Soil addition improves multifunctionality of degraded grasslands through increasing fungal richness and network complexity

• DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116607
• Publication Date: 2023-07-10T17:24:46Z
• Authors: Yuhui Li; Xu Han; Bing Li; Yingbin Li; Xiaofang Du; Yixin Sun; Qi Li; T. Martijn Bezemer
• Keywords: Microcosm; Grassland ecosystem; Steppe

Soil addition is now widely used in the restoration of degraded ecosystems, but how soil influences multiple ecological functions grasslands, and whether these effects depend on amount type inoculum, are still not clear. We performed two parallel experiments to examine different donor types amounts affect grassland. In a field experiment at grassland site where top layer was removed (5 cm), we assessed effect collected from ecosystems (upland meadow steppe) (0 cm, 1 cm 3 cm) ecosystem multifunctionality. microcosm experiment, examined biotic abiotic factors by inoculating sterilized non-sterilized soil. promoted grassland, particularly when higher were added. Both increased Biotic factors, especially fungal richness network complexity, had strongest positive Our study reveals importance communities for improving multifunctionality Future studies should explore joint arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi saprophytic grasslands.