Soil networks become more connected and take up more carbon as nature restoration progresses.
Soil organisms have an important role in aboveground community dynamics and ecosystem functioning in terrestrial ecosystems. However, most studies have considered soil biota as a black box or focussed on specific groups, whereas little is known about entire soil networks. Here we show that during the course of nature restoration on abandoned arable land a compositional shift in soil biota, preceded by tightening of the belowground networks, corresponds with enhanced efficiency of carbon uptake. In mid- and long-term abandoned field soil, carbon uptake by fungi increases without an increase in fungal biomass or shift in bacterial-to-fungal ratio. The implication of our findings is that during nature restoration the efficiency of nutrient cycling and carbon uptake can increase by a shift in fungal composition and/or fungal activity. Therefore, we propose that relationships between soil food web structure and carbon cycling in soils need to be reconsidered.
NIOO-KNAW, Terrestrial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.|Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Earth Surface Sciences Group (IBED-ESS), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94246, Amsterdam 1090 GE, The Netherlands.
Elly
E
Morriën
NIOO-KNAW, Microbial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
S Emilia
SE
Hannula
NIOO-KNAW, Terrestrial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
L Basten
LB
Snoek
NIOO-KNAW, Aquatic Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
Nico R
NR
Helmsing
NIOO-KNAW, Microbial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
Hans
H
Zweers
NIOO-KNAW, Microbial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
Mattias
M
de Hollander
NIOO-KNAW, Terrestrial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
Raquel Luján
RL
Soto
Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon F-21000, France.
Marie-Lara
ML
Bouffaud
INRA, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes', Centre INRA de Nancy, Champenoux F-54280, France.|Université de Lorraine, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes' Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy F-54000, France.
Marc
M
Buée
Wageningen Environmental Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
Wim
W
Dimmers
NIOO-KNAW, Terrestrial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
Henk
H
Duyts
NIOO-KNAW, Terrestrial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.|Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str 47b, Cologne 50674, Germany.
Stefan
0000-0003-0734-727X
S
Geisen
Department Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, University of Torino, Viale Mattioli 25, Torino 10125, Italy.|National Research Council, Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante (IPSP-CNR), Viale Mattioli 25, 10125 Torino, Italy.
Mariangela
M
Girlanda
NERC Centre for Ecology &Hydrology, Benson Lane, Growmarch Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Oxford 108, UK.
Rob I
RI
Griffiths
Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund SE-22362, Sweden.
Helene-Bracht
HB
Jørgensen
Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark.
John
J
Jensen
Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon F-21000, France.
Pierre
P
Plassart
Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne Franche0Comté, Dijon Cedex F-21065, France.
Dirk
D
Redecker
ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Böttgerstr. 2-14, Flörsheim 65439, Germany.|Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Science Faculty, Universidad de A Coruña, Rua da Fraga 1, Coruña 15008 A, Spain.
Rűdiger M
RM
Schmelz
UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.|UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Olaf
0000-0003-0098-7960
O
Schmidt
NERC Centre for Ecology &Hydrology, Benson Lane, Growmarch Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Oxford 108, UK.
Bruce C
BC
Thomson
INRA, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes', Centre INRA de Nancy, Champenoux F-54280, France.|Université de Lorraine, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes' Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy F-54000, France.
Emilie
E
Tisserant
INRA, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes', Centre INRA de Nancy, Champenoux F-54280, France.|Université de Lorraine, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes' Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy F-54000, France.
Stephane
S
Uroz
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, Roskilde 4000, Denmark.
Anne
A
Winding
NERC Centre for Ecology &Hydrology, Benson Lane, Growmarch Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, Oxford 108, UK.
Mark J
MJ
Bailey
Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str 47b, Cologne 50674, Germany.
Michael
0000-0003-2656-1183
M
Bonkowski
Wageningen Environmental Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
Jack H
JH
Faber
INRA, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes', Centre INRA de Nancy, Champenoux F-54280, France.|Université de Lorraine, UMR 1136 'Interactions Arbres Micro-organismes' Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy F-54000, France.
Francis
0000-0002-4737-3715
F
Martin
Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon F-21000, France.
Philippe
P
Lemanceau
NIOO-KNAW, Microbial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.|Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen 6700AA, The Netherlands.
Wietse
W
de Boer
NIOO-KNAW, Microbial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.|Department of Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9505, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands.
Johannes A
JA
van Veen
NIOO-KNAW, Terrestrial Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.|Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
Wim H
WH
van der Putten
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D058448:Biota / Q000502:physiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D020387:Food Chain; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon