Climatic history can shape the functioning of soil microbial communities and thus rates of ecosystem processes such as organic matter decomposition. For example, broad spatial scale differences in climatic history, such as contrasting precipitation regimes, have been shown to generate unique microbial functional responses to contemporary moisture conditions. Yet it is an open question as to whether

The stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC) promoted by conservation agriculture (CA) depends on soil aggregation. Aggregation protects SOC and creates heterogeneous microhabitats hosting diverse soil biota which in turn promote aggregation. A long-term experiment, studying the interaction of tillage with nitrogen (N) fertilization on a soybean-wheat rotation, was used to investigate eukaryotic

Soil N2O emission potential is commonly investigated under idealized denitrifying conditions (e.g. nitrate-N supplied and anaerobic soil), with pH commonly identified as a major determinant of N2O emission potential. However, under urine patch conditions in grazed pastures soils a more complex series of abiotic and biotic factors may influence emissions due to the complex N transformations that occur

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a major energy source supporting bacterial growth and persistence in soil ecosystems. While recent studies have uncovered mediators of atmospheric H2 consumption, far less is understood about how soil microbial communities respond to elevated H2 levels produced through natural or anthropogenic processes. Here we performed microcosm experiments to resolve how microbial community

Pseudomonas fluorescens is a siderophore producing bacteria that is expected to alter the mobility and bioavailability of Cu in vineyard soils due to its ability to produce pyoverdine under iron deficiency. In this study, we monitored the effect of this bacterial species, particularly the production of siderophore, on the mobility and bioavailability of copper (Cu) and other elements using a spatialized

Inclusion of clover in grasslands increases functional diversity, N yield and forage quality and has been advocated for mitigating nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. However, boreal grass-clover leys often show poor winter survival with considerable aboveground losses of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C). Little is known about how these losses affect off-season N2O emissions. Here we report field experiments

As the climate warms, drought events are expected to increase in intensity and frequency, with consequences for the carbon cycle. Soil respiration (Rs) accounts for the largest flux of CO2 from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. While the drought responses of Rs have been well studied, it is uncertain how they will be modified in a future world, when higher temperatures will occur in combination

Oxygen (O2) is a key factor driving the expression of N-cycle-related functional genes and regulating nitrogenous gas production in the soil. However, how and to what extent the associated gene transcription and corresponding gas kinetics interact with the transition of soil O2 status caused by N fertilisation, remains poorly understood. In this context, we conducted a robotized incubation experiment

Microbial decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major determinant of the global climate and terrestrial ecosystem services. Despite the rapid loss of plant species worldwide, it remains unclear how plant species richness impacts SOC decomposition, especially the decomposition of labile vs. recalcitrant SOC. This is partly because of the variable responses of soil C-degrading enzyme activities

Protists are essential for nutrient cycling and plant performance in diverse ecosystems. However, the biogeographic patterns and driving forces (i.e. abiotic or biotic factors) of protistan communities remain poorly understood in agricultural ecosystems. Here, the biogeographic patterns of soil protists were assessed in adjacent pairs of maize and rice fields across eastern China. By combining our

Microbes decompose soil organic matter (SOM), yet it is unclear how substrate inputs (i.e., stoichiometry) directly mediate microbial activities and community dynamics. We hypothesized that C+N input has the largest effect on microbial respiration and community structure, followed by C input and N input. Soils were collected from four ecosystems (grassland, piñon-juniper, ponderosa pine, mixed conifer)

Plants shape soil microbial communities through their root architecture, their rhizodeposits and return of dead plant material to the soil. These interactions can have a strong influence on the soil organic carbon dynamics. However, it is unclear whether the plant species effects on the soil microbial community could influence the organic carbon mineralization through plant legacy effects. Therefore

The connection between litter chemistry and the pathways controlling soil organic matter (SOM) formation and decay in forest ecosystems remains poorly understood, particularly in tropical soils. We addressed this question by incubating samples of a Ferralsol for 200 days with typical forest litter (leaves, twigs, bark, and roots) obtained from 13C-enriched Eucalyptus seedlings. Throughout the incubation

Soil legacies mediated by plant species-specific microbial communities are major drivers of plant community dynamics. Most soil legacy studies focus on the role of pathogens and mutualists in driving these processes, while much less is known about plant litter-mediated changes to the soil microbial community. Here, we used an existing plant-soil feedback field experiment in which plant communities

Alleviation of subsoil acidity with lime or gypsum increases carbon (C) accumulation in deep layers by stimulating root growth and C and nitrogen (N) inputs at depth. However, the effects of these amendments combined with N fertilization on soil CO2 emissions remain controversial. We evaluated the effects of superficial lime and gypsum application and N-fertilizer on C and N dynamics and microbial

The Ignavibacteria are ubiquitously abundant in paddy soils, but their functional role is poorly known. Here, we applied a targeted meta-genomic/transcriptomic approach to elucidate genetic potential and functional activity of the Ignavibacteria in straw-amended paddy soils from Italy. Eight high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were recovered, being the largest ones (∅ 4.8 Mbp) among all

Mycorrhizal fungi constitute a considerable sink for plant photo-assimilates, yet poor knowledge about mycorrhizal respiration (RMyc) hinders the quantification of its role in belowground carbon cycling. We synthesized available field data of RMyc, and found that RMyc contributed 15% of soil respiration and 38% of autotrophic respiration (including RMyc and root respiration, RRoot). We observed no

Root exudation is affected by the soil water content (SWC) and availability of nutrients, but the impact of the interaction between these abiotic factors is unclear. Understanding the combined effect of these factors is vital for all ecosystems, including Mediterranean forests, where droughts are increasing. A greenhouse experiment was established with a drought treatment (control versus drought) and

Development of soil microbial communities is driven by local abiotic and biotic conditions, yet our current understanding of their ecology is limited to studies in modified or young and relatively fertile ecosystems. In nutrient-impoverished soils, microbial communities may be predominantly structured by availability of key elements such as phosphorus (P) or nitrogen, regardless of the taxa (bacteria

Crop residues are the main source of carbon (C) inputs to soils in cropping systems, and their subsequent decomposition is crucial for nutrient recycling. The interactive effects of residue chemical quality, residue placement and soil mineral nitrogen (N) availability on carbon and N mineralization dynamics were experimentally examined and interpreted using a modelling approach with the deterministic-functional

Soils contain immense diversity and support terrestrial ecosystem functions, but they face both anthropogenic and environmental stressors. While many studies have examined the influence of individual stressors on soils, how these perturbations will interact to shape soil communities and their ability to cycle nutrients is far less resolved. Here, we hypothesized that when soils experience multiple

A better understanding of soil biogeochemical responses to the increasing drought predicted in many regions for the next decades by climate models is needed. Extracellular enzyme (EE) stoichiometry provides integrative information about the soil community metabolism and resource availability that is crucial to understand soil microbial and plant strategies in response to those projected changes in

Nematodes are important components of soil food webs and have important ecosystem functions. However, the responses of soil nematode communities to nitrogen (N) deposition have not been well assessed over large spatial scales. Here, we conducted a global-scale meta-analysis of the effects of N-addition regimes (N form, N addition approach, and N addition rate) and environmental factors (ecosystem type

Global increase in nitrogen (N) deposition influences the belowground allocation of plant photosynthates and the formation of roots and rhizosphere-associated symbionts as well as soil nutrient availability, thereby affecting the nutrient acquisition by trees. Trees obtain nutrients primarily through fine root growth or mycorrhizal symbioses. These two mechanisms have an antagonistic relationship,

Animals are expected to choose foods that optimize their growth, reproduction and survival, but their dietary choice changes when suffering stress. Here, we provide the first report of nematode stress resulting from exposure to earthworm-produced cyclic peptides, and confirm that this stress changes the dietary choice of the model animal Caenorhabditis elegans and other soil-dwelling bacterial-feeding

Soil enzyme stoichiometry has been proposed to reflect microbial resource limitation. However, this view overlooks the profound variations in microbial community composition and soil abiotic properties that may also affect enzyme stoichiometry. In successional subalpine ecosystems after glacier retreat, we found that the stoichiometry of soil carbon-, nitrogen- and phosphorus-acquisition enzymes was

Extensive reports on research into the effects of biochar additions on soil-plant systems show many inconsistencies in the response of various parameters including nitrogen (N) transformations. This review focusses on the use of the stable isotope 15N to provide unique information about the N dynamics in biochar-amended systems. The properties of biochars and their impacts on N cycling depends on the

Chemical fumigation and biofumigation are used to reduce soil-borne diseases in agricultural production systems; however, other essential soil processes such as the soil nitrogen (N) cycle may also be affected. This study compared the effects of chemical fumigation and biofumigation on soil net N mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, and soil nitrifier and denitrifier abundance. Six treatments

In the high-Arctic, increased temperature results in permafrost thawing and increased primary production. This fresh plant-derived material is predicted to prime microbial consortia for degradation of the organic matter stored in tundra soils. However, the effects of warming and plant input on the microbial community structure is hardly known. We assessed the use of glycine, a readily available C and

As a response to the increased pressure of global climate change on most ecosystems, national and international agreements aim at creating forests that are productive, resilient to climate change, and that store carbon to mitigate global warming. However, these aims are being challenged by increased tree mortality rates and decreased tree growth rates in response to increased incidence of extreme drought

Soil fauna communities are known to change during succession as the soil ages and vegetation develops. Moreover, plant functional identity (PFI) influences belowground assemblages within successional stages. Given changes in soil carbon (C) and nutrient content, this influence of PFI is likely to differ across successional stages; however, the relative contribution of PFI across successional stages

Unique spatial niches created by biochar form a dynamic biogeochemical soil zone, termed the “charosphere”. Charosphere soil has different properties from either soil or biochar, often acting as a hotspot for microbial activity. However, the direction and magnitude of charosphere effects on soil processes and microbial communities remain inconclusive. Herein, we designed a multi-sectional box to separate

Goethite is known to contribute to the co-precipitation of rhizodeposits and thus benefit carbon (C) sequestration, while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play significant role in soil organic C (SOC), however, the combined effect is less known. To address this paucity in knowledge, we compared the physicochemical stabilization and microbial mineralization of rhizodeposits from maize (Zea mays L

Aridity was observed to affect the C-bonded stable H isotope ratios (δ2Hn values) of aboveground plant organic matter but not δ2Hn values of associated soil organic matter (SOM). Instead, δ2Hn values of SOM correlated spatially with long-term mean δ2H values of local rainfall. To explain this discrepancy, we investigated if and to which degree C-bonded H was replaced by ambient water-H during leaf

Root-secreted mucilage and microbially produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) modify soil physical and biogeochemical processes. Most studies infer the effects of these polymeric substances from soil bulk behaviour rather than investigating the pore scale. This investigation quantified the isolated physical behaviour of mucilage in a simplified pore-scale setup. We placed drops of mucilage

Soil organisms are essential for the functioning of agrosystems, especially in the process of litter decomposition. Litterbags constitute one common way to assess litter decomposition and to investigate the role of the different groups of soil organisms in the decay activity. However, there is currently no standardized litterbag protocol to measure the effects of soil organisms on litter decomposition

Among cultivated and characterised ammonia oxidising archaea (AOA), representatives of Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus are unique in their ability to grow at high ammonia concentration (up to 100 mM), at concentrations that are tolerated by many ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB). These strains also grow at a wide range of incubation temperatures (4–45 °C), with highest ammonia oxidation rates at relatively

Climate-smart land management practices that replace shallow-rooted annual crop systems with deeply-rooted perennial plants can contribute to soil carbon sequestration. However, deep soil carbon accrual may be influenced by active microbial biomass and their capacity to assimilate fresh carbon at depth. Incorporating active microbial biomass, dormancy, and growth in microbially-explicit models can

Litter decomposition is a key step in biogeochemical cycling and energy flow underlying ecosystem function. It is well established that dominant plants influence litter decomposition through their litter quality, and by modifying edaphic properties and soil microbial activity at the local scale. Despite this, the pathways through which dominant plants influence litter decomposition remains insufficiently

Maize root traits associated with soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization were demonstrated to have a heritable genetic basis. We show root length, root diameter and cumulative root-derived C mineralization to be strong predictors of SOM-C mineralization and identify two candidate genes associated with enhanced SOM-C mineralization rates. There is potential to target these genes to enhance release

Water is a crucial factor controlling the fate and processing of soil organics. Water commonly flows through the vadose zone via preferential flow pathways, resulting in nonuniform and rapid infiltration. Hence, a large portion of the soil matrix is bypassed. Preferential flow paths, often associated with well-connected macropore networks (>300 μm Ø), offer a unique balance between water availability

Clarifying the response of soil microbial communities and their potential functions during succession is of great significance for understanding the biogeochemical processes and the sustainability of forest development. However, the study of microbial community dynamics during the process of succession remains poorly understood in boreal forest ecosystems. Thus, in order to study the dynamics of microbial

Protists are among the most diverse and major microbial groups in the soil ecosystem and play versatile functional roles for soil fertility and agricultural productivity. However, protist community composition is poorly understood in paddy field soil, especially in alkaline paddy fields. Here we aimed to characterise protist communities of alkaline paddy field soils with a particular focus on the effects