Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Volume 197, October 2024, 109503, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109503
Involved member of MultiTroph: Thomas Scholten
Summary: This study investigated the role of living and decaying roots in regulating soil aggregation and organic matter formation in dryland ecosystems – but will be applied to and was inspired by our BEF-China experiment. Using a two-phase incubation approach, the researchers traced the transition from a living pioneer plant-root system to its decomposition in semi-arid topsoil and subsoil. The results showed that roots are crucial for macroaggregation within the rhizosphere in both soil types and are associated with a strong increase in fungal abundance in the subsoil. In topsoil, the study found that macroaggregation induced by roots persisted even after the plant died, a phenomenon not observed in subsoil.
Conclusion: The research highlights the need for more studies that examine the full temporal dimension from living to dying plants in intact soil systems to gain a holistic understanding of plant-microbe-soil interactions. The findings emphasize the significant role of roots as regulators of soil aggregation and organic matter formation.