Multiple elements of soil biodiversity drive ecosystem functions across biomes

Delgado‐Baquerizo, Manuel; Reich, Peter B.; Trivedi, Chanda; Eldridge, David J.; Abades, Sebastián; Alfaro, Fernando D.; Bastida, Felipe; Berhe, Asmeret Asefaw; Cutler, Nick A.; Gallardo, Antonio; García‐Velázquez, Laura; Hart, Stephen C.; Hayes, Patrick E.; He, Ji Zheng; Hseu, Zeng Yei; Kirchmair, Martín; Neuhauser, Sigrid; Pérez, Cecilia A.; Reed, Sasha C.; Santos, Fernanda; Sullivan, Benjamin W.; Trivedi, Pankaj; Wang, Jun Tao; Weber‐Grullon, Luis; Williams, Mark A.; Singh, Brajesh K.

doi:10.1038/s41559-019-1084-y

Cited by 779 publications

(576 citation statements)

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“…Global change is causing biodiversity loss across many trophic groups [30,31], with potential effects on ecosystem services 6,29, [32] . Soil biodiversity is a key driver maintaining and promoting multiple ecosystem functions [2,[11][12][13][14]. Considering the high functional redundancy of soil microorganisms [33], most studies have focused on soil microbial diversity [12][13][14][15], while ignoring other soil biota, e.g., protists and invertebrates, which are key components of soil food webs in belowground ecosystems [1,34,35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The major protist phylotypes, including Cercozoa, Ciliophora, and Lobosa, known as consumers or predators [35], exhibited negative or non-signi cant BEF relationships; whereas phototroph protists [35], e.g., Chlorophyta and Ochrophyta, exhibited positive BEF relationships. The results could be explained by the distinct role of the diversity of different soil organisms in supporting multiple ecosystem functions at different levels of functioning [2]. For example, larger soil organisms are essential for the maintenance of high levels of functioning [2], e.g., acting as predators to regulate the ow of resources to organisms (microorganisms) at lower trophic levels; whereas, small organisms are essential for the ne-tuning of multifunctionality (for example, by nutrient recycling) [2].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…based on controlled experiments [11,12] and observational surveys over large spatial scales [2,13,14].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Trophic interactions play important roles in stimulating ecosystem processes [1]. Soil organisms are structured, and form complex food webs, re ecting strong interrelationships within ecological networks [2,15]. Soil food web characteristics, such as architecture and connectedness, could strongly predict and in uence energy ux, food web stability, and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes [1,15,16].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Soil food web characteristics, such as architecture and connectedness, could strongly predict and in uence energy ux, food web stability, and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes [1,15,16]. In addition, the phylotypes within soil food webs with similar environmental and resource preferences, could form strongly connected ecological clusters in ecological networks, with major implications for ecosystem functioning [2,17]. Soil physico-chemical properties and ecosystem processes may vary between agricultural and natural ecosystems, with distinct biodiversity patterns and food web architecture [16,18,19].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil Food Web Complexity Enhances the Link Between Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Agricultural Systems

Jiao

2020

Preprint

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Background: Belowground biodiversity supports multiple ecosystem functions and services that humans rely on. However, there is a dearth of studies conducted on a large spatial scale on the topic in intensely managed agricultural ecosystems. Existing studies have overlooked the fact that the functional diversity in other trophic groups within a food web could influence function of an individual in another trophic group. Here, we report significant and positive relationships between soil biodiversity (archaea, bacteria, fungi, protists, and invertebrates) and multiple ecosystem functions (nutrient provisioning, element cycling, and reduced pathogenicity potential) in 228 agricultural fields. Results: The relationships were influenced by (I) the types of organisms with significant relationships in archaea, bacteria, and fungi and not in protists and invertebrates, and (II) the connectedness of dominant phylotypes across soil food webs, which generate different ecological clusters within soil networks to maintain multiple functions. In addition, we highlight the role of soil food web complexity, reflected by ecological networks comprising diverse organisms, which promote the multiple functions and enhance the link between soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Conclusions: Overall, our results represent a significant advance in forecasting the impacts of belowground biodiversity within food webs on ecosystem functions in agricultural systems, and suggest that soil biodiversity, particularly soil food web complexity, should not be overlooked, but rather considered a key factor and integrated into policy and management activities aimed at enhancing and maintaining ecosystem productivity, stability, and sustainability under land-use intensification.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…based on controlled experiments [11,12] and observational surveys over large spatial scales [2,13,14].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil Food Web Complexity Enhances the Link Between Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Agricultural Systems

Jiao

2020

Preprint

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Effects of pesticides on soil bacterial, fungal and protist communities, soil functions and grape quality in vineyards

Steiner,

Falquet,

Fragnière

et al. 2024

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Pesticides can have unintentional effects on non‐target organisms and change biotic communities. Such changes might be particularly important in soil microbial communities, which drive many ecosystem functions and may affect crop quality. Here, we investigated, in a three‐year study, how vegetation control (by herbicide application) and soil copper content (from long‐term copper‐based fungicide application) affect biodiversity and the community structure of soil bacteria, fungi and protists, and associated soil functions (respiration, decomposition) in Swiss vineyards. Furthermore, we determined the effects of these two management practices on grape quality as the most direct ecosystem service to farmers. Across all study years, the community composition of microorganisms was affected by herbicide application, however, a significant loss of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was only observed in fungi and protists. Soil copper content reduced OTU richness of bacteria and protists in some years but had no significant effect on fungal richness. Copper changed the community composition in all three groups of soil microorganisms. While we found no effect of copper on soil functions, herbicide application reduced microbial respiration and biomass by about 39% and 45%, respectively. However, decomposition rates remained virtually unchanged by any pesticide. Yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) levels in grape were below the critical threshold of 140 mg/L in 40% of the vineyards without herbicide application and the variety Chasselas, whereas in vineyards with herbicide application, it was only 20%. Application of pesticides led to changes in richness and composition of soil microbial communities and directly reduced some soil functions (microbial biomass and respiration) but not all (decomposition). Some grape quality parameters can be indirectly enhanced by pesticide application, highlighting the trade‐off between the interests of nature conservation and the interests of the farmer. Balancing these two diverging interests requires the establishment of alternative vineyard management allowing reduced pesticide application.

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Sustained Inhibition of Maize Seed‐Borne Fusarium Using a Bacillus‐Dominated Rhizospheric Stable Core Microbiota with Unique Cooperative Patterns

et al. 2022

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Seed-borne pathogens can inhabit the rhizosphere and infect the plant after germination. The rhizosphere microbiome plays critical roles in defending against seed-borne pathogens. However, the assembly of a core rhizosphere microbiome to suppress seed-borne pathogens is unknown. Here, the root-associated microbiome is infested with seed-borne Fusarium in sterile environment, while the root-associated microbiome is not infested when it interacts with the native soil microbiome across maize cultivars, suggesting that a core rhizosphere microbiome assembles to suppress seed-borne Fusarium. Two strategies of progressive dilution and rhizodepositional attraction are applied to identify the core rhizobacteria. A synthetic microbiota (SynM) is constructed using the isolates of the core rhizobacteria and optimized according to superior community stability and Fusarium-suppression capability, which surpasses the single strain and randomly formed microbiota. The optimized SynM (OptSynM) presents a distinctive cooperative pattern in which a key strain harbors the Fusarium suppression function by synthesizing the antagonistic substance fengycin, while other members intensify the functional performance by promoting the growth and the expression of the antagonistic and plant-growth-promoting related genes of the key strain. This study demonstrates innovative approaches to construct stable and minimal microbiota for sustainable agriculture and proposes a unique cooperative pattern to sustain community stability and functionality.

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Multiple elements of soil biodiversity drive ecosystem functions across biomes

Cited by 779 publications

References 48 publications

Soil Food Web Complexity Enhances the Link Between Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Agricultural Systems

Soil Food Web Complexity Enhances the Link Between Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Agricultural Systems

Effects of pesticides on soil bacterial, fungal and protist communities, soil functions and grape quality in vineyards

Sustained Inhibition of Maize Seed‐Borne Fusarium Using a Bacillus‐Dominated Rhizospheric Stable Core Microbiota with Unique Cooperative Patterns

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