Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment最新文献

{"title":"Goat and sheep manure based vermicompost and vermi-leachate as a nutrient source in drip hydroponic tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris)","authors":"Hupenyu A. Mupambwa,&nbsp;Given Isaka Nyambe,&nbsp;Brendan Matomola,&nbsp;Bethold Handura,&nbsp;Veronica Amalia Howoses,&nbsp;Martha K. Hausiku-Ikechukwu,&nbsp;Werner Gawanab","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Small stock animal manures have the potential to be used in arid countries to produce vermi-leachate or vermi-teas that can be effectively utilised in the hydroponic production of both leafy and fruity vegetables.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials &amp; Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our study evaluated the potential of sheep and goat manure vermicompost (SGMVC) as an amendment to cocopeat at varying levels, as well as sheep and goat manure vermi-leachate (SGMVL) diluted at 5%, 10%, and 20%, on crop phytotoxicity, seedling growth, and crop growth and yield.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The 100% inorganic Hygrotech fertiliser and SGML showed consistently high values for relative root elongation (RRE) and germination index (GI), with values above 90% for most treatments. However, the treatments with less SGMVC incorporation showed phytotoxic effects, with cocopeat alone having the lowest GI and RRE values. However, for direct seed germination, all treatments showed germination percentages above 80% for Swiss chard and above 70% for tomato, including the cocopeat alone treatment, indicating the complementary effects of the SGMVL irrigation source. For Swiss chard, the use of 10% and 20% leachate alone resulted in a 141.8% and 137.5% lower leaf area, respectively, compared to the treatments irrigated with Hygrotech fertiliser. Similarly, for tomatoes, the use of 10% and 20% leachate alone resulted in 129.2% and 143.4% lower leaf areas, respectively, compared to the Hygrotech irrigated treatments. For Swiss chard, the application of 0% VC resulted in an overall 43% reduction in leaf yield, whereas in tomato, it resulted in an overall 44% reduction in tomato fruit yield. The increased yield under 50% VC clearly indicated increased nutrient availability and enhanced water holding capacity of the media compared to when no SGMVC was added.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study showed that Swiss chard and tomato have different nutrient requirements, and the use of SGMVC should not be based on blanket recommendations from one crop. In addition, the use of reduced inorganic soluble fertilisers in combination with SGMVC has no economic benefits, as this reduced yield is almost proportional to the level of soluble fertiliser reduction.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70011","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking Surface and Subsurface: The Biogeochemical Basis of Cave Microbial Ecosystem Services","authors":"M. Nayeli Luis-Vargas,&nbsp;John Webb,&nbsp;Susan White,&nbsp;Sean K. Bay","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70031","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Most caves form by the dissolution of soluble rock (typically limestone or dolomite, but occasionally halite or gypsum), and occur within karst landscapes, where dissolution is the dominant geomorphic process (Ford and Williams &lt;span&gt;2007&lt;/span&gt;). Karst landscapes occupy approximately 20% of terrestrial ice-free areas globally and are major geomorphological features in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia (Figure 1) (Palmer &lt;span&gt;1991&lt;/span&gt;; Goldscheider et al. &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;; Chen et al. &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). Caves also occur within insoluble rocks, where they form by a variety of processes. Caves within basalt lava flows form as internal conduits (tubes) (White, Culver, and Pipan &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;). Lava tubes are much less common than limestone caves but are found worldwide, scattered within basalt lava fields in every continent and on volcanic islands such as New Zealand, Hawaii, the Azores, Galapagos and the Canary Islands (Figure 1) (Espinasa-Pereña &lt;span&gt;2006&lt;/span&gt;; Greeley and Hyde &lt;span&gt;1972&lt;/span&gt;; Middleton et al. &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;; Webb &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cave environments are typically classified as oligotrophic ecosystems, where traces of surface-derived organic carbon and nutrients enter the cave via sinking streams or water percolation (Simon, Pipan, and Culver &lt;span&gt;2007&lt;/span&gt;; Ravn, Michelsen, and Reboleira &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;; Jones and Macalady &lt;span&gt;2016&lt;/span&gt;). Yet, despite this energy limitation, caves harbour diverse microbial communities which live on cave walls and speleothems (particularly, flowstone and rimstone dams) as biofilms and in allochthonous sediments on the cave floor (Figure 2). Dominant bacterial phyla frequently described in cave surveys include Pseudomonadota, Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexota and Bacteroidota, while the more prevalent archaeon is Thermoproteota (Engel &lt;span&gt;2010&lt;/span&gt;; Zhu et al. &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;; Luis-Vargas et al. &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;). Recent studies have also identified fungi, especially those from the phylum Basidiomycota, which play a significant role in organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling (Martin-Pozas et al. &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). Most microbial communities depend on the heterotrophic breakdown of allochthonous carbon sources for energy (Engel &lt;span&gt;2010&lt;/span&gt;; Stevens &lt;span&gt;1997&lt;/span&gt;). However, chemolithoautotrophs, bacteria and archaea, which couple the oxidation of inorganic compounds to CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; fixation, have also been reported. As cave primary producers, these microorganisms play key roles in subterranean carbon and nutrient cycles (Zhu, Jiang, and Liu &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). Conventional chemolithoautotrophs that are commonly reported include nitrifying microorganisms, such as ammonia-oxidising bacteria and archaea, as well as sulphide and iron oxidisers (Tetu et al. &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;; Ortiz et al. &lt;span&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;; Chen et al. &lt;span&gt;2009&lt;/span&gt;; Jones and Northup &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Caves provide microb","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70031","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial Overlap Between Bees and Pollinator-Dependent Crops in Europe and North America","authors":"Ehsan Rahimi,&nbsp;Chuleui Jung","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pollination is a crucial service provided by ecosystems, playing a critical role in global food production within agricultural landscapes. The successful pollination of crops by insects requires the spatial coexistence of these two entities. However, an assessment of the spatial overlap between pollinating insects and crops that depend on pollinators has not been conducted in, Europe and North America. To address this challenge, we employed species distribution models (SDMs) to generate distribution maps for 394 bee species in Europe and 697 in North America, along with maps for 41 pollinator-dependent crops. Using Schoener's <i>D</i> statistics and a binary approach, we calculated the spatial overlap between crops and bees. Notably, there was a significant disparity in the overlap patterns between bees and crops in Europe and North America, with Europe exhibiting a higher degree of overlap compared to North America. Specifically, in Europe, the mean overlap based on Schoener's <i>D</i> for all crops was 0.55, while based on the binary approach, this overlap increased to 17.5%. In North America, the mean overlap based on Schoener's <i>D</i> was 0.35 for all crops and the binary overlap indicated a mean overlap of 9.4%. Our findings also pinpointed hotspots for bees, primarily situated in the western regions of Europe and both the western and eastern regions of the United States in North America. It is crucial to note that spatial overlap between plants and pollinators is just one facet of the conditions necessary for species interaction and does not directly imply actual pollination. Nevertheless, this study provides a comprehensive perspective on the potential spatial mismatch between crops and bees.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70021","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Combination of Few Physicochemical and Fungal Parameters Can Explain the Soil-Dependent Variation in Wheat Biomass After Inoculation With Cladosporium tenuissimum","authors":"Lena von Saldern,&nbsp;Loïc Thurre,&nbsp;Waelchli Jan,&nbsp;Judith Kobler,&nbsp;Juliane Krenz,&nbsp;Klaus Schlaeppi","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70029","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Intensive agriculture causes substantial negative impacts on agroecosystems. One approach to reduce impacts while maintaining productivity is the inoculation with beneficial microbes. Inoculants can positively affect crop growth for instance through enhancing nutrient uptake or pathogen protection. However, the efficacy of inoculants is inconsistent across different agricultural soils. In this study, we investigated to which degree the varying growth responses to an inoculant can be modelled from soil parameters.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>As inoculant, we worked with the commercially available fungus <i>Cladosporium tenuissimum</i> and tested its effectivity on wheat plants. Variation between soils was specifically tested, while keeping other factors constant in pot experiments under controlled conditions. We assessed 25 field soils for their influence on wheat biomass response to inoculation (BRI). For each soil, we measured physicochemical parameters and characterised the soil fungal community composition. We then performed variable selection and exhaustive model screenings to find the best model explaining variations in BRI.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A combined model incorporating physicochemical and fungal soil parameters outperformed models using only one of the two types of data. The best model was based on six predictors and explained 80% of the observed variability in BRI. Predictive parameters included water holding capacity and organic carbon levels as well as soil fungi of the taxa Alternaria, Cladosporium (another species than the inoculant), Acrostalagmus and Fusicolla. Organic carbon and Alternaria negatively affected the effectivity of the inoculant while the other parameters were positive predictors for inoculation success.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We showed that six soil parameters were sufficient to explain most of the variation of wheat responses to inoculation with <i>C. tenuissimum</i>. This result serves as proof-of-concept that the effectivity of inoculants can be modelled from soil parameters. It is now necessary to take this approach to practice and evaluate predictions for inoculant efficacy under field conditions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70029","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Innovative Use of Hermetia illucens Frass Extract as Priming to Promote Tomato and Wheat Growth and Protection","authors":"Leonardo Coviello,&nbsp;Maria Nuzzaci,&nbsp;Patrizia Falabella,&nbsp;Carmen Scieuzo,&nbsp;Rosanna Salvia,&nbsp;Domenico Ronga,&nbsp;Antonella Vitti","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70030","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Frass deriving from <i>Hermetia illucens</i> was explored as a new sustainable tool to induce biostimulation and/or antifungal activity in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L. var <i>Cerasiforme</i> and <i>Triticum durum</i> Desf. var <i>Simeto</i> against the soil-borne pathogens <i>Fusarium</i> spp. Phytotoxicity and in vitro antagonism assessments (mycelial growth inhibition of about 40%) allowed to define the optimal dilution of 10% of pasteurised-frass extract (pFE) to employ for seed priming. Germination tests on water agar demonstrated the priming effectiveness for wheat, but not for tomato, as the analysed parameters were not positively affected. The pFE was used also in combination with the known biocontrol agent <i>Trichoderma harzianum</i> T22 (T22), demonstrating that they could work together to obtain a good growth promotion and protective effect in wheat. Indeed, the priming with pFE significantly reduced the disease incidence of almost 60% or 80%, compared to the infected control, if used alone or combined with T22, respectively. The ability of frass extract to control <i>F. sporotrichioides</i> in wheat was attributed to both enzymatic and non-enzymatic responses, due to observed differences in total phenolic content (TPC) and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) in seedlings derived from treated seeds, compared to untreated control. Our findings highlight the great potential of <i>H. illucens</i> frass as a sustainable, green, and circular economy-based tool in agricultural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70030","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Physicochemical Properties and Consumer Preferences in Cherry Tomato Cultivars Observe under Growing Climates and Watering Regimens","authors":"Kusumiyati Kusumiyati,&nbsp;Farhan Ahmad,&nbsp;Mochamad Arief Soleh,&nbsp;Muhammad Rabnawaz Khan","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The physicochemical and antioxidant qualities of cherry tomatoes are getting more and more valued, and this has a significant effect on consumer choices and market dynamics. With irrigation schedules of 100%, 75%, and 50% field capacity, Ruby and Fortesa cultivars were grown in a greenhouse, rain shelter, and screen house climates in this experiment, which used a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) factorial technique. The chroma value, flavonoid content, phenolic content, vitamin C content, and antioxidant activity of cherry tomatoes are the main quality parameters investigated in this study, along with the effects of cultivars, growing climates, and watering regimens. According to the results, the cultivar significantly affected chroma value, with Fortesa showing the highest value. Cultivar and growing climate significantly affected flavonoid content, with Fortesa and rain shelter environments exhibiting the most significant values. Cultivar and growing climate significantly impacted vitamin C content; ruby and greenhouse conditions produced the maximum amounts. Across all parameters, there were significant variances in antioxidant activity; Ruby showed the maximum activity, and the rain shelter provided the ideal growing environment. The market analysis conducted for the study reveals that higher-quality cherry tomatoes are famous among upscale and health-conscious consumers due to their high flavonoid and phenolic content, brilliant chroma value, and considerable antioxidant activity. With the help of this research, targeted cultivation techniques and marketing strategies may be created to cater to specific consumer desires and maximize market positioning and profitability.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70015","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Two-Year Evaluation of Biostimulant Effects on Yield and Quality Parameters of Tomato Landrace ‘Pizzutello Delle Valli Ericine’ Cultivated Without Irrigation","authors":"Nicolò Iacuzzi,&nbsp;Teresa Tuttolomondo,&nbsp;Davide Farruggia,&nbsp;Noemi Tortorici,&nbsp;Federica Alaimo,&nbsp;Diana De Santis,&nbsp;Francesco Rossini,&nbsp;Giuseppe Di Miceli","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The use of biostimulants in agriculture provides a sustainable and efficient technology to improve resource-use efficiency. Biostimulants may boost vegetative growth, enhancing plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. The tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.) is sensitive to drought stress, particularly during fruit setting and fruit development stages. In Italy, long-storage tomato genotypes characterised by drought resistance were selected. In this 2-year study, the foliar application of different biostimulants (betaine, seaweed extracts, vegetal protein hydrolysate and animal protein hydrolysate) was evaluated to determine effects on yield and quality of a local tomato landrace (Pizzutello) cultivated in Sicily without irrigation. The highest dry matter (9.9%) and solid soluble content (6.9° Brix) were observed in plants treated with betaine. Plants treated with <i>A. nodosum</i> or animal protein hydrolysate showed the highest potassium concentrations, whereas those supplied with vegetal protein hydrolysate had the highest calcium concentrations. Tomato treated with betaine were found to have the highest nitrate concentrations. The highest marketable yield (13.8 t ha⁻¹) was recorded in plants treated with vegetal protein hydrolysate, with an increase of 17.4% compared to the control plants. The highest unmarketable yield was observed in control plants and in those treated with betaine (1.1 t ha^-1). In conclusion, we can say that each biostimulant had a different effect on the different parameters analysed. Overall, the application of biostimulants has improved tomato growth, productivity and quality in limited water conditions. Our results highlight the potential of biostimulant applications to optimise both the yield and fruit quality of renowned local varieties. This study demonstrated the improvement in the agronomic performance of the Pizzutello tomato, which is particularly significant not only in response to the growing consumer demand for high-quality traditional tomatoes, but also for the enhancement of the technological traits valued by the food industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70028","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aridity Structures the Microbial Potential for Carbon Cycling and Mediates the Impact of Mammal Bioturbation at the Continental Scale","authors":"Eleonora Egidi,&nbsp;Orsi Decker,&nbsp;Claudia Coleine,&nbsp;Davide Albanese,&nbsp;Heloise Gibb","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In Australia, the historical loss of native digging mammals has profoundly changed ecosystems and their functioning. However, little is known about how the decline in digging mammal presence alters microbes and their functional potential and how aridity affects these relationships.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We used metagenomic sequencing to explore changes in genes encoding enzymes for carbon cycling (CAZymes) in five sites along a continent-wide aridity gradient, with and without digging mammals.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The diversity of CAZy genes was reduced with increases in aridity, which also affected their structure and reduced the abundance of genes involved in both plant (cellulose and starch) and microbial (glucans, peptidoglycan and chitin) biomass degradation. Conversely, digging mammals had a limited effect on the structure and diversity of CAZy genes, indicating an overall resistance of the microbial carbon cycling potential to mammal disturbance at the whole community level. However, when considering individual functional groups, digging activity increased the abundance of genes involved in microbial biomass decomposition (i.e., glucanases), while reducing the abundance of genes associated with recalcitrant plant biomass degradation (i.e., cellulases). Notably, these effects were observed only in the most arid sites and was mostly mediated by increases in SOM content linked to mammal activity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Overall, our study shows that aridity shapes the diversity and structure of CAZy genes, while also modulating the effect of mammal bioturbation on the microbial potential for carbon cycling. This suggests that the loss of digging mammals throughout much of Australia's arid zone, in particular, is likely to have important repercussions on the microbial capacity to carry decomposition processes and the turnover of organic matter in soils.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70025","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142737494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil Bacterial Biodiversity in Drylands Is Dependent on Groundcover Under Increased Temperature","authors":"Jana Stewart,&nbsp;Nathali Machado de Lima,&nbsp;Richard Kingsford,&nbsp;Miriam Muñoz-Rojas","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70027","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Drylands are a major terrestrial biome, supporting much of the earth's population. Soil microbial communities maintain drylands’ ecosystem functions but are threatened by increasing temperature. Groundcover, such as vegetation or biocrust, drives the patchiness of drylands' soil microbial communities, reflected in fertile islands and rhizosphere soil microbial associations. Groundcover may shelter soil microbial communities from increasingly harsh temperatures under climate change, mitigating effects on microclimate, but few data on the microbial response exists. Understanding the fine-scale interactions between plants and soil is crucial to improving conservation and management of drylands under climate change.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We used open-top chambers to experimentally increase the temperature on five key groundcover species found in arid Australia, and are commonly present in drylands worldwide; bareground (controls), biocrust, perennial grass, <i>Maireana sp</i>. shrub, <i>Acacia aneura</i> trees, testing soil bacterial diversity and community composition response to the effects of increased temperatures.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found that groundcover was a stronger driver of soil bacterial composition than increased temperature, but this response varied with groundcover type. Larger groundcover types (<i>Acacia</i> and <i>Maireana</i>) buffered the impact of heat stress on the soil bacterial community. Bacterial diversity and species richness declined with heat stress affecting the bacterial communities associated with perennial grass, <i>Maireana</i> and <i>Acacia</i>. We identified 16 bacterial phyla significantly associated with groundcover types in ambient treatment. But, under heat stress, only three phyla, Verrumicrobiota, Patescibacteria, and Abditibacteriota, had significantly different relative abundance under groundcovers, <i>Acacia</i> and <i>Maireana</i>, compared to bareground controls. The soil bacterial community associated with perennial grass was most affected by increased temperature.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our findings suggest soil communities may become more homogeneous under climate change, with compositional change, rather than diversity, tracking soil response to heat stress.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70027","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142737412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil Health to Enhance Ecological Restoration and Conservation","authors":"Paola Raupp,&nbsp;Yolima Carrillo,&nbsp;Uffe N. Nielsen","doi":"10.1002/sae2.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ecological restoration has gained increased attention to combat the global biodiversity and habitat loss driven by human activities and climate change. To address these impacts, restoration efforts apply interventions aimed at recovering native ecosystems on degraded lands. However, they tend to centre on vegetation-based interventions, with limited attention to aboveground and belowground linkages. Soil health, including its physicochemical, biological and functional attributes, is fundamental to ecosystem resilience and sustainability, provision of services, and human well-being. This synthesis explores how a deeper understanding of soil-vegetation interactions can support restoration and conservation efforts. We discuss how restoration interventions can be applied from early to later stages of restoration, future directions and novel approaches that target aboveground and belowground processes to promote soil health and successful plant community establishment. We propose that integrating practices that explicitly consider linkages among vegetation, soil properties and biota can lead to more effective restoration outcomes and the establishment of resilient, self-sustaining ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":100834,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sae2.70022","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142692091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}