Anthropogenic peatland degradation is a global threat. As peatlands store large amounts of carbon (C) their potential for mitigation of climate change has been emphasized recently. Global C cycling is linked to silicon (Si) fluxes from the continents into the oceans. These fluxes in turn are driven by biosilicification, the incorporation of inorganic Si into living organisms, in terrestrial ecosystems. Biosilicification by testate amoeba (TA) communities and its potential for Si cycling has been highlighted since the beginning of the 21st century. However, the effects of peatland degradation on TA biodiversity and corresponding protozoic biosilicification on a continental scale remained unresolved so far. We show that TA biodiversity in Asian peatlands is strongly affected by the grade of human impact. This biodiversity decline was accompanied by an unexpected increase in protozoic biosilicification. Our findings provide new insights into the interactions between the biodiversity of soil microorganisms and biogeochemical Si cycling.

人为泥炭地退化是一个全球性威胁。由于泥炭地储存了大量的碳 (C)，它们在缓解气候变化方面的潜力最近得到了强调。全球 C 循环与从大陆到海洋的硅 (Si) 通量有关。这些通量反过来又是由生物硅化驱动的，即在陆地生态系统中将无机硅掺入生物体中。自 21 世纪初以来，遗嘱阿米巴 (TA) 群落的生物硅化及其对 Si 循环的潜力一直备受关注。然而，迄今为止，泥炭地退化对大陆范围内 TA 生物多样性和相应原生生物硅化的影响仍未得到解决。我们表明亚洲泥炭地的 TA 生物多样性受到人类影响程度的强烈影响。这种生物多样性的下降伴随着原生生物硅化的意外增加。我们的研究结果为土壤微生物的生物多样性与生物地球化学硅循环之间的相互作用提供了新的见解。