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Soil biota contributions to soil aggregation.

Anika Lehmann1,2, Weishuang Zheng3, Matthias C Rillig4,5

  • 1Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, D-14195, Berlin, Germany. lehmann.anika@googlemail.com.

Nature Ecology & Evolution
|October 18, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Soil biodiversity significantly enhances soil aggregation, crucial for soil health and sustainability. Bacteria and fungi play key roles, with their traits and interactions boosting aggregate formation.

Area of Science:

  • Soil Science
  • Ecology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Soil sustainability is vital for human survival and well-being.
  • Soil degradation and biodiversity loss threaten soil health globally.
  • Soil aggregation is a key indicator of soil sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide evidence for soil biota's contribution to soil aggregation.
  • To evaluate how specific traits, groups, and interactions of soil biota affect aggregation.
  • To understand the role of soil biodiversity in maintaining soil structure.

Main Methods:

  • Global meta-analysis of 279 soil biota species.
  • Assessment of soil biota's impact on macro- and microaggregate scales.
  • Analysis of traits (motility, body size, density) and species interactions.

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Main Results:

  • Soil biota have a clear positive effect on soil aggregation.
  • Bacteria and fungi are generally more influential than soil animals.
  • Bacteria impact both macro- and microaggregates; fungi primarily affect macroaggregates.
  • Species interactions across taxonomic groups beneficially impact aggregation.

Conclusions:

  • Soil biodiversity is a causal factor in soil aggregation.
  • A paradigm shift is needed to integrate soil organisms, diversity, and interactions into soil management.
  • Current physicochemical perspectives must evolve to embrace the ecological role of soil biota.