Applied Soil Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Biochar amendments enhanced organic carbon pool stability in soil aggregates by regulating soil carbon functional microbes","authors":"Xiyu Xiang ,&nbsp;Yan Chen ,&nbsp;Yanyan Lu ,&nbsp;Jiahui Chen ,&nbsp;Haiyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Huiying Zhao ,&nbsp;Shuchen Sun ,&nbsp;Sheng Zhai ,&nbsp;Xiaofei Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar application can improve soil carbon (C) sequestration. However, the microbial mechanism governing soil C pool stability with biochar application at the aggregate level remains uncertain. Therefore, a 5-year field experiment with conventional fertilization (CF), conventional fertilization and biochar (CFB), and a control treatment without fertilizer and biochar application (CK) was conducted. Results showed that biochar amendment increased soil organic C (SOC) contents and C pool stability, and modified functional microbes participate in soil C cycling genes in all aggregate sizes. Compared with CF treatment, the proportion of aromatic/aliphatic fraction of SOC in the CFB treatment increased by 28.72%, 57.58%, and 36.38% in macroaggregates, microaggregates, and silt-clay particles, respectively. Biochar application also altered the relative abundance of predominant bacteria phyla related to soil C cycle, i.e., <em>Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes</em> phyla, especially in microaggregates and silt-clay particles. Additionally, the expression of functional genes related to soil C sequestration (<em>PCCA, MUT</em>, and <em>acs</em>) and degradation (<em>pulA</em>, <em>pectinesterase</em>, <em>bglX</em>, <em>bglB</em>) was enriched with biochar addition in all aggregate fractions, but the predominant mechanisms varied with aggregate size. In addition to the chemical structure of biochar itself, the enhanced physical protection may dominate the C pool stability in macroaggregates, while the altered composition and C cycle genes in the bacterial community did so in microaggregates. Overall, our study provides new insight into the mechanism of biochar in governing SOC pool stability in aggregate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106811"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974058","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":"Vertical migration of tetracycline resistance genes in plough layer soil as influenced by soil type, nutrient content, heavy metals, and rainfall","authors":"Baoyu Wang ,&nbsp;Fangyu Hu ,&nbsp;Jing An ,&nbsp;Jinhao Dong ,&nbsp;Hewei Song ,&nbsp;Youran Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106773","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106773","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural soils and their associated environmental risks have raised increasing concern. However, the vertical migration characteristics of ARGs through soil profiles and the key factors influencing the migration process remain poorly understood. In this study, tetracycline resistance genes (TRGs), the most prevalent ARGs detected in agricultural soils, were selected to investigate their vertical migration within the plough layer influenced by soil type, nutrient content, heavy metals, and rainfall, using saturated soil column experiments combined with real-time qPCR. Results showed that the total abundance of TRGs in brown soils was significantly higher than that in black soils. However, the abundance of ARGs was more likely to decrease with increasing soil depth in black soil. Moreover, the abundance of TRGs decreased significantly with increasing organic carbon and inorganic nitrogen, while increasing with Cu and Cd concentrations in both the 0–5 cm and 20–25 cm soil layers. Besides soil factors, increased rainfall intensity can restrict the migration of ARGs, thereby reducing their abundance in deeper soil layers. Correlation analysis revealed that TRGs were significantly positively correlated with mobile genetic elements such as <em>tnp</em>A-05, <em>tnp</em>A-04, and <em>int</em>I-1 (clinic). Structural equation modeling indicated that soil type and leaching amount were primary factors influencing the vertical migration of TRGs. These findings provide novel insights into the vertical migration of ARGs in response to key soil factors and establish a data foundation for comprehensive assessment of their ecological risks in agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106773"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145876736","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 carbon-cycling processes drives soil organic carbon accumulation during afforestation in hyper-arid regions","authors":"Xinping Dong ,&nbsp;Yanju Gao ,&nbsp;Akash Tariq ,&nbsp;Corina Graciano ,&nbsp;Zhihao Zhang ,&nbsp;Mengfei Cong ,&nbsp;Guangxing Zhao ,&nbsp;Taotao Wang ,&nbsp;Weiqi Wang ,&nbsp;Jordi Sardans ,&nbsp;Josep Peñuelas ,&nbsp;Fanjiang Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microbes represent an important driving force of biogeochemical cycles and are closely related to the soil carbon (C) cycle during afforestation process. Despite their ecological significance, the paucity characterized the mechanistic role of soil microbial C-cycling processes (MCCPs) in hyper-arid regionslimits our ability to assess soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and terrestrial C feedbacks to climate change. The present study integrates metagenomics to quantitatively evaluate the MCCPs dynamics across soil profiles (topsoil vs subsoil) in both uncultivated land (0 Y) and <em>Populus alba</em> var. <em>pyramidalis</em> Bunge shelterbelts of different afforestation years (7-, 12-, 22-years-old) along the Taklimakan Desert periphery. Results showed that C fixation was the predominant MCCPs, influenced by afforestation years and soil depth. Shelterbelt establishment significantly increased the concentration of SOC (+57.57 %), the relative abundance of microbial C fixation process (+16.35 %) and methanogenic process (+11.00 %) across both soil layers compared to 0Y, while exhibiting depth-dependent C decomposition patterns (topsoil +12.83 % vs subsoil −8.92 %). Microbial communities demonstrated increased Simpson diversity in topsoil but maintained subsoil stability post-afforestation. Interestingly, network analysis revealed an intensification of positive edges in C fixation process (+127.44 %) and a reduction in negative edges in C decomposition process (−28.47 %). Energy optimization strategies emerged, with microbial communities preferentially utilizing low-energy C fixation pathways under nutrient-deficient conditions. Crucially, afforestation-induced modifications in key edaphic parameters (soil nutrient condition (−49.96 %) and electrical conductivity (−74.42 %)) were identified as primary drivers of MCCPs enhancement and subsequent SOC accumulation. However, despite sustained SOC accumulation in late afforestation stages (22-year period), the marked EC elevation underscores the critical need to integrate secondary salinization control into plantation management frameworks. This study establishes MCCPs as pivotal biological mediators of C sink formation during ecological restoration. We recommend that future afforestation projects in hyper-arid regions simultaneously enhance microbial C fixation pathways and soil nutrient availability to maximize C sequestration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106647"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923370","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":"Environmental persistent free radicals mediated reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress responses in soil microbial communities: A review","authors":"Sadam Khan ,&nbsp;Muhammad Riaz ,&nbsp;Shoaib Akhtar ,&nbsp;Yuanren Jiang ,&nbsp;Chenghe Yan ,&nbsp;Kecheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Hanzhong Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106825","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are recognized emerging pollutants that remain stable in soils for extended periods. The lifetimes of EPFRs range from days to months, under certain conditions half-lives of EPFRs exceed from 100 to 300 days depending on organic matter and minerals surfaces. In soils, the EPFRs concentration reported ranged from 10¹⁶ to 10¹⁸ spinsg^-1, and facilitate to promote reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide and hydroxyl radicals at rates up to 2–10 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, whereas induce oxidative stress on soil microorganisms and plants. Although EPFRs are primarily produced during combustion and pyrolysis processes, including materials production, such as biochar and coke, their persistence and accumulation in soil are of particular concern. Once introduced into soil environments, EPFRs may undergo complex interactions with various soil components, their behavior significantly influenced by environmental factors such as oxygen availability, light exposure, humidity, organic matter content, and soil pH. This review focuses on the stability and reactivity of EPFRs within soil ecosystems, examining their detrimental effects on soil organisms and plants. This review highlights the potential environmental impacts arising from EPFR-induced oxidative stress and disruption of normal redox processes. Additionally, the review identifies critical knowledge gaps regarding the sources, behavior, and toxicity of EPFRs in soil, outlining priorities for future research aimed at improving risk assessment and mitigation strategies. More efforts are needed to explore the main sources of EPFRs entering the soil ecosystem and to assess their toxicity effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106825"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023176","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":"Application of organic and inorganic acids in activating soil phosphorus in agriculture","authors":"Tong Luo,&nbsp;Huiping Gui,&nbsp;Nianchang Pang,&nbsp;Kai Peng,&nbsp;Qianqian Wang,&nbsp;Xiangru Wang,&nbsp;Xiling Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphorus is strongly fixed in calcareous soils, resulting in low utilization efficiency in agricultural production. However, it remains unclear how organic and inorganic acids can help activate soil phosphorus while maintaining soil microecological structure and function. This study investigated the effects of combining sulfuric acid (inorganic) and oxalic acid (organic) on the transformation of soil phosphorus forms, microbial structure, and microbial function. The results revealed that the addition of organic and inorganic acids to calcareous soil reduced soil pH by 1.95%–2%, substantially increased the activities of alkaline phosphatase and phytase involved in phosphorus cycling, and increased the contents of highly and intermediately active phosphorus by 18%–189%. Furthermore, ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis revealed that organic and inorganic acids promoted the decomposition of organic phosphorus. Macrogenomic analysis indicated that appropriate addition of oxalic acid could restore the reduction in microbial diversity caused by adding sulfuric acid, thereby improving its uniformity. The abundance of microbial functional genes indicated that carbon fixation as well as nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in soil were enhanced. Community assembly analysis further showed that assembly was dominated by deterministic processes. Thus, the addition of moderate amounts of organic and inorganic acids can substantially improve phosphorus availability in calcareous soils, promote soil biochemical cycling, and ultimately provide new approaches for efficiently utilizing soil phosphorus resources while supporting the development of a healthy soil microecology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106799"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023283","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":"Long-term no-tillage altered microbial communities and reduced C degradation while facilitating denitrification in a semi-arid cropland","authors":"Yuzheng Zong ,&nbsp;Weifeng Wang ,&nbsp;Wanhong Jin ,&nbsp;Yinglan Chen ,&nbsp;Shaohui Jia ,&nbsp;Qian Liu ,&nbsp;Yali Cao ,&nbsp;Dongsheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xinrui Shi ,&nbsp;Xingyu Hao ,&nbsp;Ping Li","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106766","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106766","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable residue management is crucial for enhancing soil carbon sequestration in agroecosystems, yet the microbial mechanisms governing coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling under different tillage regimes in semiarid regions remain inadequately understood. Through a 29-year field experiment (1992–2021) on China's Loess Plateau, we compared no-tillage (NT) with surface residue retention against conventional tillage (CT) with residue incorporation in a rain-fed wheat system. We combined soil chemical analyses with shotgun metagenomics to characterize soil properties and microbial functional potentials. The study demonstrated that long-term NT significantly increased topsoil (0–20 cm) organic C and total N by 29.7 % and 18.5 %, respectively, relative to CT (average of 2020–2021). Metagenomic analysis revealed that NT reshaped the soil microbiome, enriching <em>Proteobacteria</em> (7.1 %–13.3 %) and <em>Acidobacteria</em> (9.7 %–42.7 %), while suppressing genes involved in carbon fixation (−18.1 % on average) and the decomposition of complex plant polymers (−7.5 % on average). Concurrently, NT enhanced the genetic potential for denitrification (<em>narG</em>, <em>+</em>25.4 %; <em>napB</em>, <em>+</em>20.3 %) while maintaining higher nitrate levels. Partial least squares path modeling confirmed that the restructured microbial community under NT directly suppressed carbon fixation (−0.65, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and carbon degradation (−0.92, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) pathways. In summary, long-term no-tillage in semiarid croplands fosters a distinct soil-microbe system. This system enhances carbon stabilization but also drives a nitrogen cycle characterized by elevated nitrate levels and high denitrification potential. Consequently, it raises the risks of nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, a trade-off that requires coordinated nitrogen management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106766"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883056","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 nematode community structure and composition along a pomegranate plantation chronosequence in the Loess Plateau","authors":"Yuxuan He ,&nbsp;Jinglong He ,&nbsp;Jinlei Feng ,&nbsp;Xinlei Fu ,&nbsp;Yingxin Jia ,&nbsp;Yuan Miao ,&nbsp;Miao Wang ,&nbsp;Dong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pomegranate (<em>Punica granatum</em> L.), a high-value fruit crop widely cultivated in semi-arid and semi-humid regions, has driven large-scale conversion of conventional croplands into orchards in response to rising global market demand. However, the ecological impacts of this land-use change, particularly how stand age influences the composition and structure of soil nematode communities, remain poorly understood. Using a chronosequence approach, we investigated the effects of orchard establishment on soil nematode communities across different stand ages (1, 3, 5, and 10 years after establishment), with adjacent croplands serving as reference. Compared to conventional farmland, one-year-old plantations exhibited a 53.08% reduction in bacterivorous nematodes and a striking 316.73% increase in fungivorous nematodes (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Stand age significantly affected the Pielou evenness index, nematode channel ratio, maturity index, and basal index of the soil nematode community. Total nematode metabolic footprints, as well as enrichment footprint and structure footprint, peaked in 5-year-old orchards. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the relative abundance of bacterial feeders and the nematode channel ratio were significantly negatively correlated with soil total phosphorus content. The maturity index was positively correlated with soil fungal biomass. NMDS ordination indicated that stand age is a primary driver of nematode community composition, while RDA analysis identified soil total phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen, fungal microbial biomass as key explanatory variables. Our results demonstrate that the age of pomegranate orchards drives significant successional shifts in soil nematode community structure and function, reflecting age-dependent ecosystem development in orchard soils. This study identifies the five-year stage as an ecological tipping point characterized by peak biological activity and optimal nutrient cycling efficiency. These insights support the design of precisely timed management interventions to prolong this productive phase, offering practical strategies for maintaining long-term soil health in orchard ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106820"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146073767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant diversity changes the trophic position of Collembola in temperate grassland","authors":"Mona Merkle ,&nbsp;Stefan Scheu","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106761","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106761","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biodiversity loss threatens ecosystem functions, including decomposition and nutrient cycling. We investigated whether Collembola (springtails), key soil decomposers, adjust their trophic positions in response to plant diversity in a long-term temperate grassland experiment (the Jena Experiment). Using stable isotope analysis (¹³C, ¹⁵N), we examined trophic positions of five Collembola families across a gradient of plant species richness and plant- and soil-history treatments. In June 2021, Collembola and plant material were sampled across 240 plots. Collembola families spanned about one trophic level, forming part of the first two trophic levels of the soil food web with relatively narrow basal resource use. Our results demonstrate that Collembola trophic niches were significantly affected by soil history and legume presence. Plant diversity had a weak effect on Collembola trophic niches. Notably, the trophic position of Onychiuroidea increased from monocultures to 60 species plots by about one trophic level in new soil, suggesting a dietary shift from root feeding to microbial consumption. By contrast, the trophic position of Isotomidae decreased by about 1/3 trophic level, likely reflecting a shift towards more detrital food. Overall, the trophic level (Δ¹⁵N values) of Collembola was more strongly affected than their use of basal resources (Δ¹³C values). Importantly, this study is the first to document how Collembola shift trophic roles due to changes in plant diversity and soil history — offering new insights into soil food web dynamics. The findings highlight trophic flexibility of belowground detritivores, with implications for ecosystem functioning under biodiversity loss and land-use change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106761"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923270","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":"Higher density of earthworms (Pheretima guillelmi) enhances soil carbon sequestration and carbon pool management index in a subtropical forest","authors":"Yufeng Qiu ,&nbsp;Yue Zhuang ,&nbsp;Tanja Trakić ,&nbsp;Ronggui Tang ,&nbsp;Yihong Liu ,&nbsp;Youchao Chen ,&nbsp;Xie Wang ,&nbsp;Yanjiang Cai ,&nbsp;Scott X. Chang","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106787","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2026.106787","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earthworms play a crucial role in maintaining soil health by influencing biological and ecological processes, particularly in soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil quality restoration. However, many studies on soil quality focus on the impacts of land management practices while overlooking the role of earthworms. This study conducted a one-year field experiment in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest located in Anji, Zhejiang province, China, using homogenized soil (Ferrisol) to investigate the effects of different endogeic earthworm (<em>Pheretima guillelmi</em>) densities, including CK (control, removal of earthworms), OE (original density), DE (double original density), on soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) and carbon pool management index (CPMI, an indicator of soil restoration and the quality of soil carbon pools) in the 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm layers. The results showed that earthworms significantly promoted litter decomposition, leading to increased carbon input into the soil. The SOC and labile organic carbon (LOC) were markedly higher in the 0–15 cm layer compared to the 15–30 cm layer, along with more pronounced earthworm effects. Specifically, in the 0–15 cm layer, SOC concentrations increased by 15.0 % and 19.5 % for the OE and DE treatments, respectively, while SOCS rose by 2.3 % and 7.5 %. Furthermore, earthworms significantly increased the CPMI of the 0–15 cm layer, with increases of 35.9 % in the OE treatment and 62.9 % in the DE treatment. This study highlights the critical role of earthworms in regulating soil carbon inputs and carbon management in both 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm layers, providing valuable insights into the potential of managing earthworm density to enhance sustainable soil carbon management, support long-term soil health, and promote the sustainability of the forest ecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106787"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145923373","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":"Pharmaceutical-contaminated water irrigation impacts the human pathobiome of soil and alters aphid-endosymbiont dynamics","authors":"Monica Brienza ,&nbsp;Raffaella Sabatino ,&nbsp;Roberto Rosamilia ,&nbsp;Giulia Borgomaneiro ,&nbsp;Oussama Baaloudj ,&nbsp;Andrea Di Cesare ,&nbsp;Donatella Battaglia ,&nbsp;Paolo Fanti ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Trotta","doi":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106769","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106769","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of reclaimed water for agricultural irrigation presents a sustainable strategy to address water scarcity, yet it may introduce residual pharmaceuticals that persist despite treatment. This study investigates the ecological impacts of irrigation with pharmaceutical-contaminated water on plants, soil microbial communities, aphid life history traits, and aphid-associated bacterial symbionts within the <em>Cucurbita pepo</em> - <em>Aphis gossypii</em> model system. Plants were irrigated with water spiked with some of the most common antibiotics found in wastewater, including clarithromycin, trimethoprim, clindamycin, sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin, and ofloxacin, as well as the pharmaceuticals venlafaxine and metoprolol. While overall soil microbial diversity remained unchanged, potentially pathogenic bacteria, such as <em>Afipia</em>, <em>Methylobacterium</em>, <em>Paracoccus</em>, and <em>Saccharopolyspora</em>, exhibited increased abundance, raising concerns about potential human health risks. However, no significant changes were detected in class 1 integron (a proxy of antibiotic resistance) abundance, suggesting that the concentrations used in this study did not exert sufficient selective pressure. Plant traits, aphid survival and fecundity were unaffected by chemical exposure, yet a reduction in endosymbiont abundance was observed, indicating potential long-term ecological consequences for aphid populations. These findings highlight the need for further research on the long-term effects of pharmaceutical contamination in agroecosystems, particularly regarding its implications for biodiversity, soil health, and human safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8099,"journal":{"name":"Applied Soil Ecology","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 106769"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145876737","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}