Search Results (313)

In response to the challenges posed by soil degradation in the arid regions of Xinjiang, China, green and organic management practices have emerged as effective alternatives to conventional agricultural management methods, helping to mitigate soil degradation by promoting natural soil recovery and ecological balance. However, most of the existing studies focus on a single management practice or indicator and lack a systematic assessment of the effects of integrated orchard management in arid zones. This study aims to investigate how different agricultural management practices influence soil physicochemical properties and inter-root microbial communities in apple orchards in Xinjiang and to identify the main physicochemical factors affecting the composition of inter-root microbial communities. Inter-root soil samples were collected from apple orchards under green management (GM), organic management (OM), and conventional management (CM) in major apple-producing regions of Xinjiang. Microbial diversity and community composition of the samples were analyzed using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. The results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in soil physicochemical properties across different management practices. Specifically, GM significantly reduced soil pH and C:N compared with OM. Both OM and GM significantly decreased soil available nutrient content compared with CM. Moreover, GM and OM significantly increased bacterial diversity and changed the community composition of bacteria and fungi. Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were identified as the dominant bacteria and fungi, respectively, in all management practices. Linear discriminant analysis (LEfSe) showed that biomarkers were more abundant under OM, suggesting that OM may contribute to ecological functions through specific microbial taxa. Co-occurrence network analysis (building a network of microbial interactions) demonstrated that the topologies of bacteria and fungi varied across different management practices and that OM increased the complexity of microbial co-occurrence networks. Mantel test analysis (analyzing soil factors and microbial community correlations) showed that C:N and available potassium (AK) were significantly and positively correlated with the community composition of bacteria and fungi, and that C:N, soil organic carbon (SOC), and alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN) were significantly and positively correlated with the diversity of fungi. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further indicated that SOC, C:N, and AK were the primary soil physicochemical factors influencing the composition of microbial communities. This study provides theoretical guidance for the sustainable management of orchards in arid zones. Full article

Understanding root decomposition dynamics is essential to address declining carbon sequestration and nutrient imbalances in monoculture plantations. This study elucidates how forest gaps regulate Pinus massoniana root decomposition through comparative methodological analysis, providing theoretical foundations for near-natural forest management and carbon–nitrogen cycle optimization in plantations. The results showed the following: (1) Root decomposition was significantly accelerated by the in situ soil litterbag method (ISLM) versus the traditional litterbag method (LM) (decomposition rate (k) = 0.459 vs. 0.188), reducing the 95% decomposition time (T_0.95) by nearly nine years (6.53 years vs. 15.95 years). ISLM concurrently elevated the root potassium concentration and reconfigured the relationships between root decomposition and soil nutrients. (2) Lower-order roots (orders 1–3) decomposed significantly faster than higher-order roots (orders 4–5) (k = 0.455 vs. 0.193). This disparity was amplified under ISLM (lower-/higher-order root k ratio = 4.1) but diminished or reversed under LM (lower-/higher-order root k ratio = 0.8). (3) Forest gaps regulated decomposition through temporal phase interactions, accelerating decomposition initially (0–360 days) while inhibiting it later (360–720 days), particularly for higher-order roots. Notably, forest gap effects fundamentally reversed between methodologies (slight promotion under LM vs. significant inhibition under ISLM). Our study reveals that conventional LM may obscure genuine ecological interactions during root decomposition, confirms lower-order roots as rapid nutrient-cycling pathways, provides crucial methodological corrections for plantation nutrient models, and advances theoretical foundations for precision management of P. massoniana plantations. Full article

Integrated rice–crayfish (Oryza sativa–Procambarus clarkii) co-culture (RC) systems have gained prominence due to their economic benefits and ecological sustainability; however, the interactions between soil properties and microbial communities in such systems remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of the RC systems on soil physicochemical characteristics and microbial dynamics in paddy fields of southern Henan Province, China, over the 2023 growing season and subsequent fallow period. Using a randomized complete design, rice monoculture (RM, as the control) and RC treatments were compared across replicated plots. Soil and water samples were collected post-harvest and pre-transplanting to assess soil properties, extracellular enzyme activity, and microbial community structure. Results showed that RC significantly enhanced soil moisture by up to 30.2%, increased soil porosity by 9.6%, and nearly tripled soil organic carbon compared to RM. The RC system consistently elevated nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) throughout both the rice growth and fallow stages, indicating improved nutrient availability and retention. Elevated extracellular enzyme activities linked to carbon, N, and P cycling were observed under RC, with enzymatic stoichiometry revealing increased microbial nutrient limitation intensity and a shift toward P limitation. Microbial community composition was significantly altered under RC, showing increased biomass, a higher fungi-to-bacteria ratio, and greater relative abundance of Gram-positive bacteria, reflecting enhanced soil biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Further analyses using the Mantel test and Random Forest identified extracellular enzyme activities, PLFAs, soil moisture, and bulk density as major factors shaping microbial communities. Redundancy analysis (RDA) confirmed that total potassium (TK), vector length (VL), soil pH, and total nitrogen (TN) were the strongest environmental predictors of microbial variation, jointly explaining 74.57% of the total variation. Our findings indicated that RC improves soil physicochemical conditions and microbial function, thereby supporting sustainable nutrient cycling and offering a promising, environmentally sound strategy for enhancing productivity and soil health in rice-based agro-ecosystems. Full article

Elevational gradients in temperature, moisture, and vegetation strongly influence soil nutrient content and stoichiometry in mountainous regions. However, exactly how total, microbial, and enzymatic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry vary with elevation in karst peak-cluster depressions remains poorly understood. To address this, we studied soil total, microbial, and enzymatic C:N:P stoichiometry in seasonal rainforests within karst peak-cluster depressions in southwestern China at different elevations (200, 300, 400, and 500 m asl) and depths (0–20 and 20–40 cm). We found that soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and the C:P and N:P ratios increased significantly with elevation, whereas total phosphorus (TP) decreased. Microbial phosphorus (MBP) also declined with elevation, while the microbial N:P ratio rose. Activities of nitrogen- (β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and L-leucine aminopeptidase combined) and phosphorus-related enzymes (alkaline phosphatase) increased markedly with elevation, suggesting potential phosphorus limitation for plant growth at higher elevations. Our results suggest that total, microbial, and enzymatic soil stoichiometry are collectively shaped by topography and soil physicochemical properties, with elevation, pH, and exchangeable calcium (ECa) acting as the key drivers. Microbial stoichiometry exhibited positive interactions with soil stoichiometry, while enzymatic stoichiometry did not fully conform to the expectations of resource allocation theory, likely due to the functional specificity of phosphatase. Overall, these findings enhance our understanding of C–N–P biogeochemical coupling in karst ecosystems, highlight potential nutrient limitations, and provide a scientific basis for sustainable forest management in tropical karst regions. Full article

Straw mulching is an important strategy for regulating soil moisture, nutrient availability, and thermal conditions in agricultural systems. However, the mechanisms by which the mulching period, thickness, and planting density interact to influence yield formation in wheat–soybean rotation systems remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we systematically examined the combined effects of straw mulching at the seedling and jointing stages of winter wheat, as well as varying mulching thicknesses and soybean planting densities, on soil properties and crop yields through field experiments. The experimental design included straw mulching treatments during the seedling stage (T₁) and the jointing stage (T₂) of winter wheat, with soybean planting densities classified as low (D₁, 1.8 × 10⁵ plants·ha⁻¹) and high (D₂, 3.6 × 10⁵ plants·ha⁻¹). Mulching thicknesses were set at low (S₁, 2830.19 kg·ha⁻¹), medium (S₂, 8490.57 kg·ha⁻¹), and high (S₃, 14,150.95 kg·ha⁻¹), in addition to a no-mulch control (CK) for each treatment. The results demonstrated that (1) straw mulching significantly increased soil water content in the order S₃ > S₂ > S₁ > CK and exerted a temperature-buffering effect. This resulted in increases in soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, and available potassium by 1.88−71.95%, 1.36−165.8%, and 1.92−36.34%, respectively, while decreasing available nitrogen content by 1.42−17.98%. (2) The T₁ treatments increased wheat yields by 1.22% compared to the control, while the T₂ treatments resulted in a 23.83% yield increase. Soybean yields increased by 23.99% under D₁ and by 36.22% under D₂ treatments. (3) Structural equation modeling indicated that straw mulching influenced yields by modifying interactions among soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, bulk density, soil temperature, and soil water content. Wheat yields were primarily regulated by the synergistic effects of soil temperature, water content, and available potassium, whereas soybean yields were determined by the dynamic balance between organic carbon and available potassium. This study provides empirical evidence to inform the optimization of straw return practices in wheat–soybean rotation systems. Full article

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), an important forage and turfgrass species, can establish a mutualistic symbiosis with the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae var. lolii. Although the physiological and ecological impacts of endophyte infection on ryegrass have been extensively investigated, the response of the soil microbial community and nitrogen-cycling gene to this relationship has received much less attention. The present study emphasized abundance and diversity variation in the AOB-amoA, nirK and nosZ functional genes in the rhizosphere soil of the endophyte–ryegrass symbiosis following litter addition. We sampled four times: at T₀ (prior to first litter addition), T₁ (post 120 d of 1st litter addition), T₂ (post 120 d of 2nd litter addition) and T₃ (post 120 d of 3rd litter addition) times. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) and PCR amplification and sequencing were used to characterize the abundance and diversity of the AOB-amoA, nirK and nosZ genes in rhizosphere soils of endophyte-infected (E+) plants and endophyte-free (E−) plants. A significant enhancement of total Phosphorus (P), Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) and Nitrate ion (NO₃⁻) contents in the rhizosphere soil was recorded in endophyte-infected plants at different sampling times compared to endophyte-free plants (p ≤ 0.05). The absolute abundance of the AOB-amoA gene at T₀ and T₁ times was higher, as was the absolute abundance of the nosZ gene at T₀, T₁ and T₃ times in the E+ plant rhizophere soils relative to E− plant rhizosphere soils. A significant change in relative abundance of the AOB-amoA and nosZ genes in the host rhizophere soils of endophyte-infected plants at T₁ and T₃ times was observed. The experiment failed to show any significant alteration in abundance and diversity of the nirK gene, and diversity of the AOB-amoA and nosZ genes. Analysis of the abundance and diversity of the nirK gene indicated that changes in soil properties accounted for approximately 70.38% of the variation along the first axis and 16.69% along the second axis, and soil NH₄⁺ (p = 0.002, 50.4%) and soil C/P ratio (p = 0.012, 15.8%) had a strong effect. The changes in community abundance and diversity of the AOB-amoA and nosZ genes were mainly related to soil pH, N/P ratio and NH₄⁺ content. The results demonstrate that the existence of tripartite interactions among the foliar endophyte E. festucae var. Lolii, L. perenne and soil nitrogen-cycling gene has important implications for reducing soil losses on N. Full article

Microplastic pollution threatens coastal wetland ecosystems, yet its impacts on the dominant plant species and soil properties remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of four microplastic types (PP, PE, PS, PET) at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, 1% w/w) on Scirpus mariqueter, a keystone species in the coastal wetlands of China, and the associated soil physicochemical properties. In a controlled pot experiment, microplastics significantly altered the plant biomass, vegetative traits, and reproductive strategies, with type-specific and concentration-dependent responses. PET and PE strongly suppressed the belowground and total biomass (p < 0.05), with reductions in the belowground biomass of 42.87% and 44.13%, respectively, at a 0.1% concentration. PP promoted seed production, particularly increasing the seed number by 25.23% at a 0.1% concentration (p < 0.05). The soil NH₄⁺-N, moisture, and EC were key mediators, with NH₄⁺-N declines linked to biomass reductions via nitrogen limitation. The Spearman correlations confirmed strong associations between the plant traits and soil properties, particularly nitrogen forms. These findings reveal that microplastics disrupt wetland plant performance and soil environments, potentially impairing carbon sequestration and ecosystem stability. Our study underscores the urgent need for microplastic risk assessments in coastal wetlands and highlights soil–microbe–plant interactions as critical mechanisms for future investigation. Full article

Acid deposition, a major environmental issue causing soil acidification and microbial suppression, impacts forest nutrient cycling. Meanwhile, nitrogen (N) fertilization is widely applied in subtropical forests, yet its interaction with acid deposition on litter decomposition is unclear. We conducted a field experiment using two common tree species, Cunninghamia lanceolata and Cinnamomum camphora, and applied three acid deposition levels (0, 0.25, and 0.50 g H⁺ m⁻² month⁻¹) and four N fertilization levels (0, 3, 6, and 9 g N m⁻² year⁻¹) in a factorial design. Our results showed that acid deposition alone significantly reduced litter decomposition rates, with maximum mass loss decreasing by 23.6% for Cunninghamia and 36.3% for Cinnamomum (p < 0.05). Urea fertilization alone also suppressed decomposition, reducing maximum mass loss by 27.3% for Cunninghamia and 37.3% for Cinnamomum (p < 0.05). However, when combined, urea fertilization mitigated the suppressive effect of acid deposition, particularly under severe acid conditions, where maximum mass loss increased by 18.5% for Cunninghamia and 43.1% for Cinnamomum (p < 0.05). Acid deposition reduced microbial respiration and enzyme activities related to carbon cycling, while urea fertilization showed both positive and negative effects depending on the acid levels (p < 0.05). Urea can enhance the litter layer’s acid-buffering capacity, offering potential management insights for acid deposition-affected forests. Further research on microbial mechanisms across ecosystems is recommended. Full article

Anthropogenic revegetation allows effective and timely soil development in mine restoration areas. The evaluation of soil quality is one of the most important criteria for measuring reclamation effectiveness, providing scientific reference for the subsequent management of ecological restoration projects. The aim of this research was to further investigate the influence of revegetation on mine-reclaimed soils in a semi-arid region. Thus, a coal-gangue dump within the afforestation chronosequence of 1 and 19 years in Shanxi Province, China, was selected as the study area. We assessed the physicochemical properties and nutrient stock of topsoils under four revegetation species, i.e., Pinus tabuliformis (PT), Medicago sativa (MS), Styphnolobium japonicum (SJ), and Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Idaho’ (RP). A two-way ANOVA revealed that reclamation age significantly affected SOC, TN, EC, moisture, and BD (p < 0.05), while the interaction effects of revegetation type and age were also significant for TN and moisture. In addition, SOC and TN stocks at 0–30 cm topsoil at the RP site performed the best among 19-year reclaimed sites, with an accumulation of 62.09 t ha⁻¹ and 4.23 t ha⁻¹, respectively. After one year of restoration, the MS site showed the highest level of SOC and TN accumulation, which increased by 186.8% and 88.5%, respectively, compared to bare soil in the 0–30 cm interval, but exhibited declining stocks during the 19-year restoration, possibly due to species invasion and water stress. In addition, an integrated soil quality index (ISQI) and the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) were used to estimate comprehensive soil quality along with the interrelationship among influencing factors. The reclaimed sites with an ISQI value > 0 were 19-RP (3.906) and 19-SJ (0.165). In conclusion, the restoration effect of the PR site after 19 years of remediation was the most pronounced, with soil quality approaching that of the undisturbed site, especially in terms of soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation. These findings clearly revealed the soil dynamics after afforestation, further providing a scientific basis for choosing mining reclamation species in the semi-arid regions. Full article

Soil enzymes secreted by microorganisms play a key role in carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) metabolism in soil organic matter. As major drivers of climate change, warming and nitrogen addition affect soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activity, but their combined effects on these parameters across different soil aggregate size scales in desert steppes remain unclear. This study used a 2 × 2 factorial split-plot design (control; warming; nitrogen addition: warming + nitrogen addition) conducted from 2006 in Inner Mongolia’s desert steppe. Soil samples were collected in 2018–2019, and aggregates were fractionated into >2000 μm, 250–2000 μm, and <250 μm sizes using a modified dry-sieving method. Physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were measured. Our results show that warming significantly reduced the total nitrogen (TN) and organic carbon (SOC) content in aggregates, while nitrogen addition significantly decreased the pH value in aggregates but had no significant impact on other soil nutrient content indicators. For soil enzyme activity, warming significantly reduced the activity of Urease and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) in soil aggregates, and nitrogen addition significantly reduced the activity of Urease, ALP, and β-glucosidase (BG) in aggregates. However, the size of the aggregates had a significant impact on the activity of Urease and BG. The influence of soil physicochemical properties on different enzyme activities varied across different years. These findings indicate that under the global change scenario, the physicochemical properties and enzyme activity of desert steppe soils are affected by warming and nitrogen addition to varying degrees, and the impact of these two factors shows significant differences across different years. Moreover, the interactive effects of warming and nitrogen addition did not simply result in an additive effect influenced by single factors. Full article

The carbon metabolism activity of rhizosphere soil microbial communities is an essential indicator for assessing soil ecosystem health, as it directly affects soil nutrient cycling and the stability of organic matter. However, there is a limited understanding of the carbon metabolism characteristics of rhizosphere soil microorganisms in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) of different ages and their relationships with soil physicochemical properties. This study used Biolog EcoPlates to evaluate the carbon metabolism activity, functional diversity, and carbon-source utilization preferences of rhizosphere soil microbial communities in 5-, 7-, and 9-year-old alfalfa grasslands on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of western China. We analyzed the relationships between soil physicochemical properties and microbial carbon metabolism characteristics, considering their potential covariation. The results showed that, with the extension of alfalfa planting years, the rhizosphere soil water content decreased significantly, pH decreased slightly, but soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus contents increased significantly. The rhizosphere soil microbial community of 9-year-old alfalfa exhibited the highest carbon metabolism activity, Shannon diversity index, and carbon-source utilization. Rhizosphere soil microorganisms from different-aged alfalfa showed significantly different preferences for carbon-source utilization, with microorganisms from 9-year-old alfalfa preferentially utilizing carbon sources such as N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, D-mannitol, and D-cellobiose. Redundancy analysis revealed that soil water content was among the most important factors influencing the carbon metabolism activity of rhizosphere soil microbial communities while acknowledging that the relative contributions of soil water content, organic carbon, and nitrogen require careful interpretation, owing to their potential collinearity. This study demonstrates that, under rain-fed conditions in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, the continuous cultivation of alfalfa for nine years led to a significant decrease in soil water content but enhanced the rhizosphere soil nutrient status and microbial carbon metabolism activity, with no apparent signs of microbial functional degradation, although soil water depletion was observed. These findings highlight the complex interactions among multiple soil factors in influencing microbial carbon metabolism, providing valuable microbiological insights for understanding the sustainability of alfalfa grasslands and a theoretical basis for the scientific management of alfalfa grasslands in the semi-arid Loess Plateau region. Future research should consider longer planting periods to determine the critical age of alfalfa grassland degradation under semi-arid conditions and its associated microbial mechanisms. Full article

In the context of China’s ecosystem facing a high intensity of nitrogen loads, carbon–nitrogen interactions are receiving increasing attention. Physical protection by soil aggregates is critical for soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems; however, there is currently limited information on how nitrogen addition influences carbon and nitrogen dynamics across different stages of forest ageing. Herein, a field nitrogen manipulation experiment over 6 years was established in subtropical forests (46, 78, and about 200 years old) in China. Aggregate fractions and stable isotope analyses were used to assess the effects of nitrogen addition. The results show that forest soil was dominated by macroaggregates, and these increased with forest ageing (p > 0.05). The macroaggregates’ carbon content decreased with forest ageing (p > 0.05), while the macroaggregates’ nitrogen content was highest in the 200-year-old forest. Nitrogen addition increased the aggregates’ carbon and nitrogen concentrations in the 46- and 200-year-old forests. The macroaggregates, under nitrogen addition in the 78- and 200-year-old forests, were relatively weak, while forest age and nitrogen addition mainly affected macroaggregate carbon and nitrogen concentrations to promote their carbon and nitrogen storage, and the macroaggregates were the main storage unit for fixing and protecting new carbon in soils. Nitrogen addition increased the macroaggregates’ δ¹³C abundance in the 78- and 200-year-old forests and decreased it in the 46-year-old forest (p > 0.05); significantly increased the macroaggregates’ δ¹⁵N in the 46-year-old forest (p < 0.05), and decreased the macroaggregates’ δ¹⁵N in the 200-year-old forest (p > 0.05). Considering the distribution of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in the aggregates, the effect of nitrogen addition on the dynamic mechanism of soil aggregate carbon and nitrogen fractions varied based on forest age and aggregate size. Correlation analysis further revealed that soil total phosphorus, NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, dissolved organic nitrogen, pH, texture, etc., were the primary predictors explaining most of the variation in aggregate fractions and their δ¹³C distribution. In summary, the effect of nitrogen deposition on the carbon and nitrogen stability of soil aggregates in broad-leaved forests depends on forest age. Full article

Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage is essential for improving soil fertility and mitigating climate change. The priming effect, which is regulated by physical, chemical and microbial interactions, plays a pivotal role in SOC turnover. However, the fate of both native and newly added carbon under different tillage regimes remains unclear. To address this gap, a ¹³C-glucose labelling incubation experiment was conducted to assess SOC mineralization and priming effects under long-term tillage practices, including subsoiling with straw mulching (ST), no tillage with straw mulching (NT), and conventional tillage with straw removal (CT). The results demonstrated that conservation tillage (NT and ST) significantly reduced total SOC mineralization and glucose-derived CO₂ release compared to CT. Notably, the priming effect under CT was 19.5% and 24.7% higher than under NT and ST, respectively. In the early incubation stage, positive priming was primarily driven by microbial co-metabolism, while during days 1–31, microbial stoichiometric decomposition dominated the process. In addition, NT and ST treatments significantly increased the proportion of >250 μm aggregates and their associated carbon and nitrogen contents, thereby enhancing aggregate stability and physical protection of SOC. The priming effect observed under conservation tillage was strongly negatively related to aggregate stability and aggregate associated carbon content, whereas it was positively related to the β-glucosidase/Peroxidase ratio (BG/PER) and the subtraction value between carbon/nitrogen (R_C:N) and the carbon–nitrogen imbalance of the available resources (TER_C:N). Overall, our findings highlight that conservation tillage enhances SOC stability not only by improving soil physical structure but also by alleviating microbial stoichiometric constraints, offering a synergistic pathway for carbon retention and climate-resilient soil management. Full article

Reasonable nitrogen fertilizer management and cultivation methods can enhance the nitrogen supply and carbon sequestration capabilities of soil, which is beneficial for meeting the growth requirements of crops and alleviating environmental issues. However, the existing research on optimizing nitrogen use efficiency and soil carbon sequestration in organic systems remains limited. Therefore, a field trial was conducted to elucidate the impacts of different cultivation patterns and nitrogen application rates on soil carbon and nitrogen pools, especially on how these factors affect the components of soil organic carbon. The treatments included conventional cultivation with low nitrogen treatment (CFN12), conventional cultivation with high nitrogen treatment (CFN18), organic cultivation with low nitrogen treatment (OFN12), and organic cultivation with high nitrogen treatment (OFN18). The results demonstrated that, relative to CFN18, OFN12 significantly increased the accumulation amounts of organic carbon and nitrogen in paddy soil. This was evident under multiple classifications of organic carbon, while it showed no advantage in the accumulation of mineral nitrogen. Notably, the organic cultivation mode increased the activities of enzymes involved in the carbon–nitrogen cycle in the cultivated layer and optimized the structure of humus, which gave the proportion of aggregates with a particle size greater than 0.5 mm more advantages. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the pertinent indices associated with soil carbon and nitrogen pools exhibited a highly significant positive correlation in the topsoil layer, accompanied by pronounced synergistic interactions among them. The PCA comprehensive scoring results indicate that OFN12 has the highest total score, indicating that it is beneficial for the improvement of soil fertility. This study offers practical insights for improving soil health, boosting plant growth, and enhancing climate mitigation through soil carbon storage, contributing to more sustainable agricultural practices. Full article

Soil degradation has been accelerating globally due to climate change, which threatens food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem balance. Traditional soil restoration strategies are often expensive, slow, or unsustainable in the long term. In this context, cyanobacteria have emerged as promising biotechnological alternatives, being the only prokaryotes capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis. Moreover, they can capture atmospheric carbon and nitrogen, release exopolysaccharides (EPSs) that stabilize the soil, and facilitate the development of biological soil crusts (biocrusts). In recent years, the convergence of multi-omics tools, such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics, has advanced our understanding of cyanobacterial dynamics, their metabolic potential, and symbiotic interactions with microbial consortia, as exemplified by the cyanosphere of Microcoleus vaginatus. In addition, recent advances in bioinformatics have enabled high-resolution taxonomic and functional profiling of environmental samples, facilitating the identification and prediction of resilient microorganisms suited to challenging degraded soils. These tools also allow for the prediction of biosynthetic gene clusters and the detection of prophages or cyanophages within microbiomes, offering a novel approach to enhance carbon sequestration in dry and nutrient-poor soils. This review synthesizes the latest findings and proposes a roadmap for the translation of molecular-level knowledge into scalable biotechnological strategies for soil restoration. We discuss approaches ranging from the use of native biocrust strains to the exploration of cyanophages with the potential to enhance cyanobacterial photosynthetic activity. By bridging ecological functions with cutting-edge omics technologies, this study highlights the critical role of cyanobacteria as a nature-based solution for climate-smart soil management in degraded and arid ecosystems. Full article