Ecosystem restoration through aerial seeding: Interacting plant–soil microbiome effects on soil multifunctionality

Abstract

Understanding the driving factors of soil multifunctionality is of great significance for the protection and restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems. However, the effects of above‐ and belowground factors are rarely evaluated simultaneously, and the driving mode of both factors on soil multifunctionality is not clear. Here, we evaluated the restoration of mobile dunes threatened by desertification through aerial seeding, that is, the sowing of seeds through aerial devices, from 1983 to 2015 in Mu Us Desert, China, using soil and plant data. The effect of aerial seeding on the restoration of soil multifunctionality, plant diversity, and soil microbial diversity in mobile dunes was significant, which was tested by loess regression. Further, the plant diversity becomes saturated in the later stages of restoration. The effect also leads to the restoration of soil multifunctionality lags behind plant and soil microorganisms. The factors (plant and soil microorganisms) driving soil multifunctionality is not a separate action or a joint action that test by structural equation models (SEMs), but that plants restore first and then indirectly drive soil multifunctionality through soil microorganisms during the restoration process. We also found that bacteria are the main direct indicators of soil multifunctionality, which was tested using Random forests modelling. This study highlights that plants indirectly drive soil multifunctionality through soil microorganisms, and soil microorganisms are key to elucidating the restoration mechanism and process.

Microbial diversity drives soil multifunctionality along reclamation chronosequence in an opencast coal mine

“…Fungi often play a crucial role in the initial stages of colonization and can significantly influence plant community establishment (Eichorst et al, 2011; Pankratov et al, 2011). As the restoration process extends, the overall population of soil bacteria may become the dominant driving force for soil multifunctionality (Liu et al, 2021), consistent with this study. Studies should consider exploring the relationship between microbial diversity and soil multifunctionality during different restoration stages.…”

“…These findings are consistent with many previous studies on the changes of microbial diversity and soil physicochemical and soil enzyme activities in mining areas (Guan et al, 2020; Li et al, 2019; Lozano et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2013). Soil TC and soil TN, and soil enzyme activities involved in the carbon and nitrogen cycle have been significantly increased, which had accumulated favorable soil nutrient and provided more stable resources for the growth of soil microorganisms (Liu et al, 2021). This result demonstrated that reforestation had positive effects on soil quality and soil microbial diversity perspective for a certain period of reclamation (Jurburg & Salles, 2015; Philippot et al, 2013).…”

“…This result proved that reclamation years had a profound effect on soil multifunctionality. Many previous studies also showed positive and significant impacts of reclamation years on multifunctionality (Guo et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2013). In Robinia pseudoacacia plantations of China's Loess Plateau region, the restoration of soil multifunctionality increased, and reaching its zenith at 25 years of reclamation (Li et al, 2022).…”

Vegetation restoration of abandoned cropland improves soil ecosystem multifunctionality through alleviating nitrogen-limitation in the China Danxia

“…The improvement of soil EMF was aided by vegetation regeneration (Figure 3). Indicating that higher soil nutrient content and availability encouraged soil microbial proliferation, accelerated the geochemical cycling of soil nutrients, and ultimately improved soil ecological functions, soil EMF was significantly associated with soil nutrients, microbial biomass, and EEA (Figure 4A, Figure S1) (Fry et al, 2018;Liu et al, 2021;Ma et al, 2022). Soil nutrients greatly influenced how soil enzyme response to vegetation restoration (Figure 4A; Guo et al, 2022).…”

Viral Community Structure and Potential Functions in the Dried-Out Aral Sea Basin Change along a Desiccation Gradient

“…The first analyses of the water and soil of the still shrinking Aral Sea revealed microbial communities related to hypersaline-adapted bacteria and archaea; most of the archaeal sequences were phylogenetically affiliated with the order Halobacteriales but also indicated the presence of novel lineages ( 3 , 8 ). Recent findings showed the importance of the members of the local plant-associated microbiota, especially those inhabiting the below-ground compartments, for ecosystem functioning during natural restoration ( 9 , 10 ). Microbes can accelerate the decomposition of litter and the circulation of soil nutrients; both processes are important for soil multifunctionality during restoration.…”