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Available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the most common elements limiting the success of ecosystem restoration. Soil microbial communities, harbouring the alkaline metalloprotease (apr) gene and alkaline phosphatase activity gene (phoD), play a crucial role in regulating and maintaining soil available N and P. However, the dynamics of apr-and phoD-harbouring bacteria and their contributions to regulating soil available N and P balances remain largely unexplored as ecological restoration proceeded. In this study, we investigated the community dynamics of apr-and phoDharbouring bacteria during the plant growing season in association with the longterm passive (40 years) and active (35 years) restoration of degraded ecosystems.

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In desert ecosystems, the desertification process is characterized by increasing attenuation of plant productivity and deterioration of soil habitats, leading to enhanced environmental stress gradients for soil microbiomes. Despite the significance of microbial communities for multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems, the feedback dynamics of microbiomes and their contributions to maintaining deep soil (20-100 cm) multifunctionality as desertification progresses have yet to be evaluated. Here, we used three sites with different desertification stages and investigated the variation trends of microbiomes in soil profiles (0-100 cm) and their contributions to regulating multifunctionality. The multifunctionality did not exhibit a significant difference between superficial (0-20 cm) and deep soils and slightly decreased as depth increased throughout the entire profile. Results from alpha-and betadiversity analysis of soil microbiomes suggested that bacterial communities received on average more positive and progressive feedback from desertification development than fungal and archaeal communities. Particular microbial clades rather than total microbial diversity best predict and explain the vertical profile variation in soil multifunctionality in desert ecosystems. Microbial clades within Acidobacteria could be targeted for future soil-focussed, bottom-up desertification control studies.