Summary
This pan-European observational study of 217 sites reveals that arable farming consistently reduces soil fungal diversity compared to grasslands, with a pattern of biotic homogenisation wherein dominant fungal groups expand whilst rare taxa decline or disappear. Rare fungal groups were narrowly distributed geographically and predominantly found in grasslands, suggesting they are disproportionately vulnerable to arable management. The findings imply that sustainable farming practices should prioritise protection of rare soil fungal taxa and the ecosystem services they provide.
UK applicability
The study's European transect likely includes UK sites or comparable temperate arable and grassland systems, making the findings directly relevant to UK soil health policy and sustainable intensification targets. The implication that arable farming homogenises fungal communities has direct bearing on UK strategies to enhance soil biodiversity in cereal and combinable crop systems.
Key measures
Soil fungal diversity (richness and community structure), relative abundance of prevalent versus rare fungal taxa, geographic variation in fungal biogeography across arable and grassland land uses
Outcomes reported
The study compared soil fungal community composition and diversity between 217 arable and grassland sites across a 3000 km European gradient using high-resolution metabarcoding. It quantified shifts in fungal taxa abundance and documented disproportionate impacts on rare fungal groups in arable versus grassland soils.
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