>Blastocatellia</em>. Meanwhile, MPs diminished the complexity and stability of bacterial co-occurrence networks, suggesting the soil microbial community exhibits higher vulnerability to environmental disturbances. The bacterial network exhibited a keystone transition favoring organic-degrading taxa. Finally, functional profiling showed significant upregulation of genes associated with human pathogenesis, organic degradation, and nitrogen fixation, while downregulation of nitrification. Collectively, our results highlight the pervasive negative impacts of MPs on soil bacterial communities, providing critical insights for assessing the ecological consequences of soil MPs pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110085"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957376","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110096
Chase S. Kasmerchak , Li Chongyang , Andrew J. Margenot
Soil phosphorus (P) mineralization (Pmin) is expected to be sensitive to temperature, but the degree of temperature sensitivity remains uncharacterized. We quantified the temperature sensitivity of gross Pmin, P immobilization (Pimm) and resulting net Pmin at 5°, 10°, and 20 °C using 33P-labeling and isotopic exchange kinetics in soils (0–15 cm depth) of varying biophysical properties from four sites with long-term agricultural management practices (30–145 y) and one restored prairie (34 y) encompassing a 350 km latitudinal transect representative of the central USA. Over 28 d, gross Pmin and Pimm fluxes were consistently higher than 5° and 10 °C, resulting in 3.7-fold larger gross Pmin versus Pimm pools at 20 °C, and 5- to 37-fold larger than gross Pmin and Pimm at lower temperatures. Cumulative net Pmin pools plateaued by 3–7 d at 5° and 10 °C but increased over 28 d at 20 °C. Net Pmin pools more closely approximated temporal changes in gross Pmin pools at 5° and 10 °C compared to at 20 °C (i.e., low Pmin efficiency). Multivariate least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) models indicated gross and net Pmin at 10 °C were most strongly predicted by silt plus clay content (S + C), followed by microbial biomass carbon, phosphomonoesterase activities that catalyze gross Pmin and organic C-to-P ratios (C:Po), Pimm at 5 °C by S + C and microbial biomass nitrogen, and all pools at 20 °C by Po and microbial biomass C. Notably, phosphomonoesterase activities were important predictors of Pimm at 20 °C but not gross not net Pmin. Pimm at 10 °C and both Pmin pools at 5 °C were best predicted by univariate relationships with C:Po and pH, respectively. Our study identifies the capacity for soil temperature to modulate which and how biophysical soil properties influence soil P mineralization-immobilization, with non-linear impacts of temperature on net Pmin.
{"title":"Accelerated phosphorus immobilization at high soil temperatures may decrease net mineralization","authors":"Chase S. Kasmerchak , Li Chongyang , Andrew J. Margenot","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110096","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil phosphorus (P) mineralization (P<sub>min</sub>) is expected to be sensitive to temperature, but the degree of temperature sensitivity remains uncharacterized. We quantified the temperature sensitivity of gross P<sub>min</sub>, P immobilization (P<sub>imm</sub>) and resulting net P<sub>min</sub> at 5°, 10°, and 20 °C using <sup>33</sup>P-labeling and isotopic exchange kinetics in soils (0–15 cm depth) of varying biophysical properties from four sites with long-term agricultural management practices (30–145 y) and one restored prairie (34 y) encompassing a 350 km latitudinal transect representative of the central USA. Over 28 d, gross P<sub>min</sub> and P<sub>imm</sub> fluxes were consistently higher than 5° and 10 °C, resulting in 3.7-fold larger gross P<sub>min</sub> versus P<sub>imm</sub> pools at 20 °C, and 5- to 37-fold larger than gross P<sub>min</sub> and P<sub>imm</sub> at lower temperatures. Cumulative net P<sub>min</sub> pools plateaued by 3–7 d at 5° and 10 °C but increased over 28 d at 20 °C. Net P<sub>min</sub> pools more closely approximated temporal changes in gross P<sub>min</sub> pools at 5° and 10 °C compared to at 20 °C (i.e., low P<sub>min</sub> efficiency). Multivariate least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) models indicated gross and net P<sub>min</sub> at 10 °C were most strongly predicted by silt plus clay content (S + C), followed by microbial biomass carbon, phosphomonoesterase activities that catalyze gross P<sub>min</sub> and organic C-to-P ratios (C:P<sub>o</sub>), P<sub>imm</sub> at 5 °C by S + C and microbial biomass nitrogen, and all pools at 20 °C by P<sub>o</sub> and microbial biomass C. Notably, phosphomonoesterase activities were important predictors of P<sub>imm</sub> at 20 °C but not gross not net P<sub>min</sub>. P<sub>imm</sub> at 10 °C and both P<sub>min</sub> pools at 5 °C were best predicted by univariate relationships with C:P<sub>o</sub> and pH, respectively. Our study identifies the capacity for soil temperature to modulate which and how biophysical soil properties influence soil P mineralization-immobilization, with non-linear impacts of temperature on net P<sub>min</sub>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110096"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146000547","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110104
Yamin Chen , Yanghui He , Lingyan Zhou , Peter M. Homyak , Guiyao Zhou , Kaiyan Zhai , Diandian Wei , Boyun Tian , Xuhui Zhou
Coastal salt marsh wetlands are highly productive ecosystems with carbon (C) sequestration rates up to 40–50 times higher than forests, making them a major biome for climate change mitigation. However, plant invasions driven by human activities are altering vegetation composition, C allocation, decomposition dynamics, and ultimately the fate of soil organic C (SOC). Here we conducted a 4-year field-based mesocosm experiment to simulate the invasion of the C4 plant, Spartina alterniflora Loisel, into C3 plant-dominated coastal wetland soils and to quantify the relative contributions of above- and below-ground litter inputs to SOC formation. Taking advantage of the δ13C contrast between C3 and C4 plants, we showed that S. alterniflora-derived SOC increased by 9 % after four years, with aboveground litter contributing 12 times more C to the SOC pool than belowground root litter. Litter addition preferentially enriched S. alterniflora-derived C in macro-aggregate fractions by 10 %, while slightly reducing its contribution in the clay fractions, indicative of accelerated decomposition of native mineral-associated organic matter (“priming”). Litter inputs also enhanced soil CO2 efflux, and its close correlation with soil δ13C signatures indicates that the decomposition of the added plant litter was the primary source of the newly cycled C. These findings challenge terrestrial paradigm that belowground inputs dominate long-term SOC sequestration, highlighting the pivotal role of aboveground litter in governing C cycling and storage at the terrestrial-aquatic interface.
{"title":"Shoot litter outweighs root inputs in building soil organic carbon during Spartina alterniflora invasion in a coastal wetland","authors":"Yamin Chen , Yanghui He , Lingyan Zhou , Peter M. Homyak , Guiyao Zhou , Kaiyan Zhai , Diandian Wei , Boyun Tian , Xuhui Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal salt marsh wetlands are highly productive ecosystems with carbon (C) sequestration rates up to 40–50 times higher than forests, making them a major biome for climate change mitigation. However, plant invasions driven by human activities are altering vegetation composition, C allocation, decomposition dynamics, and ultimately the fate of soil organic C (SOC). Here we conducted a 4-year field-based mesocosm experiment to simulate the invasion of the C<sub>4</sub> plant, <em>Spartina alterniflora</em> Loisel, into C<sub>3</sub> plant-dominated coastal wetland soils and to quantify the relative contributions of above- and below-ground litter inputs to SOC formation. Taking advantage of the δ<sup>13</sup>C contrast between C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> plants, we showed that <em>S. alterniflora</em>-derived SOC increased by 9 % after four years, with aboveground litter contributing 12 times more C to the SOC pool than belowground root litter. Litter addition preferentially enriched <em>S. alterniflora</em>-derived C in macro-aggregate fractions by 10 %, while slightly reducing its contribution in the clay fractions, indicative of accelerated decomposition of native mineral-associated organic matter (“priming”). Litter inputs also enhanced soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux, and its close correlation with soil δ<sup>13</sup>C signatures indicates that the decomposition of the added plant litter was the primary source of the newly cycled C. These findings challenge terrestrial paradigm that belowground inputs dominate long-term SOC sequestration, highlighting the pivotal role of aboveground litter in governing C cycling and storage at the terrestrial-aquatic interface.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110104"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048415","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110094
Yaru Lv , Dongmei Chen , Xirong Gu , Yangxiao Deng , Shirui Xu , Xiaoyu Zhou , Xinhua He
Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major factor limiting forest productivity in acidic soil. Some ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi could enhance Al tolerance in trees grown in acidic soil. However, how interactions between soil inorganic phosphorus (IP) and labile Al fractions under Al stress drive the restructuring of ECM fungal communities and influence host adaptability remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a field experiment on Pinus massoniana, an Al-tolerant species, using a gradient of exogenous Al3+ additions (0–3.5 mM) over naturally high background levels to assess its impacts on rhizosphere soil and fine roots. Specifically, we measured the IP and labile Al fractions, ECM fungal community structure, and root morphological and anatomical traits. We found that low Al concentrations (≤1.5 mM) increased soil pH and elevated occluded P and calcium-bound P levels, while reducing Al-bound and iron-bound P. High Al levels (>2.0 mM) produced the opposite effect. Redundancy analysis identified IP fractions as the primary environmental factor influencing ECM fungal community structure. Variance partitioning analysis further indicated that IP fractions had a stronger effect on community restructuring than labile Al fractions. Scleroderma yunnanense, Cenococcum geophilum, Clavulina amethystina, Russula, and Rhizopogon boninensis emerged as the dominant colonizers of P. massoniana root tips across different Al gradients. Root growth and mantle thickness showed optimal responses at moderate concentrations, identifying 2.0 mM Al3+ as the tolerance threshold. Partial least squares structural equation modeling confirmed the pH-mediated transformations of IP and labile Al fractions. IP fractions had a greater impact on soil (β = −0.416) and root tip (β = 0.200) ECM fungal communities than labile Al fractions (βsoil = 0.158), emerging as the key driver of community restructuring. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into plant-fungal-soil interactions under Al stress and support the potential use of mycorrhizal technology in ecological restoration of acidic forests.
{"title":"Aluminum-induced changes in rhizosphere inorganic phosphorus fractions drive ectomycorrhizal fungal community restructuring in Pinus massoniana","authors":"Yaru Lv , Dongmei Chen , Xirong Gu , Yangxiao Deng , Shirui Xu , Xiaoyu Zhou , Xinhua He","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major factor limiting forest productivity in acidic soil. Some ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi could enhance Al tolerance in trees grown in acidic soil. However, how interactions between soil inorganic phosphorus (IP) and labile Al fractions under Al stress drive the restructuring of ECM fungal communities and influence host adaptability remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a field experiment on <em>Pinus massoniana</em>, an Al-tolerant species, using a gradient of exogenous Al<sup>3+</sup> additions (0–3.5 mM) over naturally high background levels to assess its impacts on rhizosphere soil and fine roots. Specifically, we measured the IP and labile Al fractions, ECM fungal community structure, and root morphological and anatomical traits. We found that low Al concentrations (≤1.5 mM) increased soil pH and elevated occluded P and calcium-bound P levels, while reducing Al-bound and iron-bound P. High Al levels (>2.0 mM) produced the opposite effect. Redundancy analysis identified IP fractions as the primary environmental factor influencing ECM fungal community structure. Variance partitioning analysis further indicated that IP fractions had a stronger effect on community restructuring than labile Al fractions. <em>Scleroderma yunnanense</em>, <em>Cenococcum geophilum</em>, <em>Clavulina amethystin</em>a, <em>Russula</em>, and <em>Rhizopogon boninensis</em> emerged as the dominant colonizers of <em>P. massoniana</em> root tips across different Al gradients. Root growth and mantle thickness showed optimal responses at moderate concentrations, identifying 2.0 mM Al<sup>3+</sup> as the tolerance threshold. Partial least squares structural equation modeling confirmed the pH-mediated transformations of IP and labile Al fractions. IP fractions had a greater impact on soil (<em>β</em> = −0.416) and root tip (<em>β</em> = 0.200) ECM fungal communities than labile Al fractions (<em>β</em><sub><em>soil</em></sub> = 0.158), emerging as the key driver of community restructuring. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into plant-fungal-soil interactions under Al stress and support the potential use of mycorrhizal technology in ecological restoration of acidic forests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110094"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995181","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110097
Hanpeng Liao , Chen Liu , Tian Gao , Chaofan Ai , Ning Ling , Shuping Qin , Chunsheng Hu , Dong Zhang , Xiang Tang , Ville-Petri Friman , Shungui Zhou
Although viruses are increasingly recognized as important contributors of soil carbon (C) cycling, their role in regulating soil C:N stoichiometry remains largely unclear. Here, we combined multi-omics approaches (viromics and metagenomics) with direct microcosm experiments to investigate viral contributions to soil C:N stoichiometry across three long-term fertilization field sites in China. Soils receiving long-term high N input exhibited distinct shifts in both taxonomic composition and functional gene profiles, with viruses showing a particularly strong contribution to C cycling. Mechanistically, soil viral and bacterial communities responded differentially to prolonged N enrichment, with viral communities exhibiting greater sensitivity to long-term N application. N addition reshaped the functional potential of both communities, with more pronounced changes in viral richness and virus–bacteria interactions. Elevated N levels enriched polyvalent viruses and increased the abundance of viral auxiliary metabolic genes involved in carbohydrate degradation. Direct experiments using viral transplants and metagenomic-stable isotope probing further confirmed that viruses can directly regulate nutrient cycling. Overall, our results demonstrate that soil viromes play a key role in regulating C cycling in ways that buffer N-induced shifts in soil C:N ratios by reshaping the taxonomic and functional composition of soil microbial communities.
{"title":"Viruses regulate soil C:N stoichiometry by boosting C-cycling under long-term N fertilization","authors":"Hanpeng Liao , Chen Liu , Tian Gao , Chaofan Ai , Ning Ling , Shuping Qin , Chunsheng Hu , Dong Zhang , Xiang Tang , Ville-Petri Friman , Shungui Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although viruses are increasingly recognized as important contributors of soil carbon (C) cycling, their role in regulating soil C:N stoichiometry remains largely unclear. Here, we combined multi-omics approaches (viromics and metagenomics) with direct microcosm experiments to investigate viral contributions to soil C:N stoichiometry across three long-term fertilization field sites in China. Soils receiving long-term high N input exhibited distinct shifts in both taxonomic composition and functional gene profiles, with viruses showing a particularly strong contribution to C cycling. Mechanistically, soil viral and bacterial communities responded differentially to prolonged N enrichment, with viral communities exhibiting greater sensitivity to long-term N application. N addition reshaped the functional potential of both communities, with more pronounced changes in viral richness and virus–bacteria interactions. Elevated N levels enriched polyvalent viruses and increased the abundance of viral auxiliary metabolic genes involved in carbohydrate degradation. Direct experiments using viral transplants and metagenomic-stable isotope probing further confirmed that viruses can directly regulate nutrient cycling. Overall, our results demonstrate that soil viromes play a key role in regulating C cycling in ways that buffer N-induced shifts in soil C:N ratios by reshaping the taxonomic and functional composition of soil microbial communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110097"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024526","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 : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110107
Chammi P. Attanayake , Andrew J. Margenot
The lack of standardized soil storage methods for enzyme activity assays has restricted cross-comparison of activities in the literature, but reported effects of soil sample storage on enzyme activities are often study-specific and conflicting. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to (1) identify data gaps in evaluations of storage effects on soil enzyme activities and (2) quantify enzyme activity responses to soil sample storage method and duration. Evaluated storage methods were (i) cold (field moist soils at 2–7 °C), (ii) freeze (field moist soils at −5 to −35 °C) or (iii) air-dry (air-drying and storing at room temperature, assumed to be ≈ 24 °C) relative to activities assayed ≤24 h of soil sampling (field fresh) and/or in soils under cold storage. Twenty-two research articles evaluated 106 soils for effects of one or more three soil storage methods on activities of β-glucosidase (BG), phosphomonoesterase (PME, assayed at pH 4.0–6.5), N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG), and urease (URE). Most soils evaluated were acidic (86 %), and were Oxisols (34 %) or Mollisols (19 %). Soil storage decreased BG (9–55 %) and PME (7–53 %) activities relative to field fresh soils least with cold storage, and decreased NAG activities (33–68 %) least with cold and freeze storage. Greatest decreases occurred with air-drying for BG, PME and NAG relative to activities in field fresh soils or under cold storage. Only under cold storage was URE activity impacted (−8 %). Changes in enzyme activities by storage method were independent of storage duration, except for continued decreases in BG activity under cold storage. The decreases in activities due to storage were largely inconsistent across soil pH, clay, OC, and USDA taxonomic order, and varied by assay method. Based on least decreases in activities that were consistent across soil properties and types, the most appropriate soil storage method appeared to be cold storage ≤3 d for chromogenically assayed BG activity and freeze storage for fluorogenically assayed BG and PME activities.
{"title":"Optimal soil storage methods for enzyme activity assays: a meta-analysis","authors":"Chammi P. Attanayake , Andrew J. Margenot","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The lack of standardized soil storage methods for enzyme activity assays has restricted cross-comparison of activities in the literature, but reported effects of soil sample storage on enzyme activities are often study-specific and conflicting. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to (1) identify data gaps in evaluations of storage effects on soil enzyme activities and (2) quantify enzyme activity responses to soil sample storage method and duration. Evaluated storage methods were (i) cold (field moist soils at 2–7 °C), (ii) freeze (field moist soils at −5 to −35 °C) or (iii) air-dry (air-drying and storing at room temperature, assumed to be ≈ 24 °C) relative to activities assayed ≤24 h of soil sampling (field fresh) and/or in soils under cold storage. Twenty-two research articles evaluated 106 soils for effects of one or more three soil storage methods on activities of β-glucosidase (BG), phosphomonoesterase (PME, assayed at pH 4.0–6.5), <em>N</em>-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG), and urease (URE). Most soils evaluated were acidic (86 %), and were Oxisols (34 %) or Mollisols (19 %). Soil storage decreased BG (9–55 %) and PME (7–53 %) activities relative to field fresh soils least with cold storage, and decreased NAG activities (33–68 %) least with cold and freeze storage. Greatest decreases occurred with air-drying for BG, PME and NAG relative to activities in field fresh soils or under cold storage. Only under cold storage was URE activity impacted (−8 %). Changes in enzyme activities by storage method were independent of storage duration, except for continued decreases in BG activity under cold storage. The decreases in activities due to storage were largely inconsistent across soil pH, clay, OC, and USDA taxonomic order, and varied by assay method. Based on least decreases in activities that were consistent across soil properties and types, the most appropriate soil storage method appeared to be cold storage ≤3 d for chromogenically assayed BG activity and freeze storage for fluorogenically assayed BG and PME activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110107"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089460","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}
Soil biodiversity monitoring requires standardized and practical sample storage methods, particularly for large-scale surveys. Yet, the influence of the soil storage conditions on eDNA-based assessments of microbial and faunal communities remains a key concern. Here, we assessed whether air-drying of soils at room temperature alters microbial (prokaryotes, fungi, micro-eukaryotes) and faunal (nematodes, annelids, micro-arthropods) abundance and diversity compared to freezing at −20 °C across different land-use types and management intensities through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and multi-marker DNA metabarcoding. We sampled topsoil (0–10 cm) from 42 sites of the Swiss Central Plateau spanning forests, grasslands, arable lands, orchards, wetlands, and urban areas. Forests, grasslands and arable lands were sampled in sites varying in management intensities. Across land-use types and management intensities, air-drying of soil followed by four to eight weeks of storage at room temperature or at −20 °C and freezing soil directly yielded comparable gene abundances, alpha-diversity, and community structure for all microbial and faunal groups. Moreover, microbial and faunal community structure were consistently shaped by land-use types and soil physicochemical variables regardless of the soil storage method used. These findings demonstrate that air-drying is a cost-effective and reliable method for short-term storing soil samples in large-scale biodiversity monitoring without compromising data quality.
{"title":"Air-drying of soil preserves microbial and faunal eDNA abundance and diversity regardless of land-use type or management intensity","authors":"Xingguo Han , Jessica Cuartero , Verena Koppe , Seraina Nohl , Astrid Sneyders , Karen Vancampenhout , Beat Frey , Aline Frossard","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil biodiversity monitoring requires standardized and practical sample storage methods, particularly for large-scale surveys. Yet, the influence of the soil storage conditions on eDNA-based assessments of microbial and faunal communities remains a key concern. Here, we assessed whether air-drying of soils at room temperature alters microbial (prokaryotes, fungi, micro-eukaryotes) and faunal (nematodes, annelids, micro-arthropods) abundance and diversity compared to freezing at −20 °C across different land-use types and management intensities through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and multi-marker DNA metabarcoding. We sampled topsoil (0–10 cm) from 42 sites of the Swiss Central Plateau spanning forests, grasslands, arable lands, orchards, wetlands, and urban areas. Forests, grasslands and arable lands were sampled in sites varying in management intensities. Across land-use types and management intensities, air-drying of soil followed by four to eight weeks of storage at room temperature or at −20 °C and freezing soil directly yielded comparable gene abundances, alpha-diversity, and community structure for all microbial and faunal groups. Moreover, microbial and faunal community structure were consistently shaped by land-use types and soil physicochemical variables regardless of the soil storage method used. These findings demonstrate that air-drying is a cost-effective and reliable method for short-term storing soil samples in large-scale biodiversity monitoring without compromising data quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 110082"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145902311","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 : 2026-03-21DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110148
Arun Kumar Devarajan, Jaak Truu, Biplabi Bhattarai, Ivika Ostonen, Coline Le Noir de Carlan, Erik Verbruggen, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Páll Sigurðsson, Hiie Nõlvak, Kertu Tiirik, Dennis Metze, Lingjuan Li, Argus Pesqueda, Andreas Richter, Ivan Janssens, Marika Truu
High-latitude soils are warming rapidly, yet the effects of soil warming magnitude on microbial communities across soil compartments remain unclear. We leveraged a geothermal warming chronosequence in Icelandic subarctic grasslands to examine bacterial community dynamics and nitrogen-cycling potential in rhizosphere and bulk soil under relatively stable soil moisture. Two adjacent grasslands with contrasting warming histories, 11–13 years (GN) and >60 years (GO), and differing baseline soil properties, were studied independently along continuous soil warming gradients of up to +15 °C using plant root ingrowth soil cores, with five sampling events between 2019 and 2021. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundance declined linearly with warming in GN across both soil compartments, whereas in GO this pattern was observed only in the rhizosphere. Community structural shifts occurred at lower temperature thresholds in GN than in GO; these cross-site patterns are consistent with warming-history legacies but may also reflect site differences. Warming increased beta-diversity across soil groups, mainly through species turnover, with reduced homogeneous selection and ecological drift and increased dispersal limitation. Across both grasslands, rhizosphere communities showed greater warming sensitivity than bulk soil, with stronger abundance responses and lower temperature thresholds for community reorganization. In GO, central microbial taxa shifted, particularly in the rhizosphere, while overall co-occurrence network structure remained stable. Nitrogen-cycling gene abundances were primarily structured by sampling occasion, whereas warming effects varied by grassland and soil compartment. In GO, rhizosphere communities showed reduced microbial nitrogen retention potential through strong suppression of nifH and nrfA gene abundances relative to amoA nitrification and nir-type denitrification genes, whereas bulk soil functional profiles remained comparatively buffered. Together, these results indicate compartment-specific, site-contingent microbial reorganization under sustained soil warming, with patterns across GN and GO consistent with warming-history legacies superimposed on baseline soil differences. Incorporating site-specific context, warming duration, and rhizosphere–bulk soil contrasts into future studies may improve predictions of microbial responses to prolonged temperature increases in subarctic grasslands, although direct process measurements are needed to quantify ecosystem feedbacks.
{"title":"Soil Compartment-Specific Bacterial Communities and Nitrogen Cycling Responses to Warming Magnitude in Subarctic Grasslands with Contrasting Thermal Histories","authors":"Arun Kumar Devarajan, Jaak Truu, Biplabi Bhattarai, Ivika Ostonen, Coline Le Noir de Carlan, Erik Verbruggen, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Páll Sigurðsson, Hiie Nõlvak, Kertu Tiirik, Dennis Metze, Lingjuan Li, Argus Pesqueda, Andreas Richter, Ivan Janssens, Marika Truu","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110148","url":null,"abstract":"High-latitude soils are warming rapidly, yet the effects of soil warming magnitude on microbial communities across soil compartments remain unclear. We leveraged a geothermal warming chronosequence in Icelandic subarctic grasslands to examine bacterial community dynamics and nitrogen-cycling potential in rhizosphere and bulk soil under relatively stable soil moisture. Two adjacent grasslands with contrasting warming histories, 11–13 years (GN) and >60 years (GO), and differing baseline soil properties, were studied independently along continuous soil warming gradients of up to +15 °C using plant root ingrowth soil cores, with five sampling events between 2019 and 2021. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundance declined linearly with warming in GN across both soil compartments, whereas in GO this pattern was observed only in the rhizosphere. Community structural shifts occurred at lower temperature thresholds in GN than in GO; these cross-site patterns are consistent with warming-history legacies but may also reflect site differences. Warming increased beta-diversity across soil groups, mainly through species turnover, with reduced homogeneous selection and ecological drift and increased dispersal limitation. Across both grasslands, rhizosphere communities showed greater warming sensitivity than bulk soil, with stronger abundance responses and lower temperature thresholds for community reorganization. In GO, central microbial taxa shifted, particularly in the rhizosphere, while overall co-occurrence network structure remained stable. Nitrogen-cycling gene abundances were primarily structured by sampling occasion, whereas warming effects varied by grassland and soil compartment. In GO, rhizosphere communities showed reduced microbial nitrogen retention potential through strong suppression of <em>nifH</em> and <em>nrfA</em> gene abundances relative to <em>amoA</em> nitrification and <em>nir</em>-type denitrification genes, whereas bulk soil functional profiles remained comparatively buffered. Together, these results indicate compartment-specific, site-contingent microbial reorganization under sustained soil warming, with patterns across GN and GO consistent with warming-history legacies superimposed on baseline soil differences. Incorporating site-specific context, warming duration, and rhizosphere–bulk soil contrasts into future studies may improve predictions of microbial responses to prolonged temperature increases in subarctic grasslands, although direct process measurements are needed to quantify ecosystem feedbacks.","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147493104","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 : 2026-03-18DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110147
Qun Gao, Qi Qi, Zhengxiong Liang, Sihang Deng, Suo Liu, Zhencheng Ye, Xue Guo, Yi Zhu, Guodong Han, Haiyan Ren, Yunfeng Yang
Climate warming and nitrogen (N) deposition are co-occurring globally, yet their interactive effects on soil microbial communities across depth profiles, alongside the mechanisms underpinning these responses, remain poorly understood. In a 15-year grassland experiment in Inner Mongolia, China, we investigated how long-term warming and N enrichment, alone and in combination, affect microbial communities and soil carbon (C) cycling across a 0-50 cm soil profile. Soil depth exerted a stronger influence than treatments on microbial diversity and composition, with α-diversity decreasing and β-diversity increasing with depth. Bacterial community assembly was primarily driven by deterministic processes, while fungal communities were governed more by stochastic processes, suggesting greater ecological tolerance in fungi. Despite that no interactive effect between warming and N enrichment was detected on microbial community composition across depths, metatranscriptomic analyses revealed that combined warming and N enrichment synergistically reduced topsoil fungal activity, potentially impairing C sequestration through reduced fungal-mediated aggregation and symbiosis. The combined treatment also synergistically stimulated expression of labile C degradation genes while suppressing those involved in recalcitrant C degradation, a response strongly correlated with higher available N and phosphorus. These results point to a microbial metabolic trade-off favoring rapid energy acquisition under nutrient enrichment, potentially accelerating soil C turnover. Overall, we demonstrate that the synergistic effects of warming and N deposition on topsoil functional microorganisms promote labile C degradation, thus destabilizing soil C pools.
{"title":"Microbial functional shifts under decades-long warming and nitrogen deposition accelerate carbon turnover in desert grassland topsoils","authors":"Qun Gao, Qi Qi, Zhengxiong Liang, Sihang Deng, Suo Liu, Zhencheng Ye, Xue Guo, Yi Zhu, Guodong Han, Haiyan Ren, Yunfeng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110147","url":null,"abstract":"Climate warming and nitrogen (N) deposition are co-occurring globally, yet their interactive effects on soil microbial communities across depth profiles, alongside the mechanisms underpinning these responses, remain poorly understood. In a 15-year grassland experiment in Inner Mongolia, China, we investigated how long-term warming and N enrichment, alone and in combination, affect microbial communities and soil carbon (C) cycling across a 0-50 cm soil profile. Soil depth exerted a stronger influence than treatments on microbial diversity and composition, with α-diversity decreasing and β-diversity increasing with depth. Bacterial community assembly was primarily driven by deterministic processes, while fungal communities were governed more by stochastic processes, suggesting greater ecological tolerance in fungi. Despite that no interactive effect between warming and N enrichment was detected on microbial community composition across depths, metatranscriptomic analyses revealed that combined warming and N enrichment synergistically reduced topsoil fungal activity, potentially impairing C sequestration through reduced fungal-mediated aggregation and symbiosis. The combined treatment also synergistically stimulated expression of labile C degradation genes while suppressing those involved in recalcitrant C degradation, a response strongly correlated with higher available N and phosphorus. These results point to a microbial metabolic trade-off favoring rapid energy acquisition under nutrient enrichment, potentially accelerating soil C turnover. Overall, we demonstrate that the synergistic effects of warming and N deposition on topsoil functional microorganisms promote labile C degradation, thus destabilizing soil C pools.","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147470926","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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