Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Mechanisms of microbial life strategy regulate the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration under winter warming conditions","authors":"Renjie Hou ,&nbsp;Haihong Zhao ,&nbsp;Qiang Fu ,&nbsp;Tianxiao Li ,&nbsp;Liuwei Wang ,&nbsp;Wei Huang ,&nbsp;Bingyu Zhu ,&nbsp;Yuxuan Wang ,&nbsp;Yunjia Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the mechanisms by which changing climatic and environmental scenarios (elevated freeze-thaw temperatures and increased pesticide contamination) affect the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q₁₀) in seasonally frozen zones. We selected albic, chernozem and luvisol soils as typical soil types, and accelerate freeze-thaw cycle treatments were set at 0 (CK), 60 (A1), 120 (A2), 180 (A3), and 240 (A4) cycles, accompanied by a warming process of 15 °C. Meanwhile, soil pesticide enrichment concentrations were set at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The aim of the study was to explore the role of the transformation in microbial life strategists in driving the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration under freeze-thaw cycles and pesticide enrichment processes. The results indicated that the stability of soil aggregates was significantly reduced by freeze-thaw cycles. The release of labile carbon stored in aggregates into the soil resulted in a range of 31.35 % ∼ 48.65 % enhancement of soil carbon quality (aliphatic carbon/ aromatic carbon) in albic, chernozem, and luvisol soils relative to the CK group under the action of 120 freeze-thaw cycles. The <em>r</em>-selected taxa rapidly decompose labile carbon sources and use them for growth and reproduction, and the dominant taxa in the soil is transformed from <em>k</em>-strategists to <em>r</em>-strategists. Thus, the <em>k</em>- strategist characterization, such as bacterial oligotroph /copiotroph (B O/C), gram-positive/negative (G+/G-), and recalcitrant/labile organic carbon degradation enzyme activities (enzyme L/R), were significantly reduced by freeze-thaw cycles and pollution. Although the stronger metabolic activity and adaptive capacity of <em>r</em>-strategists increased the soil carbon mineralization rate, they weakened the sensitivity of metabolic activity to temperature changes. The Q₁₀ of the three soils decreased by 5.68 %, 10.66 %, and 30.42 %, respectively, compared with the CK. Therefore, the stimulatory effect of climate warming on soil respiration rates is not consistently enhanced, and carbon emission values may be lower than expected.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106054"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacterial rrn copy numbers linked to soil function and crop yield in long-term manure-fertilized soils","authors":"Shuikuan Bei ,&nbsp;Xingjie Wu ,&nbsp;Yarong Hou ,&nbsp;Huimin Yuan ,&nbsp;Christopher Rensing ,&nbsp;Zhenling Cui ,&nbsp;Fusuo Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingjing Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 16S rRNA operon (<em>rrn</em>) copy number in bacteria has been proposed as a genomic trait linked to microbial life-history strategies and resource availability. Yet, its role in agroecosystems under different management histories is unclear. We investigated how soil microbial communities and metabolites respond to 36 years of varying manure fertilization strategies (chemical fertilizers with or without manure) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics. Manure treatments favored copiotrophic bacteria, increasing the average <em>rrn</em> copy numbers while reducing oligotrophs. Microbial life-history strategies were primarily driven by C: N, SOC, and available phosphorus (AP). The <em>rrn</em> copy number was positively correlated with the abundance of genes encoding functions for C, N, and P cycling, as well as correlated enzyme activities, indicating that copiotroph-dominated communities in manure-fertilized soils exhibit a competitor strategy to utilize a broader range of resources. Significant correlations between soil metabolite profiles and <em>rrn</em> copy numbers, and strong interactions between copiotrophic strategists and key metabolites suggest that microbial communities with distinct life-history strategies harbor unique metabolic profiles. PLS-PM modeling and random forest analysis identified <em>rrn</em> copy number as a predictive trait for soil functions (metabolic profiles and enzyme activities) and maize yield. These findings highlight bacterial <em>rrn</em> copy number as a key trait underpinning the life-history strategies and functional potential of microbial communities in response to long-term manure fertilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106048"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Group behaviors and dynamics of plant-parasitic nematodes: Aggregation, clumping and their implications","authors":"Dan Jiang ,&nbsp;Congli Wang ,&nbsp;Xuemei Niu ,&nbsp;Ye Jiang ,&nbsp;Minghui Huang ,&nbsp;Chunjie Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), including root-knot nematodes (RKNs, <em>Meloidogyne</em> spp.) and soybean cyst nematodes (SCN, <em>Heterodera glycines</em>), exhibit distinct group behaviors that influence host location, infection efficiency and survival. <em>Meloidogyne</em> spp. displaying a strong tendency to aggregate around root tips, potentially contributing to their broader host range compared to <em>H. glycines</em>. The review explores the ecological and molecular drivers of nematode aggregation, including species-specific genetic traits, host plant interactions, micro-environmental conditions, and molecular signaling mechanisms. Genetic regulation, effector gene activation, and chemosensory pathways such as GPCR mediated signaling cascades and ascaroside pheromone-mediated communication play critical roles in nematode aggregation and host recognition. Nematode group behaviors also have significant ecological implications, shaping soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial community dynamics. Ascaroside pheromones mediate intra-species communication, facilitating aggregation and coordinated host invasion. Understanding these behaviors provides new strategies for nematode management, including disrupting pheromone signaling, targeting chemosensory pathways, and leveraging plant-derived metabolites to repel nematodes. Given the conservation of neurotransmitter systems, insights from plant-parasitic nematodes may also inform strategies for controlling medically significant parasitic nematodes. This review evaluates methodologies for studying nematode aggregation, including molecular and imaging approaches, and highlights their interdisciplinary relevance in sustainable agriculture and biomedical research. Identifying key molecular pathways underlying nematode clustering can drive the development of precision-targeted nematicides, pheromone-based control strategies, and broader applications in parasite-host interaction studies. By integrating molecular, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives, this review advances our understanding of nematode aggregation and its implications for pest management, soil ecology, and medical research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106043"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143697000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The microbiota playing “musical chairs” in a glacier retreat zone of maritime Antarctica","authors":"Tomás Gomes Reis Veloso ,&nbsp;José Maria Rodrigues da Luz ,&nbsp;Marliane de Cássia Soares da Silva ,&nbsp;José João Lelis Leal Souza ,&nbsp;Larissa Marcia Anastácio ,&nbsp;Tiago Iglésias Machado ,&nbsp;Mateus Ferreira de Santana ,&nbsp;Carlos Ernesto Gonçalves Reynaud Schaefer ,&nbsp;Maria Catarina Megumi Kasuya","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most of the Antarctic continent and surrounding islands are permanently covered by ice. However, due to long-term natural and short term human-induced climate changes, glaciers in the maritime Antarctic islands are currently retreating, exposing new substrates for colonization by microorganisms and plants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the microbial communities along a transect comprised of soils with different exposition times since the glacier retreat in Barton Peninsula (King George Island). We observed an intense degree of microbial succession in young soils located in the Recently Exposed Area (REA), analogously to a game of ‘musical chairs’ where microbial species rapidly occupy available niches as new environments emerge. In contrast, more developed soils exhibited a less dynamic community turnover. The co-occurrence networks of both bacteria and fungi presented a less modular structure and a higher connectance in the REA, whereas a more modular structure was found in the three networks of the more developed soils. This suggests that these communities are more susceptible to external perturbations and microbial succession. Furthermore, the functional prediction demonstrated that the functional redundancy is lower in the REA than in more developed soils. The surprising high diversity of microbial communities adjacent to the glacier front deserves further studies to compare with different areas (in terms of substrate, climate) under a common present-day warming scenario.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106050"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant and microbial-mediated soil organic carbon accumulation and stabilization in an estuary salt marsh wetland: Implications for blue carbon formation","authors":"Qihang Liao ,&nbsp;Zhuoyue Zhang ,&nbsp;Feng Yuan ,&nbsp;Yue Xue ,&nbsp;Meicai Xu ,&nbsp;Qinya Fan ,&nbsp;Ming Lu ,&nbsp;Xiao Huang ,&nbsp;Penghua Qiu ,&nbsp;Chenglong Wang ,&nbsp;Xinqing Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal wetlands mitigate climate change by sequestering “blue carbon (C)”. Plant necromass C (PNC) and microbial necromass C (MNC) are key components of soil organic C (SOC), and reactive iron oxides (FeR) are crucial for SOC stabilization. However, their contributions to SOC pool and driving factors remain unclear, hindering the effective management and accurate accounting of blue C. Here, we investigated the plant- and microbial-mediated SOC accumulation and stabilization mechanisms along a salinity gradient from seaward to landward in an estuary salt marsh wetland, including bare flat (BF), <em>Suaeda salsa</em> (SS), and <em>Phragmites australis</em> (PA). The accumulation patterns of PNC, MNC, and iron-bound organic C (Fe-OC) within three soil layers (0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm) were studied based on biomarkers (lignin phenols and amino sugars) and mineral-SOC interactions. At all soil depths, the contents of PNC, MNC, and Fe-OC, and their contributions to SOC, generally increased from seaward to landward, peaking in PA soil. PNC accumulated more readily in soils compared to MNC, whereas minerals provided greater protection for MNC than PNC. Decreased salinity and inundation frequency from seaward to landward could promote plant biomass and positively affect microbial activity and biomass, thereby enhancing PNC and MNC accumulation. Meanwhile, increased oxygen exposure could induce ferrous Fe oxidation and enhance Fe-OC formation. Consequently, salinity-driven plant community changes altered blue C accumulation and stabilization. In the context of future sea level rise, our findings provide insights into C sequestration mechanisms and offer guidance for accurate accounting of blue C in coastal wetland ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106058"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant species richness enhances aboveground primary productivity via net biodiversity effects and bacterial community interactions","authors":"Xu Luo ,&nbsp;Yingzhong Xie ,&nbsp;Shaoli Yue ,&nbsp;Mingfan Yang ,&nbsp;Cui Han ,&nbsp;Yaxin Zhao ,&nbsp;Ying Zhao ,&nbsp;Jianping Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The multifunctionality of grassland ecosystems is significantly affected by dominant and subdominant species, particularly in terms of aboveground primary productivity. Few studies have explored how various dominant and subdominant plant species control the interactions between several trophic levels, driving aboveground productivity. To investigate the direct and indirect drivers of productivity in dominant and subdominant plant communities, we selected three dominant and seven subdominant species from the Ningxia northern Yanchi Desert steppe for monoculture and mixture experiments to establish the richness of plant species (monoculture and 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-species mixtures). We examined the aboveground biomass, soil properties, insect diversity, and microbial diversity of different plant species combinations, linking biotic and abiotic factors with aboveground primary productivity. We found: (1) a significant positive correlation between species richness and net biodiversity effects. Higher aboveground relative productivity was achieved for mixed species than for monoculture, particularly for <em>Elymus dahuricus</em>, and the selection effect had a unimodal relationship with increased species richness, with the highest productivity observed in the 8-species mixture. (2) The co-dominant insect groups in various plant species were the phytophagous Miridae, Agromyzidae, and Cicadellidae families, constituting 69.5 % of all insects collected. Plant species richness had an encouraging influence on phytophagous insect diversity, but the effects on predatory, omnivorous, and parasitic insects remained insignificant. Additionally, insect similarity indices for different plant species richness values were lower than 0.5. (3) Stoichiometric analyses of soil enzymes revealed a reduction in microbial metabolism primarily by the relative limitation of nitrogen and phosphorus, with nitrogen limitations being significantly stronger in the monoculture than in the 8-mixture species; the dominant bacterial phyla, Actinobacteria and Ascomycetes, played essential roles in promoting plant growth in desert steppes, and bacterial biodiversity influenced primary productivity more prominently than fungal biodiversity. Our findings underscore the importance of conserving species diversity and its potential benefits for ecosystem restoration and sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106052"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial community structure and nitrogen cycling in an area affected by the tailings dam collapse under a rehabilitation process","authors":"Letícia de Souza Ferreira ,&nbsp;Helena Santiago Lima ,&nbsp;Alex Gazolla de Castro ,&nbsp;Karen Braathen de Carvalho ,&nbsp;Wiane Meloni Silva ,&nbsp;Isabelle Gonçalves de Oliveira Prado ,&nbsp;Igor Rodrigues de Assis ,&nbsp;Diego Aniceto ,&nbsp;Maria Catarina Megumi Kasuya ,&nbsp;Sergio Oliveira de Paula ,&nbsp;Cynthia Canêdo da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rehabilitation of areas affected by iron ore tailings has significantly altered soil properties and microbial communities (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). This study examines the recovery of bacterial communities and nitrogen cycling in two rehabilitated areas impacted by the B1 dam rupture: DA1, a stream channel area with significant engineering intervention, and DA2, near a forest with minimal intervention. Using microbial 16S rRNA gene sequencing we found that Pseudomonadota,<!--> <!-->Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexota, and Gemmatimonadota represent about 71 % of the total bacteria abundance in rehabilitated areas, we also identified 7 bacterial genera (<em>Terrabacter</em>, Neo b11, <em>Qipengyuania</em>, <em>Curtobacterium</em>, <em>Terriglobus</em>, <em>Parasegetibacter</em> and <em>Rhodopseudomonas</em>) as biomarkers for DA1, 3 (<em>Clostridium</em>, <em>Ensifer</em> and <em>Lacibacter</em>) for DA2, and 8 (<em>Fodinicola</em>, <em>Roseiarcus</em>, <em>Acidipila</em>, <em>Candidatus Udaeobacter</em>, <em>Planotetraspora</em>, <em>Mycobacterium</em> and Clade Ia) for a reference (REF) area. Genera in DA2 and REF were associated with nutrient cycling and plant growth, while DA1 displayed a wider range of metabolisms and degradation capacities. Microbial network analysis revealed more complex networks in rehabilitated areas DA1 (nodes = 3.186; edges = 6.480) DA2 (nodes = 3.224; edges = 6.521) than the reference (nodes = 2.175; edges = 3.020). Nitrogen cycle-related genera were present in both areas, with no significant difference (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05) in the abundance of <em>nifH</em>, <em>narG</em> and <em>amoA</em> genes, suggesting that technosol supports efficient nitrogen cycling recovery. Overall, the study demonstrates microbial structure and function recovery in impacted areas, with technosol playing a beneficial role, even in regions with complex engineering needs. These findings highlight the potential of technosol for future environmental recovery efforts following dam collapses, motivating us to continue our research and innovation in this field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106045"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elevation-dependent distribution of soil microbial necromass carbon in Pinus densata Mast. forests","authors":"Bo Zhang ,&nbsp;Sijie Zhu ,&nbsp;Liangna Guo ,&nbsp;Ganggang Chen ,&nbsp;Gengxin Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiangrong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106049","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106049","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microbial necromass carbon (MNC) is an important component of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, its distribution patterns and driving mechanisms in alpine forest ecosystems remain understudied. MNC plays a crucial role in soil carbon storage and stability, profoundly influencing the carbon cycling in sensitive ecosystems and under climate change. Therefore, elucidating the distribution patterns of MNC and the factors driving them is essential for understanding the carbon cycle in alpine ecosystems and predicting the impacts of climate change. This study focuses on the <em>Pinus densata</em> Mast. forests of the Sygera Mountain, examining the distribution of MNC by collecting soil profile samples from 0 to 40 cm depths along an elevational gradient (3100 m, 3400 m, and 3700 m). Our findings reveal the following: 1) The total MNC decreases with elevation, and fungal necromass carbon content is significantly higher than bacterial necromass carbon at all elevations and soil depths; 2) Microbial necromass carbon content decreases with increasing soil depth, and its relative contribution to SOC increases with depth; 3) The content of MNC is primarily regulated by the joint effects of environmental factors and microbial characteristics, with soil nutrient content, elevation gradient, and microbial features being the main factors influencing the accumulation of MNC. This study elucidates the distribution patterns and driving factors of microbial necromass in alpine forest ecosystems, providing crucial scientific insights into the soil microbial carbon cycle in alpine ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106049"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing soil microarthropod communities derived directly from soil DNA metabarcoding with those from morphological assessment in a drought-prone and irrigated pine forest","authors":"Jessica Cuartero ,&nbsp;Ivano Brunner ,&nbsp;Marcus Schaub ,&nbsp;Dariusz J. Gwiazdowicz ,&nbsp;Piotr Skubała ,&nbsp;Jiayi Qin ,&nbsp;Paul Henning Krogh ,&nbsp;Beat Frey","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106042","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Springtails (Collembola) and mites (Acari) are soil microarthropods, one of the most diverse animal groups in soils. They play a crucial role in organic matter cycling and are active throughout the food web as decomposers, bacterivores, fungivores, and carnivores. Only little is known about how these groups might respond to shifts in water availability, for example in the context of global change. Here, we investigated how soil microarthropods responded to long-term irrigation in a drought-prone Scots pine (&lt;em&gt;Pinus sylvestris&lt;/em&gt;) forest in southern Switzerland. After more than a decade of doubling the annual rainfall, irrigation improved not only tree vitality but also soil quality, and with shifts in bacteria and fungi reflecting changes from oligotrophic to copiotrophic conditions. We assessed soil microarthropods with two approaches: (1) directly by soil DNA metabarcoding and (2) by morphological assessment after extraction of the animals with Macfadyen funnels. Another main aim of that study was to compare the results with the two approaches. The dominant Collembola genus in both assessment approaches was &lt;em&gt;Parisotoma&lt;/em&gt;. The dominant Sarcoptiformes genus was &lt;em&gt;Oppiella&lt;/em&gt; whereas &lt;em&gt;Geolaelaps was&lt;/em&gt; the dominant Mesostigmata genus in both assessment approaches&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt; Only the metabarcoding approach detected Trombidiformes genera, and only one genus, &lt;em&gt;Microtydeus&lt;/em&gt;, had a classification confidence &gt;80 %.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The abundance and alpha-diversity of Collembola and Acari did not change significantly as a result of the irrigation treatment, regardless of the assessment approaches applied. In contrast, microarthropod beta-diversity showed significantly shifts for Collembola and Acari, and for the Collembola order Entomobryomorpha and the Acari orders Sarcoptiformes, Mesostigmata, and Trombidiformes. A Procrustes analysis comparing the two assessment approaches indicated a significant effect of the irrigation treatment for the mite order Sarcoptiformes and a nearly significant effect for Collembola.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Using indicator species analysis a &lt;em&gt;Parisotoma&lt;/em&gt; species was the only Collembola taxon in the metabarcoding assessment that was strongly associated with the irrigation treatment. With the morphological assessment, &lt;em&gt;Parisotoma notabilis&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Lepidocyrtus&lt;/em&gt; sp. were significantly associated with irrigation. For Acari, only the morphological approach let to &lt;em&gt;Licnodamaeus pulcherrimus&lt;/em&gt; as a negative indicator taxon for irrigation. By using the morphospecies lists as a reference for validation and comparing it with the species list obtained through metabarcoding, we found that only a small percentage of Collembola and Acari morphospecies overlapped. The metabarcoding approach detected taxa that were not observed with the morphological assessment, such as Neelipleona, Symphypleona, or Trombidiformes. Due to the complexity of the taxa and the lack of comprehensive taxonomic identific","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106042"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Soil microbial attributes and soybean yield response to off-season crop diversification in an Oxisol in Southern Brazil","authors":"Aghata C.R. Charnobay ,&nbsp;Artur B.L. Rondina ,&nbsp;Alvadi A. Balbinot Junior ,&nbsp;Mariangela Hungria ,&nbsp;Marco A. Nogueira","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soybean (<em>Glycine max</em>) cropping in Brazil often relies on soybean/maize or soybean/fallow systems. Diversification with off-season crops can improve soil biological health and soybean yield. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of off-season crops on soil microbial attributes and soybean yield over a seven-year experiment carried out in Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. The treatments included five off-season cropping systems: (i) maize (<em>Zea mays</em>) and (ii) wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>) as cash crops, (iii) ruzigrass (<em>Urochloa ruziziensis</em>) and (iv) showy rattlebox (<em>Crotalaria spectabilis</em>) as cover crops, and (v) fallow. Soil microbial attributes and soybean yield were assessed over 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 cropping seasons. Ruzigrass had the highest straw yield (8515 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), while showy rattlebox produced the lowest amounts (509 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) among the off-season crops. Ruzigrass and maize improved the soil organic carbon levels compared with fallow, whereas maize promoted the lowest amount of soil labile-C compared with the other treatments. Maize, ruzigrass, and wheat also increased the soil microbial biomass carbon. Cropping ruzigrass as off-season cover crop also improved N-cycling traits (microbial biomass N, and total inorganic N), microbial respiration, and the activity of β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase, acid phosphatase, and glutaminase. Principal component analysis of soil microbiological and chemical attributes revealed a separation among the off-season treatments, specially distinguishing ruzigrass from showy rattlebox and fallow. Ruzigrass provided the highest soybean yield in succession (4119 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) compared with fallow (3525 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). These results highlight ruzigrass as option to diversify the soybean production system, improving soil microbial attributes and soybean yield. Our findings also add on the understanding of crop diversification as sustainable agricultural strategy for promoting soil health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106040"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143683683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}