Microorganisms are critical in mediating carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes in soils. Yet, it has long been debated whether the processes underlying biogeochemical cycles are affected by the composition and diversity of the soil microbial community or not. The composition and diversity of soil microbial communities can be influenced by various environmental factors, which in turn are known to impact biogeochemical processes. The objectives of this study were to test effects of multiple edaphic drivers individually and represented as the multivariate soil environment interacting with microbial community composition and diversity, and concomitantly on multiple soil functions (i.e. soil enzyme activities, soil C and N processes). We employed high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) to analyze bacterial/archaeal and fungal community composition by targeting the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS1 region of soils collected from three land uses (cropland, grassland and forest) deriving from two bedrock forms (silicate and limestone). Based on this data set we explored single and combined effects of edaphic variables on soil microbial community structure and diversity, as well as on soil enzyme activities and several soil C and N processes. We found that both bacterial/archaeal and fungal communities were shaped by the same edaphic factors, with most single edaphic variables and the combined soil environment representation exerting stronger effects on bacterial/archaeal communities than on fungal communities, as demonstrated by (partial) Mantel tests. We also found similar edaphic controls on the bacterial/archaeal/fungal richness and diversity. Soil C processes were only directly affected by the soil environment but not affected by microbial community composition. In contrast, soil N processes were significantly related to bacterial/archaeal community composition and bacterial/archaeal/fungal richness/diversity but not directly affected by the soil environment. This indicates direct control of the soil environment on soil C processes and indirect control of the soil environment on soil N processes by structuring the microbial communities. The study further highlights the importance of edaphic drivers and microbial communities (i.e. composition and diversity) on important soil C and N processes.

微生物在调节土壤中的碳 (C) 和氮 (N) 循环过程中至关重要。然而，关于生物地球化学循环过程是否受土壤微生物群落组成和多样性的影响，长期以来一直存在争议。土壤微生物群落的组成和多样性会受到各种环境因素的影响，而这些因素反过来又会影响生物地球化学过程。本研究的目的是分别测试多个土壤驱动因素的影响，这些驱动因素表现为与微生物群落组成和多样性相互作用的多元土壤环境，并伴随着多种土壤功能（即土壤酶活性、土壤 C 和 N 过程）。我们采用高通量测序 (Illumina MiSeq) 通过靶向 16S rRNA 基因和从来自两种基岩形式（硅酸盐和石灰石）。基于这个数据集，我们探索了土壤变量对土壤微生物群落结构和多样性的单一和综合影响，以及对土壤酶活性和几种土壤 C 和 N 过程的影响。我们发现细菌/古细菌和真菌群落都由相同的土壤因子形成，大多数单一土壤变量和土壤环境组合对细菌/古细菌群落的影响比对真菌群落的影响更大，如（部分）Mantel 测试所示. 我们还发现了对细菌/古细菌/真菌丰富度和多样性的类似土壤控制。土壤碳过程仅受土壤环境直接影响，不受微生物群落组成的影响。相比之下，土壤 N 过程与细菌/古菌群落组成和细菌/古菌/真菌丰富度/多样性显着相关，但不受土壤环境的直接影响。这表明通过构建微生物群落，土壤环境对土壤碳过程的直接控制和土壤环境对土壤氮过程的间接控制。该研究进一步强调了土壤驱动因素和微生物群落（即组成和多样性）对重要土壤碳和氮过程的重要性。土壤碳过程仅受土壤环境直接影响，不受微生物群落组成的影响。相比之下，土壤 N 过程与细菌/古菌群落组成和细菌/古菌/真菌丰富度/多样性显着相关，但不受土壤环境的直接影响。这表明通过构建微生物群落，土壤环境对土壤碳过程的直接控制和土壤环境对土壤氮过程的间接控制。该研究进一步强调了土壤驱动因素和微生物群落（即组成和多样性）对重要土壤碳和氮过程的重要性。土壤碳过程仅受土壤环境直接影响，不受微生物群落组成的影响。相比之下，土壤 N 过程与细菌/古菌群落组成和细菌/古菌/真菌丰富度/多样性显着相关，但不受土壤环境的直接影响。这表明通过构建微生物群落，土壤环境对土壤碳过程的直接控制和土壤环境对土壤氮过程的间接控制。该研究进一步强调了土壤驱动因素和微生物群落（即组成和多样性）对重要土壤碳和氮过程的重要性。土壤氮过程与细菌/古菌群落组成和细菌/古菌/真菌丰富度/多样性显着相关，但不受土壤环境的直接影响。这表明通过构建微生物群落，土壤环境对土壤碳过程的直接控制和土壤环境对土壤氮过程的间接控制。该研究进一步强调了土壤驱动因素和微生物群落（即组成和多样性）对重要土壤碳和氮过程的重要性。土壤氮过程与细菌/古菌群落组成和细菌/古菌/真菌丰富度/多样性显着相关，但不受土壤环境的直接影响。这表明通过构建微生物群落，土壤环境对土壤碳过程的直接控制和土壤环境对土壤氮过程的间接控制。该研究进一步强调了土壤驱动因素和微生物群落（即组成和多样性）对重要土壤碳和氮过程的重要性。