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{"title":"Environmental resistance parameters generated by soil and semi-arid crops under inter-rill erosion and overland flow with low Reynolds numbers","authors":"Jose Ramon B. Cantalice ,&nbsp;Francisco Manuel de Assis Filho ,&nbsp;Genival Barros Junior ,&nbsp;Clara Barros Mendes Cantalice ,&nbsp;Kalinny Patricia Lafayette ,&nbsp;Jonas da Silva Bezerra ,&nbsp;Joyce Ingrid de Arandas Sobral ,&nbsp;Luciana Cássia Lima da Silva ,&nbsp;Luan Carlos De Andrade Santos ,&nbsp;Bruno Jose Silva de Medeiros ,&nbsp;Daniel Moura Silva ,&nbsp;Cicero Gomes dos Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under overland flow with low Reynolds numbers, the resistance parameters generated by the soil and vegetation are crucial under current climate change conditions. The inter-rill erosion occurring under this overland flow can lead to inter-rill erodibility as a resistance parameter, and each type of plant generates different vegetal drag coefficients and hydraulic resistance parameters. A set of sixteen simulated rainfall events capable of generating overland flow on an Fluvisol tilled with a semiarid agroforest, cactus, under a litter layer, and under bare conditions was applied. The overland flows generated were laminar tranquil flows with very low Reynolds numbers varying from 6 to 25 on bare soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109862"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interactions of carbon‑nitrogen coupling in the Agro-Pastoral Ecotone of Northern China","authors":"Shijun Tu ,&nbsp;Wanfa Wang ,&nbsp;Cai Li ,&nbsp;Yuanbi Yi ,&nbsp;Jinfeng Ge ,&nbsp;Wenrui Yao ,&nbsp;Wenhong Shi ,&nbsp;Fu-Jun Yue ,&nbsp;Zhongjun Wang ,&nbsp;Yulin Qi ,&nbsp;Si-Liang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the multi-scale coupling of carbon and nitrogen (C<img>N) in agro-pastoral ecotones is complex due to the dual pressures of global change and human activities. This study aimed to investigate C<img>N dynamics in the Yang River basin (Northern China) using isotopic signatures (δ¹³C_TOC, δ¹⁵N_TN), C/N ratios, and molecular characterization of dissolved organic matter across different spatial scales (1000, 3000, and 5000 m) and land uses (cropland, forest, grassland, and urban). Our findings indicated that terrestrial organic inputs are predominant, with agricultural and urban activities significantly accelerating the transformation between total organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by 88.9%. Land use within 3000 m riparian buffers significantly regulated organic C sources, while N dynamics are predominantly controlled by circular buffers of the same spatial extent. The diversity of nitrogenous heteroatoms in farmland, grassland, and urban areas ranged from 62.7% to 74.7%, which is higher than the 58.7% observed in forested areas. This suggests an increase in the extent of N transformation. Overall, human activities in the Yang River basin drive strong C<img>N coupling, with dissolved oxygen (DO) availability playing a crucial role in DOC-dissolved inorganic nitrogen dynamics (DO peaked at 16.0 mg/L). This research provides a new multi-scale perspective on C<img>N interactions in semi-arid ecotones, offering insights that can support targeted strategies for ecological restoration and sustainable resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109863"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coupling effects of freeze-thaw action and thawed soil depth on snowmelt erosion under near-surface hydrologic conditions in the Mollisol region of Northeast China","authors":"Wengang Wang ,&nbsp;Bin Wang ,&nbsp;Fenli Zheng ,&nbsp;Wei Rao ,&nbsp;Zhiyi Zhang ,&nbsp;Farhan Iftikhar","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Near-surface hydrologic conditions (NHC), including drainage, saturation, and seepage, are key drivers for summer rainfall-induced erosion. Among these, saturation and seepage intensify erosion compared to drainage, with their effects remaining relatively consistent under controlled hydraulic gradients. However, it remains unclear whether the erosive characteristics of NHCs, influenced by freeze-thaw action (FTA) and thawed soil depth (TSD) differ under winter-spring snowmelt erosion compared to summer rainfall-induced erosion. The Mollisol region of Northeast China is highly susceptible to both erosion types, posing a significant threat to agricultural productivity. This study investigated the impact of FTA on the erosive characteristics of NHCs during snowmelt erosion and compared it with summer rainfall-induced erosion. The mechanisms underlying these differences and the influence of FTAs on varying TSDs were identified. Three NHC conditions (drainage, saturation, and seepage) were tested alongside five TSDs: 1 cm (FS1), 3 cm (FS3), 5 cm (FS5) and 10 cm (FS10), as well as an unfrozen control (10 cm, UFS10). Experiments were conducted on silty clay loam with an 8.75% slope under three meltwater intensities (2, 3 and 4 L/min). Results showed that FTA enhanced the erosive effects of saturation and seepage compared to summer rainfall-induced erosion, by altering pore-water pressure. This effect was most pronounced under FS5 and FS10, where erosion increased with TSD stabilized. The contribution of NHCs to erosion rate reached 51.71% under FS5 and FS10, representing a 902.13% increase compared to UFS10 (5.16%). In contrast, no significant differences in erosion rate across NHCs were observed in FS1 and FS3 (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). These results demonstrate that the erosive effects of NHCs on frozen slopes are strongly TSD-dependent and provide novel insights into the mechanisms of snowmelt erosion. Consequently, these findings are critical for considering NHC effects in snowmelt-dominated erosion process in cold and hydrologically variable regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109855"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-link network modeling of water resource systems: identifying critical linkages driving resilience dynamics","authors":"Fang Wan ,&nbsp;Yu Wang ,&nbsp;Shaoming Peng ,&nbsp;Yuze Kang ,&nbsp;Xiaokang Zheng ,&nbsp;Wenxiu Shang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109846","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109846","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under changing environmental conditions, river basins face increasing water scarcity and heightened ecological vulnerability, posing greater challenges to water security. The resilience of water resource systems is recognized as offering a novel research perspective and analytical approach for addressing water security issues. The resilience of water resource systems is affected by numerous factors with significant cascading effects. Multi-link network approaches quantitatively capture the complex interrelationships among these factors, offering a scientific basis for effective management and improved water security. In this study, the Fenhe River Basin is selected as the study area to construct a multi-link network centered on hydrometeorological, socioeconomic, and engineering regulation links. The PCMCI algorithm is employed to quantify causal strengths among indicators within this complex network across different time lags, revealing the intertwined interactions, dynamic transmission patterns, and complex nonlinear relationships of the system. Based on the principle of multivariate transfer entropy, key links and critical transmission pathways underlying the evolution of water resource system resilience are identified. The role and effect of these key links on system resilience are analyzed, providing a quantitative assessment of their influence on the overall resilience of the water resource system. The results indicated that: (1) Total water resources, the proportion of secondary industry, and domestic water use indicators have the highest causal connection strengths among the links in the multi-link network of the water resources system; (2) The normalized transfer entropy values of hydrometeorological and socioeconomic links were found to be essentially comparable, whereas the engineering regulation link exhibited the highest normalized transfer entropy value for water resource system resilience. This indicates that the engineered regulation link constitutes the key link driving the evolution of water resource system resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109846"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variations in saturated hydraulic conductivity and microstructural characteristics of loess, paleosol, and their contact zone under seepage conditions","authors":"Chongyang Gao ,&nbsp;Ran Huo ,&nbsp;Ling Xu ,&nbsp;Yudi Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The deposition patterns of loess and paleosol, shaped by varying climatic conditions, have created a distinct contact zone known as “interfacial loess”. Although the saturated permeability of loess has been somewhat studied, the permeability characteristics of paleosol and interfacial loess remain less documented. This study employed constant head saturated permeability tests to investigate how the saturated hydraulic conductivity (<em>K</em>_sat) of these soils responds to changes in hydraulic gradient (<em>i</em>) and infiltration time (<em>t</em>). Reconstituted samples with different initial dry densities were tested to clarify the effects of the interface. The results showed that the <em>K</em>_sat values of interfacial loess were intermediate between those of single-layer loess and paleosol, especially in loosely structured specimens. Notably, <em>K</em>_sat values fluctuated—either increasing or decreasing—depending on soil type and initial density, particularly after an 8-day seepage period. Microscopic analyses using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) revealed that both <em>i</em> and <em>t</em> influenced the microstructure of these soils differently. Moreover, interfacial loess exhibited more pronounced changes in pore content compared to single-layer loess when considering interfacial effects on microstructure. These findings provide essential theoretical support for engineering applications such as anti-seepage design and fill quality control in loess regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109878"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling net primary productivity in a Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem: a probabilistic approach","authors":"Ian Alexander Taylor ,&nbsp;Richard Lupia ,&nbsp;Caitlin Hodges","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Late Campanian Big Cedar Ridge (BCR) fossil site provides a well-preserved record of a rapidly buried ecosystem, offering a unique opportunity to reconstruct past environmental conditions. Understanding net primary productivity (NPP) in such ecosystems is crucial for assessing the energy available to sustain large herbivorous dinosaurs. However, quantitative estimates of ecosystem productivity in deep time remain rare, as most reconstructions rely on qualitative indicators or indirect climate proxies rather than mechanistic, data-driven approaches. Existing methods often lack probabilistic treatment of uncertainty and cannot easily be validated against modern ecosystems. Here, we present a probabilistic permutation of an existing carbon cycling model that estimates paleo-NPP using total organic carbon (TOC) from well-preserved paleosols. This approach integrates soil carbon stocks with decomposition rate estimates, providing a probabilistic approach to reconstructing ancient productivity.</div><div>When tested in modern ecosystems, the model demonstrates strong predictive performance, particularly in high-TOC, oxygen-limited environments. Applied to BCR, the model estimates a mean NPP of approximately 1816 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, a value comparable to modern tropical and subtropical wetlands. These findings suggest that this Campanian ecosystem was highly productive, capable of sustaining diverse megaherbivore populations and demonstrate the utility of probabilistic NPP modeling for reconstructing the energy budgets of extinct ecosystems and constraining their potential herbivore carrying capacities.</div><div>By establishing a baseline for estimating primary productivity in deep time, this methodology can provide new insights into the relationship between ecosystem productivity, dinosaur diversity, and paleoecological structure. The model offers a framework for future studies, enhancing our understanding of how primary productivity shaped and was shaped by terrestrial ecosystems during the Mesozoic. Unlike existing paleo-productivity proxies, this approach produces spatially explicit, probabilistic NPP estimates that can be directly validated against modern ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109890"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoupling microbial diversity from C/N/S cycling potential: A shrubification-driven ecological filtering mechanism in alpine meadow soils","authors":"Qingshan Fan ,&nbsp;Jie Bai ,&nbsp;Ting Jiao ,&nbsp;Yujie Niu ,&nbsp;Fujiang Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How shrubification in alpine meadows of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) impacts the coupling between soil microbial structure and its biogeochemical functioning remains a core, unresolved scientific question. This study systematically investigates the significant decoupling between soil microbial diversity and its genetic potential for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) cycling along a shrubification gradient. The results demonstrate that the ecological filtering effect, constituted by shrub-induced changes in specific soil factors (TP and NH₄⁺-N), leads to reduced community diversity and network stability; whereas, in sharp contrast, directional selection mediated by soil organic matter (OM) enrichment and elevated pH greatly enriches key functional genes for C/N/S cycling (with <em>pmoC-amoC</em> increasing over 20-fold). Elucidating this mechanism not only highlights the limitations of simplistically equating microbial diversity with ecosystem functioning in extreme environments, but also establishes a more reliable mechanistic basis for predicting the functional trajectories of these alpine ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109870"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing check dams construction and afforestation for debris flows mitigation in slag and landslides- prone gullies","authors":"Liqun Lyu ,&nbsp;Guanyu Zhou ,&nbsp;Jun Li ,&nbsp;Chenyou Hou ,&nbsp;Yunqi Wang ,&nbsp;Chao Ma ,&nbsp;Zihan Qi ,&nbsp;Mengzhen Xu ,&nbsp;Zhaoyin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109852","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109852","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Xiaojiang Valley, situated in a seismically active region with rich copper resources, has undergone extensive seismic activity and mining operations, resulting in significant landslides and slag accumulation in its gullies. This has led to decreased vegetation coverage and frequent debris flow disasters. This study examined seven typical debris flow gullies, focusing on the impact of 70 years of afforestation and check dam construction on debris flow mitigation. Using dendrochronological methods, we reconstructed the historical interception of debris flow sediment by check dams. The trend in debris flow volume was analyzed based on sediment accumulation behind the dams. Additionally, we assessed the influence of base level rise behind the dams on the potential energy of landslides and slag deposits. The results showed that gullies with more check dams exhibited faster and more successful vegetation recovery. While the dams' ability to intercept debris flow volume declined over time, there is an overall decreasing trend in debris flow volume, which may be attributed to the continuous reduction in landslide and slag energy. We developed a model incorporating landslide and slag potential energy, vegetation coverage, and debris flow volume. The model indicates that the sequence of afforestation and check dam construction should vary at different development stages of debris flow gullies. Finally, we provided recommendations for the sequence and extent of afforestation and check dam construction at each stage of debris flow gully development, based on the potential energy of landslides and slags.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109852"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 life-history strategies and network complexity as predictors of soil multifunctionality beyond diversity in a hyper-arid oasis-desert ecotone","authors":"Zhihao Zhang ,&nbsp;Guangxing Zhao ,&nbsp;Jingming Yan ,&nbsp;Xinping Dong ,&nbsp;Mengfei Cong ,&nbsp;Weiqi Wang ,&nbsp;Fanjiang Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109914","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109914","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil microorganisms drive critical ecosystem processes, including carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling, yet the synergistic roles of microbial diversity, interaction networks, and life-history strategies in regulating soil multifunctionality remain unclear, particularly in hyper-arid regions. Here, we integrated taxonomic diversity, co-occurrence network complexity, and Y-A-S life-history strategies (high Yield, resource Acquisition, Stress tolerance) to explore microbial mechanisms underlying soil multifunctionality across three land-use types (desert-steppes, paddy fields, natural wetlands) in the Taklamakan Desert. Our results revealed stark contrasts: archaeal diversity was negatively correlated with soil multifunctionality, fungal diversity showed a positive correlation (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), while bacterial diversity exhibited no significant association (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Archaeal and fungal network complexity negatively correlated with soil multifunctionality. Natural wetlands exhibited the highest soil multifunctionality, likely facilitated by fungal diversity and niche partitioning, whereas paddy fields showed reduced performance alongside dominance of A/S-strategists. Partial least squares path modeling further suggested that taxonomic diversity was indirectly linked to soil multifunctionality via life-history strategies (total effect: −0.515) and network complexity (−0.648), explaining 58.2% of variance. Overall, these findings indicate that taxonomic diversity likely contributes to soil multifunctionality through indirect paths rather than direct effects, supporting a multidimensional framework linking microbial traits to arid ecosystem functioning. These findings advance the theoretical framework for ecosystem multifunctionality and underscore that management strategies to sustain soil functionality in hyper-arid lands should account for the distinct roles of microbial taxonomic groups and their life-history strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109914"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Land-use change alters soil nitrogen supply potential and nitrogen-cycling functional genes on China's Loess Plateau","authors":"Jiabao Cui ,&nbsp;Jianjun Cao ,&nbsp;Jan F. Adamowski ,&nbsp;Asim Biswas ,&nbsp;Haohai Su ,&nbsp;Xiaofang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109898","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2026.109898","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land-use change reshapes soil nitrogen (N) cycling, yet the mechanistic links between microbial functional potential and soil N supply remain poorly quantified on China's Loess Plateau. We examined the effects of converting native grassland to afforested land and 10-year abandoned cropland on N supply potential (net N mineralization, Nmin) and soil N-cycling functional genes across two soil depths (0–15 and 15–30 cm). Afforested soils exhibited the highest Nmin (30.15 mg·kg⁻¹), significantly exceeding that of grassland (15.36 mg·kg⁻¹) and abandoned land (10.82 mg·kg⁻¹). Nmin showed strong vertical stratification, declining significantly by 37% - 70% from the 0–15 cm to the 15–30 cm layer across all land-use types. Metagenomic profiling revealed pathway-specific shifts in the functional gene repertoire: Afforestation promoted a genetic configuration enriched in genes for nitrate reduction, nitrification, and N assimilation, while abandoned land was characterized by genes associated with N retention. Hierarchical partitioning and structural equation modeling identified soil physicochemical properties (e.g. water content, pH, organic carbon, total and available N, and total and available phosphorus) and fungal diversity as the dominant direct controls on Nmin. Functional gene abundance provided a smaller but non-negligible contribution. These findings demonstrate that land-use change enhances N supply potential not only by modifying abiotic conditions but also by promoting fungal communities and microbial genetic potential that support active N cycling. This study highlights the importance of integrating both biotic and abiotic drivers into soil N management strategies in semi-arid landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 109898"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}