Grassland degradation status modulates the relative contribution of soil nematode diversity and community structure to ecosystem functioning under nitrogen fertilization and irrigation management

IF 6.4 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Pub Date : 2025-09-09 DOI:10.1016/j.agee.2025.109954

Junda Chen , Muping Huang , Yizhu Zeng , Yushu Sui , Yifan Gao , Raúl Ochoa-Hueso , Uffe N. Nielsen , Weifeng Gao , Xuefeng Wu , Tianxue Yang , Wei Sun

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Restoring degraded grasslands is essential for the provision of ecosystem services and sustainability. Fertilization and irrigation are keys for restoring productivity in semiarid grasslands, but their impact on belowground processes, including those regulated by soil nematode diversity and community structure, remains underexplored. Here, we evaluated how irrigation (+ 50 % of long-term mean growing season precipitation) and nitrogen (N) fertilization (10 g N m⁻² y⁻¹) affect nematode diversity and community structure, and the contributions of nematodes to ecosystem functions across three grasslands (lightly, moderately and severely degraded). Community structure was analyzed via nematode co-occurrence network complexity and compactness. Soil functioning was evaluated against a multifunctionality (EMF) index comprising 10 functional proxies, and systematic models were constructed to link nematode diversity, community structure, and EMF. The irrigation enhanced nematode diversity and network topological parameters, whereas the fertilization had limited effects. Fertilization modified the effects of irrigation on nematode diversity, enhancing its positive effect in severely degraded grassland, while offsetting the positive effects in lightly and moderately degraded grasslands. The irrigation and N fertilization treatments enhanced eight individual functions and EMF. Fertilization further altered the response of EMF to irrigation, diminishing its positive effect on EMF in the severely degraded grassland. In the lightly degraded grassland, nematode diversity primarily affected EMF, whereas in the other two grasslands, network complexity was the key predictor. Our results indicate that irrigation, rather than the N fertilization, primarily contribute to the restoration of the studied degraded grasslands. We emphasize the crucial role of nematode community structure in regulating the response of EMF to restoration measures such as irrigation and fertilization in severely degraded grassland.

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氮肥和灌溉管理下草地退化状况调节土壤线虫多样性和群落结构对生态系统功能的相对贡献

恢复退化的草原对于提供生态系统服务和可持续性至关重要。施肥和灌溉是恢复半干旱草原生产力的关键，但它们对地下过程的影响，包括由土壤线虫多样性和群落结构调节的地下过程的影响，仍未得到充分研究。在此，我们评估了灌溉（+ 50% %长期平均生长季降水）和氮肥（10 g N m−2 y−1）对线虫多样性和群落结构的影响，以及线虫对3个草地（轻度、中度和重度退化）生态系统功能的贡献。通过线虫共现网络复杂性和紧密度分析群落结构。利用包含10个功能指标的多功能（EMF）指数对土壤功能进行了评价，并构建了线虫多样性、群落结构和EMF之间的系统模型。灌溉提高了线虫多样性和网络拓扑参数，而施肥效果有限。施肥改变了灌溉对线虫多样性的影响，在严重退化草地上增强了灌溉对线虫多样性的正向效应，而在轻度和中度退化草地上抵消了灌溉对线虫多样性的正向效应。灌溉和施氮处理提高了8个单项功能和EMF。在严重退化草地上，施肥进一步改变了EMF对灌溉的响应，削弱了其对EMF的积极作用。在轻度退化草地中，线虫多样性主要影响土壤电动势，而在其他两种草地中，网络复杂性是主要的预测因子。研究结果表明，灌溉对退化草地的恢复起主要作用，而不是氮肥。我们强调线虫群落结构在调节EMF对严重退化草地的恢复措施（如灌溉和施肥）的响应方面的关键作用。

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来源期刊

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

11.70

自引率

9.10%

发文量

392

审稿时长

26 days

期刊介绍： Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment publishes scientific articles dealing with the interface between agroecosystems and the natural environment, specifically how agriculture influences the environment and how changes in that environment impact agroecosystems. Preference is given to papers from experimental and observational research at the field, system or landscape level, from studies that enhance our understanding of processes using data-based biophysical modelling, and papers that bridge scientific disciplines and integrate knowledge. All papers should be placed in an international or wide comparative context.