Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Crop functional diversity alters soil fertility within two years of low-input successional agroforestry","authors":"Diego dos Santos ,&nbsp;Vanessa A. Matias ,&nbsp;Jucinei J. Comin ,&nbsp;Felix J.J.A. Bianchi ,&nbsp;Fernando Joner ,&nbsp;Ilyas Siddique","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109919","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109919","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Successional agroforestry systems (SAFS), diversified and dynamic intercrops of herbs and woody species inspired in forest succession, have been promoted for their expected positive biodiversity effect on restoring biogeochemical cycling in low-input, oligotrophic agroecosystems. Using a trait-based approach during the initial establishment of SAFS, we aimed to assess the contribution of trait dissimilarity (Functional Diversity, FD) and dominant trait values (community-weighted mean, CWM) to crop aboveground biomass production and soil fertility. We implemented an experiment in humid subtropical Brazil (soil: 10 % clay; pH 5.4; 3.7 % organic matter) with three treatments consisted of three agroforestry mixtures with constant species richness but contrasting functional composition of crops and trees based on the functional trait Leaf Nitrogen Concentration (LNC). Structural Equation Models confirmed our general hypothetical model in which crop functional composition affects aboveground biomass and soil chemical properties. FD was positively related to soil C:N ratio (estimate β ± SE: 3.97 ± 0.94), soil Total Organic Carbon (estimate β ± SE: 6.49 ± 1.88) and mineral Nitrogen (estimate β ± SE: 0.01 ± 0.002). Crop biomass was positively related to the Sum of Bases (K+Mg+Ca; estimate β ± SE: 0.33 ± 0.15). We conclude that niche complementarity, along with the vegetation quantity hypothesis, better explained the changes in our soil data; and suggest that by maintaining a manageable level of species richness, it is possible to optimize agroecosystem functions related to soil fertility by selecting a functional structure with sufficient diversity, based on plant leaf traits such as LNC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 109919"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144892276","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 evidence of nitrogen removal from four decades of wetland restoration in agricultural landscapes in Denmark","authors":"Nichlas Hermansen,&nbsp;Rasmus J. Petersen,&nbsp;Carl C. Hoffmann,&nbsp;Ane Kjeldgaard,&nbsp;Hans Thodsen,&nbsp;Dominik H. Zak,&nbsp;Brian Kronvang,&nbsp;Søren E. Larsen,&nbsp;Joachim Audet","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109924","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109924","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wetland restoration is increasingly used as a tool to mitigate nitrogen losses from agricultural landscapes and reduce the risk of eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems. However, the effectiveness of this measure remains highly variable and difficult to predict. In this study, data from 35 restored wetlands in Denmark were analyzed to assess the effect of wetland restoration on nitrogen removal. The results showed that these wetlands removed an average of 110 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for total nitrogen and 130 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for nitrate, although there was considerable variation between wetland sites. On average, 39 % of the incoming nitrate load was removed and 26 % of the total nitrogen. Beta regression models showed that annual TN load explained more variability in nitrate (46 %) and total nitrogen (41 %) removal than hydraulic loading rate, which accounted for 30 % and 22 %, respectively. These findings confirm the effectiveness of restored wetlands as a valuable tool for mitigating nitrogen pollution in agricultural landscapes. However, a decline in the effectiveness of newer restoration projects, potentially due to reduced nitrogen losses from agricultural fields and less stringent eligibility criteria for restoration was observed. While national upscaling confirms the importance of wetland restoration, it also highlights the need for supplementary measures to control agricultural nitrogen losses, as current efforts may not be sufficient to achieve a good ecological status in Danish coastal waters, as required by regulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 109924"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144892277","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":"Monitoring, characterization, and mitigation of nitrous oxide emissions from Chinese orchards","authors":"Pinshang Xu ,&nbsp;Ziheng Zou ,&nbsp;Guoliang Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhutao Li ,&nbsp;Zhaoqiang Han ,&nbsp;Davey L. Jones ,&nbsp;Jinyang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109925","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109925","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chinese orchards have emerged as emission hotspots of nitrous oxide (N₂O) due to their high nitrogen (N) inputs. However, unique fertilizer application methods may lead to inaccuracies in monitoring and calculating N₂O emissions, potentially resulting in overestimations or underestimations. The emission variation among different orchards and the dominant influencing factors also need further clarification. This study summarizes the methods used to monitor and estimate soil N₂O emissions from orchards in China. It underscores the critical importance of appropriately arranging sampling boxes by considering fertilized and unfertilized areas and the range of irrigation radiation. Accurately scaling up chamber measurements to the landscape level requires precise calculations of these areas. Corrections must account for the spatial distribution of water, N, and N₂O emissions in irrigated orchards. Random forest and structural equation modeling results indicate that N input is the primary factor influencing N₂O emissions, while climate, soil characteristics, and other field management also play significant roles. Significant variations in emissions among different orchard types were observed, primarily attributed to differences in N input and fertilization methods. Average N₂O emissions from peach and grape orchards (7.21 vs. 8.98 kg N ha⁻¹) are significantly greater than those from other orchards (3.02–4.87 kg N ha⁻¹). Furthermore, N fertilization exacerbated the disparity in N₂O emissions between evergreen and deciduous orchards (4.02 vs. 6.06 kg N ha⁻¹). Three climate-smart strategies have been identified to mitigate the hotspot issue of N₂O emissions from Chinese orchards and promote sustainable orchard development. In conclusion, with policy guidance and improved field management, China is well-positioned to lead in climate-smart orchard management practices and contribute to global climate change mitigation. Further research and innovation in orchard systems management will be crucial in achieving carbon neutrality and ensuring the long-term sustainability of orchard systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"395 ","pages":"Article 109925"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144889811","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":"Forested lands have lower soil carbon priming effects than croplands in hedgerow agroforestry systems","authors":"Xinli Chen ,&nbsp;Zhengfeng An ,&nbsp;Cole Gross ,&nbsp;Scott X. Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The priming effect induced by exogenous organic substrate addition influences soil carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. Agroforestry systems offer a promising land-use approach to increase soil organic C (SOC) sequestration while sustaining agricultural productivity; however, the influence of these systems and their interaction with nitrogen (N) fertilizer application on the soil priming effect remain poorly understood. We conducted a lab incubation experiment with additions of ¹³C-labeled glucose and N to assess C loss via the priming effect and the net balance of SOC in top- and subsoils across two common agroforestry systems (hedgerows and shelterbelts) and their component land uses: forested lands and adjacent annual croplands, in central Alberta, Canada. Glucose addition caused a positive priming effect, which was more pronounced in the subsoil than in the topsoil. Nitrogen addition reduced the priming effect in subsoils by 32 %, suggesting that N limitation was a key driver of priming-induced SOC loss. In addition, agroforestry systems and their component land uses interactively affect the priming effect. The priming effect was 34 % lower in the forested land than in the adjacent cropland in the hedgerow system with a more diverse plant community, likely due to greater labile C and nutrient availability in forested lands, reducing the vulnerability of SOC to the priming effect. However, the priming effect was not different between the two land uses in the shelterbelt system, likely due to the smaller differences in SOC and N availability between the two land uses, reducing the contrast in microbial responses to labile C input. Our findings underscore the risk of priming effect-enhanced SOC loss in croplands, and the potential for agroforestry systems to reduce SOC loss through damping the priming effect and mitigate climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109921"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885438","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":"Diversification of intensive maize production with undersowings reveals taxon-specific biodiversity-yield trade-offs","authors":"Vera Wersebeckmann,&nbsp;Frank Höppner,&nbsp;Doreen Gabriel","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diversified cropping systems are an important strategy in the agro-ecological transformation process to increase biodiversity and agricultural productivity. Maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) is an economically important crop, but is associated with high environmental costs and low biodiversity. Undersowing maize can mitigate the effects of intensive maize cultivation and provide additional resources for arthropods. However, competition between maize and undersowings can reduce maize yield substantially. In a field experiment, we investigated how diversifying maize with six different undersowings (fescue, cress, clover, vetch, mallow, marigold-borage) effects pollinating insects, predatory arthropods, potential pest control and yield compared to mono-maize and mono-undersowings. Undersowing maize showed clear improvements over mono-maize with up to 10 times more pollinator individuals and up to two times more predatory arthropods, but there was no single undersown species that benefited all groups equally. Yield reductions ranged from 15 – 65 % in mixed versus mono-maize. Undersowing maize with flowering species promoted pollinating insects but at high cost to yield, displaying a high biodiversity yield trade-off, while pest predation was maintained across the observed yield range. Thus, pollinators may be more effectively supported by measures outside the maize field while predatory arthropods benefit from within-field diversification with small-growing legumes and grasses, which caused less yield reduction. Considering the biodiversity-yield trade-off is an important aspect to increase farmers’ acceptance to diversify high performing maize. Among several innovative tools to promote agro-ecological transformation at the landscape scale, undersowing in maize may be an important one, but validation across multiple independent sites should be pursued.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109920"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865247","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":"Ancient mounds, modern refuges: Out-of-production sites on kurgans support rare weeds in agricultural landscapes","authors":"Balázs Deák ,&nbsp;Ákos Bede-Fazekas ,&nbsp;Kristóf Süveges ,&nbsp;Csaba Tölgyesi ,&nbsp;András Kelemen ,&nbsp;Ádám Bede ,&nbsp;Sándor Borza ,&nbsp;Laura Godó ,&nbsp;Orsolya Valkó","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109902","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109902","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rare weeds (RW) are disturbance-tolerant plants that enhance agrobiodiversity and related ecosystem services without adversely affecting agricultural production. However, due to agricultural intensification, RWs are declining across Europe, and their conservation requires targeted measures addressing their special ecological requirements. We aimed to explore the potential of out-of-production sites for maintaining populations of RWs characteristic of arable lands, old-fields, and grasslands. In an intensive field survey, we collected data from 216 sites in Hungary, including sites covered with spontaneously recovering grassland vegetation and reference grasslands. We aimed to identify site- and landscape-specific factors (i.e., geographic position, landscape transformation, habitat area, environmental heterogeneity, soil properties, age of the vegetation, and other vegetation attributes) influencing the occurrence and species richness of RWs. We recorded 38 RW species, including 15 red-listed and two protected ones. RWs occurred on 50.9 % of the study sites, indicating that out-of-production sites can provide refuge for RWs associated to croplands, old-fields, and grasslands. Environmental heterogeneity was the most important factor supporting the occurrence of RWs, particularly grassland-related RWs. Poisson models revealed that the total number of RW species was lower in northern sites. The number of arable RWs was higher in sites with high soil CaCO₃ content, while high soil phosphorus content supported fewer grassland RW species. Sites with diverse vegetation harboured more old-field and grassland RWs. Land sparing through the maintenance of out-of-production sites and supporting environmental heterogeneity and establishment gaps can contribute to the conservation of RWs in agricultural landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109902"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865248","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":"Crop rotation mitigates soil fungal diversity loss under warming or increased moisture","authors":"Zhibo Zhou ,&nbsp;Keming Yang ,&nbsp;David Tissue ,&nbsp;Zhong Wei ,&nbsp;Le Li ,&nbsp;Zhe Tang ,&nbsp;Lukuan Fu ,&nbsp;Hanqin Li ,&nbsp;Tingting Sheng ,&nbsp;Hongwei Liu ,&nbsp;Yingjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Fengge Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109910","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109910","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the response of soil fungal communities to climate change is crucial for predicting ecosystem resistance and optimizing agricultural management. Here, we combined a meta-analysis of 4968 peer-reviewed publications with a controlled microcosm experiment involving 600 pots to assess how warming and increased moisture affect soil fungal diversity and community composition in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Our results revealed that warming and increased moisture generally enhanced soil fungal alpha diversity in natural ecosystems, particularly in forests and grasslands. Conversely, monoculture farmlands exhibited significant reductions in fungal diversity under warming or increased moisture, while crop rotation systems mitigated soil fungal diversity loss under these conditions. Additionally, fungal communities in monoculture systems experienced lower species turnover and composition differentiation under warming and wetting, while crop rotation systems displayed higher resistance. Network analysis further demonstrated that crop rotation systems supported more complex and stable fungal co-occurrence networks, suggesting enhanced adaptability to climate stress. Lastly, structural equation modeling identified network complexity, driven by trophic guild diversity and beta diversity, as a crucial factor influencing fungal alpha diversity in rotation systems. These findings highlight the importance of diversifying cropping systems to enhance fungal community stability and resistance under climate change, providing practical insights for sustainable agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109910"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865249","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":"Spatial proximity to farmland enhances bat richness and activity in planted forests","authors":"Claudia Allegrini ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Meola ,&nbsp;Danilo Russo ,&nbsp;Boris Krasnov ,&nbsp;Carmi Korine","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities increasingly turn natural landscapes into mosaics of habitats, including settlements, agro-pastoral systems, and planted forests, often with significant impacts on biodiversity. We studied the impact of the proximity of different habitats to pine forests on insectivorous bat species richness, activity, and behaviour. We predicted that pine plantations would host the highest species richness and activity of forest bats compared to other habitat types, particularly those near agricultural fields, which may offer linear features for navigation and abundant insect prey. We used a landscape approach to assess the effects of a matrix of human-modified habitats on bat communities in the pine plantations of the Judean Lowland, Israel. We conducted acoustic surveys and classified bat recordings according to species and their behaviour which include commuting, foraging, feeding, and social interactions. Bats occurred preferably in orchards and pine plantations, where species richness, activity, and social interactions were higher than in any other habitat type. Activity and richness of bats increased near the Mediterranean maquis. Farmland proximity, particularly orchards, positively influenced bat activity, feeding, and commuting within pine forests and Mediterranean maquis. Feeding activity was most frequent in orchards (vineyards and olive groves) and increased in adjacent pine plantations. We propose that farmland may serve as supportive, insect-rich habitats for bats in pine plantations, underscoring their potential value in forest management strategies and agricultural practices. These findings emphasise the importance of reevaluating human-modified landscapes, including planted forests, in conservation plans to protect a mosaic of ecologically highly valuable habitats for bats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109885"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865246","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":"Rice-maize rotation alters soil carbon dynamics in saline-alkaline soils of Ningxia province, northwest China","authors":"Zhuonan Hou ,&nbsp;Wenqian Han ,&nbsp;Dongrui Qin ,&nbsp;Xinnian Guo ,&nbsp;Yanxing Dou ,&nbsp;Zhaolong Zhu ,&nbsp;Yimei Huang ,&nbsp;Shaoshan An","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109916","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109916","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Long-term crop production practices have indicated that rice cultivation and rotation are effective strategies for enhancing soil quality and crop yields in saline-alkaline soils. However, the impacts of long-term rice-maize rotation on soil carbon dynamics remain unclear. To clarify the mechanisms by which soil salinization and alkalization mediate the distribution pattern of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC), the sample sites were reclaimed under same cultivation and management measures. 18 saline-alkaline sampling sites were selected where maize monoculture (M) and rice-maize rotation (RM) have been continuously for about 30 years in Ningxia province, northwest China. Soil samples were collected from both M and RM after the harvest of maize and rice in 2024, respectively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in most salinity properties between M and RM. The average contents of SOC were 9.55 g kg^–1 in topsoil and 6.22 g kg^–1 in subsoil of M, which were significantly (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) higher than that of RM. No significant difference was observed in SIC between different land use and soil depth, which was closely associated with pH. And soil depth significantly influenced TC (25.66 g kg⁻¹ in topsoil and 21.88 g kg⁻¹ in subsoil of M, 19.35 g kg⁻¹ in topsoil and 19.71 g kg⁻¹ in subsoil of RM) and SIC/SOC (1.71 in topsoil and 2.61 in subsoil of M, 3.51 in topsoil and 5.14 in subsoil of RM), which led to the difference in soil carbon stocks between M and RM. The dynamics of SOC and SIC in RM were affected by soil texture (silt and sand contents) and minerals (Fe_o and Fe_d c_ontents, Fe_o,/Fe_d), which played a key role in soil carbon sequestration. In brief, the study revealed that long-term rice-maize rotation can alter soil salinization and alkalization, compared with maize monoculture, and strongly govern soil carbon sequestration through organic and inorganic pathways, thereby contributing to the further understanding of agricultural practices in saline-alkaline environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109916"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865245","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":"Intraspecific trait variation mediates intercropping productivity under different spatial arrangements","authors":"Junlong Ye ,&nbsp;Lufeng Zhao ,&nbsp;Liang Guo ,&nbsp;Yinghan Liu ,&nbsp;Dalv Chen ,&nbsp;Lei He ,&nbsp;Jianjun Tang ,&nbsp;Liangliang Hu ,&nbsp;Xin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109911","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109911","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functional traits have advanced our comprehension of crop-crop interactions and intercropping outcomes. Nonetheless, the role of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in influencing intercropping productivity across various spatial arrangements has received little attention. This study examined three aspects of crop ITV (i.e., the plastic variation in trait means, trait range, and trait coordination) in a field experiment on maize (<em>Zea mays</em>)-pepper (<em>Capsicum annuum</em>) strip intercropping. We set up different spatial arrangements with maize to pepper row ratios of 2:2 (M2P2), 2:4 (M2P4), and 2:6 (M2P6). Results indicated that M2P4 was the only spatial arrangement to achieve overyielding (mean LER = 1.09, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Intercropped maize consistently exhibited competitive advantages, but pepper displayed significant variability in biomass under different spatial arrangements. Compared to monoculture, intercropping increased the mean values of plant height and leaf area in maize (by 5.83 % and 4.67 % on average, respectively, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), but had minimal influence on trait range and trait coordination of maize. However, intercropping significantly increased the mean values of 6 out of the 11 traits (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) with a significant decrease in root diameter (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), magnified trait range (by 26.5 % - 58.8 %, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), and diminished trait coordination (especially M2P2 and M2P6, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Structural equation model analyses showed that plastic variation in trait means benefited the biomass of maize, but an increased trait range and elevated trait coordination favored the biomass of pepper. All three aspects of ITV functioned as effective mediators of the effect of spatial arrangement on crop-crop competition and intercropping productivity. Our findings suggest that intraspecific trait variation has considerable implications for the design of species-diversified agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"394 ","pages":"Article 109911"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861026","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}