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Hao Y, Sun A, Lu C, Su JQ, Chen QL. Protists and fungi: Reinforcing urban soil ecological functions against flash droughts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 950:175274. [PMID: 39117190 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Rising instances of flash droughts are contributing to notable variability in soil moisture across terrestrial ecosystems. These phenomena challenge urban ecosystem services, yet the reaction of soil ecological functions (SEFs) to such events is poorly understood. This study investigates the responses of SEFs (about nutrient metabolism capacity and potential) and the microbiome under two specific scenarios: a flooding-drought sequence and a direct drought condition. Using quantitative microbial element cycling analysis, high-throughput sequencing, and enzyme activity measurements, we found that unlike in forests, the microbial composition in urban soils remained unchanged during flash drought conditions. However, SEFs were affected in both settings. Correlation analysis and Mantel test showed that forest soils exhibited more complex interactions among soil moisture, properties, and microbial communities. Positive linear correlation revealed that bacteria were the sole drivers of SEFs. Interestingly, while multi-threshold results suggested bacterial α diversity impeded the maximization of SEFs in urban soils, fungi and protists had a beneficial impact. Cross-domain network of urban soils had higher number of nodes and edges, but lower average degree and robustness than forest soils. Mantel test revealed that fungi and protist had significant correlations with bacterial composition in forest soils, but not in urban soils. In the urban network, the degree and eigenvector centrality of bacterial, fungal and protistan ASVs were significantly lower compared to those in the forest. These results suggest that the lower robustness of the microbial network in urban soils is attributed to limited interactions among fungi, consumer protists, and bacteria, contributing to the failure of microbial-driven ecological functions. Overall, our findings emphasize the critical role of fungi and protists in shielding urban soils from drought-induced disturbances and in enhancing the resistance of urban ecological functions amidst environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilong Hao
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China
| | - Anqi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China
| | - Changyi Lu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China.
| | - Jian-Qiang Su
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Qing-Lin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China.
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Amarasinghe A, Chen C, Van Zwieten L, Rashti MR. The role of edaphic variables and management practices in regulating soil microbial resilience to drought - A meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169544. [PMID: 38141972 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Environmental disturbances such as drought can impact soil health and the resistance (ability to withstand environmental stress) and resilience (ability to recover functional and structural integrity after stress) of soil microbial functional activities. A paucity of information exists on the impact of drought on soil microbiome and how soil biological systems respond to and demonstrate resilience to drought stress. To address this, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (using only laboratory studies) to assess the response of soil microbial biomass and respiration to drought stress across agriculture, forest, and grassland ecosystems. The meta-analysis revealed an overall negative response of microbial biomass in resistance (-31.6 %) and resilience (-0.3 %) to drought, suggesting a decrease in soil microbial biomass content. Soil microbial respiration also showed a negative response in resistance to drought stress indicating a decrease in soil microbial respiration in agriculture (-17.5 %), forest (-64.0 %), and grassland (-65.5 %) ecosystems. However, it showed a positive response in resilience to drought, suggesting an effective recovery in microbial respiration post-drought. Soil organic carbon (SOC), clay content, and pH were the main regulating factors of the responses of soil microbial biomass and respiration to drought. In agriculture ecosystem, soil pH was primarily correlated with soil microbial respiration resistance and resilience to drought, potentially influenced by frequent land preparation and fertilizer applications, while in forest ecosystem SOC, clay content, and pH significantly impacted microbial biomass and respiration resistance and resilience. In grassland ecosystem, SOC was strongly associated with biomass resilience to drought. The impact of drought stress on soil microbiome showed different patterns in natural and agriculture ecosystems, and the magnitude of microbial functional responses regulated by soil intrinsic properties. This study highlighted the importance of understanding the role of soil properties in shaping microbial responses to drought stress for better ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apsara Amarasinghe
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Chengrong Chen
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Lukas Van Zwieten
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia; NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongbar, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mehran Rezaei Rashti
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
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Egidi E, Coleine C, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Singh BK. Assessing critical thresholds in terrestrial microbiomes. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:2230-2233. [PMID: 38030908 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01536-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Egidi
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
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