Dual Controls of Shrub Encroachment in Semiarid Grasslands: Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Soil Nitrogen Cycling

• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.5588
• Publication Date: 2025-03-20T00:11:11Z
• Authors: Yanpeng Yue; Liming Lai; Jihua Zhou; Guihao Wang; Yingjie Zhu; Qiaoe Chen; Yuanrun Zheng
• Keywords: Cycling; Nitrogen Cycle; Mycorrhizal Fungi

ABSTRACT Shrub encroachment significantly impacts biodiversity and ecosystem functions in grassland ecosystems. Soil microbial communities may play a key role this process. Previous studies have focused on plant competition soil abiotic factors, but the specific biological mechanisms by which microbiota drive shrub remained poorly understood. Through integrated vegetation surveys high‐throughput sequencing of across gradients Inner Mongolia, we assessed composition functional genes importance value. We found that value closely correlated with limited resources, including water nitrogen (N), during encroachment. Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi were recruited semishrub Artemisia ordosica , increasing its competitiveness under conditions resource scarcity. Changes community affected N cycling reducing abundance involved fixation, nitrification, nitrate assimilation. Concurrently, shrubs preferred (NO 3 − ‐N) over herbaceous plants nutrient‐poor environments. The was facilitated EcM fungi, enabling them to thrive N‐deficient arid environments preferentially utilize NO ‐N. Our findings establish novel microbial‐mediated pathway driving encroachment, fungal symbionts enable host alleviate limitations through modified nutrient acquisition strategies. These results suggest targeted manipulation associations could inform restoration strategies shrub‐encroached grasslands highlight need for management approach accounts dynamics.