Summary
This large-scale field study across Eastern and Southeast China demonstrates that core soil microbial phylotypes serve as predictors of community resistance to environmental perturbations in agricultural systems. Maize soils exhibited stronger microbiome resistance than rice soils, with resistance varying geographically—higher in warmer, lower-latitude regions. The findings suggest that preserving core phylotypes is essential for maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality and agricultural productivity under future climate and fertilisation scenarios.
UK applicability
Whilst conducted in China's subtropical and warm-temperate zones, the study's principles regarding core microbiota stability are potentially applicable to UK arable systems. However, UK cereals operate under cooler, higher-latitude conditions where different microbial communities and resistance mechanisms may operate, requiring verification through local research.
Key measures
Community resistance indices, phylogenetic conservation, network complexity, soil microbiome composition (bacteria, fungi, protists), ecosystem multifunctionality metrics
Outcomes reported
The study measured soil microbiome resistance (bacterial, fungal and protist communities) to climate changes and nutrient fertilization across maize and rice field pairs. It assessed the relationship between core phylotypes and multiple ecosystem functions essential for crop productivity.
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