Soil Aggregate Fungal Network Complexity Drives Soil Multifunctionality During Vegetation Restoration

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Soil Science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Vegetation restoration is crucial for ecosystem function on the Loess Plateau.
• Soil microbiomes are vital for maintaining soil multifunctionality (SMF).
• The role of aggregate-scale microbial communities in SMF during restoration is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate microbial mechanisms driving SMF at the aggregate scale under different vegetation restoration measures.
• To understand how aggregate size influences microbial communities and their role in SMF.
• To identify key microbial drivers of SMF across various aggregate sizes.

Main Methods:

• Compared six vegetation restoration measures (natural grassland, Medicago sativa, Hippophae rhamnoides, Caragana korshinskii, Armeniaca vulgaris, Populus alba) and abandoned land.
• Analyzed bacterial diversity, fungal network complexity, and SMF across different aggregate sizes.
• Utilized structural equation modeling to identify key microbial drivers of SMF.

Main Results:

• Vegetation restoration increased bacterial diversity, fungal network complexity, and SMF, with Armeniaca vulgaris showing significant improvements.
• Fungal diversity and bacterial network complexity showed asynchronous dynamics across aggregate sizes.
• Microbial diversity peaked in micro-aggregates, while fungal network complexity increased with smaller aggregate sizes.
• Fungal community composition in large macro-aggregates and fungal network complexity in smaller aggregates were identified as key drivers of SMF.

Conclusions:

• Vegetation restoration positively impacts soil microbial communities and enhances soil multifunctionality on the Loess Plateau.
• Fungal communities play a critical role in driving SMF, with their influence varying across aggregate sizes.
• Understanding aggregate-scale microbial dynamics is essential for effective vegetation restoration strategies.