The role of forest plantations in regulating soil ecosystem functions remains poorly understood in terrestrial ecosystems from Africa. Here, we evaluated the importance of forest plantations in regulating soil microbial functional profiles, community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) and activities of soil microbial communities compared with native forests in two contrasting seasons. We found that

Nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase over the coming decades, with consequences on soil N transformation. Soil N mineralization is an important process regulating soil N availability. However, it is unclear how the responses of soil N mineralization to increasing N deposition are controlled by biotic and abiotic factors. Here, we examined the effects of increasing N addition rates on soil

Leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta are widely distributed throughout the American tropics and subtropics and rival other herbivores in the consumption of surrounding foliage. Although numerous studies have been conducted on the role these insects play in herbivory and organic matter dynamics, only a handful of studies have examined their impacts on soil greenhouse gas emissions. Our study investigated

It is generally assumed that the soil environment played an important role in the evolution of life on land, as a transition medium between water and air. This idea was already formulated by M.S. Gilharov in 1949 but it has never been tested systematically against modern phylogenetic reconstructions from DNA data. In this paper I review the phylogenies of soil invertebrate lineages that have been published

The genetic diversity of cultivated crops has decreased continuously since the beginning of the 20th century, because of the gradual replacement of genetically heterogeneous traditional varieties by new genetically homogenous varieties, grown in monospecific stands. The resulting agro-ecosystems are now considered as unsustainable. Increasing within-field genetic crop diversity by using a mixture of

Transport by earthworms contributes to the secondary dispersal of seeds and influences patterns of plant community structure and function. To date, however, research on earthworm seed dispersal has focused primarily on vertical transport and the collection of seeds into middens at the soil surface, with no efforts to map horizontal distribution after burial. This study used an emergence depth assay

Oribatid mite diversity was investigated in the most understudied region of Georgian South-Eastern Caucasus – open arid ecosystems, which are under heavy natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Field sampling was performed in three geographical units and in each unit three types of ecosystems with different disturbance classes were studied: (1) Arable lands with severe (ASE) and moderate (AME) erosion;

The global threat of plant invasions to native ecosystems mandates an understanding of the mechanisms that determine invasion success. While some exotic species establish, spread and impact native ecosystems, others establish with little or no measurable impact. Competitive ability has been highlighted as a key mechanism influencing invasion success and impact, but there is growing evidence that interactions

Soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas associated with agricultural systems, can be reduced by the activity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. It is unclear, however, whether climate change may impact this ecosystem service provided by AM fungi. To assess the extent that warming may affect AM fungal mediation of N2O emissions from pastures, we grew lucerne (Medicago sativa

Soil microorganisms are generally considered sensitive indicators of soil health and fertility. Understanding the role of environmental factors in driving soil microorganisms’ distributions is vital for sustainable crop production, particularly in vulnerable agricultural systems. This study aims to investigate the effect of environmental factors on the variation of soil microbial biomass and arbuscular

Different stratigraphic sequences of Late Quaternary sediments present in a vertically exposed 29 m deep river cliff were used as a model system to understand geochemical relationships with potential microbial activity in semiarid alluvial sediments. Microbial activities involved in carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) cycling were measured by dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and microbial respiration

Understanding how the community structures and functions of soil microbes respond to environmental changes is essential for predicting the dynamics of ecosystem functions. Elevational gradients are an ideal setting for “natural experiments” on the relationships between soil microbes and environmental factors. However, little is known about elevational patterns of soil microbial functions and their

The restoration of degraded ecosystems and landscapes is challenging, because returning to the original state is often socio-economically unfeasible. A novel approach is to construct new ecosystems to improve the functioning of degraded landscapes. However, the development of novel ecosystems is largely driven by the pre-construction hydrogeophysical and ecological conditions of the soil. In Lake Markermeer

Increasing global mean surface temperatures from climate change will coincide with longer and more frequent short-term, extreme warming events. Because of this, habitats like boreal forests are predicted to have new temperature regimes. Boreal forest soils contain a diverse array of microarthropods and nematodes, which include the main soil predators, mesostigmatic mites (Acari: Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata)

There is an increasing interest in understanding how soil microbial communities respond to perturbations associated with global change. Much of the currently available knowledge is based on controlled laboratory experiments, large scale surveys and manipulative studies in which one perturbation, for example drought, is applied under a range of conditions. Until now, emphasis has been on spatial replication

Testate amoebae are a polyphyletic group of ubiquitous unicellular eukaryotic micro-organisms. They occur in high abundances in freshwater and terrestrial habitats, where they play an important role in biogeochemical and ecological processes. Terrestrial amoeba data from small tropical islands are rarely available despite the fact that they are interesting for investigations on global change induced

Shrub encroachment into grasslands can greatly alter soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N) cycling processes, and carbon (C) pools. However, the effects of shrub encroachment on the soil microbial community and its feedback on the chemical composition of SOC are not well understood in the alpine ecosystems. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the encroachment of the shrubs Salix cupularis and

It is unclear how different management practices influence tropical soil ecosystems in post-logging habitats over short or long terms. In this project, we demonstrated that critical differences in soil C and N metrics, organic C use efficiency, and DNA-identified bacterial community structures occurred along a land use disturbance gradient in a humid tropical primary forest (PF) Costa Rica following

Many laboratory and mesocosm studies have demonstrated that earthworms influence nitrogen (N) cycling reactions and produce nitrous oxide (N2O) in well-aerated soils, but whether earthworms can stimulate N2O fluxes in realistic field conditions remains to be determined. We conducted two field experiments, in perennial forage agroecosystems for 2 yr and agriculture riparian buffers for 1 yr, to compare

Interactions between woody plant encroachment and nutrient availability may vary along precipitation gradients. Furthermore, with predicted increases in N deposition due to increasing industrial emissions and changes in land use, potential increases in N storage and cycling are expected. We conducted a two-year field experiment that tested whether nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition and woody

Soil salinization is a global problem, mainly affecting arid and semi-arid regions, which are susceptible to salinity due to high evaporation and low rainfall. Salinization in soils causes negative effects on edaphic organisms and, consequently, on plants. Understanding the effects of salinization in soils is important for future intervention in these salinized areas in order to make them productive

Endogeic earthworms live and burrow in the soil to find their food. They burrow by pushing the soil aside or ingesting it and are thus sensitive to soil compaction. However there is a scarcity of data regarding the effects of soil bulk density on the burrowing behavior and activity of endogeic earthworms. We carried out laboratory experiments using repacked soil cores with various levels of bulk density

Serpentine ecosystems have unique plant communities that have overcome the chemical and physical challenges presented by these soils. However, such a specific soil fauna community has not been identified. It is presumed that such communities are affected directly by the chemical and physical properties of serpentine soils. Here, we focused on nematodes, which comprise a ubiquitous and an abundant group

Soil microorganisms maintain soil functions, playing a key role in nutrient cycling. However, human activities may alter ecological processes through, for instance, wildlife management tools, which affect environment conditions. Some management tools, such as diversionary feeding, are a source of organic matter and promote high animal densities in small areas, which could affect soil properties and

Metabolomics provide an opportunity to investigate the detailed factors governing plant-microbe interactions that are crucial to plant health and food security. The objective of this study was to explore the influence of co-inoculation of Arthrobacter ureafaciens DnL1-1 and Trichoderma harzianum LTR-2 on wheat biomass. Soil-filled pots containing wheat (or no plants) were inoculated with different

Climate change is predicted to increase drought and flooding events in the coming decades, especially in the tropics; we need to understand the short-term responses of plant community and soil microarthropods populations to these extreme events.Yet most of our current knowledge on this comes from manipulative studies in temperate regions. The present study reports the impact of a severe summer drought

Hongfeng Lake is one of the largest artificial freshwater lakes on the Karst plateau of China, and the control of external nutrient input into the lake by a vegetation buffer zone is key to mitigating its eutrophication. Although soil microbial communities play key roles in nitrogen pollutant interception and in maintaining ecosystem stability, few studies have investigated these communities in lake

The ground-dwelling arthropods is a key component in grassland ecosystem. Many studies have been done on the effects of grazing intensity and grazer species on arthropods in grassland ecosystems, but the information on the effects of grazing timing and frequency are less available. We investigated the abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods in spring, summer and autumn in an experimental steppe grassland

We studied the effect of plant canopy on the distribution of microfungi through 0−30-cm soil profiles under canopies of three plant species and in their adjacent interspace at sun-exposed plain and north-facing slope in the Tabernas Desert, Spain. Using the soil dilution plate method, 142 species from 68 genera were isolated. Melanin-containing fungi dominated in the topsoil layers because of high

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can profoundly affect methane (CH4) oxidation; however, how it responds to the cessation of N addition has rarely been reported. An incubation experiment was conducted using soils from plots treated with long-term N addition to estimate the soil CH4 oxidation potential. The results showed a unimodal relationship between the levels of soil CH4 consumption and N addition

Abstract Sequestration of carbon (C) in soils provides an important tool for climate change mitigation and grasslands offer significant potential for this approach. In this study, we examined soil organic C (SOC) protection mechanisms in alpine meadow, typical steppe and desert grassland ecosystems located in the Gansu province of China. We also examined which microbial taxonomic groups are associated

Abstract Permanently flooded rice cropping is increasingly converted to rotation systems including upland crops, managed with adaptive nitrogen fertilizer application schemes for the sake of both saving water and optimizing nutrient application. Such changes alter the diversity and composition of the edaphic fauna, with a critical impact on soil functioning. We conducted a survey at 12 plots in Central

Abstract Soil feedback is thought to be an important contributor to the success of invasive plants. Despite evidence that invasive plants change soil microbial diversity, the functional roles of microbes impacted by invasion are still unclear. This knowledge is a critical component of our understanding of ecological mechanisms of plant invasion. Mounting evidence suggests Alliaria petiolata can suppress

Abstract Acacia and Eucalyptus species are commonly used for revegetation in Australia and other parts of the world, yet little is known regarding how their litter might differentially impact decomposition rates and extracellular enzyme activities. To investigate this, a litter decomposition experiment was established using a reciprocal design (litter type x dominant overstory genus) in Acacia and

Abstract Ants that build long-lasting mounds and move large amounts of mineral soil may influence the composition and fluxes of soil solutions, and thus soil nutrient cycling. However, studies quantifying such effects are scarce. In central Europe, the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) is a common species that changes the character of extensively managed grasslands by its mound building activity. In

Abstract The spatial distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities has been studied at many scales, from global to local, but few studies have explored variation within the root system of individual plants. Spatial variation within root systems might be expected partly due to differences in the physiology, morphology and anatomy of different roots, as well as due to spatial variation

Abstract Dry forest restoration success could be strongly dependent on the re-establishment of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities. AM fungi directly influence growth of a great variety of plant species by increasing nutrient uptake and providing a network of nutrient distribution for the whole plant community. Our study focuses on how different ecological restoration techniques could influence

Fine-root morphological variables are often directly correlated with soil nutrient availability and water absorption. Indirectly, these morphological variables could be related to nutrient depletion by other plants. The relationships of fine-root variables with shade, direct or indirect, are unknown. I tested the relationships between a number of soil quality variables (levels of nitrogen and lime)

In view of the heterogeneity of ecosystems that make up the Cerrado biome, frequent replacement of native vegetation by exotic components and typically seasonal climate, the present study aimed to investigate: (1) How litter arthropods communities are distributed in time and space in a multifunctional landscape in Cerrado biome, and (2) the importance of natural and anthropized ecosystems for the litter

Despite much research, a lot of uncertainty remains regarding the effects of forest conversion to plantation on soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization, particularly in deep soils. After comparing the SOC content and its distribution in over 200 years old natural broadleaved of forest of Castanopsis carlesii to that in an adjacent 38 years old C. carlesii plantation, we evaluated the effect of land

Aims Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important rotation crop in agriculture on the Canadian prairies. Pea root rot is caused by a complex of soilborne pathogens, and can have a tremendous impact on reducing yields and removing fields from pea production. The objectives of this study were to: determine whether characteristics of the fungal and bacterial microbiome are associated with diseased or

Abstract Tropical mountains support a variety of vegetation types that are threatened by global change, but our understanding of these threats is limited by our scarce knowledge of nutrient constraints on belowground processes in these sensitive ecosystems. To address this, we quantified chemical and microbiological properties at five sites associated with four vegetation types at high elevations (>3000 m

Abstract Communication between plants mediated by herbivore-induced volatile organic compounds has been extensively studied aboveground. However, the role of root herbivory in belowground plant-plant communication is much less understood. We here investigated whether root herbivores can trigger plant roots to emit warning signals to neighbouring plants that are not yet in direct contact with them.

Abstract Agroecological practices are emerging as efficient alternatives to address the challenge of sustainable agriculture. The objective of this study was to examine whether plant residue amendments from stems and leaves (SL) of an agroforestry shrub (Piliostigma reticulatum) enriched with nitrogen (N) sources improve nutrient cycling in Soudano-Sahelian cropping systems. The experimental design

Abstract Soils systems provide essential ecosystem functions and services performed by a hyperdiverse array of fauna, but how soil communities respond to climate change remains an understudied topic. Although previous long-term studies have found variable effects of climate change manipulations on soil communities, precipitation often yields strong responses from fauna. In this study we used a field-based

Abstract The growth response of Phaseolus vulgaris to dual inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobia was studied in a low-fertility tropical soil in Madagascar. Two isolates of AM fungi identified as Acaulospora sp. and Glomus sp., respectively, along with a cocktail of ten Rhizobium spp. strains were used to conduct a greenhouse experiment in a fully randomized block design with

Abstract Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are terrestrial micro-habitats distributed in drylands and also in temperate coastal dunes. Biocrusts harbor phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms in the upper soil layer, which fulfil important ecological functions such as primary production and energy channelling via the microbial loop. Heterotrophic protists, although being an essential component

Abstract Large amounts of chemicals are released into soil environments due to human activities, thereby harming organisms and their habitats. Earthworms are important bioindicators for chemical risk assessments of soil ecosystems, but the question remains of how they respond to different patterns of pollution. Laboratory experiments in soil mesocosms were carried out to observe changes in the burrowing

Abstract Plant diversity has been shown to mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil in some ecosystems. We tested the generality of this diversity effect on ecosystem functioning, as an application of ecological theory by quantifying potential nitrous oxide emissions in grasslands restored from agriculture containing high and low diversity. We performed an initial plant survey to develop the

Abstract Peregrine pheretimoid earthworms, commonly known as jumping worms, are members of the family Megascolecidae that have become widely established outside of their native ranges. In many parts of the world this represents a second wave of earthworm invasions, following the introduction of peregrine European earthworms in the family Lumbricidae during the colonial era. Forest ecologists, turf

Abstract Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (eCO2) are known to significantly impact aboveground vegetation, with cascading effects on belowground systems. However, the effects of altered biogeochemical and hydrological cycles on belowground faunal assemblages remain unclear. Oribatid mites are abundant and hyperdiverse litter decomposers, with the potential to act as bioindicators

Abstract This study investigated the effects of environmental variables on soil fungal communities under different vegetation types in order to advance our understanding of soil fungal community assembly associated with restored vegetation and under different climate conditions. Three vegetation types (no grazing and logging in grasslands and forests, and planted herbs and small shrubs in bare land

Abstract Elimination of tillage and planting winter cover crops are two conservation practices employed in agricultural row crop production to promote the accumulation of plant residues on the soil surface, improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and decrease losses of excess nutrients in runoff. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of no till management and two different cover

Abstract Understanding the diversity and community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in stressful conditions is fundamental to predicting the occurrence and function of indigenous AM fungal associations in a changing soil environment. Here, using whole-soil inoculum, we investigated the effects of salinity on community structure and colonization rate of AM fungi in roots, and assessed

Abstract Ferruginous tropical rocky outcrops such as that of banded iron formations, in Brazil also known as ‘cangas’, are characterized by severe abiotic conditions, such as shallow soils and high temperatures and represent unique hotspots of biodiversity. This study aimed to analyze a metaproteome from a typical canga soil, which may be critical to understanding the mechanisms for the maintenance

Abstract Soil enzymatic stoichiometry reflects the patterns of soil microbial resource allocation for the acquisition of nutrients from different forms of soil organic matter. Nitrogen enrichment derived from human activities greatly affects soil biological properties and chemical properties. However, the mechanism for changing soil enzymatic stoichiometry due to nitrogen enrichment remains unclear