Journal Article

Biotic homogenization, lower soil fungal diversity and fewer rare taxa in arable soils across Europe

ANR-16-EBI3-0004,digging_deeper,Agro-ecosystem diversification: digging deeper, Camuy-Velez, Lennel, García-Palacios, Pablo, Herzog, Chantal, Banerjee, Samiran, Rillig, Matthias, Universität Zürich [Zürich] = University of Zurich (UZH), North Dakota State Univ, Dept Microbiol Sci, Fargo, ND USAFargo, ND USA, Hallin, Sara, Universidad de Alicante, Maestre, Fernando, Pescador, David, Zhao, Cheng, Swedish Univ Agr Sci, Dept Forest Mycol & Plant Pathol, Uppsala, Sweden, Universidad Complutense de Madrid = Complutense University of Madrid [Madrid] (UCM), Romdhane, Sana, van der Heijden, Marcel, Integrative Ecology Group ; Integrative Ecology Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Garland, Gina, North Dakota State University (NDSU), Bascompte, Jordi, Philippot, Laurent, Degrune, Florine, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias (ICA) Calle de Serrano 115 b, 28006 Madrid, Spain, Free University of Berlin (FU), Edlinger, Anna, Agroscope, Plant Soil Interact Grp, Zurich, Switzerland, Agroécologie [Dijon] ; Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Université Bourgogne Franche-C

2024

Overview

Abstract Soil fungi are a key constituent of global biodiversity and play a pivotal role in agroecosystems. How arable farming affects soil fungal biogeography and whether it has a disproportional impact on rare taxa is poorly understood. Here, we used the high-resolution PacBio Sequel targeting the entire ITS region to investigate the distribution of soil fungi in 217 sites across a 3000 km gradient in Europe. We found a consistently lower diversity of fungi in arable lands than grasslands, with geographic locations significantly impacting fungal community structures. Prevalent fungal groups became even more abundant, whereas rare groups became fewer or absent in arable lands, suggesting a biotic homogenization due to arable farming. The rare fungal groups were narrowly distributed and more common in grasslands. Our findings suggest that rare soil fungi are disproportionally affected by arable farming, and sustainable farming practices should protect rare taxa and the ecosystem services they support.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group,CCSD,Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 49/22 / 49/23 / 631/158/852 / 631/158/855 / Agricultural ecosystems / Agricultural land / Agricultural practices / Agriculture / Arable land / Biodiversity / Biogeography / Ecosystem / Ecosystem services / Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use / Europe / Farming / Farms / Fungi / Geographical locations / Grasslands / Homogenization / Humanities and Social Sciences / Life Sciences / Markvetenskap / Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap / multidisciplinary / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Soil / Soil microorganisms / Soil Science / Soils / Sustainable agriculture / Sustainable practices
• ISBN: 0011424908000