Infauna

@article{doi102136sssaj1940036159950004000c0132x,
    author = "Pohlman, G. G.",
    title = "Soil Science Society of America",
    year = "1940",
    journal = "Soil Science Society of America Journal",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1940.036159950004000c0132x",
    doi = "10.2136/sssaj1940.036159950004000c0132x",
    openalex = "W2037602347"
}

@misc{doeksen1963soil1,
    author = "Doeksen, J. and van der Drift, J",
    title = "Soil organisms",
    year = "1963",
    howpublished = "Amsterdam, North- Holland, 453 p",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Doeksen, J., and van der Drift, J., 1963, Soil organisms: Amsterdam, North- Holland, 453 p.}"
}

@article{crossley1964soil,
    author = "Crossley, D. A.",
    title = "Soil Organisms",
    year = "1964",
    journal = "Soil Science Society of America Journal",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800030005x",
    doi = "10.2136/sssaj1964.03615995002800030005x",
    number = "3",
    openalex = "W4235346591",
    volume = "28"
}

@article{doeksen1964soil,
    author = "DOEKSEN, J. and DEE DRIFT, J. VAN",
    title = "Soil Organisms",
    year = "1964",
    journal = "Soil Science",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-196404000-00022",
    doi = "10.1097/00010694-196404000-00022",
    number = "4",
    openalex = "W4210645629",
    pages = "292",
    volume = "97"
}

Summary The water‐stability of aggregates in many soils is shown to depend on organic materials. The organic binding agents have been classified into (a) transient, mainly polysaccharides, (b), temporary, roots and fungal hyphae, and (c) persistent, resistant aromatic components associated with polyvalent metal cations, and strongly sorbed polymers. The effectiveness of various binding agents at different stages in the structural organization of aggregates is described and forms the basis of a model which illustrates the architecture of an aggregate. Roots and hyphae stabilize macro‐aggregates, defined as > 250 μm diameter; consequently, macroaggregation is controlled by soil management (i.e. crop rotations), as management influences the growth of plant roots, and the oxidation of organic carbon. The water‐stability of micro‐aggregates depends on the persistent organic binding agents and appears to be a characteristic of the soil, independent of management.

@article{doi101111j136523891982tb01755x,
    author = "Tisdall, J. M. and Oades, JM",
    title = "Organic matter and water‐stable aggregates in soils",
    year = "1982",
    journal = "Journal of Soil Science",
    abstract = "Summary The water‐stability of aggregates in many soils is shown to depend on organic materials. The organic binding agents have been classified into (a) transient, mainly polysaccharides, (b), temporary, roots and fungal hyphae, and (c) persistent, resistant aromatic components associated with polyvalent metal cations, and strongly sorbed polymers. The effectiveness of various binding agents at different stages in the structural organization of aggregates is described and forms the basis of a model which illustrates the architecture of an aggregate. Roots and hyphae stabilize macro‐aggregates, defined as > 250 μm diameter; consequently, macroaggregation is controlled by soil management (i.e. crop rotations), as management influences the growth of plant roots, and the oxidation of organic carbon. The water‐stability of micro‐aggregates depends on the persistent organic binding agents and appears to be a characteristic of the soil, independent of management.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1982.tb01755.x",
    doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2389.1982.tb01755.x",
    openalex = "W2139405554",
    references = "doi101016s0065211308602667, doi101071sr9780009, doi101071sr9790429, doi1010970001069419770500000005, doi101111j136523891967tb01488x, doi101146annurevpy11090173001131, doi102136sssaj196803615995003200060031x, doi102136sssaj197403615995003800060004x, doi104159harvard9780674423350, openalexw1609552478"
}

@incollection{lavelle2001soil,
    author = "Lavelle, Patrick and Spain, Alister V.",
    title = "Soil Organisms",
    year = "2001",
    booktitle = "Soil Ecology",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-5279-4\_3",
    doi = "10.1007/978-94-017-5279-4\_3",
    openalex = "W4252006703",
    pages = "201-356"
}

Abstract Soil chemical properties and soil mesofauna composition were assessed at a forest site in northern Austria, where 20 years earlier an amelioration treatment had been performed. The site had been treated with limestone, a high P slag, and ammonium nitrate to replace the poorly growing pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest with a Norway spruce (Picea abies) stand. This treatment was at that time a common means for the amelioration of nutrient‐poor forest soils with recalcitrant forest floor layers. After treatment, a dense cover of a nitrophilic stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) developed. Most likely, the site had been over‐fertilized, and inadvertently, an experiment with extreme N enrichment had been conducted. The abundance of collembolans increased, and dominance structure shifted from Isotomiella minor, Lipothrix lubbocki, and Isotoma notabilis at fertilizer treatment to Friesea mirabilis, Isotomiella minor, and Sphaeridia pumilis in the control, but the abundance of soil mesofauna generally decreased in the fertilizer treatment. Fertilization reduced the mass of the litter layer from 7.6 to 2.4 kg/m 2. The total carbon pool in the soil was reduced due to reduction of the litter layer. However, the content of soil organic matter in the upper mineral soil was significantly increased. A part of the applied and mineralized nitrogen had been lost from the soil, but N retention in the upper mineral soil was still considerable. Soil pH and the base saturation were sustainably increased. Carbon losses upon mineralization of the litter layer were not offset by the increase in C content of the mineral soil. Presently, the C pool in the soil of the fertilized treatment is lower than in the control. However, the overall nutrient enrichment of the soil may facilitate C sequestration in the fertilized site in the future.

@article{doi101046j1526100x200300179x,
    author = "Jandl, Robert and Kopeszki, Hubert and Bruckner, Alexander and Hager, Herbert",
    title = "Forest Soil Chemistry and Mesofauna 20 Years After an Amelioration Fertilization",
    year = "2003",
    journal = "Restoration Ecology",
    abstract = "Abstract Soil chemical properties and soil mesofauna composition were assessed at a forest site in northern Austria, where 20 years earlier an amelioration treatment had been performed. The site had been treated with limestone, a high P slag, and ammonium nitrate to replace the poorly growing pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest with a Norway spruce (Picea abies) stand. This treatment was at that time a common means for the amelioration of nutrient‐poor forest soils with recalcitrant forest floor layers. After treatment, a dense cover of a nitrophilic stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) developed. Most likely, the site had been over‐fertilized, and inadvertently, an experiment with extreme N enrichment had been conducted. The abundance of collembolans increased, and dominance structure shifted from Isotomiella minor, Lipothrix lubbocki, and Isotoma notabilis at fertilizer treatment to Friesea mirabilis, Isotomiella minor, and Sphaeridia pumilis in the control, but the abundance of soil mesofauna generally decreased in the fertilizer treatment. Fertilization reduced the mass of the litter layer from 7.6 to 2.4 kg/m 2. The total carbon pool in the soil was reduced due to reduction of the litter layer. However, the content of soil organic matter in the upper mineral soil was significantly increased. A part of the applied and mineralized nitrogen had been lost from the soil, but N retention in the upper mineral soil was still considerable. Soil pH and the base saturation were sustainably increased. Carbon losses upon mineralization of the litter layer were not offset by the increase in C content of the mineral soil. Presently, the C pool in the soil of the fertilized treatment is lower than in the control. However, the overall nutrient enrichment of the soil may facilitate C sequestration in the fertilized site in the future.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-100x.2003.00179.x",
    doi = "10.1046/j.1526-100x.2003.00179.x",
    openalex = "W2069652848"
}

@article{doi101016jsoilbio200402013,
    author = "Conant, Richard T. and Dalla-Betta, Peter and Klopatek, Carole Coe and Klopatek, Jeffrey M.",
    title = "Controls on soil respiration in semiarid soils",
    year = "2004",
    journal = "Soil Biology and Biochemistry",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.02.013",
    doi = "10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.02.013",
    openalex = "W2059522850"
}

Soil respiration is controlled by soil temperature, soil water, fine roots, microbial activity, and soil physical and chemical properties. Forest thinning changes soil temperature, soil water content, and root density and activity, and thus changes soil respiration. We measured soil respiration monthly and soil temperature and volumetric soil water continuously in a young ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws. & C. Laws.) plantation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California from June 1998 to May 2000 (before a thinning that removed 30% of the biomass), and from May to December 2001 (after thinning). Thinning increased the spatial homogeneity of soil temperature and respiration. We conducted a multivariate analysis with two independent variables of soil temperature and water and a categorical variable representing the thinning event to simulate soil respiration and assess the effect of thinning. Thinning did not change the sensitivity of soil respiration to temperature or to water, but decreased total soil respiration by 13% at a given temperature and water content. This decrease in soil respiration was likely associated with the decrease in root density after thinning. With a model driven by continuous soil temperature and water time series, we estimated that total soil respiration was 948, 949 and 831 g C m(-2) year(-1) in the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively. Although thinning reduced soil respiration at a given temperature and water content, because of natural climate variability and the thinning effect on soil temperature and water, actual cumulative soil respiration showed no clear trend following thinning. We conclude that the effect of forest thinning on soil respiration is the combined result of a decrease in root respiration, an increase in soil organic matter, and changes in soil temperature and water due to both thinning and interannual climate variability.

@article{doi101093treephys25157,
    author = "Tang, Jianwu and Qi, Ye and Xu, Ming and Misson, Laurent and Goldstein, Allen H.",
    title = "Forest thinning and soil respiration in a ponderosa pine plantation in the Sierra Nevada",
    year = "2005",
    journal = "Tree Physiology",
    abstract = "Soil respiration is controlled by soil temperature, soil water, fine roots, microbial activity, and soil physical and chemical properties. Forest thinning changes soil temperature, soil water content, and root density and activity, and thus changes soil respiration. We measured soil respiration monthly and soil temperature and volumetric soil water continuously in a young ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws. \& C. Laws.) plantation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California from June 1998 to May 2000 (before a thinning that removed 30\% of the biomass), and from May to December 2001 (after thinning). Thinning increased the spatial homogeneity of soil temperature and respiration. We conducted a multivariate analysis with two independent variables of soil temperature and water and a categorical variable representing the thinning event to simulate soil respiration and assess the effect of thinning. Thinning did not change the sensitivity of soil respiration to temperature or to water, but decreased total soil respiration by 13\% at a given temperature and water content. This decrease in soil respiration was likely associated with the decrease in root density after thinning. With a model driven by continuous soil temperature and water time series, we estimated that total soil respiration was 948, 949 and 831 g C m(-2) year(-1) in the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively. Although thinning reduced soil respiration at a given temperature and water content, because of natural climate variability and the thinning effect on soil temperature and water, actual cumulative soil respiration showed no clear trend following thinning. We conclude that the effect of forest thinning on soil respiration is the combined result of a decrease in root respiration, an increase in soil organic matter, and changes in soil temperature and water due to both thinning and interannual climate variability.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/25.1.57",
    doi = "10.1093/treephys/25.1.57",
    openalex = "W2334005835"
}

Summary Mechanisms for C stabilization in soils have received much interest recently due to their relevance in the global C cycle. Here we review the mechanisms that are currently, but often contradictorily or inconsistently, considered to contribute to organic matter (OM) protection against decomposition in temperate soils: (i) selective preservation due to recalcitrance of OM, including plant litter, rhizodeposits, microbial products, humic polymers, and charred OM; (ii) spatial inaccessibility of OM against decomposer organisms due to occlusion, intercalation, hydrophobicity and encapsulation; and (iii) stabilization by interaction with mineral surfaces (Fe‐, Al‐, Mn‐oxides, phyllosilicates) and metal ions. Our goal is to assess the relevance of these mechanisms to the formation of soil OM during different stages of decomposition and under different soil conditions. The view that OM stabilization is dominated by the selective preservation of recalcitrant organic components that accumulate in proportion to their chemical properties can no longer be accepted. In contrast, our analysis of mechanisms shows that: (i) the soil biotic community is able to disintegrate any OM of natural origin; (ii) molecular recalcitrance of OM is relative, rather than absolute; (iii) recalcitrance is only important during early decomposition and in active surface soils; while (iv) during late decomposition and in the subsoil, the relevance of spatial inaccessibility and organo‐mineral interactions for SOM stabilization increases. We conclude that major difficulties in the understanding and prediction of SOM dynamics originate from the simultaneous operation of several mechanisms. We discuss knowledge gaps and promising directions of future research.

@article{doi101111j13652389200600809x,
    author = "von Lützow, Margit and Kögel‐Knabner, Ingrid and Ekschmitt, Klemens and Matzner, Egbert and Guggenberger, Georg and Marschner, Bernd and Flessa, Heinz",
    title = "Stabilization of organic matter in temperate soils: mechanisms and their relevance under different soil conditions – a review",
    year = "2006",
    journal = "European Journal of Soil Science",
    abstract = "Summary Mechanisms for C stabilization in soils have received much interest recently due to their relevance in the global C cycle. Here we review the mechanisms that are currently, but often contradictorily or inconsistently, considered to contribute to organic matter (OM) protection against decomposition in temperate soils: (i) selective preservation due to recalcitrance of OM, including plant litter, rhizodeposits, microbial products, humic polymers, and charred OM; (ii) spatial inaccessibility of OM against decomposer organisms due to occlusion, intercalation, hydrophobicity and encapsulation; and (iii) stabilization by interaction with mineral surfaces (Fe‐, Al‐, Mn‐oxides, phyllosilicates) and metal ions. Our goal is to assess the relevance of these mechanisms to the formation of soil OM during different stages of decomposition and under different soil conditions. The view that OM stabilization is dominated by the selective preservation of recalcitrant organic components that accumulate in proportion to their chemical properties can no longer be accepted. In contrast, our analysis of mechanisms shows that: (i) the soil biotic community is able to disintegrate any OM of natural origin; (ii) molecular recalcitrance of OM is relative, rather than absolute; (iii) recalcitrance is only important during early decomposition and in active surface soils; while (iv) during late decomposition and in the subsoil, the relevance of spatial inaccessibility and organo‐mineral interactions for SOM stabilization increases. We conclude that major difficulties in the understanding and prediction of SOM dynamics originate from the simultaneous operation of several mechanisms. We discuss knowledge gaps and promising directions of future research.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2006.00809.x",
    doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2389.2006.00809.x",
    openalex = "W2163462941",
    references = "doi1010160009254194900639, doi101016s0038071700001796, doi101023a1016125726789, doi1010970001069419830200000014"
}

Abstract Reiss, H., Degraer, S., Duineveld, G. C. A., Kröncke, I., Aldridge, J., Craeymeersch, J., Eggleton, J. D., Hillewaert, H., Lavaleye, M. S. S., Moll, A., Pohlmann, T., Rachor, E., Robertson, M., vanden Berghe, E., van Hoey, G., and Rees, H. L. 2010. Spatial patterns of infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish communities in the North Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 278–293. Understanding the structure and interrelationships of North Sea benthic invertebrate and fish communities and their underlying environmental drivers is an important prerequisite for conservation and spatial ecosystem management on scales relevant to ecological processes. Datasets of North Sea infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish (1999–2002) were compiled and analysed to (i) identify and compare spatial patterns in community structure, and (ii) relate these to environmental variables. The multivariate analyses revealed significantly similar large-scale patterns in all three components with major distinctions between a southern community (Oyster Ground and German Bight), an eastern Channel and southern coastal community, and at least one northern community (>50 m deep). In contrast, species diversity patterns differed between the components with a diversity gradient for infauna and epifauna decreasing from north to south, and diversity hotspots of demersal fish, e.g. near the major inflows of Atlantic water. The large-scale hydrodynamic variables were the main drivers for the structuring of communities, whereas sediment characteristics appeared to be less influential, even for the infauna communities. The delineation of ecologically meaningful ecosystem management units in the North Sea might be based on the structure of the main faunal ecosystem components.

@article{doi101093icesjmsfsp253,
    author = "Reiss, Henning and Degraer, S. and Duineveld, Gerard and Kröncke, Ingrid and Aldridge, John and Craeymeersch, Johan and Eggleton, J.D. and Hillewaert, H. and Lavaleye, Marc and Moll, Andreas and Pohlmann, Thomas and Rachor, Eike and Robertson, Mike and Berghe, E. Vanden and Hoey, Gert Van and Rees, H.L.",
    title = "Spatial patterns of infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish communities in the North Sea",
    year = "2009",
    journal = "ICES Journal of Marine Science",
    abstract = "Abstract Reiss, H., Degraer, S., Duineveld, G. C. A., Kröncke, I., Aldridge, J., Craeymeersch, J., Eggleton, J. D., Hillewaert, H., Lavaleye, M. S. S., Moll, A., Pohlmann, T., Rachor, E., Robertson, M., vanden Berghe, E., van Hoey, G., and Rees, H. L. 2010. Spatial patterns of infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish communities in the North Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 278–293. Understanding the structure and interrelationships of North Sea benthic invertebrate and fish communities and their underlying environmental drivers is an important prerequisite for conservation and spatial ecosystem management on scales relevant to ecological processes. Datasets of North Sea infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish (1999–2002) were compiled and analysed to (i) identify and compare spatial patterns in community structure, and (ii) relate these to environmental variables. The multivariate analyses revealed significantly similar large-scale patterns in all three components with major distinctions between a southern community (Oyster Ground and German Bight), an eastern Channel and southern coastal community, and at least one northern community (>50 m deep). In contrast, species diversity patterns differed between the components with a diversity gradient for infauna and epifauna decreasing from north to south, and diversity hotspots of demersal fish, e.g. near the major inflows of Atlantic water. The large-scale hydrodynamic variables were the main drivers for the structuring of communities, whereas sediment characteristics appeared to be less influential, even for the infauna communities. The delineation of ecologically meaningful ecosystem management units in the North Sea might be based on the structure of the main faunal ecosystem components.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsp253",
    doi = "10.1093/icesjms/fsp253",
    openalex = "W2312350018",
    references = "doi101016jecss200311005"
}

Exotic earthworms are drivers of biotic communities in invaded North American forest stands. Here we used ecologically important oribatid mite (Arachnida: Acari) communities, as model organisms to study the responses of litter- and soil-dwelling microarthropod communities to exotic earthworm invasion in a northern temperate forest. Litter- and soil-dwelling mites were sampled in 2008–2009 from forest areas: (1) with no earthworms; (2) those with epigeic and endogeic species, including Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister; and (3) those with epigeic, endogeic, and anecic earthworms including L. terrestris L. Species richness and diversity of litter- and soil-dwelling (0–2 cm soil depth) oribatid mites was 1–2 times higher in sites without earthworms than in sites with worms. Similarly, litter-dwelling oribatid mites were between 72 and 1,210 times more abundant in earthworm-free sites than in sites with worms. Among earthworm invaded sites, abundance of litter-dwelling oribatid mites in sites without the anecic L. terrestris was twice as high in May and 28 times higher in October, compared to sites with L. terrestris. Species richness, diversity, and abundance of oribatid mites were greater in litter-layers than in the soil-layers that showed a varied response to earthworm invasion. Species compositions of both litter- and soil-dwelling oribatid mite communities of forests with no earthworms were markedly different from those with earthworms. We conclude that exotic earthworm invasions are associated with significant declines of species diversity, numbers, and compositional shifts in litter- and soil-inhabiting communities. These faunal shifts may contribute to earthworm effects on soil processes and food web dynamics in historically earthworm-free, northern temperate forests.

@article{doi103390d3010155,
    author = "Burke, Jordan and Maerz, John C. and Milanovich, Joseph R. and Fisk, Melany C. and Gandhi, Kamal J.K.",
    title = "Invasion by Exotic Earthworms Alters Biodiversity and Communities of Litter- and Soil-dwelling Oribatid Mites",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Diversity",
    abstract = "Exotic earthworms are drivers of biotic communities in invaded North American forest stands. Here we used ecologically important oribatid mite (Arachnida: Acari) communities, as model organisms to study the responses of litter- and soil-dwelling microarthropod communities to exotic earthworm invasion in a northern temperate forest. Litter- and soil-dwelling mites were sampled in 2008–2009 from forest areas: (1) with no earthworms; (2) those with epigeic and endogeic species, including Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister; and (3) those with epigeic, endogeic, and anecic earthworms including L. terrestris L. Species richness and diversity of litter- and soil-dwelling (0–2 cm soil depth) oribatid mites was 1–2 times higher in sites without earthworms than in sites with worms. Similarly, litter-dwelling oribatid mites were between 72 and 1,210 times more abundant in earthworm-free sites than in sites with worms. Among earthworm invaded sites, abundance of litter-dwelling oribatid mites in sites without the anecic L. terrestris was twice as high in May and 28 times higher in October, compared to sites with L. terrestris. Species richness, diversity, and abundance of oribatid mites were greater in litter-layers than in the soil-layers that showed a varied response to earthworm invasion. Species compositions of both litter- and soil-dwelling oribatid mite communities of forests with no earthworms were markedly different from those with earthworms. We conclude that exotic earthworm invasions are associated with significant declines of species diversity, numbers, and compositional shifts in litter- and soil-inhabiting communities. These faunal shifts may contribute to earthworm effects on soil processes and food web dynamics in historically earthworm-free, northern temperate forests.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/d3010155",
    doi = "10.3390/d3010155",
    openalex = "W2030318863",
    references = "doeksen1964soil"
}

Soil communities exert strong influences on the processing of organic matter and nutrients. Plantations of trees, especially of nitrogen fixing ones, may affect the soil macrofauna through litter quality and quantity. This study was conducted in a randomized block design with three blocks consisting of Populus euphratica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus microtheca, Acacia farnesiana, Acacia salicina, Acacia saligna, Acacia stenophylla and Dalbergia sissoo monoculture plantations that were established in 1992. Soils and soil macrofauna were sampled in November 2006. Leaf litterfall was collected from November 2006 to November 2007 at bi-weekly intervals. Macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass were consistently higher in A. salicina plantations than in the others, whereas they were lowest in E. camaldulensis. Tree species and nitrogen fixing trees significantly influenced the soil macrofauna richness. The results suggest that the earthworm distribution is regulated by leaf litter quality (Ca, C and N) whereas the macrofauna richness is regulated by leaf litter mass, soil organic carbon and leaf litter Mg. Totally, it was revealed that the tree species clearly affected macrofauna whereas nitrogen fixation did not.

@article{doi1017221582011jfs,
    author = "Sayad, Ehsan and Hosseini, S. M. and Hosseini, Vahid and Salehe-Shooshtari, Mohammad Hasan",
    title = "Soil macrofauna in relation to soil and leaf litter properties in tree plantations",
    year = "2012",
    journal = "Journal of Forest Science",
    abstract = "Soil communities exert strong influences on the processing of organic matter and nutrients. Plantations of trees, especially of nitrogen fixing ones, may affect the soil macrofauna through litter quality and quantity. This study was conducted in a randomized block design with three blocks consisting of Populus euphratica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus microtheca, Acacia farnesiana, Acacia salicina, Acacia saligna, Acacia stenophylla and Dalbergia sissoo monoculture plantations that were established in 1992. Soils and soil macrofauna were sampled in November 2006. Leaf litterfall was collected from November 2006 to November 2007 at bi-weekly intervals. Macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass were consistently higher in A. salicina plantations than in the others, whereas they were lowest in E. camaldulensis. Tree species and nitrogen fixing trees significantly influenced the soil macrofauna richness. The results suggest that the earthworm distribution is regulated by leaf litter quality (Ca, C and N) whereas the macrofauna richness is regulated by leaf litter mass, soil organic carbon and leaf litter Mg. Totally, it was revealed that the tree species clearly affected macrofauna whereas nitrogen fixation did not.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.17221/58/2011-jfs",
    doi = "10.17221/58/2011-jfs",
    openalex = "W2136269524"
}

In terms of species richness, arthropods may represent as much as 85% of the soil fauna. They comprise a large proportion of the meso- and macrofauna of the soil. Within the litter/soil system, five groups are chiefly represented: Isopoda, Myriapoda, Insecta, Acari, and Collembola, the latter two being by far the most abundant and diverse. Arthropods function on two of the three broad levels of organization of the soil food web: they are plant litter transformers or ecosystem engineers. Litter transformers fragment, or comminute, and humidify ingested plant debris, which is deposited in feces for further decomposition by micro-organisms, and foster the growth and dispersal of microbial populations. Large quantities of annual litter input may be processed (e.g., up to 60% by termites). The comminuted plant matter in feces presents an increased surface area to attack by micro-organisms, which, through the process of mineralization, convert its organic nutrients into simpler, inorganic compounds available to plants. Ecosystem engineers alter soil structure, mineral and organic matter composition, and hydrology. The burrowing by arthropods, particularly the subterranean network of tunnels and galleries that comprise termite and ant nests, improves soil porosity to provide adequate aeration and water-holding capacity below ground, facilitate root penetration, and prevent surface crusting and erosion of topsoil. Also, the movement of particles from lower horizons to the surface by ants and termites aids in mixing the organic and mineral fractions of the soil. The feces of arthropods are the basis for the formation of soil aggregates and humus, which physically stabilize the soil and increase its capacity to store nutrients.

@article{doi103390agriculture3040629,
    author = "Culliney, Thomas W.",
    title = "Role of Arthropods in Maintaining Soil Fertility",
    year = "2013",
    journal = "Agriculture",
    abstract = "In terms of species richness, arthropods may represent as much as 85\% of the soil fauna. They comprise a large proportion of the meso- and macrofauna of the soil. Within the litter/soil system, five groups are chiefly represented: Isopoda, Myriapoda, Insecta, Acari, and Collembola, the latter two being by far the most abundant and diverse. Arthropods function on two of the three broad levels of organization of the soil food web: they are plant litter transformers or ecosystem engineers. Litter transformers fragment, or comminute, and humidify ingested plant debris, which is deposited in feces for further decomposition by micro-organisms, and foster the growth and dispersal of microbial populations. Large quantities of annual litter input may be processed (e.g., up to 60\% by termites). The comminuted plant matter in feces presents an increased surface area to attack by micro-organisms, which, through the process of mineralization, convert its organic nutrients into simpler, inorganic compounds available to plants. Ecosystem engineers alter soil structure, mineral and organic matter composition, and hydrology. The burrowing by arthropods, particularly the subterranean network of tunnels and galleries that comprise termite and ant nests, improves soil porosity to provide adequate aeration and water-holding capacity below ground, facilitate root penetration, and prevent surface crusting and erosion of topsoil. Also, the movement of particles from lower horizons to the surface by ants and termites aids in mixing the organic and mineral fractions of the soil. The feces of arthropods are the basis for the formation of soil aggregates and humus, which physically stabilize the soil and increase its capacity to store nutrients.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture3040629",
    doi = "10.3390/agriculture3040629",
    openalex = "W2020490110",
    references = "doeksen1964soil, doi101007978146124018114, doi1010079783662103067, doi101086285880, doi101111j136523891982tb01755x, doi101146annureven29010184000325, doi1015159781400847297, doi1015259780520407114, doi102136sssaj1940036159950004000c0132x, doi1023073544689, doi1023073545850"
}

A comprehensive review of the effects of metal-based nanoparticles on trophic groups, interactions, ecosystem functions and biodiversity of soil communities.

@article{doi101039c6en00007j,
    author = "McKee, Moira S. and Filser, Juliane",
    title = "Impacts of metal-based engineered nanomaterials on soil communities",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Environmental Science Nano",
    abstract = "A comprehensive review of the effects of metal-based nanoparticles on trophic groups, interactions, ecosystem functions and biodiversity of soil communities.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1039/c6en00007j",
    doi = "10.1039/c6en00007j",
    openalex = "W2344787781",
    references = "doi103390agriculture3040629"
}

Soils are self-organized ecological systems within which organisms interact within a nested suite of discrete scales. Microorganisms form communities and physical structures at the smallest scale (microns), followed by the community of their predators organized in microfoodwebs (tens of microns), the functional domains built by ecosystem engineers (centimeters to meters), ecosystems, and landscapes. Ecosystem engineers, principally plant roots, earthworms, termites, and ants, play key roles in creating habitats for other organisms and controlling their activities through physical and biochemical processes. The biogenic, organic, and organomineral structures that they produce accumulate in the soil space to form three-dimensional mosaics of functional domains, inhabited by specific communities of smaller organisms (microfauna and mesofauna, microorganisms) that drive soil processes through specific pathways. Ecosystem engineers also produce signaling and energy-rich molecules that act as ecological mediators of biological engineering processes. Energy-rich ecological mediators may selectively activate microbial populations and trigger priming effects, resulting in the degradation, synthesis, and sequestration of specific organic substrates. Signaling molecules inform soil organisms of their producers’ respective presences and change physiologies by modifying gene expression and through eliciting hormonal responses. Protection of plants against pests and diseases is largely achieved via these processes. At the highest scales, the delivery of ecosystem services emerges through the functioning of self-organized systems nested within each other. The integrity of the different subsystems at each scale and the quality of their interconnections are a precondition for an optimum and sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. Lastly, we present seven general research questions whose resolution will provide a firmer base for the proposed conceptual framework while offering new insights for sustainable use of the soil resource.

@article{doi101097ss0000000000000155,
    author = "Lavelle, Patrick and Spain, Alister V. and Blouin, Manuel and Brown, George Gardner and Decaëns, Thibaud and Grimaldi, Michel and Jiménez, Juan J. and McKey, Doyle and Mathieu, Jérôme and Velásquez, Elena and Zangerlé, Anne",
    title = "Ecosystem Engineers in a Self-organized Soil",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Soil Science",
    abstract = "Soils are self-organized ecological systems within which organisms interact within a nested suite of discrete scales. Microorganisms form communities and physical structures at the smallest scale (microns), followed by the community of their predators organized in microfoodwebs (tens of microns), the functional domains built by ecosystem engineers (centimeters to meters), ecosystems, and landscapes. Ecosystem engineers, principally plant roots, earthworms, termites, and ants, play key roles in creating habitats for other organisms and controlling their activities through physical and biochemical processes. The biogenic, organic, and organomineral structures that they produce accumulate in the soil space to form three-dimensional mosaics of functional domains, inhabited by specific communities of smaller organisms (microfauna and mesofauna, microorganisms) that drive soil processes through specific pathways. Ecosystem engineers also produce signaling and energy-rich molecules that act as ecological mediators of biological engineering processes. Energy-rich ecological mediators may selectively activate microbial populations and trigger priming effects, resulting in the degradation, synthesis, and sequestration of specific organic substrates. Signaling molecules inform soil organisms of their producers’ respective presences and change physiologies by modifying gene expression and through eliciting hormonal responses. Protection of plants against pests and diseases is largely achieved via these processes. At the highest scales, the delivery of ecosystem services emerges through the functioning of self-organized systems nested within each other. The integrity of the different subsystems at each scale and the quality of their interconnections are a precondition for an optimum and sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. Lastly, we present seven general research questions whose resolution will provide a firmer base for the proposed conceptual framework while offering new insights for sustainable use of the soil resource.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1097/ss.0000000000000155",
    doi = "10.1097/ss.0000000000000155",
    openalex = "W2340134735"
}

Effects of thinning on soil respiration and microbial respiration were examined over a 2-year period (2010-2012) in a coppice-originated European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) stand in Istanbul, Turkey. Four plots within the stand were selected; tree density was reduced by 50% of the basal area in two plots (thinning treatment), and the other two plots served as controls. The study focused on the main factors that affect soil respiration (RS) and microbial respiration on the forest floor (RFFM) and in soil (RSM): soil temperature (TS), soil moisture (MS), soil carbon (C), soil nitrogen (N), soil pH, ground cover biomass (GC), forest floor mass (FF), forest floor carbon (FFC) and nitrogen (FFN), and fine root biomass (FRB). Every 2 months, soil respiration was measured using the soda-lime method, and microbial respiration was measured with the incubation method separately for the soil and forest floor. Results were evaluated yearly and over the 2-year research period. During the first year after treatment, RS was significantly higher (11%) in the thinned plots (1.76 g C m-2 d-1) than in the controls (1.59 g C m-2 d-1). However, there were no significant differences in either the second year or the 2-year study period. In the thinned plots during the research period, RS was linearly correlated with GC, Ts and FRB. Thinning treatments did not affect RSM, but interestingly, they did affect RFFM, which was greater in the control plots than in the thinned plots. RSM had a significant and positive correlation with soil N and soil pH, while RFFM was linearly correlated with FFC and C/N ratio of the forest floor in both thinned and control plots during the research period.

@article{doi103832ifor1810009,
    author = "Akburak, Serdar and Makineci, Ender",
    title = "Thinning effects on soil and microbial respiration in a coppice-originated Carpinus betulus L. stand in Turkey",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry",
    abstract = "Effects of thinning on soil respiration and microbial respiration were examined over a 2-year period (2010-2012) in a coppice-originated European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) stand in Istanbul, Turkey. Four plots within the stand were selected; tree density was reduced by 50\% of the basal area in two plots (thinning treatment), and the other two plots served as controls. The study focused on the main factors that affect soil respiration (RS) and microbial respiration on the forest floor (RFFM) and in soil (RSM): soil temperature (TS), soil moisture (MS), soil carbon (C), soil nitrogen (N), soil pH, ground cover biomass (GC), forest floor mass (FF), forest floor carbon (FFC) and nitrogen (FFN), and fine root biomass (FRB). Every 2 months, soil respiration was measured using the soda-lime method, and microbial respiration was measured with the incubation method separately for the soil and forest floor. Results were evaluated yearly and over the 2-year research period. During the first year after treatment, RS was significantly higher (11\%) in the thinned plots (1.76 g C m-2 d-1) than in the controls (1.59 g C m-2 d-1). However, there were no significant differences in either the second year or the 2-year study period. In the thinned plots during the research period, RS was linearly correlated with GC, Ts and FRB. Thinning treatments did not affect RSM, but interestingly, they did affect RFFM, which was greater in the control plots than in the thinned plots. RSM had a significant and positive correlation with soil N and soil pH, while RFFM was linearly correlated with FFC and C/N ratio of the forest floor in both thinned and control plots during the research period.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor1810-009",
    doi = "10.3832/ifor1810-009",
    openalex = "W2396056091",
    references = "crossrefNonesoil, doi101007s0044200209317, doi101016b9780120887828x50001, doi101016jforeco200510021, doi101016jsoilbio200402013, doi1010292004gb002316, doi101093treephys25157, doi101111j13652389200600809x, doi101111j13652486201202775x, doi102136sssaj20031763, doi1023072261670"
}

The positive effect of earthworms on soil processes and plant growth has been extensively documented. They enrich the soil in nutrients through their casts and improve soil structure and aeration by the burrows and galleries they form, thereby creating the functional domain called drilosphere that make them biochemical and physical ecosystem engineers. The capacity of earthworms to decompose organic matter has been attributed to the microbial communities that inhabit their digestive track or the structures they build. However, the nature and mechanisms of soil microbial community modifications and how these changes impacts soil microbial processes are still unclear. Do earthworms reduce microbial abundance and activity because they feed on microorganisms or do they select and stimulate specific microbial groups? It has been shown that the production of mucus during gut transit is responsible for a priming effect, referred to as the “Sleeping Beauty Paradox”, that enhances microbial activity, which in turn promotes the digestion of recalcitrant organic matter. Recent reports showed that specific bacterial groups increased in soils where earthworms are present. In addition, the earthworm digestive track, casts and biopores are considered hotspots for nutrient turnover with enhanced bacterial growth and potentially specific bacterial communities, that mineralize nitrogen and phosphorus or produce metabolites known for their plant growth promoting effects. The objective of this review is to synthesize the existing literature concerning the influence of earthworms on the structure and function of soil bacterial communities, as well as to understand how earthworm-induced changes in the soil microbiota would in turn impact soil processes, particularly those in the rhizosphere that are involved in plant growth and health. We propose a framework for earthworms – microbiota interactions and recommend further research to be dedicated at deciphering microbial processes occurring in the drilosphere, a hotspot where bacterial richness and diversity are enhanced and which is critical for plant-soil interactions.

@article{doi103389fenvs201900081,
    author = "Medina-Sauza, Regina M. and Álvarez-Jiménez, Marycruz and Delhal, Alix and Reverchon, Frédérique and Blouin, Manuel and Guerrero‐Analco, José A. and Cerdán, Carlos R. and Guevara, Roger and Villain, Luc and Barois, Isabelle",
    title = "Earthworms Building Up Soil Microbiota, a Review",
    year = "2019",
    journal = "Frontiers in Environmental Science",
    abstract = "The positive effect of earthworms on soil processes and plant growth has been extensively documented. They enrich the soil in nutrients through their casts and improve soil structure and aeration by the burrows and galleries they form, thereby creating the functional domain called drilosphere that make them biochemical and physical ecosystem engineers. The capacity of earthworms to decompose organic matter has been attributed to the microbial communities that inhabit their digestive track or the structures they build. However, the nature and mechanisms of soil microbial community modifications and how these changes impacts soil microbial processes are still unclear. Do earthworms reduce microbial abundance and activity because they feed on microorganisms or do they select and stimulate specific microbial groups? It has been shown that the production of mucus during gut transit is responsible for a priming effect, referred to as the “Sleeping Beauty Paradox”, that enhances microbial activity, which in turn promotes the digestion of recalcitrant organic matter. Recent reports showed that specific bacterial groups increased in soils where earthworms are present. In addition, the earthworm digestive track, casts and biopores are considered hotspots for nutrient turnover with enhanced bacterial growth and potentially specific bacterial communities, that mineralize nitrogen and phosphorus or produce metabolites known for their plant growth promoting effects. The objective of this review is to synthesize the existing literature concerning the influence of earthworms on the structure and function of soil bacterial communities, as well as to understand how earthworm-induced changes in the soil microbiota would in turn impact soil processes, particularly those in the rhizosphere that are involved in plant growth and health. We propose a framework for earthworms – microbiota interactions and recommend further research to be dedicated at deciphering microbial processes occurring in the drilosphere, a hotspot where bacterial richness and diversity are enhanced and which is critical for plant-soil interactions.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00081",
    doi = "10.3389/fenvs.2019.00081",
    openalex = "W2964004288"
}

@article{doi101016japsoil2020103775,
    author = "Melo, Valdinar Ferreira and Barros, Luciana S. and Silva, Marliane C.S. and Veloso, Tomás Gomes Reis and Senwo, Zachary N. and da Silva Matos, Kedma and Nunes, Taline K.O.",
    title = "Soil bacterial diversities and response to deforestation, land use and burning in North Amazon, Brazil",
    year = "2020",
    journal = "Applied Soil Ecology",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103775",
    doi = "10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103775",
    openalex = "W3093133908",
    references = "doi103832ifor1810009"
}

Abstract The effects of a thinning treatment on soil respiration (Rs) were analysed in two dryland forest types with a Mediterranean climate in east Spain: a dry subhumid holm oak forest (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) in La Hunde; a semiarid postfire regenerated Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) forest in Sierra Calderona. Two twin plots were established at each site: one was thinned and the other was the control. Rs, soil humidity and temperature were measured regularly in the field at nine points per plot distributed into three blocks along the slope for 3 years at HU and for 2 years at CA after forest treatment. Soil heterotrophic activity was measured in laboratory on soil samples obtained bimonthly from December 2012 to June 2013 at the HU site. Seasonal Rs distribution gave low values in winter, began to increase in spring before lowering as soil dried in summer. This scenario indicates that with a semiarid climate, soil respiration is controlled by both soil humidity and soil temperature. Throughout the study period, the mean Rs value in the HU C plot was 13% higher than at HU T, and was 26% higher at CA C than the corresponding CA T plot value, being the differences significantly higher in control plots during active growing periods. Soil microclimatic variables explain the biggest proportion of variability for Rs: soil temperature explained 24.1% of total variability for Rs in the dry subhumid forest; soil humidity accounted for 24.6% of total variability for Rs in the semiarid forest. As Mediterranean climates are characterised by wide interannual variability, Rs showed considerable variability over the years, which can mask the effect caused by thinning treatment.

@article{doi101007s10342021014139,
    author = "Bautista, Inmaculada and Lidón, Antonio and Lull, Cristina and González-Sanchis, María and del Campo, Antonio D.",
    title = "Thinning decreased soil respiration differently in two dryland Mediterranean forests with contrasted soil temperature and humidity regimes",
    year = "2021",
    journal = "European Journal of Forest Research",
    abstract = "Abstract The effects of a thinning treatment on soil respiration (Rs) were analysed in two dryland forest types with a Mediterranean climate in east Spain: a dry subhumid holm oak forest (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) in La Hunde; a semiarid postfire regenerated Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) forest in Sierra Calderona. Two twin plots were established at each site: one was thinned and the other was the control. Rs, soil humidity and temperature were measured regularly in the field at nine points per plot distributed into three blocks along the slope for 3 years at HU and for 2 years at CA after forest treatment. Soil heterotrophic activity was measured in laboratory on soil samples obtained bimonthly from December 2012 to June 2013 at the HU site. Seasonal Rs distribution gave low values in winter, began to increase in spring before lowering as soil dried in summer. This scenario indicates that with a semiarid climate, soil respiration is controlled by both soil humidity and soil temperature. Throughout the study period, the mean Rs value in the HU C plot was 13\% higher than at HU T, and was 26\% higher at CA C than the corresponding CA T plot value, being the differences significantly higher in control plots during active growing periods. Soil microclimatic variables explain the biggest proportion of variability for Rs: soil temperature explained 24.1\% of total variability for Rs in the dry subhumid forest; soil humidity accounted for 24.6\% of total variability for Rs in the semiarid forest. As Mediterranean climates are characterised by wide interannual variability, Rs showed considerable variability over the years, which can mask the effect caused by thinning treatment.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-021-01413-9",
    doi = "10.1007/s10342-021-01413-9",
    openalex = "W3200562566",
    references = "doi103832ifor1810009"
}

Abstract Background The carbon pools of forest soils play a vital role in global carbon sequestration and emissions. Forest management can regulate the sequestration and output of forest soil carbon pools to a certain extent; however, the kinetics of the effects of forest density on soil carbon pools require further investigation. Methods We established sample plots with stand density gradients in three different aged Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations and quantified the soil respiration, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), and readily oxidized carbon (ROC). Results and conclusions During the growth and development of plantations, stand density is an essential factor that impacts soil respiration and its associated elements. Moderate density was observed to promote both the soil and heterotrophic respiration rates and the sequestration of MBC and LFOC, whereas it inhibited the sequestration of ROC. The soil, heterotrophic, and autotrophic respiration rates of older forest stands were relatively rapid, whereas the contents of SOC, MBC, LFOC, DOC, and ROC were higher and more sensitive to changes in stand density. The MBC, LFOC, and ROC in soil labile organic carbon were closely related to both the soil and heterotrophic respiration, but not the SOC. Among them, the LFOC and MBC played the roles of “warehouse” and “tool” and were significantly correlated with soil and heterotrophic respiration. The ROC, as a “raw material”, exhibited a significantly negative correlation with the soil and heterotrophic respiration. When the soil and heterotrophic respiration rates were rapid, the ROC content in the soil maintained the low level of a “dynamically stabilized” state. The stand density regulated heterotrophic respiration by affecting the soil labile organic carbon, which provided an essential path for the stand density to regulate soil respiration.

@article{doi101186s13717021003019,
    author = "Liu, Tairui and Peng, Daoli and Tan, Zhijie and Guo, Jinping and Zhang, Yunxiang",
    title = "Effects of stand density on soil respiration and labile organic carbon in different aged Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations",
    year = "2021",
    journal = "Ecological Processes",
    abstract = "Abstract Background The carbon pools of forest soils play a vital role in global carbon sequestration and emissions. Forest management can regulate the sequestration and output of forest soil carbon pools to a certain extent; however, the kinetics of the effects of forest density on soil carbon pools require further investigation. Methods We established sample plots with stand density gradients in three different aged Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations and quantified the soil respiration, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), and readily oxidized carbon (ROC). Results and conclusions During the growth and development of plantations, stand density is an essential factor that impacts soil respiration and its associated elements. Moderate density was observed to promote both the soil and heterotrophic respiration rates and the sequestration of MBC and LFOC, whereas it inhibited the sequestration of ROC. The soil, heterotrophic, and autotrophic respiration rates of older forest stands were relatively rapid, whereas the contents of SOC, MBC, LFOC, DOC, and ROC were higher and more sensitive to changes in stand density. The MBC, LFOC, and ROC in soil labile organic carbon were closely related to both the soil and heterotrophic respiration, but not the SOC. Among them, the LFOC and MBC played the roles of “warehouse” and “tool” and were significantly correlated with soil and heterotrophic respiration. The ROC, as a “raw material”, exhibited a significantly negative correlation with the soil and heterotrophic respiration. When the soil and heterotrophic respiration rates were rapid, the ROC content in the soil maintained the low level of a “dynamically stabilized” state. The stand density regulated heterotrophic respiration by affecting the soil labile organic carbon, which provided an essential path for the stand density to regulate soil respiration.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-021-00301-9",
    doi = "10.1186/s13717-021-00301-9",
    openalex = "W3174290207",
    references = "doi103832ifor1810009"
}

@article{doi101016japsoil2022104768,
    author = "Çakır, M. and Akburak, Serdar and Makineci, Ender and Bolat, Ferhat",
    title = "Recovery of soil biological quality (QBS-ar) and soil microarthropod abundance following a prescribed fire in the Quercus frainetto forest",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "Applied Soil Ecology",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.104768",
    doi = "10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.104768",
    openalex = "W4311508537",
    references = "doi103832ifor1810009"
}

Soil organisms drive major ecosystem functions by mineralising carbon and releasing nutrients during decomposition processes, which supports plant growth, aboveground biodiversity and, ultimately, human nutrition. Soil ecologists often operate with functional groups to infer the effects of individual taxa on ecosystem functions and services. Simultaneous assessment of the functional roles of multiple taxa is possible using food-web reconstructions, but our knowledge of the feeding habits of many taxa is insufficient and often based on limited evidence. Over the last two decades, molecular, biochemical and isotopic tools have improved our understanding of the feeding habits of various soil organisms, yet this knowledge is still to be synthesised into a common functional framework. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the feeding habits of consumers in soil, including protists, micro-, meso- and macrofauna (invertebrates), and soil-associated vertebrates. We have integrated existing functional group classifications with findings gained with novel methods and compiled an overarching classification across taxa focusing on key universal traits such as food resource preferences, body masses, microhabitat specialisation, protection and hunting mechanisms. Our summary highlights various strands of evidence that many functional groups commonly used in soil ecology and food-web models are feeding on multiple types of food resources. In many cases, omnivory is observed down to the species level of taxonomic resolution, challenging realism of traditional soil food-web models based on distinct resource-based energy channels. Novel methods, such as stable isotope, fatty acid and DNA gut content analyses, have revealed previously hidden facets of trophic relationships of soil consumers, such as food assimilation, multichannel feeding across trophic levels, hidden trophic niche differentiation and the importance of alternative food/prey, as well as energy transfers across ecosystem compartments. Wider adoption of such tools and the development of open interoperable platforms that assemble morphological, ecological and trophic data as traits of soil taxa will enable the refinement and expansion of the multifunctional classification of consumers in soil. The compiled multifunctional classification of soil-associated consumers will serve as a reference for ecologists working with biodiversity changes and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, making soil food-web research more accessible and reproducible.

@article{doi101111brv12832,
    author = "Potapov, Anton and Beaulieu, Frédéric and Birkhofer, Klaus and Bluhm, Sarah L. and Degtyarev, Maxim I. and Devetter, Miloslav and Goncharov, Anton A. and Gongalsky, Konstantin B. and Klarner, Bernhard and Korobushkin, Daniil I. and Liebke, Dana Fabienne and Maraun, Mark and Donnell, Rory J. Mc and Pollierer, Melanie M. and Schaefer, Ina and Shrubovych, Julia and Semenyuk, I. I. and Sendra, Alberto and Tůma, Jiří and Tůmová, Michala and Vassilieva, Anna B. and Chen, Ting‐Wen and Geisen, Stefan and Schmidt, Olaf and Tiunov, Alexei V. and Scheu, Stefan",
    title = "Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society",
    abstract = "Soil organisms drive major ecosystem functions by mineralising carbon and releasing nutrients during decomposition processes, which supports plant growth, aboveground biodiversity and, ultimately, human nutrition. Soil ecologists often operate with functional groups to infer the effects of individual taxa on ecosystem functions and services. Simultaneous assessment of the functional roles of multiple taxa is possible using food-web reconstructions, but our knowledge of the feeding habits of many taxa is insufficient and often based on limited evidence. Over the last two decades, molecular, biochemical and isotopic tools have improved our understanding of the feeding habits of various soil organisms, yet this knowledge is still to be synthesised into a common functional framework. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the feeding habits of consumers in soil, including protists, micro-, meso- and macrofauna (invertebrates), and soil-associated vertebrates. We have integrated existing functional group classifications with findings gained with novel methods and compiled an overarching classification across taxa focusing on key universal traits such as food resource preferences, body masses, microhabitat specialisation, protection and hunting mechanisms. Our summary highlights various strands of evidence that many functional groups commonly used in soil ecology and food-web models are feeding on multiple types of food resources. In many cases, omnivory is observed down to the species level of taxonomic resolution, challenging realism of traditional soil food-web models based on distinct resource-based energy channels. Novel methods, such as stable isotope, fatty acid and DNA gut content analyses, have revealed previously hidden facets of trophic relationships of soil consumers, such as food assimilation, multichannel feeding across trophic levels, hidden trophic niche differentiation and the importance of alternative food/prey, as well as energy transfers across ecosystem compartments. Wider adoption of such tools and the development of open interoperable platforms that assemble morphological, ecological and trophic data as traits of soil taxa will enable the refinement and expansion of the multifunctional classification of consumers in soil. The compiled multifunctional classification of soil-associated consumers will serve as a reference for ecologists working with biodiversity changes and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, making soil food-web research more accessible and reproducible.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12832",
    doi = "10.1111/brv.12832",
    openalex = "W4205589336",
    references = "doi1023072412988, doi107208chicago97802268933340010001"
}

Soil enzyme activities after application of fungicide QuadrisR at increasing concentration rates | Silvena Boteva, Anelia Kenarova, Michaella Petkova, Stela Georgieva, Christo Chanev, Galina Radeva | Agricultural Journals

@article{doi10172211272022pse,
    author = "Boteva, Silvena and Kenarova, Anelia and Petkova, Michaella and Georgieva, S.S. and Chanev, Christo D. and Radeva, Galina",
    title = "Soil enzyme activities after application of fungicide Quadris R at increasing concentration rates",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "Plant Soil and Environment",
    abstract = "Soil enzyme activities after application of fungicide QuadrisR at increasing concentration rates | Silvena Boteva, Anelia Kenarova, Michaella Petkova, Stela Georgieva, Christo Chanev, Galina Radeva | Agricultural Journals",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.17221/127/2022-pse",
    doi = "10.17221/127/2022-pse",
    openalex = "W4292869352",
    references = "lavelle2001soil"
}

The present paper reviews the most recent advances regarding the effects of chemical and organic fertilizers on soil microbial communities. Based on the results from the articles considered, some details are presented on how the use of various types of fertilizers affects the composition and activity of soil microbial communities. Soil microbes have different responses to fertilization based on differences in the total carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents in the soil, along with soil moisture and the presence of plant species. These articles show that the use of chemical fertilizers changes the abundance of microbial populations and stimulates their growth thanks to the nutrient supply added. Overall, however, the data revealed that chemical fertilizers have no significant influence on the richness and diversity of the bacteria and fungi. Instead, the abundance of individual bacterial or fungal species was sensitive to fertilization and was mainly attributed to the changes in the soil chemical properties induced by chemical or organic fertilization. Among the negative effects of chemical fertilization, the decrease in enzymatic activity has been highlighted by several papers, especially in soils that have received the largest amounts of fertilizers together with losses in organic matter.

@article{doi103390app12031198,
    author = "Dincă, Lucian and Grenni, Paola and Oneț, Cristian and Oneţ, Aurelia",
    title = "Fertilization and Soil Microbial Community: A Review",
    year = "2022",
    journal = "Applied Sciences",
    abstract = "The present paper reviews the most recent advances regarding the effects of chemical and organic fertilizers on soil microbial communities. Based on the results from the articles considered, some details are presented on how the use of various types of fertilizers affects the composition and activity of soil microbial communities. Soil microbes have different responses to fertilization based on differences in the total carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents in the soil, along with soil moisture and the presence of plant species. These articles show that the use of chemical fertilizers changes the abundance of microbial populations and stimulates their growth thanks to the nutrient supply added. Overall, however, the data revealed that chemical fertilizers have no significant influence on the richness and diversity of the bacteria and fungi. Instead, the abundance of individual bacterial or fungal species was sensitive to fertilization and was mainly attributed to the changes in the soil chemical properties induced by chemical or organic fertilization. Among the negative effects of chemical fertilization, the decrease in enzymatic activity has been highlighted by several papers, especially in soils that have received the largest amounts of fertilizers together with losses in organic matter.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031198",
    doi = "10.3390/app12031198",
    openalex = "W4210795984"
}

In this study, "artificial reef" (AR) impacts of offshore windfarms (OWFs) on the surrounding soft-sediments were investigated. Benthic grab samples were collected at nearby (37.5 m) and distant (500 or 350 m) positions from turbines of two Belgian OWFs (Belwind: monopiles and C-Power: jackets). Higher macrobenthos abundance and species richness were found nearby jacket foundations of C-Power compared to distant positions and differences were most pronounced within deeper sediments (i.e., gullies between sandbanks) at intermediate levels of fine sand fractions (10-20%) and total organic matter (0.5-0.9%). Strong benthic enrichment (>1000 ind. m-2, >20 spp. sample-1) was also linked with higher fine sand fractions (>20%) near the jackets. Moreover, nearby sediments showed higher occurrences of coastal species and habitat diversification was promoted by Mytilus edulis shell debris and alive organisms ("biofouling drop-offs"). The lack of similar results around monopiles (Belwind) confirms that the extent of detectable AR-effects depends on site- and turbine specific factors.

@article{doi101016jmarenvres2023106009,
    author = "Lefaible, Nene and Braeckman, Ulrike and Degraer, Steven and Vanaverbeke, Jan and Moens, Tom",
    title = "A wind of change for soft-sediment infauna within operational offshore windfarms.",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "Marine environmental research",
    abstract = {In this study, "artificial reef" (AR) impacts of offshore windfarms (OWFs) on the surrounding soft-sediments were investigated. Benthic grab samples were collected at nearby (37.5 m) and distant (500 or 350 m) positions from turbines of two Belgian OWFs (Belwind: monopiles and C-Power: jackets). Higher macrobenthos abundance and species richness were found nearby jacket foundations of C-Power compared to distant positions and differences were most pronounced within deeper sediments (i.e., gullies between sandbanks) at intermediate levels of fine sand fractions (10-20\%) and total organic matter (0.5-0.9\%). Strong benthic enrichment (>1000 ind. m-2, >20 spp. sample-1) was also linked with higher fine sand fractions (>20\%) near the jackets. Moreover, nearby sediments showed higher occurrences of coastal species and habitat diversification was promoted by Mytilus edulis shell debris and alive organisms ("biofouling drop-offs"). The lack of similar results around monopiles (Belwind) confirms that the extent of detectable AR-effects depends on site- and turbine specific factors.},
    url = "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37137243/",
    doi = "10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106009",
    openalex = "W4367296741",
    pmid = "37137243",
    references = "doi101016c20170021390, doi101016jecss200311005, doi101016jrse201401009, doi101016jseares200901008, doi101093icesjmsfsz018, doi101111j2041210x200900001x, doi101198jasa2007s188, doi103354meps038201, doi105670oceanog2020405, openalexw3119478783"
}

Home gardens play a transcendental role in food sovereignty, for which the management of habitats above ground and underground are complementary strategies. This study aims to compare the biodiversity of soil mesofauna groups between agroecosystems with a conventional and an agroecological design. Through the combination of quantitative (plant inventories) and qualitative (mobile interviewing and talking maps) techniques, the units of this study was described. Soil samples were mounted in a Berlesse–Tullgren system, and the abundance, richness, diversity, and equality of soil organisms were determined. The relationships between functional groups were compared taxonomically and biocenotically. The results indicated higher equality in the conventional home garden, while the communities studied present a medium taxocenotic similarity, without great biocenotic differences. The diversity and richness of taxa, as well as the abundance in each group identified, were higher in the agroecological garden, which had more medicinal and aromatic plants.

@article{doi103390land12091704,
    author = "Parada, Santiago Peredo and Salas, Claudia Barrera and Burbi, Sara",
    title = "Biodiversity of Soil Mesofauna Associated with the Design of Home Gardens in Mapuche Agroecosystems—Case Study in the Araucanía Region",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "Land",
    abstract = "Home gardens play a transcendental role in food sovereignty, for which the management of habitats above ground and underground are complementary strategies. This study aims to compare the biodiversity of soil mesofauna groups between agroecosystems with a conventional and an agroecological design. Through the combination of quantitative (plant inventories) and qualitative (mobile interviewing and talking maps) techniques, the units of this study was described. Soil samples were mounted in a Berlesse–Tullgren system, and the abundance, richness, diversity, and equality of soil organisms were determined. The relationships between functional groups were compared taxonomically and biocenotically. The results indicated higher equality in the conventional home garden, while the communities studied present a medium taxocenotic similarity, without great biocenotic differences. The diversity and richness of taxa, as well as the abundance in each group identified, were higher in the agroecological garden, which had more medicinal and aromatic plants.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091704",
    doi = "10.3390/land12091704",
    openalex = "W4386332473",
    references = "doeksen1964soil"
}

@book{dervash2024soil,
    author = "Dervash, Moonisa Aslam and Yousuf, Abrar and Bhat, Mohammad Amin and Ozturk, Munir",
    title = "Soil Organisms",
    year = "2024",
    booktitle = "SpringerBriefs in Microbiology",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66293-5",
    doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-66293-5",
    openalex = "W4401126324"
}

Introduction: Soil ciliates, as protozoa, play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling and the soil food web, yet they are highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations in soil conditions. The diversity and biogeographic characteristics of soil ciliates in the Tibetan Plateau remain poorly understood. As part of a regional survey focused on soil ciliate diversity, we investigated the composition and spatiotemporal variations of soil ciliate communities along the Yarlung Zangbo River, a representative soil habitat in the Tibetan Plateau. Methods: A total of 290 soil samples were collected from four habitat types of grassland, shrubland, forestland and wetland in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River during the wet and dry seasons, and 138 species of ciliates were identified. Results: Soil ciliate diversity exhibited greater variation across habitat types than seasons. Moreover, soil ciliate diversity was higher during the wet season compared to the dry season, with the wetland habitat showing the highest diversity and the grassland habitat displaying the lowest. We observed spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the composition of soil ciliate communities across different seasons and habitat types. Notably, Litostomatea, Karyorelictea, and Prostomatea predominated in ciliate communities during the wet season and in grassland habitat. Phyllopharyngers dominated during dry seasons and in forested regions, while Spirotrichea species were prevalent in wetland and forested areas. The co-occurrence network analysis showed that soil ciliate community was more complex in wet season than in dry season, and the stability of soil ciliate community in wet season was higher than that in dry season. The stability of soil ciliate community in wetland was higher than that in forestland, shrubland and grassland, and the anti-interference ability was stronger. Soil temperature (ST), Total nitrogen (TN), Soil organic matter (SOM) and Soil water content (SWC) are important factors affecting the structure of soil ciliate community. By influencing the metabolic rate and nutrient acquisition of soil ciliates, the distribution pattern of soil ciliate community diversity in the middle reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River is shaped. Discussion: In summary, this study revealed the distribution pattern of soil ciliate community diversity in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, and the key factors affecting the spatial and temporal differences and stability of the community, enhancing our understanding of how ciliates adapt to environmental conditions in soil habitats across the Tibetan Plateau.

@article{doi103389fenvs20241360015,
    author = "Huang, Qian and Li, Mingyan and Li, Tianshun and Zhu, Shiying and Wang, Zhuangzhuang and Pu, Bu",
    title = "Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of soil ciliate communities in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Frontiers in Environmental Science",
    abstract = "Introduction: Soil ciliates, as protozoa, play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling and the soil food web, yet they are highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations in soil conditions. The diversity and biogeographic characteristics of soil ciliates in the Tibetan Plateau remain poorly understood. As part of a regional survey focused on soil ciliate diversity, we investigated the composition and spatiotemporal variations of soil ciliate communities along the Yarlung Zangbo River, a representative soil habitat in the Tibetan Plateau. Methods: A total of 290 soil samples were collected from four habitat types of grassland, shrubland, forestland and wetland in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River during the wet and dry seasons, and 138 species of ciliates were identified. Results: Soil ciliate diversity exhibited greater variation across habitat types than seasons. Moreover, soil ciliate diversity was higher during the wet season compared to the dry season, with the wetland habitat showing the highest diversity and the grassland habitat displaying the lowest. We observed spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the composition of soil ciliate communities across different seasons and habitat types. Notably, Litostomatea, Karyorelictea, and Prostomatea predominated in ciliate communities during the wet season and in grassland habitat. Phyllopharyngers dominated during dry seasons and in forested regions, while Spirotrichea species were prevalent in wetland and forested areas. The co-occurrence network analysis showed that soil ciliate community was more complex in wet season than in dry season, and the stability of soil ciliate community in wet season was higher than that in dry season. The stability of soil ciliate community in wetland was higher than that in forestland, shrubland and grassland, and the anti-interference ability was stronger. Soil temperature (ST), Total nitrogen (TN), Soil organic matter (SOM) and Soil water content (SWC) are important factors affecting the structure of soil ciliate community. By influencing the metabolic rate and nutrient acquisition of soil ciliates, the distribution pattern of soil ciliate community diversity in the middle reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River is shaped. Discussion: In summary, this study revealed the distribution pattern of soil ciliate community diversity in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, and the key factors affecting the spatial and temporal differences and stability of the community, enhancing our understanding of how ciliates adapt to environmental conditions in soil habitats across the Tibetan Plateau.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1360015",
    doi = "10.3389/fenvs.2024.1360015",
    openalex = "W4392515751",
    references = "lavelle2001soil"
}

This review examines the role of soil and sediment organisms as bioindicators in environmental pollution assessment. As fundamental elements of terrestrial ecosystems, soils harbour a rich and diverse biodiversity that plays a key role in regulating ecological processes. The use of bioindicators provides a sensitive and specific approach to detecting the effects of chemical, biological, and physical pollutants on soil health. The review presents a detailed analysis of the types of contaminants commonly encountered, the soil organisms used as bioindicators, and the criteria for selecting the most appropriate bioindicators. It also discusses assessment methods, including soil sampling and analysis techniques, and the biological and ecological indices used to measure contamination. Regional case studies illustrate the practical application of bioindicators for assessing soil quality in different geographical contexts. The review also highlights current challenges to the use of bioindicators, such as technical limitations and the variability of organism responses, and suggests perspectives for future research, including technological innovation and the integration of bioindicators into environmental policy.

@article{doi103390ecologies5040040,
    author = "Ghannèm, Samir and Bacha, Ons and Fkiri, Sondes and Kanzari, Sabri and Aydi, Abdelwaheb and Touaylia, Samir",
    title = "Soil and Sediment Organisms as Bioindicators of Pollution",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Ecologies",
    abstract = "This review examines the role of soil and sediment organisms as bioindicators in environmental pollution assessment. As fundamental elements of terrestrial ecosystems, soils harbour a rich and diverse biodiversity that plays a key role in regulating ecological processes. The use of bioindicators provides a sensitive and specific approach to detecting the effects of chemical, biological, and physical pollutants on soil health. The review presents a detailed analysis of the types of contaminants commonly encountered, the soil organisms used as bioindicators, and the criteria for selecting the most appropriate bioindicators. It also discusses assessment methods, including soil sampling and analysis techniques, and the biological and ecological indices used to measure contamination. Regional case studies illustrate the practical application of bioindicators for assessing soil quality in different geographical contexts. The review also highlights current challenges to the use of bioindicators, such as technical limitations and the variability of organism responses, and suggests perspectives for future research, including technological innovation and the integration of bioindicators into environmental policy.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies5040040",
    doi = "10.3390/ecologies5040040",
    openalex = "W4405528840",
    references = "lavelle2001soil"
}

C content and enrichment rate) in the no-till soil compared to the till soil. This predator-driven cascade down the food chain amplified the fungal contribution to the fungal-to-bacterial necromass ratio. Conversely, these interactions, disrupted by continuous tillage, weakened fungal functions by interrupting the trophic cascade. In conclusion, these tiny yet ubiquitous omnivorous-predaceous nematodes exert a disproportionate impact on necromass formation by boosting fungal biomass and activity. Further manipulative experiments targeting multi-trophic interactions are essential to disentangle the mechanisms of microbial necromass formation, given the inherent complexity of soil food webs and the observational nature of this study.

@article{doi101111gcb70235,
    author = "Zhang, Shixiu and Kuzyakov, Yakov and Jia, Zhongjun and Bai, Edith and Morriën, Elly and Liang, Aizhen",
    title = "Cascading Effects Within Soil Food Web Amplify Fungal Biomass and Necromass Production",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Global Change Biology",
    abstract = "C content and enrichment rate) in the no-till soil compared to the till soil. This predator-driven cascade down the food chain amplified the fungal contribution to the fungal-to-bacterial necromass ratio. Conversely, these interactions, disrupted by continuous tillage, weakened fungal functions by interrupting the trophic cascade. In conclusion, these tiny yet ubiquitous omnivorous-predaceous nematodes exert a disproportionate impact on necromass formation by boosting fungal biomass and activity. Further manipulative experiments targeting multi-trophic interactions are essential to disentangle the mechanisms of microbial necromass formation, given the inherent complexity of soil food webs and the observational nature of this study.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70235",
    doi = "10.1111/gcb.70235",
    openalex = "W4410497824",
    references = "lavelle2001soil"
}

Optimizing fertilizer management is essential for reducing salinity-related risks and improving nutrient efficiency in ornamental plant production. Fertilization enhances plant performance; however, excessive nutrient inputs can disrupt substrate chemistry, elevate salinity, and promote nitrogen leaching—particularly in containerized systems with limited rooting volume. This study evaluated the growth, physiological performance, and soil–plant nutrient dynamics of Sabal palmetto (cabbage palm) cultivated under six fertilization regimes over 180 days in a subtropical shade-house environment. Treatments ranged from a single baseline application of 15 g per plant (T0) to a cumulative 75 g (T5) using granular slow-release fertilizer. Morphological traits (plant height: 26–70 cm; leaf number: 4–18) and physiological indices (atLEAF+: 34.3–66.4; NDVI: 0.26–0.77) were monitored every 30 days. Substrate nitrogen and carbon concentrations increased from 0.57% and 41.78% at baseline to 1.24% and 42.94% at 180 days, while foliar nitrogen ranged from 1.46% to 2.57%. Fertilization significantly influenced all parameters (p < 0.05). Higher fertilization levels elevated electrical conductivity, salinity, and nitrogen leaching, with principal component analysis revealing strong positive associations among total nitrogen, electrical conductivity, and salinity. Moderate fertilization (T2 = 45 g) maintained favorable substrate chemistry, high foliar nitrogen, and balanced canopy growth with minimal nutrient losses. Sensor-based chlorophyll indices (atLEAF+ and NDVI) correlated strongly (r = 0.71, p < 0.001), confirming their reliability as non-destructive diagnostics for nitrogen management. These findings demonstrate that integrating optical monitoring with adaptive fertilization mitigates substrate salinization, sustains ornamental quality, and promotes the sustainable cultivation of Sabal palmetto in urban horticultural systems.

@article{doi103390soilsystems9040121,
    author = "Khoddamzadeh, Amir Ali and Costa, Bárbara Nogueira Souza and Munoz-Salas, Milagros Ninoska",
    title = "Precision Fertilization Strategies Modulate Growth, Physiological Performance, and Soil–Plant Nutrient Dynamics in Sabal palmetto",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Soil Systems",
    abstract = "Optimizing fertilizer management is essential for reducing salinity-related risks and improving nutrient efficiency in ornamental plant production. Fertilization enhances plant performance; however, excessive nutrient inputs can disrupt substrate chemistry, elevate salinity, and promote nitrogen leaching—particularly in containerized systems with limited rooting volume. This study evaluated the growth, physiological performance, and soil–plant nutrient dynamics of Sabal palmetto (cabbage palm) cultivated under six fertilization regimes over 180 days in a subtropical shade-house environment. Treatments ranged from a single baseline application of 15 g per plant (T0) to a cumulative 75 g (T5) using granular slow-release fertilizer. Morphological traits (plant height: 26–70 cm; leaf number: 4–18) and physiological indices (atLEAF+: 34.3–66.4; NDVI: 0.26–0.77) were monitored every 30 days. Substrate nitrogen and carbon concentrations increased from 0.57\% and 41.78\% at baseline to 1.24\% and 42.94\% at 180 days, while foliar nitrogen ranged from 1.46\% to 2.57\%. Fertilization significantly influenced all parameters (p < 0.05). Higher fertilization levels elevated electrical conductivity, salinity, and nitrogen leaching, with principal component analysis revealing strong positive associations among total nitrogen, electrical conductivity, and salinity. Moderate fertilization (T2 = 45 g) maintained favorable substrate chemistry, high foliar nitrogen, and balanced canopy growth with minimal nutrient losses. Sensor-based chlorophyll indices (atLEAF+ and NDVI) correlated strongly (r = 0.71, p < 0.001), confirming their reliability as non-destructive diagnostics for nitrogen management. These findings demonstrate that integrating optical monitoring with adaptive fertilization mitigates substrate salinization, sustains ornamental quality, and promotes the sustainable cultivation of Sabal palmetto in urban horticultural systems.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9040121",
    doi = "10.3390/soilsystems9040121",
    openalex = "W4415956534",
    references = "dervash2024soil, doi101007bf00032301, doi101016jenvpol201210004, doi101016jplaphy202008042, doi101016s0065211301710115, doi101051agro2009040, doi101111j2041210x200900001x, doi101111jac12220, doi102134agronj20080162rx, doi103390app12031198, doi103390s130810823"
}

ABSTRACT Fertiliser management is central to achieving sustainable increases in crop productivity while maintaining soil health. Yet, it remains unclear how chemical fertilisers, organic amendments (OAs), or their combination have comparable effects on soil health at a global scale. Here we synthesise 1657 observations from 204 published studies to assess the effects of compost (COM)‐based organic amendments, synthetic fertiliser (NPK), and their combination (COM + NPK; partial replacement) on crop yield and multiple soil health indicators. All treatments significantly increased yield, with the strongest increase under COM + NPK (62.6%), followed by COM (45.1%) and NPK (26.7%). Yield responses were crop‐dependent, with vegetables and legumes showing the largest benefits under organic‐based fertilisation (COM and COM + NPK). We found that COM + NPK most strongly improved soil health by increasing total carbon, nitrogen, and available nutrients, thereby enhancing organic matter retention and nutrient cycling. Moreover, COM alone produced the largest gains in soil organic carbon and microbial diversity, especially bacterial richness. In contrast, NPK had limited effects on total phosphorus, soil organic carbon and respiration. Together, our findings show that organic fertilisation strategies alone or combined with mineral fertilisers can simultaneously sustain yields and soil health, providing a practical route toward more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems worldwide.

@article{doi101002sae270157,
    author = "Hayat, Mahnoor and Sáez‐Sandino, Tadeo and Wang, J. Z. and Li, Jiayu and Zhou, Guiyao and Singh, Brajesh K.",
    title = "Compost‐Based Organic Amendments and Synthetic Fertilisers Enhance Soil Health and Crop Yield Worldwide",
    year = "2026",
    journal = "Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment",
    abstract = "ABSTRACT Fertiliser management is central to achieving sustainable increases in crop productivity while maintaining soil health. Yet, it remains unclear how chemical fertilisers, organic amendments (OAs), or their combination have comparable effects on soil health at a global scale. Here we synthesise 1657 observations from 204 published studies to assess the effects of compost (COM)‐based organic amendments, synthetic fertiliser (NPK), and their combination (COM + NPK; partial replacement) on crop yield and multiple soil health indicators. All treatments significantly increased yield, with the strongest increase under COM + NPK (62.6\%), followed by COM (45.1\%) and NPK (26.7\%). Yield responses were crop‐dependent, with vegetables and legumes showing the largest benefits under organic‐based fertilisation (COM and COM + NPK). We found that COM + NPK most strongly improved soil health by increasing total carbon, nitrogen, and available nutrients, thereby enhancing organic matter retention and nutrient cycling. Moreover, COM alone produced the largest gains in soil organic carbon and microbial diversity, especially bacterial richness. In contrast, NPK had limited effects on total phosphorus, soil organic carbon and respiration. Together, our findings show that organic fertilisation strategies alone or combined with mineral fertilisers can simultaneously sustain yields and soil health, providing a practical route toward more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems worldwide.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70157",
    doi = "10.1002/sae2.70157",
    openalex = "W7149506419",
    references = "doi103390soilsystems9040121"
}

@misc{crossrefNonesoil,
    title = "Soil Biology",
    year = "None",
    booktitle = "SpringerReference",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference\_77150",
    doi = "10.1007/springerreference\_77150"
}