Background and aims Reforestation is widely promoted to mitigate soil degradation and desertification in semi-arid Mediterranean regions under future climate-change scenarios. The argan tree ( Argania spinosa ), a drought-resistant species, has been proposed as a potential alternative to pine ( Pinus halepensis). Methods We assessed soil physicochemical properties, organic matter (SOM) characteristics (content, molecular compo...

Background Urban greenspaces have the potential to mitigate urban carbon footprints by storing soil organic carbon (SOC). Different management and plant communities associated with different types of urban greenspaces may hold contrasting SOC, as well as different proportions of particulate (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC). In addition, management could outweigh the effects of climate or soil properties as dr...

Background and aim The global-scale abandonment of rural areas is resulting in a mosaic of disturbed ecosystems dominated by ruderal vegetation. Yet, the impacts of climate change on the functioning of ruderal ecosystems remain virtually unknown. Methods We conducted a 4-year field experiment to evaluate, for the first time, the long-term impacts of warming and rainfall reduction on the capacity of a ruderal Mediterranean ecos...

Ecosystem functioning is potentially dependent on the relationships between soil microbial diversity and biomass. Yet, it remains unclear how land use and climate influence these relationships. Here, we (i) analysed relationships and ratios between richness and biomass of bacteria and fungi in ~500 soils across Europe, including three land‐use types (woodlands, grasslands and croplands) and climates (cold, temperate and arid)...

With global phosphate rock resources declining for conventional fertilizers, there is growing interest in exploring alternative, more sustainable materials to enhance soil fertility and crop yield production. Additionally, leveraging microorganisms to improve phosphorus (P) availability in soils is an appealing approach for sustainable agriculture. This study evaluates the effects of different P-rich materials, including struv...

Aims Future phosphorus (P) fertilizer availability faces challenges due to limited phosphate rock mines and strict quality regulations regarding Cd contents in phosphate rock. In this study, conventional fertilization was partially substituted with meat bone meal (MBM), sludge (S), and the organo-mineral combination of S plus MBM (SMBM), in a wheat agroecosystem. Methods We investigated the impact of fertilization treatments a...

Plant–soil biodiversity interactions are fundamental for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, the existence of a set of globally distributed topsoil microbial and small invertebrate organisms consistently associated with land plants (i.e., their consistent soil‐borne microbiome), together with the environmental preferences and functional capabilities of these organisms, remains unknown. We conducted a standardized f...

Soil micronutrients are capital for the delivery of ecosystem functioning and food provision worldwide. Yet, despite their importance, the global biogeography and ecological drivers of soil micronutrients remain virtually unknown, limiting our capacity to anticipate abrupt unexpected changes in soil micronutrients in the face of climate change. Here, we analyzed >1300 topsoil samples to examine the global distribution of six m...

Aim Fresh carbon (C) inputs to the soil can have important consequences for the decomposition rates of soil organic matter (priming effect), thereby impacting the delicate global C balance at the soil–atmosphere interface. Yet, the environmental factors that control soil priming effect intensity remain poorly understood at a global scale. Location Global. Time period 1980–2020. Major taxa studied Soil priming effect intensity....

Land use is a key factor driving changes in soil carbon (C) cycle and contents worldwide. The priming effect (PE)—CO 2 emissions from changed soil organic matter decomposition in response to fresh C inputs—is one of the most unpredictable phenomena associated with C cycling and related nutrient mobilization. Yet, we know very little about the influence of land use on soil PE across contrasting environments. Here, we conducted...

Soil priming is a microbial‐driven process, which determines key soil–climate feedbacks in response to fresh carbon inputs. Despite its importance, the microbial traits behind this process are largely undetermined. Knowledge of the role of these traits is integral to advance our understanding of how soil microbes regulate carbon (C) emissions in forests, which support the largest soil carbon stocks globally. Using metagenomic...

Aim Quantify direct and indirect relationships between soil microbial community properties (potential basal respiration, microbial biomass) and abiotic factors (soil, climate) in three major land‐cover types. Location Europe. Time period 2018. Major taxa studied Microbial community (fungi and bacteria). Methods We collected 881 soil samples from across Europe in the framework of the Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS...

The use of organic matter is a highly accepted environmental practice among scientists for the bioremediation of polluted soils. In this manuscript we study under laboratory conditions the bioremediation capacity of a new biostimulant obtained from slaughterhouse sludge in a soil polluted by the oxyfluorfen at a rate of 4 l ha −1 (manufacturer’s rate recommended) over a 90-day period. We determined its effects on dehydrogenase...