Soil bacterial communities are critical for stability and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Viruses are ubiquitous in soils and have significant impacts on the structure and functions of bacterial host communities. However, little is known concerning the impact of various land use management practices on bacterial and viral communities. This study aimed to estimate variations of composition and structure

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are soil microorganisms symbiotic with plants and play critical roles in the growth and survival of their hosts. However, the influence of shrub encroachment on AMF remains unclear. We analysed the soil microbial biomass of fungi, especially AMF, under interspace grass patches and shrub patches during the process of shrub encroachment using phospholipid fatty acid

Understanding the assembly of soil microbial communities of tropical forest is of great significance for the protection of biodiversity in tropical areas. Many studies have been carried out on biodiversity and its maintenance mechanism in tropical regions. However, the effects of land use and seasonal variation on the assembly of soil fungal and bacterial communities in tropical forests remains unknown

Acid compost tea (CT) is an acidic liquid organic fertilizer, which can be used for topdressing throughout the period of cotton growth in drip irrigation cotton fields with calcareous soil. However, its effects on soil bacteria and cotton roots are not clear. This study investigated the response of cotton roots and rhizosphere bacteria to CT application. Compared with organic fertilizer, the total

Long-term nitrogen fertilization imparts significant effects on the soil environment and soil microbial communities relevant to nutrient cycling. Understanding the complex interactions between soil biology, management practices, and the soil environment is an important step toward improving soil health. The Crop Residue study of the Long-Term Plots at Pendleton, Oregon USA demonstrate declines in soil

Soil fungi, as a major decomposer of organic matter, govern carbon (C) cycle and act as crucial regulators of the soil C and nutrient balance in terrestrial ecosystems. Climate change and parent material alter important environmental conditions that may affect fungal community. However, very little is known about the diversity and community structure of soil fungi along elevation gradients with distinct

Livestock grazing, the main type of management activity in grasslands drives the structure and function of these ecosystems. However, the responses of soil microbial biomass and community composition to grazing remain poorly understood, compared with plants, nutrients and soil properties. We conducted a meta-analysis of independent grazing intensity (low grazing intensity, intermediate grazing intensity

The agroforestry practice has been regarded as a practical land-use selection to improve the Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii plantation management benefits. However, the relative report about the variation of rhizosphere soil bacterial communities and the potential functions under T. grandis-based agroforestry systems is currently limited. In the present study, we investigated the variation of soil bacterial

Common scab of potatoes is a soil-borne disease causing considerable economic losses worldwide. Although many management practices to control this disease have been introduced, the lack of efficiency increases an interest in effective and environmentally friendly alternatives. One of the attractive approaches to manage the disease is an application of antagonistic strains into soil. The aim of this

Click beetle larvae (Elateridae), commonly known as wireworms are burrowing insects found commonly in many habitats. Some species can be a significant agricultural pest, reducing crop yields and quality of harvestable parts such as Agriotes spp. which are common in Europe and parts of North America. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) has previously been demonstrated as a viable method for investigating

Nitrogen (N) inputs to agricultural systems contribute substantially to soil nitrate (NO3−) concentrations, which increase NO3− leaching and contamination of groundwater. The influence of soil microbes in regulating NO3− concentrations in the topsoil are well studied but it is often assumed that microbial regulation of NO3− concentrations in the subsoil is negligible. The aim of this study was to test

Rice paddy soils are an important biogenic source of methane, a relevant greenhouse gas. Rice rotation with upland crops and pastures affects hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria and methanogenic archaea by sequential exposition to oxic and anoxic conditions. There are several ways to reduce methane emissions from rice paddy soils. Here we examine the effect of intensification in rice rotations with

Increasing evidence shows that microbial necromass carbon is the primary constituent of soil stable carbon, yet the dynamics under different land use intensity (LUI) in arable soils are unknown. Here, we evaluated the dynamics of microbial necromass carbon through biomarker amino sugars at topsoil (0–15 cm) and subsoil (15–30 cm) across different LUI. The LUI was calculated by integrating the application

Nitrogen (N) loss through ammonia (NH3) volatilization (AV) has been a major agricultural and environmental concern. AV reduction is one of the main challenges to increase N-use efficiency and decrease environmental risks. The present research aimed to evaluate the effects of the addition of urea (URE) amended with compost (COM) and biochar (BC) to soil on the biochemical process of AV and the soil-urea

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition represents an important input of N into natural ecosystems such as semiarid shrublands of Southern California, which can receive up to 45 kg N ha−1 y−1. These N inputs will presumably alter soil microbial abundance and composition and impact ecosystem N and carbon (C) cycles. We used a 16S rRNA sequencing-based approach to characterize shifts in soil bacterial communities

The transition from the vegetative stage to reproductive stage of plants and variations in soil water regimes can alter the community feedbacks of rhizosphere microbiomes by affecting the partitioning of photosynthates to roots. However, little is known about how different rhizosphere microbiota respond to the growth stages of drought-resistant crops under different irrigation regimes. To address these

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are an important damaging biotic agent for numerous crops around the world, causing serious losses directly and indirectly. Cultural and chemical control strategies were mainly used to PPNs management. However, the choice of chemical nematicides is strictly limited in the agrosystems due to their toxicity, their impact to the environment and, therefore, banning policies

Piper aduncum, a tree species native to the Neotropics, has been introduced to other tropical regions and successfully invades secondary forest in fallow land after small scale slash-and-burn agriculture in Papua New Guinea (PNG). However, the effect of P. aduncum invasion on soil chemical properties as well as soil biota remains poorly understood. To fill this knowledge gap, we compared soil chemistry

Earthworms stimulate organic nitrogen (N) mineralization and this is linked to plant N uptake and N loss from soil. Earthworms may also simultaneously transfer N-rich residues into physically protected soil fractions and temporarily increase N stabilization. This study evaluated soil N transformations and lettuce N uptake in soil microcosms amended with 15N-labeled rice straw, with and without earthworms

The aim of the present study was to detect the heterogeneity of diversity in seasonal, site, tree species, and soil properties' effects on structural and functional attributes of the nematode communities under smooth mesquite, Prosopis laevigata and palo brea, Cericidium praecox within the Biosphere Reserve Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán. Soils under biological crusts and neighbouring exposed sites were

Application of Zn fertilizer can improve cereal Zn concentration, and affect soil microbial ecology by increasing soil Zn concentration. We investigated the effects of three-year continuous applications of different Zn fertilizers (i.e., ZnSO4 and ZnEDTA) on wheat Zn biofortification, soil Zn fractions and bacterial community on a Zn deficient calcareous soil. The results showed that ZnEDTA application

Ecological restoration is an important intervention strategy to halt biodiversity loss and land degradation. Under natural conditions, diazotrophs regulate terrestrial productivity by alleviating nitrogen limitation. However, little is known on the effects of revegetation on diazotroph community (composition, diversity and functioning). Here, by using nifH gene amplicon sequencing, community assembly

Root-associated fungi (RAF) influence plant growth and maintain multiple ecosystem functions. However, the relationship between the temporal dynamics of RAF communities and climate conditions and host phenology are less clear, especially in desert ecosystems. Therefore, intra-annual patterns of RAF can reveal their influence on Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, an important sand control species. We

Rhizosphere microbes are critical for plant health and ecological functioning in terrestrial ecosystems; however, our understanding of microbial co-occurrences and assembly processes in the broomcorn millet rhizosphere remains limited, especially in distinct regions of northern China. In this study, we examined the network topologies and relative contributions of assembly processes in the broomcorn

The state Himachal Pradesh in Western Himalaya was explored to know the community structure of earthworms in agroecosystems along the elevation gradient ranges from 300 to 2500 m above sea level. The study aimed to determine the influence of climate, soil variables and the cropping pattern on species diversity and abundance. Therefore, a total of six land-use types including three crop land, and three

Perennial grain crops have been proposed as a groundbreaking tactic to establish sustainable agroecosystems, as their growth habit and no-till management likely invoke multifunctionality such as improvement of soil structure as well as increases in nutrient retention and carbon (C) sequestration. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are multifunctional symbioses, which are ecologically important for

Agro-industrial composts represent both a sustainable alternative to inorganic fertilizers and a waste recycling management tool. Albeit, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to what extent their use can contribute to the global N2O budget. Here, two different composts [olive waste “alperujo” (AC) and biosolid (BC)] were tested during a three-year period to evaluate changes in N pools (NH4+

While topography can infer erosion potential, the practice of conventional agronomic management can trigger accelerated erosion and pose major threats to soil assets such as biodiversity. The majority of farmlands in Upper-Eastern Ghana are moderately hilly and highly susceptible to erosion. This study pioneered the comparative and interactive effects of topography and conventional versus conservation

Investigations on host affiliations, seasonal variation and physiological response to drought tolerance of dark septate endophytes (DSE) in extremely arid desert environments can help explain the adaptive mechanisms of these endophytes in desert ecosystems. The colonization and species diversity of DSE and the soil factors in the rhizospheres of five desert shrubs were therefore determined in Anxi

Earthworms, which contribute to important soil functions, suffer from intensive agriculture. Their response depends among other things on the earthworm ecological group (anecic, endogeic, epigeic) and the combination of the applied farming practices. To advice on methodological adaptations that enhance earthworm-mediated soil functions, effects of different practices on earthworms need to be studied

With the rapid development of mariculture industry, the disposal of mariculture sludge (MS) has become a serious environmental problem. Despite MS containing abundant organic matter, there may be some risks following MS application in agricultural practice. Many studies focus on the effects of sewage sludge application on crops. The potential of MS application on the microbial ecosystem and the above

In arid and semi-arid ecosystems, the biocrust serves as an important biological interface in the topsoil. Although the biocrust and vascular plant and soil are closely related, microbial diversity and functional characteristics in biocrusts of different vegetation communities and soil habitats, especially in watershed conditions, is poorly understood. In this study, biocrust samples were collected

The discovery of comammox Nitrospira has expanded our knowledge of classical labor division in nitrification and opened up new avenues to unravel the nitrification process in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the effects of fertilization and rhizosphere on comammox Nitrospira remains largely limited, especially in alkaline agricultural soils. To address this knowledge gap, the community structure of

Advancing towards sustainable cities needs a better understanding of all components of urban ecosystems, including soils, but the biological component of urban soils remains poorly studied compared to natural and agricultural soils. With the objective of advancing knowledge in this aspect, we studied the microbiological properties in 61 soils of the city of Santiago de Compostela (NW Spain), under

Feeding geese in cornfields may alter the composition and function of bacterial communities, which is pivotal for the improvement of sustainable soil fertility and the development of poultry-crop integrative agriculture. In a goose-fed field, the composition of the soil bacterial community was analysed using high-throughput sequencing and metabolic function (Biolog® Ecoplate™ microplate technology

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) could strengthen soil particles, increase soil nutrients, and reduce soil erosion. However, available information on stabilizing mine tailing sand by induced BSCs is lacking. In this study, a native microalgae (i.e., Coelastrella sp.) and two fungi (i.e., Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp.) isolated from Cu mine tailing sand were inoculated onto the tailing sand in different

Soil methanotrophs are the only biological sink for atmospheric methane (CH4). The activity and the diversity of methanotrophic communities in grassland soils can be impacted by animal grazing. In this study, soils were collected from a 17-year running grazing intensity trial in a typical steppe in the Loess Plateau, China to examine the responses of CH4 oxidation rate and active methanotroph composition

Rhizosphere microorganisms can affect the nutrient uptake of plant roots, and therefore contribute significantly to plant growth and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Our previous studies revealed that the application of biogas slurry, an available organic fertilizer, increased the signal intensity and diversity of functional microbial genes in bulk soil. Further study of the response of rhizosphere

Organic agriculture, employing manures or composts, has been proposed as a way of mitigating undesirable impacts of mineral fertilizer use. Of particular interest is the effect of fertilizer regime on soil microbes, which are key to nutrient cycling, plant health and soil structure. However, the effect of fertilizers on soil microbial diversity remains poorly understood. Since biological diversity

A large number of natural shrub forests were converted to oil plants and orchards in the subtropical area of China for economic reasons, but the ecological consequences such as greenhouse gas (GHG) flux, remains unclear. The objectives were to explore how environmental factors, including seasonal and inter-annual variations, and management factors are affecting the GHG fluxes. The study was performed

In subtropical wetland ecosystems, climate change can alter both the composition of nitrogen (N) deposition and the levels of soil water, affecting nutrient acquisition. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can regulate the effects of soil water availability and the NH4+: NO3− ratio on plant N acquisition. However, exactly how N acquisition is affected by soil water content and AMF symbiosis remains