Soil Biology & Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Litter mixture effects on nitrogen dynamics during decomposition predominantly vary among biomes but little with litter identity, diversity and soil fauna","authors":"Shixing Zhou ,&nbsp;Olaf Butenschoen ,&nbsp;I. Tanya Handa ,&nbsp;Matty P. Berg ,&nbsp;Brendan McKie ,&nbsp;Congde Huang ,&nbsp;Stephan Hättenschwiler ,&nbsp;Stefan Scheu","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) is essential for net primary production, with much of the required N in terrestrial ecosystems derived from recycling via litter decomposition. The diversity and identity of plant species and decomposer organisms affect N cycling during litter decomposition, yet the generality and magnitude of these effects remain uncertain. To fill this gap, a decomposition experiment with four leaf litter species that differed widely in initial litter quality was conducted including single species and all possible multispecies mixtures, with and without microarthropods access across a broad latitudinal gradient covering four major forest biomes of the Northern Hemisphere. The results showed that leaf litter N dynamics (both N loss and N immobilization) in single species treatments depended primarily on litter species identity and the local environmental context. We found strong mixture effects, that overall tended to increase N loss and to reduce ¹⁵N transfer. The relative mixture effects on N dynamics differed among forest biomes, but were little affected by the other factors we manipulated. The N loss of individual litter species in mixtures not only depended on litter identity and soil microarthropod access, but also on forest biomes; while ¹⁵N transfer depended strongly on litter mixing, independently of litter species richness or composition of the mixtures. Litter N dynamics were mainly driven by a small subset of litter traits, regardless of species richness and microarthropod access. Overall, our results highlight that litter mixture strongly affects N dynamics during decomposition, with the mixture effects predominantly varying among forest biomes but little with litter identity, diversity and microarthropod access. To improve predictions on how changes in tree species composition and diversity may impact nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems in face of increasing N deposition, interactions between litter and soil but also within litter mixtures need closer attention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109602"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142358748","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":"Investigating drivers of free-living diazotroph activity in paddy soils across China","authors":"Xiaomin Wang ,&nbsp;Min Wu ,&nbsp;Zhijun Wei ,&nbsp;Christina Hazard ,&nbsp;Graeme W. Nicol ,&nbsp;Huicheng Zhao ,&nbsp;Binbin Liu ,&nbsp;Jinbo Zhang ,&nbsp;Jun Shan ,&nbsp;Xiaoyuan Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbially mediated N fixation is widespread in rice paddy ecosystems and crucial in maintaining soil fertility. However, our understanding of the factors determining the distribution of free-living diazotrophic microorganisms that perform this process in paddy fields is limited. This study investigated the spatial distribution and factors influencing presence and potential activity of free-living microorganisms capable of N₂ fixation in addition to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and denitrification in 50 paddy soils across China. Using ¹⁵N isotope tracing in laboratory incubations and microbial community analysis via metagenomics, we demonstrate that paddy soils may represent a previously underappreciated hotspot for N₂ fixation with mean potential rates of 24.4 ± 17.8 nmol N g⁻¹ h⁻¹, 10-fold higher than DNRA (2.55 ± 0.4 nmol N g⁻¹ h⁻¹), and could counterbalance a portion of N₂ losses through anammox and denitrification (9.24 ± 1.1 nmol N g⁻¹ h⁻¹). Site longitude and organic carbon (C) concentrations, as well as the diazotrophic community composition, were the dominant abiotic and biotic factors accounting for regional variations in potential N₂ fixation rates. The N₂ metabolic pathways predicted from the metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) revealed significant co-occurrence of the diazotroph marker gene <em>nifH</em> with denitrification-associated genes (<em>nirS/K</em> and <em>nosZ</em>) and organic C oxidation-related genes (<em>yiaY</em> and <em>galM</em>). Furthermore, enzymes involved in organic C oxidation, particularly glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases, were not only phenotypically correlated with free-living N₂ fixation rates but were also identified in <em>nifH</em>-containing MAGs, indicating the heterotrophic capabilities of diazotrophs in paddy soils. Collectively, our results underscore the substantial contribution of free-living N₂ fixation to soil N fertility in paddy fields, and highlight the importance of coupling organic C oxidation with nitrate reduction to enhance N₂ fixation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109601"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322082","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":"Reindeer shape soil methanogenic and methanotrophic communities in subarctic fen peatlands, with a minor impact on methane emissions — A field study","authors":"Raija Laiho ,&nbsp;Petri Salovaara ,&nbsp;Päivi Mäkiranta ,&nbsp;Krista Peltoniemi ,&nbsp;Timo Penttilä ,&nbsp;Tuomas Rajala ,&nbsp;Jenni Hultman ,&nbsp;Mika Korkiakoski ,&nbsp;Hannu Fritze","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laboratory and field studies with other grazer species suggest that reindeer (<em>Rangifer tarandus</em> L.) grazing on northern peatlands could shape the peat soil microbial communities and lead to higher ecosystem methane (CH₄) emissions. We investigated this at two sedge fens in northern Finland, Lompolojänkkä and Halssiaapa, in experiments where reindeer grazing presence or absence was achieved with exclosure fences, and the effects of reindeer droppings were evaluated comparing dropping additions either on peat surface or trampled into the peat to controls with no droppings. Active soil methanogen and methanotroph communities were analyzed by metatranscriptomics. Soil CH₄ fluxes were quantified with manual chambers and portable gas analyzer. Reindeer presence and dropping additions were both connected to differences in the soil communities as compared to controls (no presence or no droppings). The responses differed between the two fens. Activity of rumen microbes in peat could not be detected. Structural equation models indicated that the ecosystem CH₄ flux in both fens depended on measurement year and sedge leaf area. At Halssiaapa trampled droppings, and at Lompolojänkkä both surface and trampled droppings reduced the sedge leaf area. While at Halssiaapa the dropping effect was not altogether statistically significant, in Lompolojänkkä surface droppings reduced the CH₄ flux both directly and through the reduced leaf area. In conclusion, while both reindeer presence and dropping addition were diversely reflected in the active soil communities, reindeer effects on the CH₄ flux were indirect and mediated via vegetation. The results contrast our earlier laboratory findings, and i) caution against liberal generalizations from lab studies to field conditions in peatlands, as well as ii) point to a need for rigorous multivariate analyses for deciphering the complex interactions governing the functions of these ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109590"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142326510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Species-specific impact of protists in controlling litter decomposition","authors":"Yuxin Wang ,&nbsp;Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz ,&nbsp;James Kennard S. Jacob ,&nbsp;Stefan Geisen","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Protists affect soil microbiome composition and functioning, potentially increasing litter decomposition and plant growth. Yet, the role of different protist species, individually or in combinations, in regulating microbial-mediated litter decomposition remains unknown, as well as if these interactions feedback to plant growth. Using a full-factorial design of three protist species combinations with bacterial and fungal communities, we found that only one protist species reduced litter decomposition by 19%, with other species and combinations not affecting litter decomposition. Despite a positive correlation between plant growth and litter decomposition, we did not observe protist-induced changes in plant growth. Overall, our results highlight that protists affect litter decomposition in a species-specific manner, including reducing litter decomposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109598"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142358747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phase transformation of schwertmannite changes microbial iron and sulfate-reducing processes in flooded paddy soil and decreases arsenic accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.)","authors":"Ru Wang ,&nbsp;Xinxin Wang ,&nbsp;Hua Li ,&nbsp;Xiaomeng Wang ,&nbsp;Zengping Ning ,&nbsp;Chengshuai Liu ,&nbsp;Lixiang Zhou ,&nbsp;Guanyu Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em> L.) is known to accumulate inorganic arsenic (iAs) and dimethylarsenate (DMA) in its grains, which threatens both human health and rice yield. Although schwertmannite, a metastable Fe (Ⅲ)-oxyhydroxysulfate mineral with extremely high adsorption capacity for iAs, has been proposed to remediate paddy soil to decrease As accumulation in rice, it remains unclear whether the phase transformation of schwertmannite would occur in flooded paddy soil and how its phase transformation changes the soil microbial processes that impact the accumulation of iAs and DMA in grains. Here, we found that amending As-contaminated paddy soil with 0.5%–1% (w/w) schwertmannite decreased the accumulation of iAs and DMA in grains by 37.41%–43.29% and 50.60%–73.89%, respectively, even though schwertmannite has transformed to goethite and secondary FeS was formed in both rhizosphere and bulk soils. The phase transformation of schwertmannite released a considerable amount of SO₄²⁻ into porewater, thereby increasing the abundances of both sulfate-reducing bacteria and the <em>dsrB</em> gene but decreasing the abundance of iron-reducing bacteria. This result suggested that schwertmannite phase transformation has promoted sulfate-reducing process and weakened iron-reducing process in flooded soil. Such promoted sulfate-reducing process and weakened iron-reducing process in paddy soil can decrease the reductive dissolution of As-bearing (oxyhydr)oxides, increase the formation of secondary FeS mineral for decreasing porewater As concentration, and strengthen the role of Fe plaque as a barrier for As absorption by rice. Additionally, the application of schwertmannite has decreased the abundance of <em>arsM</em> gene and weakened As methylation process in soil. Therefore, the effective decrease of iAs and DMA accumulation in rice grains by schwertmannite can not only be ascribed to the adsorption capacity of schwertmannite for As and the adsorption or incorporation of As by transformation products, but also contributed by the promoted sulfate-reducing process and the weakened iron-reducing process in flooded paddy soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109600"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142318665","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 rhizosphere effect promotes the persistence of gas oxidization activity in soil","authors":"Anne de la Porte ,&nbsp;Audrey-Anne Durand ,&nbsp;Joann Whalen ,&nbsp;Étienne Yergeau ,&nbsp;Philippe Constant","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Labile carbon and nutrients of the rhizosphere promote the activity of trace gas oxidizing bacteria (TGOB), but the capacity of the rhizosphere effect to support their persistence upon activation has received less attention. Here, we hypothesized that the activation response of TGOB in soil before planting is proportional to the persistence of their activity after wheat growth. The TGOB were activated in sandy-loam and peat soils under a static atmosphere containing elevated concentration of hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO) or methane (CH₄). Our hypothesis was proven to hold true in sandy-loam soil, whereas higher organic matter in peat soil was less favourable for the persistence of TGOB activity. We conclude that the energy potential of the trace gas oxidation reaction and soil nutrients both intervein in the persistence of TGOB activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109599"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142314869","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":"An optimised molecular-based method for ecological study of tardigrades in soils","authors":"Zi-Yang He ,&nbsp;Hang-Wei Hu ,&nbsp;Keren Wu ,&nbsp;Li Bi ,&nbsp;Shuo Na ,&nbsp;Anthony Weatherley ,&nbsp;Michael Nash ,&nbsp;Ji-Zheng He","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To improve approaches for studying soil tardigrades, we compared three tardigrade extraction methods, including centrifugal flotation, Baermann funnel, and Whitehead tray, and found that the Whitehead tray method outperformed the two others. We optimised the Whitehead tray extraction condition under various soil pre-treatment processes, sample sizes, light exposure, and extraction time. We found that extending light exposure of non-sieved soils facilitates the extraction of tardigrades. We sequenced the DNA extracted from isolated tardigrade individuals and environmental soil samples, and found that tardigrade DNA extracts yielded a 173-fold increase in the proportion of tardigrade sequences and a 12-fold improvement in the estimation of tardigrade diversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109597"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071724002864/pdfft?md5=026f1adebf09d2394bafc868ddb01410&pid=1-s2.0-S0038071724002864-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142314868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of soil heterotrophic respiration as a function of soil moisture under different land covers","authors":"Nishadini Widanagamage,&nbsp;Eduardo Santos,&nbsp;Charles W. Rice,&nbsp;Andres Patrignani","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The relationship between soil heterotrophic respiration (<em>R</em>_<em>h</em>) and soil moisture has been often studied using disturbed soil samples and simple gravimetric and volumetric soil moisture indicators. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between <em>R</em>_<em>h</em> and soil moisture in terms of water-filled porosity (WFP), matric potential (<span><math><mrow><msub><mi>Ψ</mi><mi>m</mi></msub></mrow></math></span>), and relative soil gas diffusivity (<span><math><mrow><msub><mi>D</mi><mi>p</mi></msub><mo>/</mo><msub><mi>D</mi><mi>o</mi></msub></mrow></math></span>) using undisturbed soil cores obtained under different land covers. Soil CO₂ efflux, WFP, and <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>Ψ</mi><mi>m</mi></msub></mrow></math></span> were measured in undisturbed soil samples (250 cm³) collected in the 0–5 cm soil layer (without any vegetation or living roots) under laboratory conditions by combining a CO₂ gas analyzer, a scale, and precision mini-tensiometers. For each site and land cover, we also measured soil chemical properties, soil physical properties, and soil microbial composition using phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Grassland soils had the largest total microbial biomass (6275 ng g⁻¹), followed by soils from riparian (5327 ng g⁻¹), and cropland (2745 ng g⁻¹) sites. Bacteria were the dominant group representing 46% (SD = 5%) of the total microbial biomass across all sites and land covers. Maximum <em>R</em>_h was 1.88 (SD = 0.40) μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in grassland, 1.64 (SD = 0.82) μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in riparian, and 0.94 (SD = 0.56) μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in cropland soils. Considering all land cover and soil types, our observations revealed that peak <em>R</em>_<em>h</em> occurred at mean WFP = 0.81 <span><math><mrow><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>Ψ</mi><mi>m</mi></msub></mrow></math></span> = −6 kPa, and <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>D</mi><mi>p</mi></msub><mo>/</mo><msub><mi>D</mi><mi>o</mi></msub></mrow></math></span> = 0.003. Thus, we recommend avoiding the traditional field capacity definition of −33 kPa for representing peak microbial activity. Water-filled porosity was a more consistent predictor of <em>R</em>_<em>h</em> than <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>Ψ</mi><mi>m</mi></msub></mrow></math></span> or <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>D</mi><mi>p</mi></msub><mo>/</mo><msub><mi>D</mi><mi>o</mi></msub></mrow></math></span> across soils with contrasting organic matter content, total microbial biomass, soil texture, and soil structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 109593"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142441881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Earthworms in an enhanced weathering mesocosm experiment: Effects on soil carbon sequestration, base cation exchange and soil CO2 efflux","authors":"Arthur Vienne ,&nbsp;Patrick Frings ,&nbsp;Sílvia Poblador ,&nbsp;Laura Steinwidder ,&nbsp;Jet Rijnders ,&nbsp;Jonas Schoelynck ,&nbsp;Olga Vinduskova ,&nbsp;Sara Vicca","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite its attractiveness for long-term carbon dioxide removal (CDR), quantifying weathering and CDR rates for enhanced weathering is a significant challenge. Moreover, the role of soil organisms, such as earthworms, in enhancing silicate weathering (both physically and chemically) has been suggested, but there is limited quantitative data on how biota, especially earthworms, contribute to inorganic carbon sequestration. To address these gaps, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with earthworms and basalt.</div><div>Results indicate increases in clay and cation exchange, causing a weathering rate of over 10⁻¹² mol total alkalinity m² s⁻¹, in range with other basalt experiments. Basalt amendment increased dissolved inorganic carbon export by only 4 g CO₂ m⁻². During the 4.5-month experiment, we observed neither a change in organic nor in inorganic carbon content.</div><div>In soils without earthworms, basalt amendment reduced soil CO₂ efflux by approximately 0.2 kg CO₂ m², suggesting considerable CDR. This decrease was about two times larger than calculated inorganic CDR equivalents, suggesting changes in soil organic matter dynamics.</div><div>Interestingly, earthworms reversed the basalt-induced reduction in soil CO₂ efflux. This reversal was partly due to reduced export of dissolved inorganic carbon but mainly driven by increased organic matter decomposition. Our study highlights the importance of including organic carbon dynamics when evaluating the CDR potential of enhanced weathering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109596"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142358746","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":"Drought impairs detritivore feeding activity more strongly in northern than in southern European latitudes","authors":"María Pilar Gavín-Centol ,&nbsp;Diego Serrano-Carnero ,&nbsp;Marta Montserrat ,&nbsp;Iñaki Balanzategui ,&nbsp;Stefan Scheu ,&nbsp;Jaak Truu ,&nbsp;Klaus Birkhofer ,&nbsp;Sara Sánchez-Moreno ,&nbsp;Jordi Moya-Laraño","doi":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil detritivores play key roles in decomposition processes closely related to ecosystem services. Drought and soil organic carbon depletion due to agricultural management are detrimental to soil biodiversity, but their interactive effects on soil biota and associated processes have not been thoroughly investigated. In 2018, we used rain-out shelters to experimentally induce drought in wheat fields of contrasting levels of organic carbon in Sweden, Germany and Spain. That year Europe experienced a climatic dipole, with exceptionally severe droughts in northern latitudes. We assessed the feeding activity of soil detritivores by bait-lamina tests, and measured several abiotic and biotic soil parameters. In the peak of the dipole drought (summer) southern fields had the driest soils. Nonetheless, detritivore feeding activity responded to the experimental drought by shifting to deeper soil layers there. Low soil organic carbon (SOC) levels exacerbated the latter effect. However, in this same period, feeding activity in northern and central Europe was two orders of magnitude lower than in the south, and failed to respond to either the experimental treatment and/or SOC levels. Using mixed-effects longitudinal random forests, we detected various candidate drivers of detritivore feeding activity: soil moisture, phosphorus content, bacteria and nematodes. Different bacterial taxa were associated to detritivory in each country, but their potential influence was pervasive. Thus, our results suggest that drought had adverse effects on detritivore feeding, which were exacerbated northwards due to the climatic dipole. Increased SOC levels mitigated drought effects only in southern soils. Regional adaptation of soil biota to aridity could explain the response of detritivores in southern Europe to drought. Machine learning algorithms arise as useful tools for exploring potential drivers relating biodiversity to soil processes. Overall, future research on the effects of drought on soil biodiversity and processes will be key for tackling climate change impacts in terrestrial ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21888,"journal":{"name":"Soil Biology & Biochemistry","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 109594"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}