Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Precipitation alters the microbial necromass carbon contribution to soil organic carbon in a desert shrub ecosystem","authors":"Hongwei Xu ,&nbsp;Rentao Liu ,&nbsp;Yanfu Bai ,&nbsp;Jordi Sardans ,&nbsp;Josep Peñuelas","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106775","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106775","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Precipitation is a limiting factor for processes and functions within fragile ecosystems. However, how microbial necromass carbon (C) and soil organic carbon (SOC) respond to precipitation changes remains unclear. Through a literature review (64 published data points) and a decreased (PP−20 %, PP−40 %, and PP−60 %) and increased (PP + 20 %, PP + 40 %, and PP + 60 %) precipitation field experiments in a desert shrub ecosystem, this study aimed to examine microbial necromass C changes, their relative contributions to SOC, and the driving mechanisms during precipitation changes. The experimental data revealed that SOC, bacterial necromass C, fungal necromass C, microbial necromass C, and microbial necromass C/SOC increased with increasing PP+ and that a 40 % increase in precipitation was the threshold for increasing SOC in desert shrub ecosystems. The SOC under PP+ was, on average, 25 % higher than that under PP−, largely because of microbial necromass C accumulation (78 %). A literature review revealed that fungal and microbial necromass C were 32 % and 19 % higher under PP+, respectively, and that SOC and fungal necromass C were 9 % and 18 % lower under PP−, respectively, than under natural precipitation. Higher soil water content, total nitrogen, and soil microbial activity under PP+ than under PP− increased microbial growth and resource utilization, resulting in microbial necromass C accumulation. This study emphasized that, compared with natural precipitation, PP− and PP+ reduced and promoted microbial necromass C accumulation and its contribution to SOC accumulation, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106775"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923319","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":"Changes in plant-soil-microbe interactions of degraded alpine meadows under mowing disturbance: based on inter-domain ecological networks","authors":"Yandan Ma ,&nbsp;Hasbagan Ganjurjav ,&nbsp;Yong Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiuzhu Zheng ,&nbsp;Qingzhu Gao ,&nbsp;Xiaorong Wang ,&nbsp;Kaiting Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106747","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106747","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Inter-domain Ecological Network (IDEN) is an important approach to exploring plant-soil-microbe interactions in an ecosystem. However, how the network structures and inter-domain interactions revealed by IDEN respond to external disturbances across varying degradation levels in alpine meadows remains poorly understood. This study aims to investigate changes in plant-soil-microbe interactions in response to mowing in alpine meadows of different degradation levels. Here, we conducted a mowing experiment on an alpine meadow in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau at three degradation levels (i.e., severe degradation, SD; moderate degradation, MD; and light degradation, LD) from 2018 to 2020. Then the plant-soil-microbe interaction network was constructed to explore the differences in the response of alpine meadow IDENs to disturbances at different degradation levels. The results showed that 1) the plant-soil-microbe system in severe degradation meadows was the most sensitive in response to mowing. The complexity of IDEN increased along the degradation level; 2) With increasing degradation, the network core node shifted from the functional bacterial community (chemoheterotrophy, phototrophy, and denitrification) under moderate and light degradation to multi-domain hub nodes under severe degradation, including denitrification and respiration functional flora, soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺), pH, and plant species richness. Our study suggests that the intensified inter-domain interactions within the IDEN may be a key response process of alpine meadow ecosystems to environmental changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106747"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023281","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 traits mediate the functional components of soil organic carbon under long-term fertilization","authors":"Yanhong Yuan ,&nbsp;Jiachang Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhanrong Feng ,&nbsp;Qi Zhang ,&nbsp;Zihan Zhao ,&nbsp;Qiang Li ,&nbsp;Shuiqing Zhang ,&nbsp;Gehong Wei ,&nbsp;Xinhui Han ,&nbsp;Minggang Xu ,&nbsp;Andong Cai ,&nbsp;Chengjie Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microbial physiological traits are key determinants of soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation under long-term fertilization, yet their adaptability to carbon (C) and nutrient gradients, and the corresponding C feedback effects, remain largely unexplored. Here, we conducted a 33-year field experiment with mineral and mineral-organic combined fertilization (NPKM) across two contrasting soil types (nutrient-rich vs. nutrient-poor). The ¹⁸O-H₂O tracer method and amino sugar biomarker approaches were used to explore the trends of microbial C use efficiency (CUE) and microbial C pump efficacy (MCP), while metagenomic analysis and environmental variables were integrated to clarify the intrinsic and extrinsic effects of long-term fertilization on these microbial traits. Our results revealed divergent responses of SOC fractions to NPKM across soil types: relative to the control (CK), NPKM increased particulate organic carbon (POC) by 130% in nutrient-rich soils, the 33.46% rise in mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC); in contrast, only MAOC exhibited a significant increase (80.86%) in nutrient-poor soils. Further analysis confirmed that microbial physiological traits drove the changes in POC and MAOC depending on soil nutrient status under long-term fertilization. Specifically, in nutrient-poor soils, NPKM enhanced MAOC by increasing CUE (100%) and MCP (45.34%), an effect mediated by C-degradation functional genes. In nutrient-rich soils, NPKM promoted POC by improving CUE (48.48%), a process regulated by abiotic factors. These findings highlight that initial nutrient levels regulate microbial physiological traits, thereby dictating the accumulation dynamics of different C fractions, which offers a theoretical basis for targeted agricultural C management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106798"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974000","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 bacterial community and vanadium fate shaped by co-exposure to polyethylene microplastics and native vanadium pollution","authors":"Shanshan Zhao ,&nbsp;Lan Li ,&nbsp;Jianing Sun ,&nbsp;Jingyu Hu ,&nbsp;Wu Liu ,&nbsp;Xin Cheng ,&nbsp;Dan Zhou ,&nbsp;Bo Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals in agricultural soils poses a complex ecological risk, yet the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and vanadium (V) under different pollution legacies remain poorly understood. This study investigated the interactive effects of PE-MPs at two concentrations (0.1% and 1% (<em>w</em>/w)) and two particle sizes (100-mesh and 1000-mesh) and V on soil properties, microbial community structure, enzyme activities, V fractions, and plant uptake in two soils with distinct native pollution backgrounds. Results revealed that PE-MPs altered soil properties and V fate in a strongly background-dependent manner. Despite increasing soil pH by up to 0.45 units in the LV1 treatment, PE-MPs suppressed both microbial diversity (e.g., Shannon index decreased by 8.9%) and soil sucrase activity. Conversely, in MV2, PE-MPs decreased pH and enhanced enzyme activities (e.g., urease increased 1.7-fold). PE-MPs differentially modulated V bioavailability: the acid-soluble fraction decreased in LV1 but increased in MV2. Consequently, V accumulation in maize organs varied: in MV2, 1% PE-MPs increased V in leaves by &gt;80%, whereas in LV1, the promoting effect was minimal or even suppressive. These findings underscore that the ecological impact of MPs in co-contaminated systems is not intrinsic but is decisively shaped by the soil's pollution history. This highlights the necessity of incorporating native contamination levels into ecological risk assessments to develop targeted and effective management strategies for agricultural soils under complex pollution scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106807"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973998","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":"Solid and liquid fractions of digestate: manure or slurry just like any others?","authors":"Florian Vautrin ,&nbsp;Mario Cannavacciuolo ,&nbsp;Camille Chauvin ,&nbsp;Pascal Piveteau ,&nbsp;Pierre Barré ,&nbsp;Cécile Villenave ,&nbsp;Daniel Cluzeau ,&nbsp;Kevin Hoeffner ,&nbsp;Pierre Mulliez ,&nbsp;Vincent Jean-Baptiste ,&nbsp;Gregory Vrignaud ,&nbsp;Aurélien Cottin ,&nbsp;Julie Tripied ,&nbsp;Samuel Dequiedt ,&nbsp;Pierre-Alain Maron ,&nbsp;Lionel Ranjard ,&nbsp;Sophie Sadet-Bourgeteau","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106788","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biogas digestates are increasingly used as organic fertilizers. However, their impact on soil microbiota quality remains debated. Indeed, little is known about soil microbial communities responses to a given digestate depending on i) the fraction applied – whole (FYM_WD), liquid (FYM_LD), or solid (FYM_SD) – and/or ii) the physicochemical properties of the receiving soil. In a 42-day microcosm experiment, we applied different fractions of a same digestate to three soils with contrasting physicochemical and climatic characteristics and compared their effects on the abundance and diversity of the soil microbial communities. The experiment also included four additional treatments: cattle manure (CM), cattle slurry (CS), a mineral fertilizer, and an unfertilized control. Forty-two days after application, a significant ‘treatment’ effect was observed on soil microbial indicators for the two coarser-textured soils (<em>P &lt;</em> 0.05). In the sandy loam-textured soil, FYM_SD resulted in a 40 % greater soil microbial biomass than FYM_WD or FYM_LD (<em>P</em> = 0.05). The effect of FYM_SD on soil microbial biomass was equivalent to that of CM or CS (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05), whereas the effect of FYM_LD more closely resembled that of CS. Moreover, FYM_SD input resulted in a significantly different prokaryotic community structure compared to FYM_LD-fertilized soil, but was equivalent to that of the CM-fertilized soil (P &gt; 0.05). In the loam-textured soil, FYM_SD input resulted in a 20 % lower prokaryotic richness than FYM_LD. Similarly, the fungal community structure was affected the digestate fraction (<em>P</em> = 0.04), and the effects of FYM_SD and CM on fungal community structure were comparable (P &gt; 0.05). Overall, these results demonstrate that digestate fraction influence soil microbial communities in a soil-type dependent manner.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106788"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974082","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":"Lithological controls on SOC fractions through the coupling of microbial CAZyme genes and necromass in karst and non-karst forests","authors":"Tao Yang ,&nbsp;Mu Yang ,&nbsp;Jinxing Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiawei Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lithological can strongly regulate soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics by shaping mineral protection and microbial metabolic pathways, yet the mechanisms linking microbial carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZyme) mediated organic matter metabolism to the formation and stabilization of microbial necromass, remain largely unresolved. Here, we quantified microbial necromass C, SOC functional fractions, and CAZyme gene abundances involved in the degradation of plant- and microbe-derived C across paired karst (carbonate-rich) and non-karst (carbonate-free) conifer forests. Our findings showed that karst soils contained higher SOC contents and a higher mineral-associated organic C to particulate organic C ratio (MAOC/POC, a key indicator of SOC stability) than non-karst soils, driven primarily by an approximately three-fold higher MAOC content, whereas exhibiting comparable POC contents. Total microbial necromass C were significantly higher in karst (6.64 g/kg⁻¹) than non-karst (1.45 g/kg⁻¹) soils and were positively related to MAOC in both systems; however, it was positively associated with SOC only in karst soils (<em>R</em>² = 0.22, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). These results suggest that microbial necromass is more tightly linked to SOC accumulation in carbonate-rich karst soils, consistent with enhanced mineral-mediated stabilization. Microbial CAZyme genes targeting the degradation of bacterial-, fungal-, and plant-derived components were 108.58 %, 142.56 %, and 122.27 % higher, respectively, in non-karst than in karst soils. Correlation and structural equation modeling analyses further indicated that, in non-karst soils, CAZyme gene profiles were closely linked to microbial necromass and MAOC, yet these relationships did not translate into a detectable increase in total SOC. In contrast, in karst soils, CAZyme genes related to the degradation of plant- and bacterial-derived components were consistently and positively associated with SOC and its fractions, supporting a mechanistic linkage between CAZyme functional potential and subsequent SOC sequestration. Overall, the results suggest a lithology-dependent pathway linking CAZyme-mediated organic matter processing to microbial necromass stabilization and SOC persistence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106784"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923264","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 and microbial stoichiometry shape microbial necromass carbon accrual in topsoil and subsoil across tree species diversity","authors":"Yulin Zhang ,&nbsp;Zongran Hao ,&nbsp;Xiangrong Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Changes in soil and microbial elemental stoichiometry regulate microbial metabolic processes, thereby influencing soil microbial necromass carbon (C) accumulation in forest ecosystems. Tree species diversity can influence soil and microbial elemental stoichiometry by modifying the litter properties and nutrients availability. However, how stoichiometric changes regulate microbial necromass C accrual across soil profiles along diversity gradients remains unclear. We investigated bacterial and fungal microbial necromass C fractions and their contributions to soil organic carbon (SOC) and C:nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in bulk soil, microbial biomass, and extracellular enzymes. We also assessed microbial traits (e.g., biomass and C-use efficiency) in the topsoil (0–10 cm) and subsoil (40–50 cm) along a tree species diversity gradient in subtropical forests. We found that increasing tree species diversity significantly enhanced microbial necromass C content and its contributions to SOC in the topsoil, but had little effect on the subsoil. In the topsoil, tree species diversity altered available soil nutrient, microbial biomass, and enzymatic stoichiometry. The increased accumulation of microbial necromass C was mainly driven by increased microbial biomass, facilitated by higher microbial C-use efficiency and improved nutrient availability. In contrast, in the subsoil, increased total soil nutrients and microbial biomass C:P ratios along tree species diversity gradients enhanced microbial biomass, but were not significantly associated with microbial necromass C production. The limited variation in subsoil microbial necromass C may be attributable to the microbial recycle of necromass under low nutrient conditions (e.g., limited P). Overall, our findings demonstrate that the effect of tree species diversity on microbial necromass C accrual is depth-dependent, mediated by shifts in microbial elemental demands through altered substrate availability and enzymatic investment strategies. This stoichiometric framework provides new insights into how tree diversity shapes microbial necromass C dynamics across soil profiles in forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106737"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923314","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":"Stable network complexity between bacterial community and dissolved organic matter remains under three-year consecutive nitrogen addition","authors":"Xiaochun Yuan ,&nbsp;Quanxin Zeng ,&nbsp;Qiufang Zhang ,&nbsp;Cheng-Chung Liu ,&nbsp;Junjian Wang ,&nbsp;Liang Zeng ,&nbsp;Kaimiao Lin ,&nbsp;Chaoliang Chen ,&nbsp;Weifeng Guo ,&nbsp;Jiacong Zhou ,&nbsp;Juyan Cui ,&nbsp;Xiaoli Gao ,&nbsp;Xiaoting Fu ,&nbsp;Yuehmin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106778","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106778","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interactions between soil microorganisms and dissolved organic matter (DOM) represent critical processes in soil carbon cycle. Yet, the effects of nitrogen (N) addition on these interactions remain unclear. Over three years, we investigated bacterial communities and DOM quantity and quality at two soil depths under varying N addition rates. While N addition reduced dissolved organic carbon content and humification indices in surface soils, bacterial diversity, life-history strategies, and DOM molecular diversity remained largely unchanged. Network analysis revealed a shift from specialist to generalist taxa within bacterial–DOM associations, yet overall network complexity indicators (node number, average degree, path length) remained stable. Structural equation modeling showed that a positive covariation between bacterial diversity and DOM molecular diversity; the neutral response of both DOM molecular diversity and bacterial life-history strategies to N inputs stabilized network complexity. Our findings highlight that bacterial functions are more closely tied to DOM quality than quantity and support the “diversity begets diversity” framework. This study provides novel insights into the microbial mechanisms stabilizing soil carbon pools under N deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106778"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923315","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":"Cicada necrobiome mediates greenhouse and trace gas pulses following periodic mass emergence","authors":"Megan L. Purchase ,&nbsp;Richard P. Phillips ,&nbsp;Jonathan D. Raff ,&nbsp;Amy I. Phelps ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Huenupi ,&nbsp;Ryan M. Mushinski","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The emergence of periodical cicadas from soil every 13 or 17 years is a unique ecological phenomenon with the potential to affect soil biogeochemistry in forests, with increased emissions of climate-relevant gases as a consequence. While it's well-known that cicada carcasses create resource pulses of carbon and nitrogen (N) in soil when they die in mass, the processes underlying these effects, as well as the consequences of these effects for N losses, are poorly known. We investigated how the emergence of Brood X cicadas (<em>Magicicada</em> spp.) in 2021 affected soil microbial communities – particularly N cycling taxa - in forests of the United States. We found that decaying carcasses led to emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and ammonia (NH₃) gas at around 0.53 mg-N m⁻² h⁻¹, estimated to be a ∼ 35-fold increase over ∼21 days from the annual average emissions from US forest soils (0.015 mg-N m⁻² h⁻¹), with the greatest effects occurring at the interface between carcasses and soil surface. Using amplicon sequencing and qPCR, we determined the potential microbial mechanisms behind N₂O and NH₃ production, including correlations between taxa capable of carrying out less well studied processes DNRA and nitrifier denitrification, and increased emissions of N₂O and NH₃. Although distinguishing the relative contributions of DNRA, denitrification, and nitrifier denitrification requires direct rate measurements, our results suggest these processes working together contribute to previously unrecognised greenhouse gas emissions following insect emergence events. Collectively, our results indicate that cicadas significantly affect nutrient cycling in forests with the potential to alter soil microbial communities in ways that may enhance ecosystem N emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106813"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023208","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 microbes reveal contrasting restoration pathways in Qinghai–Tibetan alpine grassland","authors":"Pengqian Huo ,&nbsp;Wencai Yang ,&nbsp;Guorui Zhang ,&nbsp;Ningning Zhao ,&nbsp;Wenxing Wang ,&nbsp;Xiumei Miao ,&nbsp;Gangsheng Wang ,&nbsp;Jie Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alpine grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are experiencing rapid degradation, threatening biodiversity, productivity, and ecosystem stability. However, the role of soil microbial communities in mediating vegetation recovery remains insufficiently understood. Here, we investigate how fertilization and reseeding, two widely applied but mechanistically distinct interventions, alter soil microbial diversity, community structure, and potential metabolic functions, and how these microbial changes shape plant diversity and productivity. Across a two-year growing season field experiment, fertilization and reseeding elicited distinct microbial responses with contrasting ecological outcomes. Fertilization significantly altered microbial beta-diversity (Adonis: <em>R</em>² = 0.058–0.074, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), favored nutrient-responsive taxa, and enhanced several biosynthetic pathways associated with biomass accumulation, while concurrently reducing bacterial network connectivity and leaving fungal networks comparatively stable. In contrast, reseeding enriched microbial groups involved in plant signaling and glycan-related metabolism, suggesting possible feedbacks that support vegetation establishment. Functional pathways—including glycosphingolipid (Pearson's <em>r</em> = 0.43–0.58, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) and flavone/flavonol biosynthesis (Pearson's <em>r</em> = 0.44–0.62, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05)—were strongly correlated with plant biomass and were preferentially enriched in reseeded plots, indicating their potential as biomarkers for restoration progress. Together, these results suggest that fertilization and reseeding may promote recovery through complementary soil–microbe–plant interactions: fertilization primarily enhances productivity via nutrient-mediated processes, whereas reseeding promotes biodiversity via microbially associated mechanisms. Incorporating microbial functional traits into restoration assessment may therefore improve monitoring precision and guide adaptive management aimed at fostering ecological resilience and sustainable productivity in nutrient-limited alpine ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106801"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023280","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}