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How to use microbial data as soil health indicators – experiences from Denmark

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How to use microbial data as soil health indicators – experiences from Denmark
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45
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CC Attribution 3.0 Germany:
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Production Year2025
Production PlaceDoorwerth

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Soil microorganisms are strongly impacted by anthropogenic activities and the ongoing global climate change [1]. Understanding the how microbial information may be used to support soil health assessments is crucial for both scientific and policy perspectives to anticipate the functional consequences of future climatic conditions or land use pressures on soil systems [2]. Measurements of soil biology are similar to soil physical and chemical properties in that the interpretation of what constitutes a "good" level for soil health is highly context-specific [3]. The taxonomic and functional diversity of soil microbiome is closely linked to soil health due to soil’s role in dynamic ecosystem processes and the biota’s sensitivity to land management practices [4]. Therefore, selecting microbial metrics to measure soil health depends on the specific soil, site, and aspects of interest. Denmark is responding to the growing number of EU initiatives to protect soils and the environment by gathering data on complex soil properties that provide a richer picture of soil health. We collected over 7000 topsoil samples from natural and agricultural areas across Denmark, and analyzed their bacterial composition through a DNA metabarcoding approach. We calculated α-diversity and potential functions to bacterial communities. We used spatial layers of soil properties, climate, vegetation, geomorphology, and parent materials to map the α-diversity, and the relative abundance of denitrifiers, methanotrophs and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. We used spatialized soil health indicators namely, SOC concentration, bulk density, pH, EC, soil hydrophobicity, SOC sequestration potential, tillage erosion, water erosion, and nitrogen leaching to map the simultaneous presence of potential threats to soil health in Denmark. We considered potential threats to those soils characterized by below-typical SOC and pH values, and above-typical values of pH, BD, EC clay-to-SOC ratio, soil hydrophobicity, SOC loss, tillage erosion, water erosion, and nitrogen leaching. We did not directly include the soil microbial data as soil health indicator. Instead, we explored the relationship between potential threats and our microbial data to understand how taxonomical and functional diversity respond to different soil degradation conditions. The α-diversity and the relative abundance of functional groups did not decrease as the potential threats to soil health increased. It is possible that threatening soil conditions, which may physically or chemically inhibit, injure, or eliminate certain microbial communities, create opportunities for other organisms to grow and reproduce, thereby increasing diversity in these areas. Authorship Sebastian Gutierreza,b*, Anne-Cathrine Storgaard Danielsena,b, Lucas de Carvalho Gomesa,b, Anders B. Møllera, Francesco Delogud, Thomas Bygh Nymann Jensend, Mads Albertsend, Per Halkjærd, Lis Wollesen de Jongea,b, David Robinsone, Signe Normandb,c, Mogens H. Grevea,b a Department of Agroecology, Soil Physics and Hydropedology, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark b Center for Sustainable Landscapes Under Global Change, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark c Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark d Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9920 Aalborg, Denmark e UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor, United Kingdom References 1. Venter, Z.S., K. Jacobs, and H.J. Hawkins, The impact of crop rotation on soil microbial diversity: A meta-analysis. Pedobiologia, 2016. 59(4): p. 215-223. 2. Griffiths, R.I., et al., Mapping and validating predictions of soil bacterial biodiversity using European and national scale datasets. Applied Soil Ecology, 2016. 97: p. 61-68. 3. Fierer, N., S.A. Wood, and C.P. Bueno de Mesquita, How microbes can, and cannot, be used to assess soil health. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2021. 153. 4. He, M., et al., A critical review on performance indicators for evaluating soil biota and soil health of biochar-amended soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2021. 414(November 2020).