Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Nitrogen enrichment exacerbates drought impacts on desert shrub steppe plant community","authors":"Weiwei She ,&nbsp;Yong Zhou ,&nbsp;Yanpei Guo ,&nbsp;Wei Feng ,&nbsp;Chunyang Song ,&nbsp;Haojun Nong ,&nbsp;Ruizhi Xuan ,&nbsp;Shugao Qin ,&nbsp;Yuqing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109667","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109667","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change has triggered longer and more frequent drought worldwide, profoundly impacting terrestrial ecosystems. These drought impacts can be compounded by other factors such as nitrogen (N) deposition, yet their combined effects remain poorly understood. We conducted a decade-long field experiment in a desert shrub steppe in northern China to examine the effects of N addition on plant communities during a period of climatic aridification. We found that climatic aridification significantly reduced vegetation cover particularly affecting the dominant shrub <em>Artemisia ordosica</em> and perennial forbs, while drought-adapted groups such as leguminous shrubs, perennial grasses, and annuals showed greater resistance. The loss of dominant shrub canopy created opportunities for colonization by drought-tolerant species, leading to an increase in species richness. While N addition had minimal effects on overall vegetation cover and species richness, it substantially altered community composition. Nitrogen addition had little influence on <em>A. ordosica</em> but impaired leguminous shrub growth. Although it promoted the growth of perennial grasses and annuals, higher levels of N addition intensified drought impacts on these groups. Our results suggest that climatic aridification caused substantial canopy loss and shifted the plant community toward greater richness of drought-tolerant groups. However, N addition tended to exacerbate drought impacts on these groups, potentially increasing the risk of vegetation degradation. Our findings highlight the potential for N enrichment to intensify drought impacts on shrub steppe ecosystems, emphasizing the need for conserving drought-tolerant species and optimizing fertilizer application for adaptive dryland management under global change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109667"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769165","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":"Semiochemically assisted trap cropping to reduce broad bean beetle (Bruchus rufimanus) infestation in faba bean","authors":"Chloé A. Raderschall ,&nbsp;Ylva Johansson ,&nbsp;Ola Lundin","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109669","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109669","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Damaged beans and adults of broad bean beetles (<em>Bruchus rufimanus</em>) in harvested beans are currently a bottleneck for faba bean production, especially for human consumption. The availability and efficiency of insecticides to control broad bean beetles are limited. We tested trap cropping combined with semiochemical trapping as an alternative pest management strategy. A field experiment was performed in south central Sweden over two years, in 2021 and 2023, in a total of 24 faba bean fields. Fields were paired, such that each pair (n = 12) contained one treated field with a perimeter strip of an early flowering faba bean cultivar used as a trap crop in combination with semiochemical traps, and one control field with just the faba bean main crop without a trap crop or semiochemical traps. Eggs per pod and proportion of beans with emergence holes were 147 % and 73 % higher in the trap crop strip in treated fields compared to the corresponding area grown with the main crop cultivar in control fields. Eggs per pod and proportion beans with emergence holes were conversely 28 % and 18 % lower respectively, in the main crop in fields with trap crops compared to control fields, but only in the field centers and not the field edges. Yield of the main crop was not affected by semiochemically assisted trap cropping. Overall the trap crop treatment successfully reduced damage by broad bean beetles but only modestly so. Further development of the trap cropping strategy might, however, be able to contribute to satisfactory broad bean beetle control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109669"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769166","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":"Increased avian bioacoustic diversity without lost profit after planting perennial vegetation in marginal cropland","authors":"Adam E. Mitchell ,&nbsp;April Stainsby ,&nbsp;Christy A. Morrissey","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Expansion of arable cropland and intensification of agriculture has driven substantial losses of habitat, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Balancing biodiversity conservation and environmental priorities with farm economics and food production is particularly challenging. However, many areas of crop fields contain marginal areas (e.g., wet or saline soils) that produce inconsistent and low crop yields. These suboptimal growing areas may be ideal targets for perennial restoration to address biodiversity conservation goals without reducing crop yield and profitability. We tested the value of restoring marginal areas within crop fields growing primarily canola, cereal, and legume crops in Saskatchewan, Canada. The objective was to identify changes in acoustic soundscapes of biodiversity and associated crop yields and profitability over three years following the conversion. Using prior-year yield maps and knowledge of the field topography, participating producers converted an average of 17.6 % (range 3–48 %) of cropland to perennial vegetation near marginal low yielding wetlands and/or saline areas, and these were compared to matched nearby reference fields that were cropped as usual. From 2019–2022, autonomous recording units (ARUs) recorded over 2450 hours of environmental soundscapes in treatment (n = 20) and reference (n = 30) fields. After controlling for crop type, time of day, year, and the amount of non-crop land, four bioacoustic diversity indices — (bioacoustic index (BIO), acoustic complexity index (ACI), acoustic diversity index (ADI), and normalized difference soundscape index (NDSI)) — all significantly increased in the treatment fields relative to reference fields, with the most substantial increases from the first to second year after planting. Total field level crop yields were, on average, 14 % lower in treatment fields; however, profitability did not significantly differ from reference fields. This suggests that restoring marginal areas within cropland adds landscape and habitat complexity to support biodiversity and is a promising solution to provide environmental, economic, and agronomic benefits in agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109663"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143760410","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":"Traditional Norwegian farming practices drive biodiversity – A case study from coastal heathlands","authors":"Tatiana F. Rittl ,&nbsp;Peter G. Farsund ,&nbsp;Reidun Pommeresche ,&nbsp;Kristin M. Sørheim ,&nbsp;Atle Wibe ,&nbsp;Jorunn Hellekås ,&nbsp;Liv Guri Velle","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human disturbances are often viewed as drivers of biotic homogenization, where generalist species thrive at the expense of specialists. However, human activities can also positively influence biodiversity. This study investigated how traditional farming practices, such as prescribed burning and grazing, have shaped biodiversity across multiple taxonomic groups – above and below ground – across three successional phases of a coastal heathland in Norway. We hypothesized that the vegetation-mosaics created by these traditional practices support greater biodiversity of plants and invertebrates than any single successional stage alone. We examined the impact of these practices on the taxonomic biodiversity of key organism groups (including plants, arthropods, nematodes, soil microbes, soil mesofauna and earthworms) across the three heathland successional phases. Our findings demonstrated: (i) how prescribed burning and grazing promote management induced vegetation mosaics; (ii) that this vegetation mosaic fosters high species diversity, with each phase supporting an unique set of taxa; (iii) that key organismal groups, including arthropods, fungi, and bacteria, largely contribute to the overall biodiversity; and (iv) that traditional management practices rejuvenate pasture, maintain high biodiversity, and play a crucial role in preventing uncontrolled large-scale fires. By analysing multiple organismal groups across heathland successional phases, we are the first ones in Norway to demonstrate how burning and grazing create a vegetation mosaic that enhances biotic heterogeneity instead of leading to diversity loss. These results highlight the importance of sustaining traditional farming practices for the preservation of biodiversity of plants and invertebrates in coastal heathlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109662"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143760415","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":"Effects of non-crop habitats on ground-dwelling arthropod diversity in a desert-oasis region of northwest China","authors":"Yongzhen Wang ,&nbsp;Jialong Ren ,&nbsp;Wenzhi Zhao ,&nbsp;Jiliang Liu ,&nbsp;Zhibin He ,&nbsp;Longfei Chen ,&nbsp;Wei Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Non-crop habitats play a vital role in supporting ground-dwelling arthropod diversity in the agriculture ecosystems. Ground-dwelling arthropods predominantly depend on shelter habitats within agricultural landscapes for survival, reproduction, and overwintering. Nevertheless, the specific functions of these non-crop habitats in maintaining desert-oasis ecosystem dynamics remain insufficiently understood. This study was conducted in the new and old oasis, located in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province. Ground-dwelling arthropods were collected using pitfall trapping from maize fields (MF), irrigation ditches (ID), and forest belts (FB) of the new and old oasis. The results indicated that: (1) Community composition of ground-dwelling arthropods varied substantially between crop and non-crop habitats in the new oasis, whereas the distinction was less marked in the old oasis. (2) There was no significant difference observed in the activity density of ground-dwelling arthropods between MF and ID habitats. However, their activity density significantly higher than in FB during July (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). (3) while the activity density of predatory insects follows this general trend, the activity density of herbivorous insects in the ID and FB habitats exceeded that in the MF habitats in both April and October. (4) Aboveground biomass (AGB), soil bulk density (SBD), and total nitrogen (TN) accounted for 14.9 % of the variation of ground-dwelling arthropod community in the new oasis; AGB, SBD, and soil organic carbon (SOC) accounted for 7.8 % of the variation of ground-dwelling arthropod community in the old oasis. Overall, non-crop habitats are essential for maintaining the ground-dwelling arthropod diversity. By supporting seasonal migratory processes that contribute to the effective regulation of farmland landscapes, non-crop habitats enhance biodiversity conservation and management within desert agriculture ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109674"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143760409","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":"Grazing beef cattle vegetation preferences and their effects on fitness","authors":"Rachel Gabrieli ,&nbsp;Dan Malkinson","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grazing pressure and land cover change are impacting ecosystems functioning worldwide. Cattle grazing can be actively managed to optimize both pasture and animal production, however, knowledge about foraging preferences and aversions to pasture attributes and plant-forager feedback is required. Previous studies elucidated a wide range of parameters affecting selection, most of them region specific. This study aimed to explore foraging selections according to plant communities and their effects on the grazing cattle’s fitness. We defined six vegetation categories, based on widely applicable characteristics, comprising an ensemble of attracting and deterring properties. We used both remote sensing-based classification and chemistry analyses. The defined groups were: ‘Dense bush’, ‘edible dry grass’, ‘edible green grass’ ‘sparse-vegetation’, ‘Thistles’ and ‘Edible trees’. GPS location data were recorded for 42 lactating beef cows, their locations in each category were used to calculate herd preference, its temporal change, individual variation in preference and its effect on fitness. We used conception result within the study period as a fitness proxy. Herd location choice expressed preference to three categories (edible green grass, sparse-vegetation and thistles) and aversion to three categories (dense bush, edible dry grass and trees). These preferences showed temporal dynamics reflected in decreased preference for ‘edible green’ and ‘edible dry’ grasses; increased preference for ‘dense bush’ and ‘trees’ from the beginning to the end of the study period. The categories ‘sparse-vegetation’ and ‘thistles’ were consistently preferred. Thistles establishment was as a long-term response to over-grazing, and its consistent preference may suggest potential for recovery of disrupted rangelands. On the individual scale, the categories composition of the individual diets was not a differentiating factor in fitness result. The two consistently preferred categories, showed a significant effect on fitness. ‘Thistles’ was fitness beneficial and ‘sparse-vegetation’ was fitness detrimental. To explore the preference for ‘sparse-vegetation’ despite its detrimental effect on fitness, we investigated combinations of other categories potentially mitigating ‘sparse-vegetation’ adverse effect. We found that a diurnal joint foraging of ‘dense bush’ and ‘sparse-vegetation’ mitigated the detrimental effect of the latter on fitness. We suggest that this beneficial effect is supported by the superior nutritive properties of ‘dense bush’. The role of its secondary metabolites calls for further investigation. We conclude that considering the effects on fitness and our synthetic classification method’s wide applicability, ranchers may adopt management considering both cattle’s preferences and grazing impacts on the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109650"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738925","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":"Stage-specific phosphorus mobilization enhances phosphorus uptake in relay-intercropped soybean","authors":"Li Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Chen ,&nbsp;Bin Cheng ,&nbsp;Huan Yang ,&nbsp;Yang Gao ,&nbsp;Xiuni Li ,&nbsp;Mei Xu ,&nbsp;Liang Yu ,&nbsp;Yushan Wu ,&nbsp;Tao Zhou ,&nbsp;Weiguo Liu ,&nbsp;Wenyu Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intercropping systems exploit the phosphorus (P)-activating ability of leguminous plants to enhance P acquisition. However, the specific P mobilization strategies used by leguminous plants, such as soybean (<em>Glycine max</em> L.), at different growth stages remain unclear. This study examined the P mobilization strategies of soybeans across developmental stages within a maize-soybean relay intercropping system. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to assess variations in P accumulation, root growth, organic acid (OA) secretion, acid phosphatase (APase) activity, and soil P fraction dynamics from the seedling stage to full pod development. Intercropped soybean mobilized P through growth-stage-specific strategies. During the beginning flowering (R1) stage, root OA secretion in intercropped soybeans peaked. Under both P0 and P20 application conditions, the average secretion level was approximately 40 % higher than that in monocropped soybeans. This OA secretion advantage persisted until the beginning pod (R3) stage, after which, OA levels became comparable with those in monocropped plants. At R3, regardless of P application, APase activity in intercropped soybean peaked and was significantly higher than that in monocropped soybeans. This advantage over monocropping persisted until the beginning seed (R5) stage. Soil available P (AP) content at R3 was significantly higher in intercropping and remained elevated through R5, supporting P uptake during the pod-filling stage. Correlation analysis revealed that soil AP content at R3 was highly significantly correlated with OA secretion at R1 and APase activity at R3. Further structural equation modeling revealed that early OA secretion released stable P pools, while later APase activity maximized P availability from organic sources. This process aligned P mobilization with the peak growth demands of soybeans. These findings provide insights into how relay intercropping synchronizes P mobilization with the developmental requirements of soybeans.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109660"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738928","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":"Priming the decomposition of cover crop residues in no-till organic cropping systems","authors":"Delaney A. Sondag ,&nbsp;Amélie C.M. Gaudin ,&nbsp;Jeffery P. Mitchell ,&nbsp;Cameron M. Pittelkow","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective cover crop termination by roller crimping remains a challenge in organic no-till systems. Slow decomposition of surface residues can delay planting and lead to competition for soil resources. Little research has investigated the potential for application of microbial inoculants to promote residue decomposition and accelerate C and N cycling. Two field studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of microbial inoculants on cover crop residue decomposition, labile soil carbon (POXC) and inorganic N pools, and sweet potato yield under contrasting environmental conditions. In a fall termination study, vermicompost tea, a microbial inoculant (EM-1), and thermophilic compost tea were applied after roller crimping sorghum-sudangrass. In a spring termination study, vermicompost tea, EM-1, and a treatment with tillage were applied after roller crimping a multispecies cover crop mixture. Results indicate there was no effect of the microbial tea treatments on the rate of residue decomposition or soil inorganic N and POXC concentrations in either study. However, soil ammonium-N and nitrate-N concentrations were significantly higher in the tilled vs. roller crimped treatments in the spring termination study. Moreover, POXC increased significantly over time in the fall termination study but decreased in the spring termination study. There were no differences in sweet potato yield among microbial inoculants or between the roller crimped and tilled treatments. These results provide insights into the limitations of promoting cover crop decomposition following roller crimping in organic no-till systems to enhance labile C and inorganic N pools while improving yield of the succeeding cash crop.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109651"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748201","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":"Effects of long-term vegetation restoration on soil aggregate and aggregate-associated nutrient stoichiometry of desertified grassland on the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau","authors":"Zhong Du ,&nbsp;Rui Zhou ,&nbsp;Yan Chen ,&nbsp;Enran Zhan ,&nbsp;Youjun Chen ,&nbsp;Huan Zheng ,&nbsp;Dongzhou Deng ,&nbsp;Li He ,&nbsp;Dechao Chen ,&nbsp;Huijun Gao ,&nbsp;Yiqun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of restoring desertified grassland vegetation, elucidating the intricate composition and stability of soil aggregates, coupled with the essential stoichiometric attributes of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), is vital for assessing the intricate soil biogeochemical processes and ecosystem services. However, previous research has predominantly focused on the characteristics of grassland vegetation communities, soil physicochemical factors, and their interrelationships, with limited studies on the properties of C, N, and P stoichiometry. This study examined four desertified grasslands with varying restoration periods (10a, 14a, 20a, and 40a) to assess the long-term restoration effects on soil aggregates and aggregate-associated nutrient stoichiometry in eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. The results showed that as the restoration period progressed, plant diversity and vegetation coverage increased accordingly. The contents of soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), and total P (TP) in soil aggregates of various depths and sizes, especially in the macroaggregates, gradually increased and peaked after 20 years of restoration. Conversely, the contents of microaggregates and clay-silt fractions generally exhibited a downward trend. After two decades, the desertified grassland's soil aggregates achieved an optimal level of stability. Furthermore, the vegetation restoration resulted in notable changes in soil aggregate-associated C, N, and P stoichiometric of desertified grassland. A marked strong correlation was observed between the composition and stability of soil aggregates and the stoichiometric characteristics of these essential nutrients, with the macroaggregate mass ratio showing a positive relationship with aggregate stability. Our findings have significant implications for ecological restoration strategies, aiming to promote long-term soil health and productivity in degraded landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109661"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738926","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":"Intercropping enhances stable soil organic carbon pool through macroaggregate protection and biochemical recalcitrance interactions","authors":"Ding Wang ,&nbsp;Wenchun Yu ,&nbsp;Chunyan Ming ,&nbsp;Linkang Chen ,&nbsp;Ping Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Shi ,&nbsp;Zhengxiong Zhao ,&nbsp;Maopan Fan ,&nbsp;Guangqiang Long","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109654","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109654","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diversified cropping can enhance soil organic carbon (SOC); however, the mechanisms through which it alters the SOC pool and microbial regulation remain unclear. This study examined the responses of the stable SOC pool to intercropping and nitrogen (N) fertilization in a seven-year field experiment involving three cropping patterns: maize monoculture, potato monoculture, and maize/potato intercropping, under three N levels. Intercropping increased SOC content by 9.8–36.1 % and the stable C pool (the sum of the slow and resistant SOC pools) by 12.3–72.1 % in bulk soil compared to monocultures, with the maximum increase at the low nitrogen (LN) level. The enhanced stable C pool in intercropping was primarily attributed to greater proportion of large macroaggregates (&gt; 2 mm) and increased aromaticity of SOC within these macroaggregates. Although N fertilization in intercropping did not affect SOC aromaticity, it further increased the proportion of large macroaggregates at the LN level. Intercropping shifted the microbial keystone taxa related to SOC formation from oligotrophic bacteria (e.g., <em>Anaerolineaceae</em> from Chloroflexi) in potato monoculture to copiotrophic bacteria (e.g., <em>Micromonosporaceae</em> of <em>Actinobacteria</em>), accompanied by a higher abundance from <em>Chaetomiaceae</em> of <em>Sordariomycetes</em> among the fungal keystone taxa within macroaggregates. These shifts reflected increased activities of carbon cycling enzymes (e.g., peroxidases and α-/β-glucosidase) and a higher proportion of large macroaggregates, facilitating the formation and accumulation of aromatic C in intercropping. This study provides insights into how intercropping enhances SOC stocks and offers guidance on N fertilization strategies to promote SOC sequestration in diversified cropping systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"388 ","pages":"Article 109654"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748202","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}