Plant–microbe networks in soil are weakened by century‐long use of inorganic fertilizers

Summary

This long-term field study at Rothamsted's Park Grass Experiment examined how a century of inorganic fertilisation altered the ecological networks linking plants and soil microbial communities. The findings demonstrate that extended fertilisation regimes significantly reduce both plant and microbial diversity, diminish functional gene capacity for biogeochemical cycling, and weaken the structural complexity and connectivity of plant–microbe networks, with soil carbon and nitrogen status emerging as key mediators of these changes.

UK applicability

The findings are directly applicable to UK grassland management and agricultural policy, given that the Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted is a long-established UK research facility. The results suggest that sustained reliance on inorganic fertilisers in UK grasslands may compromise soil biological function and ecosystem resilience, informing recommendations for sustainable soil stewardship and fertiliser strategies.

Key measures

Plant richness and diversity; soil microbial richness and diversity; microbial functional genes (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling); network complexity metrics (node numbers, connectivity, network density, clustering coefficient); soil carbon and nitrogen contents; microbial association strength

Outcomes reported

The study quantified changes in plant and soil microbial community composition, functional gene diversity, and network complexity in response to over 150 years of fertilisation treatment. Network-based analyses measured node numbers, connectivity, density and clustering coefficients between plant and microbial functional communities.

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