Xiongkui Lin , Rebecca L. Schneider , Stephen J. Morreale , Hongmei Wang , Jianping Li , Zhigang Li
{"title":"The impacts of shrub branch shelter and nitrogen addition on soil microbial activity and plant litter decomposition in a desert steppe","authors":"Xiongkui Lin , Rebecca L. Schneider , Stephen J. Morreale , Hongmei Wang , Jianping Li , Zhigang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105956","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105956","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shrub encroachment and nitrogen (N) deposition have become two critical factors that cause global grassland ecosystems degradation. However, the combined effects of shrub branch shelter and N deposition on soil microbial activity and litter decomposition in grasslands remain obscure. This study adopted four branch shelter levels of 0 % (no shelter), 30 %, 50 % and 70 % as the main plots, and four N additions including 0 g m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup>, 10 g m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup>, 20 g m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> and 40 g m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> as subplots in a Northwest China desert steppe. Subsequently, soil temperature, soil moisture, pH, N content, activities of C and N cycling-related enzymes, and microbial community structure between 0 and 5 cm were determined post 2 years, and litter decomposition from dominant plants was also determined. The results demonstrated that N additions increased the soil inorganic N content, but decreased soil pH value. However, branch shelters enhanced soil moisture, yet had no effect on soil pH value and N content. As results, N additions inhibited soil N cycling-related enzyme activities, but branch shelters accelerated the activities of the most tested extracellular enzymes. Branch shelters also presented opposite potentials to N additions in affecting soil microbial community structure. Overall, shrub shelters counteracted the negative effects of nitrogen deposition on soil enzyme activity and microbial community structure. Consequently, both branch shelter and N addition promoted litter decomposition. Therefore, branch shelter could be used as feasible measures to restore degraded grasslands caused by shrub encroachment and N deposition in arid and semiarid areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105956"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420412","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}
Douglas Alexandre , Luís Carlos Iuñes de Oliveira Filho , Dennis Goss-Souza , Ana Carolina Lovatel , Pâmela Niederauer Pompeo , Marcos Benedito Shimalski , Dilmar Baretta , Osmar Klauberg-Filho
{"title":"Landscape fragmentation impacts springtail community assembly in subtropical agroecosystems","authors":"Douglas Alexandre , Luís Carlos Iuñes de Oliveira Filho , Dennis Goss-Souza , Ana Carolina Lovatel , Pâmela Niederauer Pompeo , Marcos Benedito Shimalski , Dilmar Baretta , Osmar Klauberg-Filho","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105961","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105961","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the impact of landscape fragmentation on springtail (Collembola) communities in subtropical regions. We collected soil core samples across landscapes with Low, Medium, and High fragmentation levels. Springtail morphotypes were identified and characterized using the Eco-Morphological Index (EMI), incorporating physical, chemical, and microbiological properties of the soil and litter. Our findings reveal a negative impact of fragmentation on springtail diversity. Landscapes with lower fragmentation exhibited higher beta diversity, indicating a more diverse and distinct assemblage of morphotypes. This pattern persisted across two sampling periods. Additionally, these landscapes shared a greater proportion of morphotypes with those of intermediate fragmentation compared to highly fragmented areas, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity. Specialist morphotypes, which occur in less than one-third of the samples within a specific habitat type, were more prevalent in less fragmented areas, suggesting their vulnerability to habitat disturbances associated with fragmentation. Notably, specialist morphotypes (Ed1 and Ed8) were found exclusively in less fragmented landscapes during the first sampling. In addition, our findings reveal a positive correlation between geographic distance and community dissimilarity at the regional scale, with the highest beta diversity observed in the least fragmented landscape. Overall, this study provides compelling evidence that landscape fragmentation negatively impacts springtail communities, affecting their diversity, structure, and niche occupancy. These findings emphasize the importance of considering fragmentation in conservation practices to protect springtail biodiversity and maintain healthy ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105961"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420414","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}
Mengmeng Feng , Yongxin Lin , Guiping Ye , Zi-Yang He , Dong Zhu , Hang-Wei Hu , Yuheng Cheng , Fengyi Han , Ping Yang , Ji-Zheng He
{"title":"Comammox Nitrospira and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are metabolically active in a subtropical estuarine wetland","authors":"Mengmeng Feng , Yongxin Lin , Guiping Ye , Zi-Yang He , Dong Zhu , Hang-Wei Hu , Yuheng Cheng , Fengyi Han , Ping Yang , Ji-Zheng He","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105964","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105964","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant species profoundly influence soil microorganisms, yet their impact on active ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms remains largely unclear in subtropical estuarine wetlands. Here, we employed DNA stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) technique to identify the active ammonia oxidizers under two typical plant species, <em>Phragmites australis</em> and <em>Spartina alterniflora</em>, as well as on a bare tidal flat in the Min River estuary. Our results revealed that comammox <em>Nitrospira</em> and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) rather than archaea (AOA) were metabolically active in the <em>P. australis</em> and bare tidal flat soils. However, in <em>S. alterniflora</em> soils, the activity of ammonia oxidizers was inhibited, highlighting the critical role of plant species in shaping their community. The active ammonia oxidizers were primarily dominated by <em>Nitrosomonas</em> for AOB and clade A.1 for comammox <em>Nitrospira</em>. In comparison, bare tidal flat soils had a lower proportion of <em>Nitrosospira</em> and a higher relative abundance of comammox <em>Nitrospira</em> clade A.2 than those associated with <em>P. australis</em>. Taken together, our findings emphasize the importance of AOB and comammox <em>Nitrospira</em>, rather than AOA, in the nitrification processes within coastal wetlands, and underscore the critical role of plant species as a mediator.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105964"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420406","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":"Unveiling the plant growth promotion and the antifungal potency against maize pathogen Fusarium verticillioides by desert-derived endophytes Bacillus subtilis RA15 and Bacillus tequilensis FC6 and their lipopeptides","authors":"Vanessa Nya Dinango , Hanen Dhouib , Lobna Jlail , Slim Tounsi , Fabrice Fekam Boyom , Louise Nana Wakam , Olfa Frikha-Gargouri","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105949","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105949","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the potential of two novel bacteria <em>Bacillus subtilis</em> RA15 and <em>Bacillus tequilensis</em> FC6 screened <em>in vivo</em> for their ability to protect maize plants against <em>Fusarium verticillioides</em> and to enhance plant growth. Both bacterial strains demonstrated significant growth inhibition of <em>F. verticillioides in vitro,</em> as evidenced by inhibition zones and mycelial morphology changes. Additionally, cyclic lipopeptides, including iturin and fengycin, known for their antimicrobial properties, were detected in purified extracts from cell-free supernatants of strain cultures and from treated maize plants. Interestingly, <em>in vivo</em> experiments on maize seeds using lipopeptide extracts at the lower concentration tested (10 mg/L), especially from FC6 not only provided significant protection against the disease comparable to that of the chemical control (55 % and 51 % for strain FC6 and the control, respectively), but also significantly improved maize shoot and root lengths (660 % and 191 %) and weights (371 % and 205 %, respectively). These findings suggest a direct relationship between the produced lipopeptides and the biocontrol and growth promotion capacity of RA15 and FC6 strains. Overall, <em>B. subtilis</em> RA15, <em>B. tequilensis</em> FC6, and their antifungal compounds hold great promise as biocontrol agents for managing Fusarium ear and root rot disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105949"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402894","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}
Suhui Ma , Yangang Li , Fan Fan , Wenjing Fang , Qiong Cai , Xinyu Xiong , Zhiming Zhang , Jiangling Zhu , Chengjun Ji
{"title":"Soil nematode diversity depends on understory plant species richness in a subalpine forest","authors":"Suhui Ma , Yangang Li , Fan Fan , Wenjing Fang , Qiong Cai , Xinyu Xiong , Zhiming Zhang , Jiangling Zhu , Chengjun Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105957","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105957","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As model soil invertebrates, nematodes are the most numerous and functionally diverse multicellular animals in terrestrial ecosystems, having significant effects on plant productivity, soil food web, and organic matter decomposition. While abiotic influences on soil nematode diversity are well known, the effects of biological factors and their interactions remain unclear. Based on combined field surveys with high-throughput sequencing, this study evaluated the impacts of biotic and abiotic factors on soil nematode species richness, Shannon diversity and trophic diversity in a subalpine coniferous forest in Sichuan, China. The results showed that plant diversity and richness exerted a greater influence on the species richness (ranging from 12 to 61) and Shannon index (ranging from 1.0 to 3.5) of soil nematode than abiotic factors (elevation and soil properties). Compared with trees, the species richness and density of understory shrubs and herbs exhibited significant negative correlations with soil nematode diversity. Interestingly, the relative abundances of lower trophic groups were mediated by both plants and higher trophic groups, whereas a bottom-up effect was observed on predators. These findings highlight the vital role of understory shrubs and herbs in shaping the trophic structure and diversity of soil nematode communities in coniferous forests, suggesting that understory diversity should be incorporated into models of soil nematode food webs in forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105957"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395448","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}
Sen Li , Weigen Huang , Chengrong Peng , Xiaoyan Jing , Jixian Ding , Tong Chen , Ruilin Huang , Han Hu , Jizhong Zhou , Jiabao Zhang , Yuting Liang
{"title":"Enhancement of rice production and soil carbon sequestration utilizing nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria","authors":"Sen Li , Weigen Huang , Chengrong Peng , Xiaoyan Jing , Jixian Ding , Tong Chen , Ruilin Huang , Han Hu , Jizhong Zhou , Jiabao Zhang , Yuting Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105940","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105940","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Farmland soils are currently experiencing severe degradation, with a significant decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, known for their efficient green manure properties, have considerable potential to improve soil quality. However, the underlying mechanisms driving their effects remain unclear. In this study, we utilized a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial strain (<em>Anabaena azotica</em> SJ-1), isolated from local Mollisol soil, to assess its impact on rice plant growth and to elucidate the associated mechanisms. The results indicated that <em>Anabaena azotica</em> SJ-1 significantly enhanced rice plant growth, particularly in low-yielding soils (dry weight of rice spikes increased by 38–74 % in high-yielding soils and 107–157 % in low-yielding soils). Soil pH, available nitrogen content, and activities of soil acid phosphatase and <em>N</em>-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase were all increased with the application of <em>Anabaena azotica</em> SJ-1. Additionally, SOC content increased, characterized by an increase in alkyl C and a decrease in amid/carbonyl C. Moreover, the metabolic activity of live microbes in the soil was enhanced. Genome sequencing revealed that <em>Anabaena azotica</em> SJ-1 has a genome consisting of 6,115,153 bp nucleotides, eight plasmids, and 5367 protein-coding genes. Carbohydrate metabolism was identified as the primary metabolic pathway, while energy metabolism relied primarily on oxidative phosphorylation. This study underscores the significant potential of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria to improve the quality and efficiency of degraded Mollisol soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105940"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395449","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":"Promoting soil microbial community development in early primary succession on waste rock by mulching with ramial chipped wood, in a boreal context","authors":"Simon Taurines , Armand Séguin , Marie Guittonny","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105958","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105958","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ecological restoration of mine waste rock corresponds to a context of primary succession, characterized by mineral substrates poor in organic matter and nutrients. The addition of organic matter, specifically in the form of ramial chipped wood (RCW) mulch, could facilitate the development of soil microbial communities crucial to ecosystem recovery on mineral substrates. This study examined the interaction between pioneer boreal tree species and soil microorganisms, exploring how a RCW mulch influences the development of microbial and plant communities in primary succession on different mineral substrates: waste rock and sand. The methodology of this research used an experimental design of four complete randomized blocks on an area composed of waste rock at the Lapa Mine, Quebec. Treatments (<em>n</em> = 4) included two mineral substrates (scarified waste rock or sand) with or without the addition of RCW. The study focused on seedlings of two tree species: <em>Pinus banksiana</em> and <em>Betula papyrifera</em>. Microbial community development was analyzed by metabarcoding, focusing on the rhizosphere of tree seedlings and bulk soil, five years after tree seedling establishment. After five years, RCW mulch boosted bacterial species richness and diversity, particularly around <em>Pinus banksiana</em> and on waste rock, although its effect on fungal diversity was less marked. RCW also favored the development of bacterial and fungal functional groups useful for plant growth. Microbial diversity was more influenced by the physicochemical properties of mineral substrates than by tree species, indicating a preponderant influence of the mineral substrate physicochemical properties during the very early microbial succession. By promoting beneficial bacterial diversity in pioneer trees, RCW appears to be a promising strategy for supporting ecological restoration in disturbed boreal environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105958"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395433","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}
Yaqin Guo , Julien Guigue , Sara L. Bauke , Stefan Hempel , Matthias C. Rillig
{"title":"Soil depth and fertilizer shape fungal community composition in a long-term fertilizer agricultural field","authors":"Yaqin Guo , Julien Guigue , Sara L. Bauke , Stefan Hempel , Matthias C. Rillig","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105943","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105943","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil fungal communities are vital in agro-ecosystems, driving organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, yet their distribution across soil depths remain underexplored. This study utilized high-throughput sequencing of fungal ITS2 amplicons to investigate fungal richness, diversity, community composition, and potential functions along a depth gradient (0–100 cm) under various fertilizer treatments in the field (control, NK, NP, PK, NPK). Results revealed that fungal richness and diversity peaked in topsoil (0–30 cm) and markedly declined in subsoil layers (30–100 cm), with distinct fungal taxa present in each layer. The C to N ratio (C/N) (12.9 %) was the most important predictor for ASV observed richness, while Depth (12.8 %) and C/N (11.1 %) were the top predictors for Shannon diversity. Soil depth explained 17.0 % of the variation in community composition, while fertilizer treatments accounted for 8.4 %. Fertilization significantly altered fungal community composition in subsoil layers but had a minimal impact on topsoil communities, with unique biomarkers associated with each treatment. Soil properties, including total organic carbon, pH, electrical conductivity, C to N ratio, clay content, and bulk density, were significant factors driving fungal composition variation across depths. These findings underscore the importance of considering soil depth in studying the impact of fertilization on soil microbiota, providing valuable insights into the complex dynamics of soil microbial communities in response to long-term chemical fertilizer treatment. In the long term, greater insights into fungal dynamics across soil profiles can inform new strategies to help safeguard sustainability of soil, a critical resource for food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105943"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388274","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}
Luigi Marfella , Mark A. Ashby , Georgia Hennessy , Jon Rowe , Rossana Marzaioli , Flora A. Rutigliano , Helen C. Glanville
{"title":"Mid-term (5 years) impacts of wildfire on soil chemical and biological properties in a UK peatland","authors":"Luigi Marfella , Mark A. Ashby , Georgia Hennessy , Jon Rowe , Rossana Marzaioli , Flora A. Rutigliano , Helen C. Glanville","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105953","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105953","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peat degradation due to human activities and global change exposes peatlands to increasing fire risk. Given their key ecological role in carbon storage and water filtration, studying fire impacts on a UK peatland is significant in a global context. This study aimed to assess the medium-term impacts of the 2018 wildfire on peatland soil within the Roaches Nature Reserve (UK). To test whether fire effects were still evident five years after the event and whether marginally affected areas exhibited greater soil recovery, several peat characteristics were evaluated in 2023 at increasing distances from the unburnt control area toward the fire's ignition point, in the order S1, S2, S3 and S4. Results confirmed that the fire effect was still evident after five years, showing a significant increase in pH from 3.59 ± 0.04 in control to 3.85 ± 0.03 in burnt peat, a 60 and 70 % reduction in water and organic carbon content compared to control (65.2 ± 1.33 % and 42.9 ± 1.80 %, respectively), up to 85 % reductions in microbial carbon and nitrogen relative to control (2.48 ± 0.12 and 0.17 ± 0.01 g kg<sup>−1</sup>, respectively). The observed spatial gradient of fire impact was: S4 ≫ S3 = S1 ≥ S2, only partially confirming the second hypothesis. As expected, S4 site, farther from the unburnt area, exhibited the worst recovery, but S1 site, proximal to the unburnt area, did not show the highest recovery. This is probably due to the variable nature of peatland fire dynamics and post-fire recovery, highlighting the need for more detailed analyses in future studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105953"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388272","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}
Muhammad Tauseef Jaffar , Muhammad Ahmed , Ruoxuan Shi , Shuaiheng Jiang , Zirong Kong , Nicholas Girkin , Jianguo Zhang , Haixia Huo
{"title":"Unraveling mechanisms of N₂O emissions and nitrogen cycling: The role of biochar C:N ratios in loamy and sandy soils","authors":"Muhammad Tauseef Jaffar , Muhammad Ahmed , Ruoxuan Shi , Shuaiheng Jiang , Zirong Kong , Nicholas Girkin , Jianguo Zhang , Haixia Huo","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105950","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.105950","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The influence of biochar on N cycle is well-known, but specific biological and chemical mechanisms under biochar with different C:N ratios and soil types, remain inadequately unclear. This study aimed to explore the changes in N cycle after adding N-enriched biochar (NB) with varying C:N ratios to loamy and sandy soils. Experiment included nine treatments: three NB treatments (NB1, NB2, and NB3) and a pristine biochar (PB), applied at 20 t ha<sup>−1</sup> (L1) and 40 t ha<sup>−1</sup> (L2), along with a control (CK). NB significantly increased N fractions, nitrification, ammonification, mineralization, and soil enzymatic activities in loamy soil than in sandy soil. NH₄<sup>+</sup>-N and NO₃<sup>−</sup>-N were maximum in NB treatments during first 15 days, while NO₃<sup>−</sup>-N levels were higher in CK at later stages. NB effectively increased soil TN, SOM, AK, and AP compared to PB and CK in both soil types. In loamy soil, NB increased cumulative N₂O emissions by 157.3 % to 229.5 %, while PB reduced emissions by 14.7 % at L2. In sandy soil, PB and NB significantly reduced cumulative N₂O emissions, with the greatest decrease (39.2 % to 86.1 %) at L2. Structural analysis showed that N fractions significantly influence N transformation in loamy soil, whereas soil properties and N fractions affect N pathways in sandy soil. We thus demonstrate biochar's C:N ratio and soil type are crucial in influencing N transformations and N₂O emissions. These findings are crucial for developing targeted biochar application strategies to enhance soil fertility and reduce greenhouse gas impacts with potential applications across global agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 105950"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388270","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}