Qiaoyun Huang

May 16, 2024 | nature.com | Jiao Feng |Yu-Rong Liu |David Eldridge |Qiaoyun Huang |Wenfeng Tan

AbstractSoil biodiversity contains the metabolic toolbox supporting organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in the soil. However, as soil develops over millions of years, the buildup of plant cover, soil carbon and microbial biomass may relax the dependence of soil functions on soil biodiversity. To test this hypothesis, we evaluate the within-site soil biodiversity and function relationships across 87 globally distributed ecosystems ranging in soil age from centuries to millennia.