Land-use intensification differentially affects bacterial, fungal and protist communities and decreases microbiome network complexity

Summary

This field experiment examined how land-use intensification affects soil microbiome structure and organisation across three management regimes differing in cropping frequency. The authors found that perennial grasslands supported more complex and connected microbial co-occurrence networks than intensive cropping systems, and identified protists (particularly Rhizaria) as disproportionately important connector organisms in soil microbiota. The work provides evidence of lasting legacy effects from prior land-use history on microbiome composition, suggesting that temporary grassland rotations do not fully reset microbial communities to grassland baselines.

UK applicability

These findings are directly applicable to UK farming policy and practice, particularly regarding organic rotation schemes and Environmental Stewardship recommendations that favour grassland integration. The identification of network complexity as a soil health indicator may inform future UK soil quality monitoring frameworks and support arguments for reducing cropping intensity.

Key measures

Bacterial, fungal and protist community composition; co-occurrence network structure and complexity; network connectivity within and between microbial groups; taxa differentiation between land-use types

Outcomes reported

The study measured the composition and co-occurrence networks of bacterial, fungal and protist communities across three land-use intensities (continuous cropping, alternating cropping with temporary grassland, and perennial grassland). Network complexity and connectivity patterns were compared across microbial groups and land-use types.

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