Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Impact of different tillage on soil health: enhancement of enzymatic activities and functional microbial communities in accelerating maize straw degradation","authors":"Houping Zhang ,&nbsp;Miao Li ,&nbsp;Huifeng Ye ,&nbsp;Yuanpeng Zhu ,&nbsp;Yuanbo Zhang ,&nbsp;Qinge Dong ,&nbsp;Weiyan Wang ,&nbsp;Hao Feng ,&nbsp;Xiaoxia Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Straw return to the field is an effective agricultural practice for improving soil fertility and productivity by increasing soil organic matter and enhancing soil structure. However, in wheat-maize rotations, the slow degradation of maize straw severely affects wheat emergence quality and seedling growth, emphasizing the need to understand and regulate key mechanisms driving straw degradation. This study evaluated soil properties, straw chemical structure, extracellular enzyme activity, microbial community composition, and functional genes during the straw degradation process under three tillage practices: zero tillage (ZT), chisel plough tillage (CPT), and plow tillage (PT). The results showed that CPT had the most significant effect on promoting straw degradation, with the lowest straw residue rate of 42.24 % after 220 days of degradation. CPT treatment also has a significant effect on the early degradation of unstable carbon structures, such as O-alkyl C and di-O-alkyl C. The fungal community diversity index increased at 220 days of degradation, with the fungal Shannon index under ZT and CPT significantly increasing by 29.79 % and 10.99 % compared to PT. <em>Actinomycetia</em> was the dominant phylum involved in straw degradation under all three tillage practices, and ZT significantly increased its abundance by 5.55 % compared to PT. In addition, <em>Actinomycetia</em> was also recognized as a dominant phylum for the production of six extracellular enzymes such as β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase, etc. The abundance of functional genes involved in degrading mono- and polysaccharides was higher than that of other functional genes. Hemicellulose and Chitin functional genes abundance was increased by 5.98 % and 5.97 % under CPT compared to PT. Regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between the abundance of the dominant phylum <em>Actinobacteria</em> and alkyl C, but a negative correlation with aryl C and phenolic C. In contrast, <em>Proteobacteria</em> exhibited the opposite pattern. Partial least squares path modeling indicated that enzyme activity showed the largest positive direct effect on straw degradation. CPT reduces tillage intensity to indirectly enhance microbial phylum abundance and enzyme activities, and accelerate the process of straw degradation. This study elucidates the microbial and enzyme-mediated regulatory mechanisms of conservation tillage on maize straw degradation, providing a scientific basis for its broader application in agricultural production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109971"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047575","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":"Management practices and soil health: Insights from dairy farms in the United States","authors":"Che-Jen Hsiao ,&nbsp;Mara Cloutier ,&nbsp;Daniel Liptzin ,&nbsp;Nathaniel Looker ,&nbsp;Christine Molling ,&nbsp;Michael Cope ,&nbsp;Randall D. Jackson ,&nbsp;Gregg R. Sanford ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Ruark ,&nbsp;Dennis Busch ,&nbsp;Karl Czymmek ,&nbsp;Quirine M. Ketterings ,&nbsp;Reza Afshar ,&nbsp;Jourdan Bell ,&nbsp;Robert Hagevoort ,&nbsp;Cristine Morgan","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109969","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109969","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving soil health in dairy forage systems is crucial to making dairy more sustainable. This study evaluated four key soil health indicators from commercial dairy farms under a range of management practices across dairy-producing regions of the U.S., including New York, Wisconsin, Texas, New Mexico, and Idaho. The selected soil health indicators included soil organic carbon (SOC), aggregate stability, carbon (C) mineralization potential (Cmin), and available water-holding capacity (AWHC). To account for environmental variability when assessing management effects, we used an ANCOVA to incorporate climatic, topographic, and edaphic covariates. Dairy forage soils in humid continental climates, particularly in New York and Wisconsin Driftless region, had higher SOC concentrations (20.4–35.8 g C kg⁻¹) compared to drier regions of northwestern Texas and northeastern New Mexico (SOC 7.3–12.6 g C kg⁻¹) and southcentral Idaho (SOC 15.8–18.8 g C kg⁻¹). Similarly, aggregate stability and Cmin were generally higher in humid continental climates. Soils under grazed and hayed pastures consistently had higher soil health indicators than those under row crop systems in the surface 15 cm. In semi-arid regions, irrigated systems had higher SOC concentrations, Cmin, and AWHC than dryland systems in Texas and New Mexico. The effects of reduced tillage on soil health were inconclusive in New York and Wisconsin, perhaps because of differences in tillage implements and soil compaction from heavy manure and harvesting equipment. Our results help establish soil health conditions in dairy forage soils and highlight the importance of considering environmental covariates when assessing management effects. These findings provide a foundation for tracking soil health trends in dairy systems and informing the calibration of biophysical models to enhance their accuracy in predicting soil dynamics in dairy forage systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109969"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047576","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":"Agronomic phosphorus fertiliser value of animal manures is comparable to monoammonium phosphate for wheat production","authors":"Maryam Barati ,&nbsp;Timothy I. McLaren ,&nbsp;Chelsea Janke ,&nbsp;Simon Diffey ,&nbsp;Michael J. Reading ,&nbsp;Abraham Gibson ,&nbsp;Terry J. Rose","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animal manures may be a sustainable alternative to rock phosphate-based fertilisers, provided they have similar agronomic phosphorus (P) fertiliser values. If higher application rates from manure are required to match crop yield responses to mineral P fertilisers, soil P can accumulate and P use efficiency of the farming system is reduced. This study investigated the P fertiliser value of various manures compared to monoammonium phosphate (MAP). A P dose-response experiment assessed the impact of cattle (CaM), chicken (ChM), and pig (PiM) manures compared to MAP on wheat growth (biomass, grain yield) and P uptake in an Arenosol. The effects of subsurface banding versus incorporation were also evaluated in an Arenosol and a Ferralsol, with post-harvest soil P fractions analysed in selected treatments. To achieve 95 % maximum grain yield, P rates required were in order PiM &gt; CaM = MAP &gt; ChM. The ChM treatment had poor growth at high manure application rates due to sodium toxicity. Mixed through the topsoil, CaM and PiM increased biomass (95 % of maximum) by 12.3 % and 9.9 % and grain yield (95 % of maximum) by 19.7 and 20.9 % relative to banded MAP. Subsurface banding enhanced P uptake in a high P-sorbing Ferralsol, while incorporation enhanced uptake in a low P-sorbing Arenosol. In the Ferralsol, more P was retained in the sodium bicarbonate extractable organic P (NaHCO₃-P_o) fraction with CaM and in the inorganic P (NaHCO₃-P_i) fraction with MAP. Cattle manure and PiM had comparable or greater P fertiliser value than MAP for wheat yields, with the application method likely impacting P availability. These findings demonstrate that certain manures can match or exceed the agronomic P fertiliser value of MAP in wheat production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109973"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047595","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":"Soilicrobivorous nematodes contribute to the formation of microbial necromass carbon under full straw return","authors":"Jigao Wang ,&nbsp;Kai Wei ,&nbsp;Yanli Jing ,&nbsp;Yanling Wang ,&nbsp;Jinlong Yan ,&nbsp;Tao Wang ,&nbsp;Jialiang Tang ,&nbsp;Bo Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109975","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109975","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microbivorous nematodes (bacterivores and fungivores) regulate the formation of microbial necromass carbon (MNC) through predation-driven shifts in microbial biomass and community composition, with straw return amplifying these effects via an increase in the abundance of microbivorous nematodes. However, how microbivorous nematodes affect MNC formation under straw return remains unclear. A 14-year field experiment was conducted in Southwest China to investigate the soil microbivorous nematode abundance, microbial biomass, and MNC content, along with their relationships across four levels of straw return: control (0 % return, CK), low (30 % return, S30), moderate (50 %, S50), and full (100 %, S100). Compared to the CK treatment, all straw return treatments significantly increased the contents of bacterial necromass carbon (BNC) by 29.1–55.3 %, fungal necromass carbon (FNC) by 35.5–49.8 %, and MNC by 33.4–51.6 %, but compared to the CK treatment, only the S100 treatment significantly increased the proportions of BNC, FNC, and MNC contributing to soil organic carbon (SOC). Compared to the CK treatment, the S100 treatment also significantly increased the abundance of r-strategist bacterivores by 163.4 %, bacterial biomass by 21.7 %, and the ratio of gram-positive (G+) bacteria to gram-negative (G-) bacteria by 9.3 %. Further correlation and aggregated boosted trees (ABT) analyses indicated that r-strategy bacterivores promoted BNC formation by influencing bacterial biomass and the ratio of G+ to G-. Moreover, the carbon use efficiency (CUE) of bacterivores was significantly positively correlated with the BNC and the ratios of BNC and MNC to SOC. Compared to the S30 and S50 treatments, the S100 treatment significantly increased the content of BNC, which was attributed to the elevated CUE of bacterivores in the S100 soil. Additionally, although straw return also significantly increased the abundance of fungivores, ABT analysis indicated that the effect of bacterivores on FNC was stronger than that of fungivores. Overall, 14 years of continuous straw return in a maize-wheat rotation system can increase the MNC content and its ratio to SOC by influencing the abundance of microbivorous nematodes and CUE, with the most pronounced effects observed under the S100 treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109975"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047619","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 nitrate dynamics in deep vadose zone under irrigated farmland in the North China Plain: Insights from continuous in-situ monitoring","authors":"Hanbing Jiang ,&nbsp;Di Geng ,&nbsp;Jiawei Fu ,&nbsp;Meiying Liu ,&nbsp;Yongqing Qi ,&nbsp;Leilei Min ,&nbsp;Shiqin Wang ,&nbsp;Yanjun Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109956","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109956","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intensive agricultural regions of the North China Plain (NCP) have experienced significant nitrogen accumulation in the thick vadose zone due to prolonged excessive fertilizer use, threatening groundwater quality. However, Current understanding of nitrate transport and transformation dynamics within deep vadose zone remains inadequate, constraining accurate groundwater risk assessments. This study investigated the nitrate accumulation, leaching, and transformation processes in the deep vadose zone of a typical irrigated crop field in the NCP through continuous in-situ monitoring and multi-year sampling based on a 48-meter-deep observing caisson. Results revealed substantial NO₃-N accumulation, reaching 6951.5 kg ha^-1, with an annual increase of 90 kg ha^-1. Nitrate leaching velocity was estimated at 0.70 m year^-1, corresponding to a nitrate flux of 118.6 kg ha^-1 year^-1. The increase of extreme precipitation events in recent years have accelerated solute transport, heightening the risk of groundwater contamination. Denitrification potential was identified based on nitrate isotopic signatures and denitrification gene abundance in the deep vadose zone, but its intensity was limited by low organic carbon availability. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) identified soil water content, nitrogen content, and soil permeability as key factors influencing nitrate leaching flux, with the microbial-mediated denitrification exhibiting a secondary but significant regulatory effect. These findings extended the research depth of the thick vadose zone and enhanced the understanding of nitrate dynamics, which provided a foundation for predicting and mitigating groundwater nitrate contamination risks in intensively managed agricultural regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109956"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047621","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":"Riverine-coastal carbon dynamics, acidification, and CO2 outgassing in an intensive mariculture bay","authors":"Aiqin Han ,&nbsp;Bin Wang ,&nbsp;Jianzhong Su ,&nbsp;Mengli Chen ,&nbsp;Hongliang Li ,&nbsp;Xijie Yin ,&nbsp;Shuh-Ji Kao","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semi-enclosed bays offer hydrodynamic conditions favorable for mariculture, yet this activity can greatly alter coastal carbon dynamics and may transform coastal waters into bioreactors that modulate the carbonate system by stimulating organic matter (OM) inputs, respiration, primary production, and coupled oxygen consumption-acidification. We investigate seasonal variability in carbonate system dynamics and dissolved inorganic carbon stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C_DIC) in Sansha Bay, the largest large yellow croaker culture site in China, which is flushed by rivers and varying coastal water masses. Adopting a semi-analytical framework that uses a two end-member mixing model, we found that along the main channel, DIC concentrations were elevated by ∼5.3–87.5 μmol kg⁻¹, along with pH reduction of ∼0.05–0.07 units. Instead, western off-main channel with longer residence times exhibited opposing trends: winter DIC accumulation (up to 167 μmol kg⁻¹) and summer net removal (up to −75 μmol kg⁻¹), accompanying a pH decrease/increase of ∼0.12/∼0.19 units, respectively. Excess DIC was mainly attributable to OM remineralization and partially removed by phytoplankton production. The bay supplied a net CO₂ source, supported by high <em>p</em>CO₂ (mean: 811/562 μatm in winter/summer, respectively). Box model analysis showed that marine-derived OM remineralization combined with mariculture feed inputs caused DIC enrichment and declining oxygen consumption and pH evidenced by a −16.6 ‰ δ¹³C_ox value and 0.43–0.70 carbon/oxygen stoichiometry. Results underscore the role of interacting water masses and mariculture in modulating the carbonate system and its coupling with oxygen and pH dynamics. They provide critical insights into biogeochemical processes driving hypoxia and acidification in intensively farmed coastal ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109972"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047620","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":"Effects of tidal flat reclamation on dissimilatory nitrates reduction processes in an Estuarine wetland","authors":"Yanshu Wang ,&nbsp;Dengzhou Gao ,&nbsp;Chenqingfeng Gao ,&nbsp;Jingwen Zhao ,&nbsp;Xuyan Niu ,&nbsp;Qingyan Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Yu ,&nbsp;Jiayi Wang ,&nbsp;Ruisi Zheng ,&nbsp;Wei Du ,&nbsp;Xianbiao Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tidal flat reclamation is a worldwide issue that substantially transformed the structure and function of ecosystems. Nevertheless, the effects of land-use changes on the sediment dissimilatory nitrates (NO_x⁻) reduction processes within coastal wetland remains inadequately understood. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal patterns of NO_x⁻ reduction rates in response to land-use changes in surface soils/sediments (0 −5 cm) of estuarine reed marsh and unraveled the underlying mechanisms by integrating associated gene abundances (<em>nirS</em>, <em>nosZ</em>, ANAMMOX 16S and <em>nrfA</em>) and environmental parameters. Denitrification was the dominant pathway for NO_x⁻ reduction processes in soils/sediments of reed marsh (78.46 ± 6.91 %), vegetable field (86.87 ± 5.28 %), paddy field (84.48 ± 9.22 %) and aquaculture pond (85.82 ± 5.15 %). Without considering confounding factors, tidal flat reclamation substantially reduced sediment organic matter (excluding paddy), nitrogen retention index (NIRI), temperature sensitivity of nitrogen loss rates, NO_x⁻ reduction rates (excluding anammox) and associated gene abundances, while increased the contribution of anammox to nitrogen-loss. The multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that water content, temperature, and organic carbon were important factors controlling NO_x⁻ reduction rates. In addition, tidal flat reclamation also significantly diminished the NIRI, which respectively decreased by 95.7 %, 65.2 % and 56.5 % in vegetable field, paddy, and aquaculture pond. Similarly, the N-loss rate in reed marsh was 10.81 ± 5.59 μmol kg⁻¹ h⁻¹, which respectively decreased by 88.62 %, 63.00 % and 12.00 % in vegetable field, paddy, and aquaculture pond. Thus, reclamation significantly reduces sediment nitrogen loss in coastal marsh wetlands, which may threaten the marsh buffer function and wetland nitrogen pools protection in estuarine and coastal ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109962"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047567","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":"Decade of natural regeneration increases carbon accumulation in a drained peatland pasture","authors":"Yu Gong ,&nbsp;Mei Wang ,&nbsp;Feng Sun ,&nbsp;Jianghua Wu ,&nbsp;Kunshan Bao ,&nbsp;Ze Ren ,&nbsp;Faming Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109974","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109974","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drained peatlands represent significant carbon sources, having emitted ∼80 petagrams (Pg) of carbon dioxide. Natural regeneration of these peatlands holds potential to enhance carbon uptake and mitigate climate change; however, this potential has not been adequately incorporated into global carbon budgets. Here, we investigated the carbon accumulation rates and chemical composition in a natural bog and an adjacent drained peatland pasture undergoing decades of regeneration. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate long-term changes in carbon sink function of drained peatlands utilized for peat extraction, agriculture, forestry, and grassland. Compared to the natural bog, decades of regeneration significantly increased carbon accumulation to 231 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, attributable to elevated plant biomass and carbon uptake. However, this increase was confined to the top 30 cm depth. Regeneration did not affect deep carbon storage but altered carbon composition, shifting from recalcitrant carbon (alkyl) to labile carbon (O-alkyl). Globally, drained peatlands under various land uses have been shown to enhance their carbon sink capacity. However, after approximately 100 years following land use change, the strength of this increased carbon sink function showed a declining trend. These findings underscore that drained peatlands with regenerative potential can ultimately reach a new stable state conducive to carbon accumulation, considering their high initial carbon accumulation rates and the cessation of human interference. This study highlights the critical role of drained peatlands play in climate change mitigation, emphasizing the need to integrate this potential into global carbon budgets and carbon models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109974"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047685","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":"Long-term application of sulfur-coated urea: From soil fertility improvement to increased acidification risk","authors":"Xinyu Luo,&nbsp;Yuezhuo Zhuang,&nbsp;Yang Liu,&nbsp;Zirui Zheng,&nbsp;Ziyi Wang,&nbsp;Yiting Wang,&nbsp;Heping Chen,&nbsp;Haojie Feng,&nbsp;Wenkui Zheng,&nbsp;Qi Chen,&nbsp;Luncheng You,&nbsp;Min Zhang,&nbsp;Zhiguang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfur-coated urea (SCU) is widely used in agriculture due to its cost-effectiveness, synchronized nitrogen (N) release with crop uptake, and enhanced sulfur (S) availability. However, most studies have primarily focused on the short-term yield-enhancing mechanisms of SCU, while its long-term impact on soil quality remains unclear. To address this gap, the effects of SCU on wheat yield and microbial functional profiles were investigated using a 15-year, 30-season wheat-maize rotation experiment and metagenomic analysis. Compared with urea (U), SCU application resulted in a short-term increase in wheat yield, followed by a sharp decline over the years. This decline may be linked to a significant decrease of 0.49 units in soil pH relative to U. Comparing the relative abundance of genes in U and SCU, it was found that SCU reduced the relative abundance of genes related to carbon (C) fixation and nitrification by 11.40–16.87 % and 24.14–50.02 %, respectively, while increasing the abundance of genes related to C degradation and sulfite oxidation by 8.34–11.75 % and 16.29–41.96 %, respectively. Variance partitioning analysis showed that biotic and abiotic factors synergistically explained 55.1–58.1 % of the variation in gene abundance. Structural equation modeling revealed that long-term SCU application had a significant positive effect on yield growth, but declining soil pH emerged as the primary limiting factor. In summary, while SCU enhances wheat yield and regulates soil fertility in the short term, its prolonged use increases the risk of acidification and long-term yield decline.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109967"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047622","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":"Through the magnifying glass: Untangling fine-scale foraging choices of bats between cropland and adjacent dry grassland","authors":"Sophie P. Ewert ,&nbsp;Mirjam Knörnschild ,&nbsp;Kirsten Jung ,&nbsp;Karl-Heinz Frommolt","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Insectivorous bats forage opportunistically on ephemeral prey. However, fluctuating resources in open agricultural landscapes pose challenges, especially during energetically demanding periods such as lactation. While protected semi-natural dry grasslands provide more stable conditions compared to unpredictable croplands, it remains unclear how bats choose between these two habitats when they are adjacent. We investigated fine-scale foraging choices of bats by comparing feeding intensity on a short distance between cropland and adjacent dry grassland. We accounted for interaction effects of agricultural management and season, reflecting resource availability and energetic requirements. Data were obtained through repeated acoustic monitoring of 25 pairs of crop and grassland in different agricultural areas in Germany. In early summer, when energy demands peak, open-space bats showed higher feeding intensity on dry grasslands than on conventionally managed cropland. A similar pattern emerged for edge-space bats when grasslands had more shrubs and trees. Conversely, bats preferred high-quality organic cropland over adjacent grassland in heterogeneous landscapes. In late summer, the foraging choices were generally less pronounced. By examining interaction effects of landscape and seasonal variables on feeding intensity, we revealed bats’ small-scale selections of habitats offering comparatively higher foraging value within a given spatial and temporal context, especially during energetically critical periods. Understanding bats’ seasonal flexibility in habitat selection is crucial for developing effective and future-oriented conservation strategies. We emphasize the importance of incorporating alternative habitats such as dry grasslands as potential foraging refuges into conservation planning to enhance bat resilience amid ongoing agricultural intensification and environmental changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109941"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047565","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}