Summary
AbstractReducing reliance on mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer is central to improving the sustainability of agricultural grassland management. Increasing sward diversity and the application of organic N fertilizer are potential strategies to achieve this, but their combined effects on soil biodiversity remain less understood. This study examined how different sward types and N fertilization influence soil biodiversity and soil food-web functioning in the short term, using soil nematodes as bioindicator. A field-plot experiment was conducted with four sward types: permanent pasture, perennial ryegrass, six- and twelve-species swards; and three N fertilizer treatments: organic, mineral and a combination of both N fertilizers. Redundancy analysis revealed that nematode community structure diff
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