Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics affect bacterial and fungal communities and their interactions: a review.
- Author:
Xinyuan LIU
1
;
Yue LI
2
;
Ziyan WEI
3
;
Zhujun WANG
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:English Abstract
- Keywords: agricultural sustainability; microbial community; microbial diversity; microbial interactions; soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics
- MeSH: Soil Microbiology; Nitrogen/metabolism*; Carbon/metabolism*; Soil/chemistry*; Bacteria/growth & development*; Fungi/metabolism*; Ecosystem; Fertilizers; Agriculture
- From: Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(10):3701-3718
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: The escalating pressure from global population growth, climate change, and resource consumption is intensifying the burden on traditional agricultural production. Against this backdrop, soil degradation and pollution present increasingly severe challenges, creating a vicious cycle with rising food demands. Maintaining soil health and its ecosystem services has thus become a critical prerequisite for achieving sustainable agriculture in the future. This review explores the impacts of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics on soil microbial communities and their interactions. Soil C and N are key determinants of microbial diversity and community structure, intrinsically linked to soil C/N cycling, crop productivity, and ecological balance. Environmental factors such as nitrogen fertilizer application, organic matter amendment application, litter decomposition, elevated CO2 concentrations, and nitrogen deposition significantly influence soil C and N dynamics. Changes in soil C and N content regulate microbial community dynamics and the synergistic, competitive, and antagonistic interactions among microorganisms. Meanwhile, microbial communities actively respond to alterations in soil C and N availability. The resulting shifts in microbial communities and their interactions subsequently regulate soil C/N cycling and ecosystem stability, ultimately influencing ecosystem functions. By elucidating the mechanisms underlying soil carbon-nitrogen-microbial interactions, this review significantly advances our understanding of soil ecosystem responses and feedback mechanisms in the context of global change, while also providing crucial practical guidance for enhancing soil fertility and promoting sustainable agricultural development through microbial regulation.
