Responses of plant diversity and soil microorganism diversity to nitrogen addition in the desert steppe, China

Nitrogen (N) deposition is a significant aspect of global change and poses a threat to terrestrial biodiversity. The impact of plant-soil microbe relationships to N deposition has recently attracted considerable attention. Soil microorganisms have been proven to provide nutrients for specific plant growth, especially in nutrient-poor desert steppe ecosystems. However, the effects of N deposition on plant soil microbial community interactions in such ecosystems remain poorly understood. To investigate these effects, we conducted a 6-year N-addition field experiment in a Stipa breviflora Griseb. desert steppe in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, northern China. Four N treatment levels (N0, N30, N50, and N100, corresponding to 0, 30, 50, and 100 kg N/(hm²•a), respectively) were applied to simulate atmospheric N deposition. The results showed that N deposition did not significantly affect the aboveground biomass of desert steppe plants. N deposition did not significantly reduce the alfa-diversity of plant and microbial communities in desert steppe, and low and mediate N additions (30 and 50 kg N/(hm²•a)) had a promoting effect on them. The variation pattern of plant Shannon index was consistent with that of the soil bacterial Chao1 index. N deposition significantly affected the beta-diversity of plants and soil bacteria, but did not significantly affect fungal communities. In conclusion, N deposition led to co-evolution between desert steppe plants and soil bacterial communities, while fungal communities exhibited strong stability and did not undergo significant changes. These findings help clarify atmospheric N deposition effects on the ecological health and function of the desert steppe.