Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Composition and function of soil mycobiomes associated with Rhizoctonia root and crown rot in sugar beet","authors":"Malick Bill ,&nbsp;Sandesh Dangi ,&nbsp;Ashok K. Chanda ,&nbsp;Jason R. Brantner ,&nbsp;Austin K. Lien ,&nbsp;Zhaohui Liu ,&nbsp;Shyam L. Kandel","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rhizoctonia root and crown rot (RRCR) is one of the major soilborne diseases of sugar beet that causes significant yield loss and exacerbates postharvest losses in the storage piles. To investigate the soil fungal communities (mycobiomes) influencing Rhizoctonia root rot (RRR), we used Illumina sequencing of the ITS rRNA gene to analyze field soils collected over three years (2016–2018) representing different levels of disease severity. Our analysis revealed that overall fungal diversity (alpha-diversity) and community composition (beta-diversity) did not correlate significantly with disease severity. This suggests that disease management strategies focused solely on broad-spectrum shifts in fungal diversity are unlikely to be effective. The soil mycobiome was consistently dominated by the phyla <em>Ascomycota</em> (mean relative abundance: 57.1%) and <em>Basidiomycota</em> (mean relative abundance: 21.1%), with <em>Mrakia</em> and <em>Mortierella</em> among the most prevalent genera. While the pathogen <em>Rhizoctonia</em> was ubiquitous, its relative abundance was generally low (∼2%). The RRR suppressiveness was associated with high abundance and significant expression of biocontrol and symbiotrophic fungal taxa. The current study provides in depth understanding of soil mycobiomes and functions that might be important indicators of <em>Rhizoctonia</em> suppressiveness in sugar beet. Future studies should focus on isolating and characterizing the specific biocontrol (e.g., <em>Cladorrhinum</em>, <em>Chaetomium</em>, and <em>Cladorrhinum</em> spp.) and symbiotrophic fungal taxa identified in this study to test their efficacy against <em>R. solani</em> AG 2–2. Further research is needed to determine the optimal conditions for inoculating sugar beet fields with these candidate microbes, and to assess their impact on RRR severity under field conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106871"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185777","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":"Integrated modeling and experimental approaches reveal the impact of climate change on dung beetle distribution and function","authors":"Miguel A. Carreón ,&nbsp;Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández ,&nbsp;Ernesto I. Badano ,&nbsp;Sandra Milena Gelviz-Gelvez ,&nbsp;Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón ,&nbsp;Felipe Barragán","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change is expected to alter the distribution and ecological functions of dung beetles, thus affecting ecosystem functioning due to the role these insects play in nutrient cycling and soil bioturbation. This study integrates species distribution models (SDMs) and field experiments to assess the impact of warming on <em>Canthon humectus</em> and <em>C. indigaceus</em>. Using SDMs calibrated with bioclimatic variables, we projected the future distribution of both species under different climate change scenarios. Field experiments employing open-top chambers were used to simulate temperature increases, enabling us to measure dung removal rates and brood ball size and length. Additionally, we implemented density treatments to evaluate the influence of intraspecific competition on these ecological functions. Our results indicate that <em>C. humectus</em>, the larger species, could experience a minor reduction in the availability of suitable habitat (&lt;3%) under climate scenarios, while <em>C. indigaceus</em> would have negligible changes (±0.5%). Additionally, increased beetle density led to a moderate increase in dung removal but did not significantly alter the beetles' reproductive behavior. Our findings underscore the ecological resilience of <em>C. humectus</em> and <em>C. indigaceus</em> to warming, as well as highlighting the need for further research into density-dependent interactions and long-term climate impacts. By integrating SDMs with experimental data, this study provides a comprehensive approach to understanding species responses to climate change, which is crucial for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106865"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185775","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":"Non-linear effects of Fontelis 20 SC (fungicide) on gut microbiota relate to changes in reproduction of Folsomia candida (Collembola)","authors":"Borbála Szabó ,&nbsp;Elisabeth K. Riedel ,&nbsp;Marko Rohlfs ,&nbsp;Juliane Filser","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soils face significant pressure from agriculture, often involving pesticides. Especially, fungicides can substantially harm fungal-feeding soil organisms. One of them, Fontelis 20 SC (penthiopyrad) is globally used, yet little is known about its toxicity, especially to soil animals.</div><div>Using <em>Folsomia candida</em> (Collembola) as a model organism, we investigated (1) the effects of Fontelis 20 SC on <em>F. candida</em>'s life-history (juvenile number, relative growth, compensatory growth, egg number, egg volume, hatching success, reproduction investment, growth-reproduction-trade-off, and compensatory growth-reproduction trade-off), (2) their recovery in a Fontelis-free environment, (3) the impact on gut bacteria during and after treatment, and (4) whether changes in microbiota can be related to changes in reproduction (juvenile number, egg number, egg volume, hatching success, reproduction investment).</div><div>The effects of the fungicide treatment on the life-history and microbiota composition were mostly non-linear; with fungicide treatment groups often exceeding the control values at intermediate concentrations, but returning to the control level at higher concentrations. However, microbiota alpha-diversity in the fungicide-free (control) environment was higher than in all other concentrations. The reproduction (egg number, egg volume, hatching success, reproduction investment) of the animals were able to recover or even overshoot the control group, except for the highest concentration. While microbe abundance, Vagococcacea, and Caulobacteraceae were negatively related to reproduction parameters, the opposite was true for Saccharimonadales and Enterococcacea. We conclude that microbiota may drive the non-linear effects on reproduction in Collembola, but further experiments with microbiota manipulation are needed to confirm causality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106878"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186022","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":"Oxytetracycline-containing manure and mineral fertilization increase the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in lettuce-grown soil","authors":"Fernando Ruiz-Torrubia,&nbsp;Carlos Garbisu,&nbsp;Mikel Anza,&nbsp;José Luis Lavín,&nbsp;Lur Epelde","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agricultural practices can be main drivers of antibiotic resistomes in agroecosystems. The application of manure-based fertilizers, the use of biocides, and the entry of heavy metals to agricultural soils associated with fungicide and/or manure application can all influence the prevalence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural settings. Alternative soil amendments, such as biochar, have been proposed for the mitigation of antibiotic resistance in agriculture. Here, we investigated the effects of the following treatments, individually and in combination, on soil and lettuce resistomes: (i) mineral (NPK) vs. organic (aged cow manure, non-spiked or spiked with two doses of oxytetracycline) fertilization; (ii) copper application; and (iii) biochar application. We assessed their impact on soil physicochemical and microbial properties, including prokaryotic community composition, as well as the relative abundances of ARGs and MGE-linked genes in soil and lettuce plants. The application of mineral fertilizer, oxytetracycline-spiked manure, and biochar increased the abundance of ARGs and MGE-linked genes in soil by 2- to 16-fold, along with increases in some prokaryotic families linked to ARG-harboring MGEs. In contrast, copper application reduced soil microbial activity but did not affect the soil resistome. Our findings underscore the importance of evaluating the impact of agricultural practices on soil and crop resistomes, with fertilization emerging as the practice with the greatest impact under the conditions of this study. Such assessments are critical for proposing management strategies (e.g., pre-treatment of manure-based amendments) aimed at mitigating the transfer of ARGs to potential bacterial human pathogens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106843"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186021","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":"High-severity fire simplifies soil microbial networks contributing to carbon limitation in subalpine forests of the Tibetan Plateau","authors":"Wentao Lin ,&nbsp;J. Julio Camarero ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Lu ,&nbsp;Jiangrong Li ,&nbsp;Gengxin Zhang ,&nbsp;Eryuan Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-severity fire exerts long-lasting impacts on soil microbial systems, yet the mechanisms linking structural and functional recovery remain unclear. We investigated bacterial and fungal co-occurrence networks and extracellular enzyme activities along a 79-year chronosequence of high-severity fires in subalpine forests of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. We hypothesized that: (i) persistent soil and vegetation legacies of high-severity fire reshape microbial network structure and enzyme activity profiles, and (ii) these legacies act as environmental filters coupling microbial network organization with enzyme-mediated functions—particularly in 0–10 cm deep soils where fire effects are strongest. Our results showed that fire increased soil pH and carbon-acquiring enzyme activities, but reduced soil moisture, organic carbon, and plant cover. Importantly, we further found that these shifts coincide with a marked simplification of microbial networks. In 0–10 cm deep soils of burned sites, network complexity declined by about half relative to unburned sites, whereas the decline was weaker at 10–20 cm soil depth. Over time, network complexity gradually recovered, with bacterial networks showing faster reorganization than fungal ones. Microbial carbon limitation remained throughout all post-fire stages, indicating that functional recovery lagged network rebuilding. Within burned soils, network complexity was negatively associated with carbon limitation, suggesting that reduced microbial interactions hinder soil carbon cycling. High-severity fire legacies impose multi-decadal, depth- and taxa-dependent constraints on soil microbial communities. Therefore, restoring soil network complexity is key to recover fire-affected subalpine forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106862"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186038","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 impact of conversion of forest into cropland on soil nematode-associated microbiota varies across feeding habit of the host","authors":"Sisi Zhang ,&nbsp;Cao Hao ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingjing Yang ,&nbsp;Meiyan Li ,&nbsp;Pingting Guan ,&nbsp;Donghui Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106866","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106866","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil animal-associated microbiota, a crucial component of soil biodiversity, plays a vital role in facilitating host adaptation to environmental changes and supporting soil ecosystem functioning. Although the impacts of land-use change on soil animals and soil microbial communities have been extensively examined, the pattern of soil animal- associated microbiota across land-use types and its trophic specificity remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the bacterial communities of soil nematode trophic groups (bacterivores, fungivores, omnivores or predators and plant-parasites) across land-use types (primary forest, secondary forest and cropland) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Our findings revealed that the conversion from forest to cropland altered nematode-associated microbiota and nematode abundance through different mechanisms. The microbiota of bacterivores and fungivores were affected by land-use change, while no differences were observed in those in omnivores or predators and plant-parasites. Heterogeneous selection was more dominant for nematode-associated microbial assembly in the secondary forest and cropland than in the primary forest. The driving patterns of soil nematode-associated microbiota exhibited trophic group specificity and were influenced by soil microhabitat conditions. Structured equation models revealed that land-use change drove the effects of the nematode-associated microbiota on nematode abundance by affecting soil microhabitats. Our results suggest that land-use change influences the nematode-associated microbiota in a trophic group-specific manner, which could in turn regulate nematode abundance. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the symbiosis between soil invertebrates and microbiota, thereby enhancing our understanding of how global environmental changes threaten the maintenance of soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106866"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186039","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":"Biochar and manure amendments mitigate chemical-fertilizer-induce negative effects on soil microbiomes, with implications for crop productivity gain","authors":"Pan Jiang ,&nbsp;Hao Huang ,&nbsp;Jinmeng Hu ,&nbsp;Linlin Wang ,&nbsp;Yuping Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiangmin Rong ,&nbsp;Jianwei Peng ,&nbsp;Gongwen Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Co-applications of organic fertilizer and biochar have been demonstrated to have the advantages of improving soil fertility and food production while maintaining environmental benefits. However, the underground microbiological mechanism of the co-application-mediated crop production gain described above were still insufficiently explored. Therein, an over decade-long field study was conducted to compare the effects of chemical-only fertilization and organic amendment on the microbial communities and functions of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils as well as their production consequence. Findings indicated that long-term chemical-only fertilization notably reduced soil microbial diversity, whereas the loss of such diversity was mitigated by biochar and manure inputs. Additionally, biochar and manure inputs could enhance the complexity and stability of soil microbial community compared to no fertilizer or chemical-only fertilization. Interestingly, biochar and manure inputs replenished the certain microbiota involved in nutrient cycles that have disappeared as a result of long-term chemical-only fertilization, and meanwhile, reduced microbial pathogenic potential in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils. These positive shifts in microbial communities and functions were closely associated with the changed soil physicochemical properties induced by organic amendment, which partly supported better crop growth and nutrient uptake. Overall, this study highlights the importance of incorporating biochar and manure into agricultural production to mitigate chemical-fertilizer-induce negative impacts on soil biology, which will further solidify food production and security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106858"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186023","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":"Diverse prokaryotic strategies associated with soil organic matter priming","authors":"M. Waibel ,&nbsp;E. Paterson ,&nbsp;T.E. Freitag ,&nbsp;F. Abram ,&nbsp;P.E. Hedley ,&nbsp;J. Morris ,&nbsp;L.J. Robinson ,&nbsp;A. Sim ,&nbsp;B. Thornton ,&nbsp;F.P. Brennan","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Labile C inputs can alter soil organic matter (SOM) mineralisation rates through the priming effect, but the microbial communities associated with this process remain poorly understood. This study investigated two soils with contrasting nutrient supply potential, assessing the prokaryotic abundance and composition associated with priming via 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and reverse transcript quantitative PCR (qPCR), and sequencing. The RNA:DNA ratio, used as a proxy for protein synthesis potential (PSP), was calculated to indicate microbial growth strategy. We hypothesised that differentiating microbial responses to labile C addition from r- and K-strategists could explain the contrasting priming effects observed. Both soils exhibited increased SOM mineralisation and microbial biomass under priming, though to different extents. Priming was linked to responses in few taxa, particularly from within Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Potential r-strategists, such as <em>(Pseud)Arthrobacter</em>, showed rapid growth and decreased PSP in both soils. In contrast, bacterial K-strategists exhibiting increased growth and PSP were more frequently found in one soil and may explain the increased priming observed. We also frequently observed elevated relative rRNA reverse transcript abundance in predatory bacteria, consistent with an activation response. These findings highlight the complexity of microbial responses to labile C inputs and the value of growth and PSP metrics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106835"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186035","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":"Earthworms enhance nitrogen-metabolizing microbiota in drilosphere and rhizosphere co-occurrence networks","authors":"Yang Liu ,&nbsp;Ning Wang ,&nbsp;Wei Dai ,&nbsp;Junwei Peng ,&nbsp;Dandan Yao ,&nbsp;Jinpeng Shao ,&nbsp;Hui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earthworms and plants interact synergistically in soil ecosystems and influence nitrogen cycling processes. However, the effects of earthworms on microbial communities and nitrogen metabolism in the plant rhizosphere remain unclear. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to characterize the microbial communities in the drilosphere and elucidate how functional nitrogen metabolism genes respond to earthworm activity and plant growth. The results showed increased relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes and decreased abundances of Patescibacteria and Chloroflexi in soil microdomains affected by earthworms. Earthworm-responsive microorganisms were clustered into specific effector modules within the bacterial co-occurrence network. In the drilosphere, these modules were positively correlated with the abundances of <em>amoA</em>, <em>nrfA</em>, and <em>nifH</em>. In the rhizosphere, they were positively correlated with <em>nifH</em> but negatively correlated with <em>nrfA</em> and <em>nirK</em> gene abundances. The observed enrichment of nitrogen-cycling functional groups was associated with elevated soil pH and nutrient levels, particularly available phosphorus. Overall, earthworm activity modulated the abundance and composition of nitrogen-metabolizing microbial communities, thereby contributing to enhanced nitrogen cycling. This study provides a foundation for understanding the beneficial effects of earthworms on soil nitrogen pools and nitrogen-functional microbiota, offering insights into sustainable agriculture in nutrient-deficient soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106857"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186034","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":"Soil nitrogen loss reduces food web energy flow via nematode community simplification during wild fruit forest degradation in the Tianshan Mountains, China","authors":"Yulu Zhang ,&nbsp;Dong Cui ,&nbsp;Zhicheng Jiang ,&nbsp;Haijun Yang ,&nbsp;Zezheng Liu ,&nbsp;Junqi Liu ,&nbsp;Wenxin Liu ,&nbsp;Yunhao Wu ,&nbsp;Jinfeng Guo ,&nbsp;Yaxin Han ,&nbsp;Zhicong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wild fruit forests in the Tianshan Mountains are key constructive species of mountain ecosystems in Central Asia, and their degradation has seriously threatened regional ecological security. As typical indicators of soil health, the response mechanisms of nematode community structure and energy flow to wild fruit forest degradation remain unclear. This study focused on typical wild fruit forests in Xinjiang (<em>Malus sieversii</em> and <em>Armeniaca vulgaris</em>) and systematically analyzed changes in soil nematode community structure, diversity, and energy flow across different levels of degradation in wild fruit forests. The results showed: (1) wild fruit forest degradation significantly weakened soil nutrient status, which led to marked decreases in the abundance, diversity, ecological indices, and network robustness of the nematode community. Among them, omnivore-predators were the most sensitive to degradation. (2) Under severe degradation, the total energy flux of nematode food webs decreased by 55.2% in <em>A. vulgaris</em> forests and by 78.3% in <em>M. sieversii</em> forests. Flow uniformity declined by 22.2% and 7.35%, respectively. (3) However, in <em>A. vulgaris</em> forests, the abundance of <em>Merlinius</em> increased by 196.3% under light degradation, indicating a compensatory response. (4) The PLS-PM model indicated that soil nitrogen loss due to degradation reduced nematode community diversity, leading to decreased energy flux and distributional imbalance within the food web. Total energy flux significantly influenced soil multifunctionality in <em>M. sieversii</em> forests; however, this pathway failed in <em>A. vulgaris</em> forests, where total energy flux significantly impacted flow uniformity. This study elucidates the multi-level coupling processes among soil nutrients, nematode communities, energy flow, and soil multifunctionality. These findings provide a theoretical basis for early warning and ecological restoration of wild fruit forest ecosystem degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 106855"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185706","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}