Exploring the Dynamic Interplay Between Soil Carbon Stocks, Microbial Communities, and Land-Use Practices

Understanding the intricate connections between soil organic matter (SOM), microbial communities, and land-use practices is critical for safeguarding soil health and mitigating global climate change. SOM biogeography, which examines the distribution and characteristics of SOM across diverse landscapes, offers vital insights into the relationships between SOM fractions and the microbial and mesofauna communities that underpin soil functionality.

With the recognition that soil carbon storage can significantly influence global warming through positive feedback loops, enhancing our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms linking SOM pools to ecosystem biological functions is paramount. This knowledge is essential to preserving ecological goods and services, including soil productivity and carbon storage.

Microbial biodiversity lies at the heart of soil fertility and carbon sequestration, yet the factors shaping soil biodiversity over broad spatial scales remain inadequately explored. Simultaneously, land-use changes have increasingly compromised soil health and SOM levels, adversely affecting natural ecosystems and agroecosystems alike. Given the pivotal role of soil microorganisms in carbon cycle regulation, this study sought to unravel the complex interactions between land-use practices and pedo-climatic factors driving soil biodiversity.

Through an extensive survey, this research harmonized and integrated large datasets encompassing soil biodiversity, climate, and geomorphology. The resulting comprehensive analysis provides actionable insights into optimizing future land-use strategies.

The project revealed the spatial patterns of microbial richness and diversity in soils, identifying the primary drivers behind these patterns. Specifically, it examined the covariance between soil bacterial communities, fungal and mycorrhizal populations, soil functions (as reflected by enzyme activity), and the abundance of key functional genes involved in the soil carbon cycle. By linking these dynamics to SOM fractions, land-use practices, and pedo-climatic factors, the study offers a robust framework for advancing sustainable land management and soil conservation practices.