European Journal of Soil Biology最新文献

{"title":"Combining effects of nitrogen fertilizer and biochar on soil N2O emissions and microbial community in a subtropical rapeseed-soybean rotation","authors":"Chi Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhibo Li ,&nbsp;Yulin Miao ,&nbsp;Xiaolin Liao","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103750","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103750","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reducing nitrogen fertilizer application is a key strategy for mitigating soil N₂O emissions in agriculture. Biochar has great potential in reducing excessive fertilizer use. However, the interactive effects of biochar and nitrogen (N) fertilization on N₂O emissions are poorly understood. This study investigated how varying N fertilization (H: 100 %, M: 75 %, and L: 50 % of the conventional urea application rate) and biochar application rates (B0: 0 t ha⁻², B1: 15 t ha⁻², and B2: 60 t ha⁻²) affect N₂O emissions, microbial community, and the abundance of N₂O-related functional genes (<em>amoA</em>, <em>nirS</em>, <em>nirK</em>, and <em>nosZ</em>) in a subtropical oilseed rape (<em>Brassica napus</em> L.)-soybean (<em>Glycine max</em> (L.) Merrill) rotation system. Compared to control treatments (B0), biochar increased soil cumulative N₂O emissions by 55–61.5 % in the oilseed season and 200–245 % in the soybean season. Biochar also significantly increased microbial diversity and altered bacterial community composition, with notable shifts in the relative abundance of key phyla such as Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Armatimonadota, and Nitrospirota. These effects were more pronounced under higher biochar application, likely driven by increases in soil total carbon (TC), nitrogen (TN), and ammonium (NH₄⁺-N). Biochar increased the abundance of N₂O-related genes but had no significant effect on the (<em>nirS</em> + <em>nirK</em>)/<em>nosZ</em> ratio. Co-occurrence network analysis further revealed that biochar altered microbial interactions in a rate- and season-dependent manner, with high rate simplifying the network and potentially disrupting community stability, especially during the soybean season. In contrast, N fertilizer had limited effects on N₂O emissions, microbial diversity or community structure. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) suggested that biochar increased N₂O emissions primarily by enhancing soil TC, TN, pH, and denitrification process, while N fertilizer may affect N₂O emissions through nitrification. These findings highlight the need for optimized biochar and fertilizer management strategies and emphasize the importance of identifying N₂O production pathways and conducting long-term field studies to ensure the sustainable use of biochar in agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103750"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144472179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of the soil springtail Folsomia candida on the composition, function, and microbial network of root-associated microbes of host plant Sedum plumbizincicola","authors":"Shaobing Li ,&nbsp;Liming Pu ,&nbsp;Zinan Wang ,&nbsp;Siyao Liu ,&nbsp;Fang Liang ,&nbsp;Yuping Ma ,&nbsp;Mingyun Jia ,&nbsp;Zhu Li ,&nbsp;Xin Ke ,&nbsp;Longhua Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103748","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103748","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant root-associated microorganisms play a major role in promoting plant growth and suppressing pathogenic bacteria. Soil animals in complex soil systems, and especially springtails, interact closely with plants and microorganisms by preying on microorganisms and feeding on roots. However, currently there is a lack of knowledge about how soil springtails modify microbes associated with plant roots. Here the bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere and endosphere of <em>Sedum plumbizincicola</em> in the presence of a soil springtail were investigated. 16S rRNA and ITS gene sequencing were used together with assessments of microbial biomass and carbon source utilization in the rhizosphere. The presence of the springtail did not impact the overall diversity of the microbial community or its assembly processes but it did alter the abundance of specific microorganisms. The springtail influenced the relative abundance of the genus <em>Pseudomonas</em> and the class Nitrospira in the rhizosphere. Moreover, the springtail increased the biomass and carbon source utilization of rhizosphere microbes and influenced the abundance of nitrogen cycle genes. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed an increase in the average degree and total number of nodes and edges within the microbial network in the presence of the springtail, indicating heightened microbial interactions and a more stable network. The results indicate that the springtail regulated the ecological functions of plant root-associated microorganisms and highlight for the first time the role of soil springtails in regulating the microbial community and functions associated with plant roots.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103748"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144366465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil depth affects bacterial, but not fungal community structure and assembly in Robinia pseudoacacia plantations","authors":"Long Lv ,&nbsp;Jingui Zhang ,&nbsp;Charles P.-A. Bourque ,&nbsp;Qian Xiang ,&nbsp;Jianjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Xianlong Yang ,&nbsp;Jianxiao Zhu ,&nbsp;Jingyong Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103747","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103747","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest soil microbial communities play an important role in nutrient cycling and overall ecosystem functioning; however, their responses to variations in soil depth and forest age (chronosequence) remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate how microbial community assembly varies across soil depths and forest ages to enhance our understanding of microbial diversity and its role in forest ecosystem functioning. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene and ITS sequencing to characterize bacterial and fungal community traits in both topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (70–100 cm) layers in <em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em> plantations ranging in age from 10 to 50 years old. The results revealed that soil depth significantly influenced bacterial diversity, whereas fungal diversity remained largely unaffected. Bacterial diversity was significantly higher in the topsoil compared to the subsoil (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), while fungal diversity did not differ significantly between the two soil layers (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). The composition of bacterial and fungal communities was significantly influenced by both soil depth and forest age. Community assembly processes for both groups were predominantly governed by deterministic factors, specifically homogeneous selection. However, with increasing forest age, β-nearest taxon index (βNTI) for bacterial communities significantly decreased in both soil layers, whereas βNTI for fungal communities increased in the topsoil. Soil carbon (C) composition, specifically soil organic C (SOC) and particulate organic C (POC), emerged as the main factors regulating variation in bacterial and fungal assembly processes across the chronosequence of <em>R. pseudoacacia</em> plantations. Network analysis revealed that bacterial network structures in the subsoil were more complex than those in the topsoil. Furthermore, our study highlights that SOC, POC, easily oxidizable organic C (EOC), and total nitrogen (TN) were identified as key environmental factors influencing microbial community composition, co-occurrence network patterns, and assembly processes across soil layers. Our study underscores the critical role of soil C composition in shaping forest soil microbial communities. This study provides empirical evidence that vertical heterogeneity in C availability mediates depth-dependent microbial assembly during forest succession, offering mechanistic insights into strategies for enhancing subsoil C sequestration in ecologically fragile areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103747"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144338935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From fire to soil: the role of prescribed burns in land snail communities for improve conservation","authors":"Meritxell Soler Brugués ,&nbsp;Vicenç Bros ,&nbsp;Santi Ramos ,&nbsp;Roger Puig-Gironès","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103749","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103749","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As climate change increases fire intensity and frequency, prescribed burns have become a key tool in ecosystem management. This study examines the effects of prescribed burning, burn frequency, and habitat heterogeneity on soil-dwelling snail communities in Mediterranean ecosystems, aiming to improve fire management to conserve biodiversity while reducing fire risks. Conducted in the Massís del Montgrí (NE Iberian Peninsula), 40 subplots with varying burn histories were sampled. Gastropods were surveyed through active searches for larger snails and soil samples for smaller ones. Vegetation cover, leaf litter, and organic matter content were also measured. Prescribed burns generally reduced snail abundance and richness, with unburnt control areas hosting more snails. Small species were more common in unburnt plots with higher tree cover and organic matter content, while larger species generally thrived in frequently burned areas with higher herbaceous cover. Burn frequency and vegetation cover were key factors shaping snail communities, highlighting the role of fire-driven microhabitat changes – particularly through their effects on organic matter availability – in shifting soil-dwelling snail assemblages. By identifying species-specific responses to fire, this study contributes to our understanding of how fire shapes soil biodiversity and offer insights for prescribed burn regime management. We advocate for context-dependent Integrated Fire Management strategies that balance fire recurrence and intensity with habitat recovery. Adaptive management approaches and ongoing interdisciplinary monitoring will be essential to optimizing fire practices for biodiversity conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103749"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diazotrophic communities shift with organic fertilizer substitution and growth stages in tomato field soil","authors":"Chunmiao Lu ,&nbsp;Jiahui Luo ,&nbsp;Tianlong Sheng ,&nbsp;Yuebin Xie ,&nbsp;Yuchen Xian ,&nbsp;Yanqiong Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiangzhen Li ,&nbsp;Minjie Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103746","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103746","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Applying organic fertilizers can improve soil quality, promote the growth of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers. Here we investigated the effects of different organic fertilization treatments (organic fertilizer substituting 20 %, 40 % or 60 % of chemical nitrogen fertilizer and increased organic fertilizers at the rate of 45, 90 and 135 t ha⁻¹) on soil diazotrophic communities at different growth stages (seedling, flowering, fruiting and maturity) of tomato. The results indicated that both organic fertilizer treatments and growth stages significantly affected the diversity and compositions of soil diazotrophic community, and organic fertilizer had a greater effect than growth stages. Compared to chemical fertilizer, the organic substitution overall increased the relative abundances of <em>Bradyrhizobium</em>, <em>Skermanella</em>, <em>Paenibacillus</em> and <em>Azospirillum</em>. Increased organic fertilizers raised the relative abundances of <em>Methylocaldum</em> and <em>Hyphomicrobium</em>. Organic substitution treatments increased the network complexity and microbial interactions of diazotrophic communities, but increased organic fertilizers reduced the alpha diversity and network complexity. Organic fertilizer affected the diazotrophic community structure and key taxa mainly through altering soil available nutrients and pH. The key diazotrophic genera varied at different growth stages. <em>Azospirilum</em> and <em>Skermanella</em> played an important role in diazotrophic community assembly in the flowering stage, additionally, <em>Sinorhizobium</em>, <em>Paenibacillus</em>, and <em>Zoogloea</em> were important in the fruiting stage. This study provided a deep understanding of the roles of organic fertilizer in regulating soil diazotrophic communities in tomato field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103746"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144290447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trophic niche variation in springtails across soil depth","authors":"Jing-Zhong Lu ,&nbsp;Melissa Jüds ,&nbsp;Linlin Zhong ,&nbsp;Johannes Lux ,&nbsp;Stefan Scheu ,&nbsp;Amandine Erktan","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil invertebrates move vertically through the soil to forage and avoid environmental stress. However, how their diet shifts with depth remains poorly understood, limiting our understanding of their trophic plasticity. Trophic consistency across depths could result from similar trophic niches existing at the microscale within different soil layers (the micro-scale feeding hypothesis). To test this, we conducted a microcosm experiment incubating springtails (<em>Ceratophysella denticulata</em>) in six separate forest soil layers (O_L, and O_F/H, and 0–3, 3–6, 6–9 and 9–12 cm depth of the mineral soil) and analysed changes in Collembola stable isotope ratios (¹³C/¹²C, ¹⁵N/¹⁴N). As expected, ¹³C/¹²C and ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratios in litter and soil organic matter increased with depth, whereas ¹³C/¹²C ratios of Collembola did not significantly differ across layers suggesting consistent basal resource use supporting the micro-scale feeding hypothesis. By contrast, ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratios of Collembola increased with depth, following the trend of organic matter from O_L to 0–3 cm soil, but not beyond. These results suggest that carbon and nitrogen nutrition of springtails is decoupled, and that the use of litter to calibrate ¹⁵N/¹⁴N values for estimating trophic positions of soil animals requires careful interpretation. Our results highlight the importance of soil depth as determinant of trophic positions of soil animals and point to principle differences in nitrogen resource acquisition between litter and soil in soil animal decomposers. Overall, the vertical structure of soils and a microscale view of trophic interactions needs closer attention to better understand niche differentiation and resource acquisition of soil animals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103745"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144289021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Substitution of organic fertilizer did not change the dominant role of biochar on bacterial community stability but the soil carbon fractions","authors":"Husen Qiu ,&nbsp;Jieyun Liu ,&nbsp;Tida Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103744","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103744","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar and organic fertilizers are used to improve soil carbon retention. However, the interactive roles of biochar and organic fertilizer in stabilizing soil organic carbon (SOC) at different horizons remain unclear. A field experiment with biochar application (0 %, 1 %, and 2 % of dry soil; Control, LB, and HB, respectively) and organic fertilizer substitution (0 %, 20 %, 40 %, and 60 % of inorganic N; T0, T2, T4, and T6, respectively) (fermented sheep manure replacing urea-N)) was conducted to reveal the mechanisms. The SOC, particulate organic carbon (POC), and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) contents increased with the biochar addition and organic fertilizer substitution. In the topsoil (0–15 cm), values ranged from 17 to 24 g kg⁻¹ (SOC), 2.03–6.6 g kg⁻¹ (POC), and 15–19 g kg⁻¹ (MAOC). In the subsoil (16–30 cm), the ranges were 16–20 g kg⁻¹ (SOC), 1.2–3.4 g kg⁻¹ (POC), and 14–18 g kg⁻¹ (MAOC). HB combined with organic fertilizer substitution promoted SOC, POC, and MAOC more effectively than biochar alone. The β-1,4-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase (CBH) activities in the topsoil were 1.2–1.6 times higher than those in the subsoil. Increases in biochar reduced the POC/MAOC ratio by limiting CBH activity (P &lt; 0.05). Substituting organic fertilizer increased the POC/MAOC ratio by alleviating the limitation of biochar on bacterial biomass in the soil horizons. Bacterial community composition varied significantly with biochar addition and between soil horizons (P &lt; 0.05). Biochar enhanced the dominant role of heterogeneous selection and increased bacterial network complexity in both the topsoil and subsoil. Based on structural equation modeling, an increase in bacterial negative/positive cohesion significantly improved the proportion of MAOC in the topsoil (P &lt; 0.05). This study provides evidence that biochar (but not organic fertilizer substitution) helped improve C storage by decreasing the CBH activity and bacterial biomass, and enhancing network complexity. Thus, it is essential to consider soil horizons when evaluating the dynamic effects of agricultural practices on SOC pools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"126 ","pages":"Article 103744"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil pH modulates the impact of ammonia-based fertilizers on N-cycling microbial genes in terrestrial ecosystems","authors":"Xue Zhou,&nbsp;Yiyun Chen,&nbsp;Yawei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increase in available nitrogen (N) in terrestrial ecosystems influences N-cycling processes by affecting the abundance of N-cycling microorganisms. However, the responses of N-cycling genes to different N forms and soil pH conditions remain inconsistent. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the responses of the abundances of functional genes (archaeal <em>amoA</em>, bacterial <em>amoA</em>, <em>narG</em>, <em>nirK</em>, <em>nirS</em>, and <em>nosZ</em>) involved in nitrification and denitrification to exogenous N inputs. Our analysis included 325 observations from 116 publications on terrestrial ecosystems. Elevated N inputs significantly increased the abundances of AOA (+24.6 %), AOB (+103 %), <em>nirS</em> (+31.2 %), <em>nirK</em> (+26.4 %), and <em>nosZ</em> (+24.0 %) genes. The effects of different N forms on N-cycling genes were modulated by soil pH. The response of AOB to N addition was significant across various N forms and a wide range of soil pH levels. In contrast, the strongest effects of inorganic N and urea on AOA were observed in alkaline and neutral soils, respectively, while organic fertilizers had the greatest impact on AOA in acidic soils. The response of the <em>nirS</em> gene to organic N addition was evident across a broad range of soil pH, whereas the <em>nirK</em> gene responded primarily in acidic and neutral soils. In neutral soils, inorganic N similarly influenced the abundances of <em>nirS</em> and <em>nirK</em> genes; however, in acidic soils, inorganic N significantly reduced <em>nirS</em> gene abundance while increasing that of <em>nirK</em>. Urea significantly enhanced the abundances of <em>nirS</em> and <em>nirK</em> genes in acidic and neutral soils, respectively. Moreover, organic and inorganic N markedly increased <em>nosZ</em> gene abundance in neutral and alkaline soils, whereas urea had no significant effect on <em>nosZ</em>. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the responses of N-cycling genes to various N forms across soils with differing pH levels, offering valuable insights to refine strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving N management in terrestrial ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 103735"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144189916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of black soldier fly larval frass addition on the winter wheat ecosystem: a mesocosm experiment","authors":"Anton A. Goncharov ,&nbsp;Alexander I. Bastrakov ,&nbsp;Olga L. Makarova ,&nbsp;Kirill A. Mashkov ,&nbsp;Valentina N. Maygurova ,&nbsp;Mikhail M. Karpukhin ,&nbsp;Maksim I. Kartashov ,&nbsp;Natalia A. Kuznetsova ,&nbsp;Ivan V. Sotnikov ,&nbsp;Ivan D. Tsvelev ,&nbsp;Azida K. Tkhakakhova ,&nbsp;Renat V. Khusainov ,&nbsp;Nina A. Ushakova","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Black Soldier Fly (<em>Hermetia illucens</em>) larval (BSFL) frass demonstrated a pronounced inhibitory effect <em>in vitro</em> on isolates of the soil-borne phytopathogenic fungus <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em>, the causal agent of Fusarium wilt. No studies have examined the influence of BSFL frass on Fusarium wilt in crops. To address this gap, we conducted a mesocosm experiment to assess the efficacy of BSFL frass (200 g m⁻²) added during two different stages of winter wheat seedling growth (simultaneously with sowing or at the tillering stage) on four parameters (study outcomes) that describe the development of Fusarium wilt: plant dry mass, Fusarium wilt incidence, number of <em>Fusarium</em> spp. gene copies in the soil, and biomass of <em>Fusarium</em> spp. in the soil. Soil chemical properties and abundance of key soil invertebrates (Nematoda, Acari and Collembola) were measured to describe mechanisms. <em>Fusarium</em> spp. biomass increased 132 % in the later BSFL frass addition treatment compared to the control (soil without BSFL frass amendment). Fusarium wilt incidence decreased non-significantly in both early (3 %) and later (8 %) addition treatments. Plant dry mass increased 27 % in the early addition treatment, while soil phosphorus concentration increased 21 % in the later addition treatment. Bacterial feeding and predatory nematodes increased 106 % and 65 %, respectively, in the later addition treatment. Mycophagous Acari increased 106 % in the early addition treatment, while predatory Acari showed five-fold growth in later addition treatments. The main mechanism of BSFL frass influence appears to be promoting saprotrophic mycobiota and increasing soluble phosphorus availability for plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 103734"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variations in rainfall reduce the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition in subtropical mixed forests","authors":"Jian Feng ,&nbsp;Yunxing Bai ,&nbsp;Yunchao Zhou ,&nbsp;Haiyang Guan ,&nbsp;Manyi Fan ,&nbsp;Yaoxiong Wang ,&nbsp;Fenghua Tang ,&nbsp;Yang Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ejsobi.2025.103733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impacts of global climate change on terrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly obvious, particularly changes in rainfall patterns, which directly affect nutrient cycling in forest detrital-based food webs. However, how soil fauna affects litter decomposition and nutrient release under changing rainfall patterns remains to be further studied. We set up litterbag experiments in pure stands of <em>Pinus massoniana</em> (PM) and in mixed forests (PM + <em>Bretschneidera sinensis</em>, PM + <em>Cercidiphyllum japonicum</em>, PM + <em>Taxus wallichiana</em>, and PM + <em>Nageia nagi</em>) in subtropical China to determine how changes in rainfall, such as a 30 % increase or decrease and natural rainfall, affect litter decomposition by soil fauna. Our results indicated that although the effects of increased (promoting effect) and decreased rainfall (inhibiting effect) on the abundance and diversity of soil fauna in mixed litter varied, precipitation changes significantly reduce the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition. Compared to natural rainfall quantities, the increase and decrease in rainfall prolonged the time required for 95 % decomposition of litter by 9.93–37.24 % and 32.38–77.07 %, respectively. Soil fauna mitigated the inhibitory effect of reduced rainfall on carbon release from mixed litter, whereas in the case of increased rainfall, the enhanced release of nutrients such as carbon, phosphorus, and potassium from the litter is not attributed to soil fauna. Moreover, the effect of soil fauna on decomposition rates was more obvious in single litter, but rainfall variability had a greater impact on mixed litter. Rainfall changes were an indirect driver of litter decomposition rates, mediating soil fauna and nutrient release. This study demonstrates that litter decomposition is inhibited by changes in rainfall, which also reduces the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition. This adds new perspectives and insights for future research on material cycling and decomposer diversity protection in forest systems under climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12057,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Soil Biology","volume":"125 ","pages":"Article 103733"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144068278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}