Soil Biology & Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Controlled redox potentials and flooding duration affect microbial community composition and biomass in an arable soil","authors":"Felizitas Boie ,&nbsp;Sabry M. Shaheen ,&nbsp;Ellen Kandeler ,&nbsp;Jörg Rinklebe","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Redox conditions regulate biogeochemical cycling and microbial communities in soils. However, the extent to which redox potentials (E_H) affect microbial community composition remains unclear. This study elucidates the effects of controlled E_H on microbial biomass and on bacterial, fungal, and archaeal abundance.</div><div>An arable soil with stagnant properties was flooded and incubated under stable E_H at 100, 300, 400, and 550 mV (standardized to pH 7). Microbial community composition was investigated by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting 16S and 18S rRNA genes. Additionally, relevant electron acceptors (NO₃⁻, Mn, Fe, SO₄²⁻), organic carbon (C), nitrogen, and nutrients (P and S) were measured in the dissolved phase to link anaerobic respiration and nutrient availability with microbial community composition.</div><div>Microbial biomass and community composition were affected by E_H and flooding duration. Bacterial, fungal, and archaeal gene copy numbers were lowest at 100 mV and decreased with flooding duration. The microbial community composition differed between reducing and oxidizing redox conditions, especially between 100 and 400 mV. This change was associated with nitrification at ≥ 400 mV and lower energy net yields at 100 mV due to microbial Mn reduction compared to NO₃⁻ reduction or aerobic respiration. Electron acceptor and nutrient availability explained over 50 % of variation in microbial community composition.</div><div>We conclude that E_H and flood duration regulate microbial biomass, community composition, and respiration pathways in flooded soils primarily through their effects on electron acceptor and nutrient availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 109962"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144911226","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}

{"title":"A long road to soil health restoration: earthworms and soil structure show partial recovery in 18-year-old forest skid trails","authors":"Maximilian Behringer ,&nbsp;John Koestel ,&nbsp;Bart Muys ,&nbsp;Karin Wriessnig ,&nbsp;Markus Bieringer ,&nbsp;Matthias Schlögl ,&nbsp;Klaus Katzensteiner","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109953","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109953","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compaction may impair soil health for decades. In a controlled experiment on clayey temperate forest soils, we assessed the effects of ground-based timber harvesting on earthworm abundance and soil structure. We compared freshly trafficked skid trails with those created 18 years ago at the same site. Earthworms were sampled in the ruts of the skid trails and in adjacent undisturbed plots. In addition, we collected undisturbed soil cores at 5 and 15 cm depths for X-ray imaging to assess soil structure.</div><div>We identified five earthworm species: <em>Aporrectodea rosea</em>, <em>Dendrobaena depressa</em>, <em>Dendrodrilus rubidus</em>, <em>Lumbricus rubellus</em>, and <em>Octolasion lacteum</em>. Earthworm abundance was highest on 18-year-old skid trails, particularly of endogeic and juvenile anecic individuals. The abundance of adult anecics remained reduced.</div><div>The X-ray data showed that imaged porosity declined sharply after trafficking (from 14.4 ± 5.0 % to 3.5 ± 1.6 % at 5 cm; and from 13.5 ± 4.9 % to 2.0 ± 1.1 % at 15 cm) but recovered at 5 cm within 18 years (12.2 ± 4.3 %), with only partial recovery at 15 cm (7.1 ± 2.5 %). Other structural parameters including biopores, pore anisotropy and Γ-connectivity (connectivity probability; dimensionless local connectivity measure, confined to the range [0,1]) and bulk density followed similar trends. However, the anisotropy of rock fragments did not recover. Pressure and shear forces during harvesting aligned the rock fragments horizontally.</div><div>Our data show that earthworms can recolonize compacted forest soils, but recovery of soil structure is depth-dependent and remains incomplete at 15 cm depth after 18 years, resulting in a highly biological active layer sitting on top of a hard pan.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 109953"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144892152","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}

{"title":"Exogenous carbon-to-nitrogen imbalance drives soil viral roles in microbial carbon mineralization and necromass accrual","authors":"Shuo Wang ,&nbsp;José Luis López Arcondo ,&nbsp;Ninghui Xie ,&nbsp;Yongfeng Wang ,&nbsp;Ying Zhang ,&nbsp;Mark Radosevich ,&nbsp;Bas E. Dutilh ,&nbsp;Xiaolong Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109952","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109952","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Viruses are integral components of soil microbial community dynamics and carbon cycling, yet their roles in modulating organic matter (OM) transformations under varying nutrient conditions remain poorly understood. This study investigates how exogenous substrate treatment carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios influence soil viral communities and their roles in microbial activities and necromass carbon accrual in soils differing in physicochemical properties, including native OM contents. A 28-day incubation experiment was conducted using glucose and NH₄Cl amendments at C/N ratios of 5, 10, and 35 in soils from the Songnen and Liaohe Plains. Viromic analyses revealed that both soil properties and amendment C/N ratios significantly shaped viral diversity and composition. Notably, viral species richness and diversity were higher in LH-soils than in SN-soils and were significantly increased upon exogenous substrate addition in both soil types. In SN-soils, viral species richness declined with increasing amendment C/N ratios, coupled with shifts in viral lifestyle balances, underscoring the importance of nitrogen availability in virus-bacterial interactions. The relative abundance of temperate and virulent viruses exhibited distinct patterns associated with multiple soil properties, influencing microbial community interactions and necromass carbon accrual. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated divergent effects of viral communities on SOC accumulation across soils. In LH-soils, viral activity negatively associated with bacterial diversity and microbial necromass accumulation (using amino sugar biomarkers as proxies). In contrast, viral dynamics appeared to facilitate necromass incorporation into SOC in SN-soils, suggesting context-dependent viral influences on carbon sequestration. These findings highlight the critical yet nuanced roles of soil viruses in nutrient cycling and carbon storage, providing novel insights into viral ecological functions under varying nutrient and soil context conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 109952"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886697","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}

{"title":"Quantifying asynchrony between microbial necromass and soil organic carbon for sustainable soil carbon management","authors":"Xuefeng Zhu ,&nbsp;Joshua Schimel ,&nbsp;Chao Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109950","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109950","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial products and residues are crucial for soil organic carbon (SOC) formation, ecosystem health, and global climate regulation. Central to this understanding is the concept of the soil Microbial Carbon Pump (MCP), which highlights the role of microbial-derived carbon in SOC transformation and sequestration. Despite the rapid growth in research recognizing the significance of the MCP in SOC storage, direct assessments grounded in the MCP concept have largely lagged behind. Here, we distill important aspects of soil MCP assessment by reviewing relevant literature, showcasing model scenarios, and exploring rational perspectives on sustainable soil carbon management. We introduce the △MCP efficacy metric – a measure representing the change in ratio of microbial necromass to SOC – which captures their varying responses (asynchrony or synchrony) and enables assessment of <em>in-situ</em> SOC storage driven by the soil MCP. Accordingly, we delineate a conceptual, unifying framework that catalogs predictable scenarios involving microbial necromass and SOC, demonstrating how the soil MCP operates and functions in SOC dynamics. We advocate for future studies to extend beyond quantifying the contributions of microbial necromass to SOC to also assess the asynchronous changes in magnitude and direction of them in a dynamic perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 109950"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898630","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}

{"title":"The dark side of the soil carbon cycle: Hydroxyl radicals and abiotic CO2 production","authors":"Carolina Merino ,&nbsp;Ignacio Jofré ,&nbsp;Francisco Nájera ,&nbsp;Francisco Matus ,&nbsp;Felipe Aburto ,&nbsp;José Dörner ,&nbsp;Rafael Rubilar ,&nbsp;Michaela A. Dippold ,&nbsp;Yakov Kuzyakov","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109951","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109951","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fenton-type reactions without light (Dark-Fenton) in some forest soils generate hydroxyl radicals (•OH) from ferrous iron [Fe(II)] and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) under fluctuating anoxic–oxic conditions. We hypothesized that Fe(II) concentrated in micropores (&lt;10 μm) raises radical production in soil, exceeding electron donation solely by DOC, and that radical-mediated abiotic oxidation releases CO₂. Four undisturbed humid forest soils, ranging from sandy loam to silty clay loam with contrasting parent materials, were incubated anoxically (∼14 days) and then exposed to oxygen for 24 h in the dark. We introduced hydrogen peroxide (5–300 μM), and the δ¹³C signature confirmed that the CO₂ originated from DOC rather than from bulk soil organic matter (SOM). Soils with higher Fe(II) (∼35 μM) in clay-rich or metamorphic parent materials produced up to ∼25 nM •OH in 24 h and released ∼20–25 % additional CO₂ upon short-term re-oxygenation. Volcanic soils with ∼15 μM Fe(II) generated fewer radicals (∼5–10 nM) and only 5–10 % extra CO₂. Micropores concentrated Fe(II), intensifying •OH formation and drove an abiotic CO₂ flux that reached 25 % of total soil respiration. We condensed this effect into a single coefficient, ready for implementation in soil carbon models. Concluding, short redox pulses can oxidize 5–20 % of DOC via hydroxyl radicals produced by Fe(II) oxidation, adding a non-microbial (abiotic) flux to the total CO₂ released from soil. These results revise the common view that soil CO₂ originates exclusively from microbial and root respiration by revealing a sizeable abiotic contribution under fluctuating redox conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 109951"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898639","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}

{"title":"Microbial modulation of soil pH: A self-benefiting mechanism exemplified by Bacillus","authors":"Jichen Wang ,&nbsp;Min Qiu ,&nbsp;Zhaoyang Shen ,&nbsp;Long Chen ,&nbsp;Yuan Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109949","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109949","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most studies focus on how microorganisms respond to environmental changes, yet much less is known about how microorganisms alter their surroundings. In this study, we employed <em>Bacillus</em>, a model genus known for their resilience and broad application, to investigate the hypothesis that microorganisms can alter environmental conditions to better suit their needs. Using a combination of global soil dataset analysis and controlled laboratory experiments, we explored the adaptive strategies and mechanisms by which microorganisms respond to varying soil pH conditions. Our results from global soil dataset analysis revealed that soil pH significantly influenced the abundance, diversity, and functional capacity of <em>Bacillus</em>, with the highest abundance observed at around pH 6.5. When inoculated in acidic or alkaline soil for 35 days, <em>Bacillus</em> shifted the pH towards neutrality. Compared with control (CK), only <em>Bacillus</em> inoculation significantly decreased alkaline soil pH from 8.13 to 7.36, and raised acidic soil pH by 5.86–5.91. Metabolic profiling indicated pH-dependent modulation: alkaline metabolites (e.g., laurylamine) were enriched in acidic medium of pH 5 (1529-fold), while acidic metabolites (e.g., organic acids) increased in alkaline medium of pH 8 (1.5-fold), reflecting an adaptive pH stress response. Microbial community analysis revealed that the inoculation of <em>Bacillus</em> not only altered the native microbial compositions but also showed close associations with specific microbial taxa, which were speculated to have a potential cooperative role in regulating soil pH. Our findings highlight that microorganisms can modify their environment in predictable ways, offering valuable insights into microbe-environment interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 109949"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866446","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}

{"title":"Higher levels of mixed-linkage (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in transgenic grasses may impact soil C processing","authors":"Poulamee Chakraborty ,&nbsp;Sang-Jin Kim ,&nbsp;Majid Mahmoodabadi ,&nbsp;Clay Lewis ,&nbsp;Alexandra Kravchenko ,&nbsp;Federica Brandizzi","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109946","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109946","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbohydrates, including mixed-linkage glucan (MLG), in grass cell walls make them a valuable potential feedstock for biofuel production. Hence, the development of transgenic grasses with elevated levels of MLG is being actively pursued worldwide. Changes in chemical and physical root characteristics of MLG-overproducing transgenic plants can affect processing of the root-derived carbon (C) by soil microorganisms, impacting soil C cycling. This study is the first attempt to elucidate the impact of MLG-related genetic modifications on root traits, root decomposition, and soil C processing. We explored four genotypes of Brachypodium (<em>Brachypodium distachyon</em>): a wildtype, a loss-of-function mutant with low MLG, an MLG overexpressing line, and a line lacking MLG hydrolase (with high MLG), incubating their roots in soils of two contrasting vegetation histories: monoculture switchgrass and polyculture restored prairie. The four genotypes exhibited contrasting root MLG and soluble sugar concentrations, and different growth phenotypes. Roots with the highest MLG content resulted in a ∼55 % increase in microbial biomass C compared to wildtype in both soils. However, the genotype effects on C mineralization rates were influenced by the vegetation history, with significant effects observed only in the soil from switchgrass but not prairie origin. While further work is required to understand the full impact of MLG-overproducing plants on soil C accrual, our findings suggest that their influence on soil C processes cannot be discounted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 109946"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840104","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}

{"title":"Soil pH influences the composition of bacteriophage communities infecting individual hosts","authors":"Sungeun Lee,&nbsp;Graeme W. Nicol,&nbsp;Christina Hazard","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109948","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109948","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bacteriophages (phages) are predicted to infect a range of hosts in highly diverse soil bacterial communities. However, selection of host communities across ecological gradients and coevolutionary processes may influence both the distribution of phages and the susceptibility of individual hosts through virus interactions and local adaptation within distinct ecological niches. Metagenomic-based analyses have revealed that soil pH selects for distinct populations and community structures for both phage and hosts at local and global scales. However, whether contrasting soil pH represents a selective barrier for phages capable of infecting an individual host is unknown. To examine the influence of pH on individual host-virus interactions, two closely related <em>Bacillus</em> strains were isolated and characterized from pH 7.5 soil associated with a long-term contiguous pH gradient (pH 4.5 to 7.5). Phages infecting each strain were subsequently enriched from soils across the pH gradient (pH 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5), enumerated using a plaque assay, and characterized via metagenomic analysis. Phages infecting each strain were cultivated from all soils but their community composition and abundance varied with pH. Phage populations infecting each of the two strains were distinct despite the close relatedness of the two hosts, indicating relatively narrow host ranges for each virus. These results suggest that although phage community structures vary substantially across an ecological gradient, soil pH alone does not represent a barrier for the distribution of phages capable of infecting an individual host.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 109948"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144840027","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}

{"title":"Carbon stabilization by iron plaque on rice roots: The role of oxygen loss","authors":"Liang Wei ,&nbsp;Xuechi Rong ,&nbsp;Hongzhao Yuan ,&nbsp;Yongfu Li ,&nbsp;Xiaorong Fan ,&nbsp;Ning Ling ,&nbsp;Zhenke Zhu ,&nbsp;Bahar S. Razavi ,&nbsp;Yakov Kuzyakov ,&nbsp;Pil Joo Kim ,&nbsp;Jianping Chen ,&nbsp;Tida Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109947","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109947","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Radial oxygen loss (ROL) from rice roots plays a crucial role in iron plaque formation in paddy soils, which are regional hotspots for carbon accumulation and critical for climate change. While the role of soil oxygenation around rice roots is well-recognized for root functioning and nutrient uptake, the ROL effects on microbial communities and organic carbon (OC) stabilization remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, we combined soil zymography, ¹⁴C imaging, and planar optodes to investigate how ROL influences iron plaque formation and OC stabilization. We cultivated three rice varieties (Yangdao6, Nongken57, and Huanghuazhan) with contrasting ROL intensities. Among them, Huanghuazhan, a rice cultivar with greater aerenchyma, had higher oxygen loss than Yangdao6 and Nongken57. The increased ROL raised the OC content in the rhizosphere by trapping it within the iron plaque, with specific values of 1.26 ± 0.25 mg C g⁻¹ root for Yangdao6, 3.22 ± 0.19 mg C g⁻¹ for Nongken57, and 4.36 ± 0.34 mg C g⁻¹ for Huanghuazhan. This increased iron plaque-trapped OC, in turn, raised Fe-bound OC content in the rhizosphere. The ROL increase reshaped rhizosphere microbiomes, driving synergistic proliferation of iron-oxidizing and iron-reducing bacteria that accelerated dynamic iron cycling by redox changes through Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ oxidation/reduction. This self-reinforcing process amplified organo-mineral associations in reactive iron plaque, directly raising OC stabilization efficiency. Consequently, selecting rice varieties with larger ROL intensity could represent an effective strategy to increase OC stabilization in paddy soils. This study underscores the pivotal role of rice ROL for iron plaque formation and C sequestration, providing the first exploration of how ROL and aerenchyma percentage influence these processes in paddy soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 109947"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144819981","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}

{"title":"Feedstock and pyrolysis conditions of biochars: influence on soil phytotoxicity and water ecotoxicity","authors":"L. Coelho ,&nbsp;J.N.G.V. Canedo ,&nbsp;M. Custódio ,&nbsp;D. Flores ,&nbsp;P. Mourão ,&nbsp;P. Palma ,&nbsp;S.A. Prats","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109935","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109935","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of biochar for soil restoration requires understanding ecological trade-offs, particularly how feedstock selection, dose, and production methods influence soil and aquatic ecotoxicity. The ecotoxicological effects of nine biochars derived from vineyard residues, Acacia wood, and olive pomace were evaluated after mixing them at rates of 1.5–5 % into two agricultural soils. Additionally, specific details of the biochar production method were assessed: blending ratios (vine pruning:stalks), pyrolysis temperature, (for Acacia wood) and hydrothermal activation method (for olive pomace). Physicochemical characterization<em>—</em>pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, carbon and nitrogen content, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), FTIR spectroscopy and inertinite content<em>—</em>was combined with ecotoxicological assessment (<em>Lactuca sativa</em> L. phytotoxicity test and aquatic lethal and sub-lethal bioassays with <em>Daphnia magna</em> and <em>Thamnocephalus platyurus)</em>. Vineyard pruning and shredded Acacia biochars, which had higher OM contents and lower EC and PAH concentrations, showed the lowest toxicity in soils and aqueous extracts. Soil mixed with biochar at 3–5 % blends optimally restored acidic soils through pH neutralization and moisture retention, which favoured seed growth. The aquatic assays showed stimulatory effects on <em>D. magna</em> feeding rates, increasing by 20–90 % at 5 % biochar concentration. Finally, production assessment revealed that both blending ratios and pyrolysis temperature caused minimal variability in organisms' responses. Hydrothermal activation reduced PAH content (&lt;0.08 mg kg⁻¹) but failed to reduce salinity-driven ecotoxicity. These results suggest that 3–5 % wood-derived biochars are suitable to restore soils without risk to aquatic ecosystems. Olive pomace and vine stalk alternatives need a pre-application screening to detect PAHs and salinity conditions, essential factors affecting physicochemical properties of agricultural soils and environmental safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 109935"},"PeriodicalIF":10.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144819982","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}