Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Rice cultivation in saline-alkaline soil shifts the coupling of phosphorus functional genes and salt tolerance genes based on metagenomic analysis","authors":"Qilin Lv ,&nbsp;Jingbiao Fan ,&nbsp;Tairan Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiaocheng Pan ,&nbsp;Huixian Li ,&nbsp;Xueqin Ren ,&nbsp;Lin Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuwen Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice cultivation in saline-alkali soil can improve soil fertility and microbial activity. How this impacts the relative abundance of salt tolerance genes and phosphorus (P) cycling genes in soil, and their relationship, remains unclear. We studied the physicochemical and microbial properties of barren saline-alkali wasteland soil (WL) and saline-alkali wasteland cultivated with rice for 10, 21, or 30 years, in the Sognen Plain of northeastern China. Our results exhibited that rice cultivation in saline-alkaline soil reduced the saline-alkali properties of soil and mitigated osmotic stress to microorganisms. Rice planted in saline-alkaline soil reduced the abundance of microbial salt tolerance genes and the network interactions between salt tolerance and P cycling genes. Compared to 10-year and 21-year rice-planted saline-alkaline soils, rice planted 30 years ago had increased content of labile P, moderately labile P and organic P, resulting the decreases of the relative abundance of genes for organic P mineralization (<em>phoD</em>) and inorganic P solubilization (<em>gcd</em>) and the increase in the relative abundance of genes for low-affinity inorganic phosphate transporters (<em>pit</em>). Additionally, long-term rice cultivation decreased soil pH, leading to a decrease of abundance of inorganic P solubilization genes. The increase of soil P availability mitigated P limitation, resulting in the complexity of the P cycling gene network in 21-year and 30-year cultivated plots lower than in 10-year plot. These results suggest that reclamation of saline land for rice alleviates the effects of soil salinity on microbial activities, enhances soil P availability, and reduces the interaction of P cycling and salt tolerance genes, promoting the microbial P assimilation in soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106142"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143885953","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":"Effect of microbe-mediated allelochemicals derived from soil of a plant species on two co-occurring native plant species","authors":"Jiajia Wang ,&nbsp;Kun Liu ,&nbsp;Carol C. Baskin ,&nbsp;Ziyang Liu ,&nbsp;Hanwen Cui ,&nbsp;Jingwei Chen ,&nbsp;Yajun Wang ,&nbsp;Hongxian Song ,&nbsp;Zi Yang ,&nbsp;Anning Zhang ,&nbsp;Lizhe An ,&nbsp;Sa Xiao ,&nbsp;Shuyan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many studies on allelopathic plants have focused on the negative effects of allelochemicals on the growth of other plants; however, few studies have considered the interactions between soil microbes and soil properties. This study used a controlled field pot experiment in which pots were filled with soil from natural grasslands either lacking <em>Ligularia virgaurea</em> or containing <em>L. virgaurea.</em> Using activated carbon and live/sterilized soil microbial inocula, we tested the effects of allelochemicals, soil microbes, and soil origin on seed germination, plant survival, and biomass accumulation of a native grass (<em>Elymus nutans</em>) and forb (<em>Halenia elliptica</em>) in alpine meadows. The allelochemicals significantly reduced the germination of <em>H. elliptica</em> seeds. Soil microbes from non-<em>L. virgaurea</em> enhanced the negative effects of allelochemicals on <em>E. nutans</em> survival and biomass accumulation of <em>H. elliptica</em> in these soils, but soil microbes from <em>L. virgaurea</em> soil reduced the negative effects of allelochemicals on <em>E. nutans</em> survival in <em>L. virgaurea</em> soil. Furthermore, the positive effects of <em>L. virgaurea</em> soil on the seed germination, survival and biomass of <em>E. nutans</em> were increased by the addition of soil microbes. Our study reveals multiple mechanisms by which allelopathic plants can affect plant populations and dynamics, and provides new insights into native plant responses to the expansion of allelopathic weeds in relation to grassland management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106140"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891014","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":"Metagenomic reconstruction of microbial structure and carbon cycling for annual crop productivity: influence of long-term straw mulching and nitrogen","authors":"Hongkun Yang ,&nbsp;Qiaozheng Zou ,&nbsp;Jiarui Zhang ,&nbsp;Qian Xia ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Ten ,&nbsp;Xiulan Huang ,&nbsp;Gaoqiong Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is crucial in sustaining agroecosystem productivity. However, the mechanism through which microbial functional gene assemblages and rhizosphere metabolites drive SOC sequestration remains elusive. Ten-year field experiments examined how straw mulching (0 and 7500 kg ha⁻¹) with nitrogen (0, 120, and 180 kg N ha⁻¹) reshape microbial functional potential, drive soil carbon sequestration, and enhance annual crop productivity in the wheat–maize rotation system. Compared with no mulch control, long-term straw mulching with N fertilization increased annual wheat (12.9–25.5 %) and maize (39.6–57.7 %) yields and SOC content (15.8–22.7 %). It also promoted the conversion of labile SOC to slow and passive SOC, owing to the microbial carbon pump effect. <em>Proteobacteria</em> and <em>Actinobacteria</em> emerged as primary microbial phyla that stimulated functional potential involved in organic C oxidation, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, particularly enhancing functional genes for cellulose oxidation (cellobiosidase) and lignin degradation (benzoyl-CoA reductase). Differentially expressed rhizosphere metabolites, including organic acids, lipids, and phenylpropanoids, were mostly associated with converting labile C to passive SOC. These results indicated that straw mulching with chemical N addition drove the assemblage of microbes to regulate functional genes that participated in organic carbon oxidation and altered the metabolic profile of phenylpropanoids, lipids, and organic acids to increase soil carbon sequestration and annual crop productivity. Our findings provide a framework for optimizing residue-nutrient management to reconcile soil carbon sequestration with agricultural productivity in dryland farming systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106146"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143885951","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":"Responses of soil bacterial communities and PAH-degrading genes to PAHs during soil self-purification: Evidence from a microcosm experiment","authors":"Xian Zhou ,&nbsp;Xuwei Li ,&nbsp;Chao Lu ,&nbsp;Jian Wang ,&nbsp;Chao Qin ,&nbsp;Wanting Ling","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent environmental pollutants threatening soil ecosystems and human health. While soil microbial communities possess intrinsic PAH degradation potential, the dynamics of bacterial populations and degradation-associated genes during natural attenuation remain poorly understood. This study investigated the self-purification capacity of PAH-contaminated soil through a 32-day microcosm experiment using three model PAHs: naphthalene (NAP), phenanthrene (PHE), and pyrene (PYR). Results demonstrated high PAH dissipation rates (94.36 %, 72.60 %, and 47.70 % for NAP, PHE, and PYR, respectively). High-throughput sequencing revealed that PAH exposure (10–100 mg kg⁻¹) shifted bacterial community structure, enriching Actinobacterial taxa (Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, Nocardioides) linked to PAH degradation and strengthening bacterial interactions. Quantitative PCR further indicated substrate-specific gene responses: Actinobacteria harboring nahAC preferentially degraded NAP, while nidA and phe genes were upregulated under PHE/PYR stress. These findings highlight Actinobacteria as keystone degraders and propose leveraging microbial community assembly strategies to optimize bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106147"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143882820","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":"Fertilization decreases microbial CUE via enhancing soil properties and microbial respiration in coal mine reclamation area","authors":"Jinfeng Wang ,&nbsp;Zhengming Luo ,&nbsp;Jia Li ,&nbsp;Jianhua Li ,&nbsp;Minggang Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) is a pivotal parameter in regulating soil carbon cycling, however, the effects of different fertilization on microbial CUE in reclaimed soil and its key driving mechanisms remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, a long-term trial was conducted to explore the differential characteristics of microbial CUE and its microbial mechanism in reclaimed soil under fertilization. Four treatments were included in the trials: 1) normal farmland (NL); 2) no fertilization (NF); 3) balanced mineral NPK fertilization (NPK); 4) NPK plus organic fertilizer (NPKM). Our results showed that both NPK and NPKM significantly decreased the microbial CUE by 29.6 % and 48.1 %, respectively, concurrently, significantly prolonged the microbial biomass turnover time. The microbial growth rates and growth quotient (qGrowth) in all treatments were significantly lower than respiration rates and respiratory quotient (qCO₂) by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the microbial growth rate in NF and NPKM were significantly lower than NL, and respiration rate in NPK and NPKM were significantly lower than NL. NPK and NPKM significantly enhanced soil particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon (POC and MAOC) contents relative to NF. In addition, NPK and NPKM also significantly increased the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) concentrations of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, aerobic bacteria and other bacterial groups, while only the fungal PLFA concentrations in NPKM were comparable to normal field levels. A significant positive correlation was found between microbial CUE and soil pH, as well as the ratio of microbial biomass carbon to nitrogen (MBC/MBN). Conversely, microbial CUE exhibited significant negative correlations with soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), MBC, and microbial PLFA. Microbial CUE also showed a negative correlation with qCO₂ (R² = 0.48, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and MBC, POC, MAOC (R² = 0.39–0.64, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) in reclaimed soil. Random forest model (RFM) further identified MAOC, aerobic bacteria, MBN, TN, MBC/MBN, G⁺ and SOC as the primary factors affecting microbial CUE. The Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) suggested that fertilization enhanced microbial respiration by improving soil properties, ultimately reducing microbial CUE in reclaimed soil. Overall, long-term application of NPK or NPKM reduced the microbial CUE via enhancing soil properties and microbial respiration in coal mine reclamation area, which also provide a theoretical basis for organic carbon sequestration in reclaimed soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106145"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143882821","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":"Afforestation inhibits aromatic ring cleavage and promotes soil organic carbon sequestration in seasonally flooded marshland soils at 1-m depth in China","authors":"Shuhui Du ,&nbsp;En Liu ,&nbsp;Haoyang Li ,&nbsp;Yuan Wei ,&nbsp;Chunqian Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiaogang Wu ,&nbsp;Qian Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Afforestation stimulates the degradation or sequestration of soil organic C (SOC). While the role of complex plant-derived components such as lignin phenol in enhancing SOC storage post-afforestation is acknowledged, the underlying mechanism remains largely unexamined. In this study, we focused on the genes responsible for the cleavage of aromatic rings of plant lignin phenol, at 1-m depth soil in a periodically inundated wetland afforested with poplar trees along the Yangtze River in China. Our findings indicated that afforestation led to a noticeable increase in both SOC and lignin phenol contents in the subsoil, as opposed to non-afforested areas (P &lt; 0.001). There was a significant reduction in the prevalence of CAZymes and genes involved in aromatic ring cleavage post-afforestation (P &lt; 0.001). The accumulation of SOC and plant lignin phenol was found to be negatively correlated with genes associated with aromatic ring cleavage, respectively. Afforestation with poplar trees in wetlands was found to prevent the loss of SOC in the subsoil by reducing the abundance of genes associated with aromatic ring cleavage and hindering the breakdown of lignin phenol, resulted from the low O₂ content and narrowed niche environment. This research sheds light on the processes that give rise to the sequestration of SOC following afforestation and offers novel perspectives for the study of lignin phenol and the dynamics of SOC across broader environmental contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106135"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878992","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":"Harnessing AMF for tetracycline pollution remediation: Insights from the remodeling of hyphosphere soil bacterial communities","authors":"Hao Shi,&nbsp;Yunshu Wu,&nbsp;Lei Wang,&nbsp;Zhenyu Song,&nbsp;Yuze Lv,&nbsp;Baiyan Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tetracycline (TC) is effectively used antibiotic in animal husbandry and healthcare, has damaged soil ecosystems due to its misuse and residues in the soil environment. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to abate TC in hyphosphere soil by inoculating soil with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and to explore its potential mechanisms. The results showed that under TC stress, inoculation with AMF reduced the contents of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, and increased the activities of β-glucosidase and urease in hyphosphere soil. The relative abundance of bacterial genera such as <em>Pseudomaricurvus</em> in the hyphosphere soil increased significantly after AMF inoculation. In addition, four bacterial genera, <em>Cellulosimicrobium</em>, <em>Roseibium</em>, <em>Citromicrobium</em>, and <em>Hephaestia</em>, were uniquely present in AMF-inoculated soil, and the functional genes <em>Unigene456231</em> and <em>Unigene565663</em> were significantly enriched in the hyphosphere soil. This suggests that the reshaping of the bacterial community and the enrichment of functional genes in the hyphosphere soil led to changes in the bacterial community’s functions, which promoted the gradual abatement of residual TC in the soil. It should be noted that this study was solely based on a single pot experiment, and its conclusions may have certain limitations in broader ecological application scenarios. Subsequent studies will further investigate the remediation effects under different environmental factors and field trials. This study provides new insights into the use of AMF as a biological agent for the remediation of TC-contaminated soils, offering new perspectives for promoting sustainable agricultural development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106138"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878991","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":"Formation and microbial decomposability of new leaf- and root-derived soil organic carbon in forests varied with soil depth and duration: Direct evidence from 13C-labelled litter incubation","authors":"Tianyang Song ,&nbsp;Siqi Cheng ,&nbsp;Xuechao Zhao ,&nbsp;Dario A. Fornara ,&nbsp;Qingkui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Litter inputs control the formation and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in terrestrial ecosystems. However, we still lack a complete understanding of how leaf and root litter inputs influence the formation and microbial decomposition of newly formed SOC. Here we used unique soil-litter (¹³C enriched) mesocosms in the field to explore the effects of leaf and root litter on SOC formation, and then through lab-incubation further assessed microbial decomposability of the new leaf and root litter-derived SOC. We found that the amount of new SOC from root litter was lower 34.3 %–49.2 % than leaf litter in the surface soil after two years of field incubation, but in the subsurface soils it was inversely (higher 110.2 %–688.9 %) and also in all soil depths over the three years of incubation. Furthermore, root litter-derived SOC in the surface soil increased with ongoing time. The differences in the decomposability between new root- and leaf-derived SOC had no clear pattern along with soil depth and incubation duration, but their decomposability at the first two year of field incubation (0.57 %–1.16 %) was significantly higher at the third year (0.09 %–0.29 %), suggesting that new SOC became more stable. The microbial decomposability of newly formed SOC was controlled by soil microbial biomass nitrogen and leucine aminopeptidase activity. These results indicated that the importance of leaf and root litter to new SOC formation and their decomposability varied with soil depth and incubation duration. Overall, our findings provide the direct experimental evidence that the importance of new leaf- and root-derived SOC for the formation and the decomposability of new SOC were soil depth-dependent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106137"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143882819","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":"Organic-inorganic fertilization optimizes phoD-harboring microbial communities and increases phosphorus availability in paddy soils under intensive rice cropping","authors":"Danmei Chen ,&nbsp;Lipeng Zang ,&nbsp;Guangqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Qingfu Liu ,&nbsp;Mingzhen Sui ,&nbsp;Yiren Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), encoded by <em>phoD</em>, <em>phoA</em>, and <em>phoX</em> genes, plays a crucial role in regulating soil organic phosphorus (OP) transformation. However, the effects of organic-inorganic fertilization on ALP-producing microbes and available phosphorus (AP) under intensive rice cropping systems remain poorly understood. This study investigated a 39-year experiment (1984–2022) involving different fertilization regimes (no fertilization, inorganic fertilizers, or organic-inorganic fertilizers) under rice-rice cultivation. The results demonstrated that long-term fertilization significantly increased soil nutrients and altered the structure and composition of ALP-coding microbial communities. Organic-inorganic fertilization significantly enhanced soil P levels, as well as the functional strength, abundance, and diversity of ALP-producing microorganisms, particularly those harboring the <em>phoD</em> gene, while <em>phoA</em>- and <em>phoX</em>-harboring communities exhibited minimal changes. Moreover, <em>phoD</em>-harboring microorganisms were identified as the primary contributors to soil ALP activity. Bayesian structural equation modeling revealed that the higher OP content in soils receiving organic and chemical fertilizers optimized <em>phoD</em>-harboring microbial communities, enhanced ALP activity, and facilitated the transformation of soil OP, ultimately leading to increased soil AP content. At the phylum level, the composition of <em>phoD</em>-harboring microbes remained consistent across treatments, with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria being the dominant groups. However, the top 10 microbial genera in each treatment varied in their contributions to soil ALP activity, highlighting the functional diversity within these communities. Thus, organic-inorganic fertilization increases soil OP levels and optimizes <em>phoD</em>-harboring microbial communities, which are vital for increasing soil AP content in paddy soils. This study provides valuable insights into the microbial mechanisms by which organic-inorganic fertilization enhances soil P availability under intensive rice cropping in South China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106129"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143877283","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":"Field study of biochar effects on vegetation and bacterial communities in a restored mine","authors":"Jia Xin Liao ,&nbsp;Sanandam Bordoloi ,&nbsp;Yu Chen Wang ,&nbsp;Billy Chi Hang Hau ,&nbsp;Charles W.W. Ng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining activities result in the degradation of ecological functions in quarried sites, necessitating remediation after mining ceases. This study evaluated the effects of biochar on ecological restoration, focusing on soil microbial communities and plant growth in a degraded quarry site. A field test compared the impact of biochar on two indigenous plant species (e.g., Castanopsis fissa and Cyclobalanopsis edithiae), and high-throughput sequencing analyzed the soil bacterial community. Results demonstrated that wood biochar significantly enhanced C. fissa growth, increasing plant height by at least 20 % after two years, while C. edithiae exhibited no statistically significant response to biochar amendment, indicating species-dependent effects. Biochar improved soil nutrients, increasing phosphorus and potassium availability. It also enhanced soil bacterial richness by at least 2 % but reduced α-diversity by 7 %, suggesting selective stimulation of beneficial microorganisms. Network analysis revealed increased bacterial network complexity, with nodes and edges rising by 2 % and 28 %, respectively. This strengthens material, information, and energy exchange among microbial communities and might contribute to improved ecosystem functioning. Overall, biochar improved soil nutrients, plant growth, and bacterial richness, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable tool for restoring ecological functions in disturbed sites. These findings highlight the potential of biochar as a sustainable remediation tool for restoring ecological functions in disturbed sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106141"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874488","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}