Microbial functional trait dynamics during seedling development-a critical yet underexplored driver of forest ecosystem establish, develop, and stability-remain poorly understood. We investigated bacterial genomic traits dynamics in subtropical Pinus massoniana seedlings over a growing season. Leaf-associated bacteria showed minimal temporal shifts, whereas root-associated bacteria exhibited pronounced trends: average genome size increased (independent of nitrogen addition), whereas ribosomal RNA operon copy number (RRN) declined under ambient nitrogen, indicating a transition from fast-growing to slow-growing strategies. These trajectories reflect the differential turnover of later, nitrogen-insensitive taxa (e.g. large-genome, low-RRN Bradyrhizobium) relative to earlier, nitrogen-sensitive taxa (e.g. small-genome, high-RRN Herbaspirillum) during colonization and establishment from an aerial source onto a developing host. Additionally, we detected a discrepancy between the temporal dynamics of predicted nitrogen fixation potential and quantitative real-time PCR-based nifH quantification, underscoring the need for caution when interpreting prediction-based functional potentials. These findings identify trait-mediated assembly as a key driver of early root microbiome dynamics in pine seedlings and highlight the need for temporally resolved, ground-truthed functional inference when predicting ecosystem processes.

Three previously undescribed seco-abietane (1-3) and four undescribed 3, 4 seco-isopimarane diterpenoids (4-7) were isolated from Biscogniauxia sp. 71-10-1-1. Their structures were established through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, quantum chemical ECD calculations, 13C NMR chemical shift calculations, and X-ray crystallography. Notably, biscognisecoabietate A (1) represents the first example of an abietane-type diterpenoid featuring simultaneous A-ring cleavage and B-ring rearrangement, which results in a unique 1-(4,4-dimethylpentyl)-5-isopropyl-1-methyloctahydro-1H-indene skeleton. Biscognisecoabietates B-C (2-3) are rare abietane-type diterpenoids characterized by B-ring cleavage between C-6 and C-7, along with decarboxylation at C-6. Biscognisecoisopimaric acids A-B (4-5), together with biscognisecoisopimarate B (6), represent the first examples of 3,4 seco-isopimarane diterpenoids containing a rare 6-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane moiety isolated from fungi. In anti-osteoporotic assays, compounds 2-3 and 5-6 exhibited significant activities, with compound 6 demonstrating the most potent effect. In anti-inflammatory assays, compounds 2-6 markedly suppressed the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, whereas compounds 4-7 significantly inhibited TNF-α. In addition, plausible biogenetic pathways for compounds 1-3 are proposed.

Elucidating how plant-associated microbiome structure responds to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition is crucial for predicting the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on ecosystem functioning under global climate change scenarios. However, the differences in community assembly and bipartite network structure of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiomes under N and P addition are poorly understood. We investigated the microbiome (i.e. bacterial and fungal) communities in leaves and roots under N and P addition in a Chinese temperate meadow steppe. The results revealed that N and P addition significantly decreased the diversity and affected the community composition of bacteria and fungi in leaves and roots. The deterministic processes mainly governed the bacterial community assembly, whereas the stochastic processes primarily shaped the fungal community assembly in leaves and roots. The contribution of deterministic processes to bacterial community assembly was positively affected by N and P addition in leaves but negatively affected in roots. In contrast, the contribution of stochastic processes to fungal community assembly was negatively influenced by N and P addition in leaves but positively influenced in roots. The plant–bacterial and plant–fungal networks in both leaves and roots exhibited high specialization and modularity but low connectance and a lack of nestedness. Furthermore, N and P addition increased the complexity but decreased the stability of these networks. These findings demonstrate that N and P addition affects the community assembly and network structure of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbiomes in the grassland ecosystem.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition usually alters the ratio of resources to stress in terrestrial ecosystems and has important impacts on soil microbiomes. To elucidate the adaptability of soil microbiomes under N deposition scenarios, we conducted a 6-year N addition experiment in a temperate grassland in Inner Mongolia, applying different levels of ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea (AU) to form different resource-to-stress ratio. Our results reveal that the inborn high yield (Y)-resource acquisition (A)-stress tolerance (S) life history strategies of soil microbiomes collectively drive their adaptability to resources and stress under N deposition. Enriched taxa under AN treatment mainly belonged to Actinomycetota and Chloroflexota with Y and S strategies, while those under AU mainly belonged to Pseudomonadota with A and S strategies. Functional preference analysis indicated that bacterial phyla maintained consistent Y-A-S life history strategies across AN and AU treatments. Moreover, strong purifying selection restricted the pace of adaptive evolution, and horizontal gene transfer expanded the functional repertoire in a complementary rather than essential manner. Thus, the adaptation of microbiomes to shifting resources and stress under N deposition scenarios is mainly accomplished by niche conservatism ("move") rather than niche evolution ("evolve"). Our results support the point that it may be easier for microbial species to move into a befitting niche than to evolve to acclimate a new environment.

Ecosystem functioning depends on biodiversity at multiple trophic levels, yet relationships between multitrophic diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality have been poorly explored, with studies often focusing on individual trophic levels and functions and on specific ecosystem types. Here, we show that plant diversity can affect ecosystem functioning both directly and by affecting other trophic levels. Using data on 13 trophic groups and 13 ecosystem functions from two large biodiversity experiments-one representing temperate grasslands and the other subtropical forests-we found that plant diversity increases multifunctionality through elevated multitrophic diversity. Across both experiments, the association between multitrophic diversity and multifunctionality was stronger than the relationship between the diversity of individual trophic groups and multifunctionality. Our results also suggest that the role of multitrophic diversity is greater in forests than in grasslands. These findings imply that, to promote sustained ecosystem multifunctionality, conservation planning must consider the diversity of both plants and higher trophic levels. Research on biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships tends to focus on single trophic groups. This analysis of two biodiversity experiments, representing forests and grasslands, shows that plant diversity promotes ecosystem multifunctionality not only directly, but also by enhancing the diversity of other trophic levels.

The impact of fertilization on the temporal dynamics of soil microbial community and function along subtropical forest succession is not well understood. The study aims to explore how the seasonal changes in fungal and bacterial communities and multifunctionality respond to fertilization in two subtropical forest stages. Here, we examined soil bacterial and fungal communities using Illumina Miseq sequencing and soil multifunctionality index in a 4-year experiment of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition in three growth seasons in young and mature stages in a Chinese subtropical forest. Our results showed that 10-22.44

>Mycorrhizae are the most widespread symbioses in nature, involving plants and specialized soil fungi. In recent years,mycorrhizal research has made remarkable progress. Breakthroughs in genomics and other modern techniques have opened new windows in multiple domains, such as evolution, physiology, and function of mycorrhizal fungi.

Plant diversity significantly impacts ecosystem processes and functions, yet its influence on the community assembly of leaf fungi remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated leaf epiphytic and endophytic fungal communities in a Chinese subtropical tree species richness experiment, ranging from 1 to 16 species, using amplicon sequencing to target the internal transcribed spacer 1 region of the rDNA. We found that the community assembly of epiphytic and endophytic fungi was predominantly governed by stochastic processes, with a higher contribution of dispersal limitation on epiphytic than on endophytic fungal communities but a higher contribution of selection on endophytic than on epiphytic fungal communities. The plant-epiphytic fungus interaction network was more complex (e.g., more highly connected and strongly nested but less specialized and modularized) than the plant-endophytic fungus interaction network. Additionally, tree species richness was positively correlated with the network complexity and diversity of epiphytic (α-, β- and γ-diversity) and endophytic (β- and γ-diversity) fungi, but was not associated with the contribution of the stochastic and deterministic processes on the community assembly of epiphytic and endophytic fungi. This study highlights that tree species diversity enhances the diversity and network complexity, rather than alters the ecological processes in community assembly of leaf-associated fungi.

Five new sesquiterpenoids, including a campherenane-type (1), a bergamotane-type (2), a drimane-type (3), and two bisabolane-type (5-6) sesquiterpenoids have been isolated from Biscogniauxia sp. 71-10-1-1. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses, quantum chemical ECD calculations,13C chemical shifts calculations, and X-ray crystallography. This is the first report of campherenane-type and drimane-type sesquiterpenoids from Biscogniauxia. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory assays of all compounds are evaluated, and the results showed that compounds 3 and 7 exhibited the effects against the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α.

Thinning is an important forest management practice to mitigate the adverse effects of increased drought on tree growth and productivity. However, the responses of the soil microbial community and its functions to thinning and drought have received little attention in planted forests. In this study, we assessed the combined effects of thinning (30

Bacterial gene repertoires reflect adaptive strategies, contribute to ecosystem functioning and are limited by genome size. However, gene functional diversity does not necessarily correlate with taxonomic diversity because average genome size may vary by community. Here, we analyse gene functional diversity (by shotgun metagenomics) and taxonomic diversity (by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) to investigate soil bacterial communities along a natural pH gradient in 12 tropical, subtropical, and temperate forests. We find that bacterial average genome size and gene functional diversity decrease, whereas taxonomic diversity increases, as soil pH rises from acid to neutral; as a result, bacterial taxonomic and functional diversity are negatively correlated. The gene repertoire of acid-adapted oligotrophs is enriched in functions of signal transduction, cell motility, secretion system, and degradation of complex compounds, while that of neutral pH-adapted copiotrophs is enriched in functions of energy metabolism and membrane transport. Our results indicate that a mismatch between taxonomic and functional diversity can arise when environmental factors (such as pH) select for adaptive strategies that affect genome size distributions.

Background Microbial communities in different plant compartments are relatively independent entities. However, the influence of environmental factors on the microbial community in different compartments of periglacial plants remains unclear. In this study, we quantified the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil, as well as root and leaf endosphere compartments of a periglacial plant, Potentilla fruticosa var. albicans , using high-throughput DNA sequencing. Moreover, we evaluated the impacts of habitat types (glacier terminus zone, moraine ridge, and alpine meadow) on the bacterial community in different plant compartments of Potentilla fruticosa var. albicans . Results Our results showed that habitat type had a significant effect on the alpha diversity (Chao1 richness) of endophytic bacteria, but not on the rhizospheric bacteria. The community composition of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria was significantly different across the three habitats, and habitat type had a greater effect on the endophytic bacteria than on rhizospheric bacteria. The contribution of rhizosphere soil to the root and leaf endophytes decreased with the transformation of habitats from glacier terminus zone to alpine meadow. In contrast, host selection pressure sequentially increased from the glacier terminus zone to the moraine ridge to the alpine meadow. Furthermore, we found that the bacterial co-occurrence network in the alpine meadow was more modular but had lower complexity and connectedness than that in the glacier terminus zone. The bacterial community was governed primarily by stochastic processes regardless of habitat type. Conclusion This study reveals that the diversity and composition of endophytic bacteria associated with Potentilla fruticosa var. albicans are more affected by habitat types than that of rhizospheric bacteria. Our study also demonstrates that the assembly patterns and co-occurrence patterns of bacterial communities associated with Potentilla fruticosa var. albicans vary by habitat type. These results advance the current understanding of community assembly and ecological interactions of microbial communities associated with periglacial plants.

Despite much research in the field of island biogeography, mechanisms regulating insular diversity remain elusive. Here, we aim to explore mechanisms underlying plant species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes in the South China Sea. We found positive plant species-area relationships for both coral and continental archipelagoes. However, our results showed that different mechanisms contributed to similar plant species-area relationships between the two archipelagoes. For coral islands, soil nutrients and spatial distance among communities played major roles in shaping plant community structure and species diversity. By contrast, the direct effect of island area, and to a lesser extent, soil nutrients determined plant species richness on continental islands. Intriguingly, increasing soil nutrients availability (N, P, K) had opposite effects on plant diversity between the two archipelagoes. In summary, the habitat quality effect and dispersal limitation are important for regulating plant diversity on coral islands, whereas the passive sampling effect, and to a lesser extent, the habitat quality effect are important for regulating plant diversity on continental islands. More generally, our findings indicate that island plant species-area relationships are outcomes of the interplay of both niche and neutral processes, but the driving mechanisms behind these relationships depends on the type of islands.

Background: Microbes, collectively bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses, are the organisms that are widely distributed on earth, with a huge number of individuals and high diversity of species and genes.In order to adapt to various habitats, microbes have developed many life strategies, such as saprotroph, parasite and symbiont, and consequently contribute broadly to biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem succession and stability, environmental remediation, and human health.Research on microbial diversity had been limited by traditional monitoring techniques.Recently, benefiting from the development of high-throughput sequencing techniques and bioinformatics, understanding of microbial diversity has been significantly advanced.Results: This study reviews the progress on the diversity distribution pattern and maintenance, community assembly and functional trait of microbes.Altitudinal distribution patterns and drivers of bacterial, archaeal, and fungal diversity have been demonstrated.Selection, dispersal, speciation and drift processes are important for the community assembly of bacteria, archaea, and fungi.Bacteria and fungi are diverse in functional traits, such as morphology, physiology and biochemistry, growth and propagation, dispersal and genome.Future study in microbial diversity should focus on fungal metagenomics, relationship between microbial diversity and ecosystem function, and ecosystem function of microbial interaction network.

生物多样性强烈的时空尺度依赖性和多层次性决定了生物多样性现状与变量的分析需要在不同生态系统进行多空间尺度、全面和连续的监测。因此,构建生物多样性研究监测网络是生物多样性保护和研究的基础工作。近年来,对地观测组织-生物多样性观测网络（GEO BON）、亚太生物多样性监测网络（APBON）等全球、区域以及国家尺度的生物多样性监测网络蓬勃发展。中国陆续在国家尺度上建立了针对生态系统和物种的长期监测网络,其中,中国生物多样性监测与研究网络（China Biodiversity Observation and Research Network, Sino BON）于2013年启动建设,在我国主要生态系统和环境梯度设置30个监测主点和60个监测辅点,目前已建成10个专项网对动物、植物和微生物进行监测,并建立了以数据标准与汇交、近地面遥感为核心的综合监测中心。Sino BON打造了从地下、地面到森林林冠的多尺度、多类群（功能群）以及多营养级交互为重点的监测与研究平台,为理解生物多样性变化趋势及其驱动因素、研究生物多样性维持机制,以及国家履行《生物多样性公约》、保护生物多样性和生物资源提供详实可靠的生物多样性变化数据。为进一步支撑国家生物多样性治理能力、深化全球多样性保护合作,我国生物多样性监测亟需在监测技术、监测区域、数据标准、综合信息平台等方向谋求更大的发展。

在联合国《生物多样性公约》生效30年和《生物多样性》创刊30周年之际,我们通过问卷调查从281名中国研究人员收集到763个生物多样性相关的研究问题,通过归纳与整理,并参考英国生态学会提出的100个生态学基本问题,从中筛选出30个核心问题.这些问题涉及7个方面:演化与生态(6个问题)、种群(4个问题)、群落与多样性(7个问题)、生态系统与功能(3个问题)、人类影响与全球变化(4个问题)、方法与监测(4个问题)、生物多样性保护(2个问题).前5个方面主要聚焦在物种形成、生物多样性维持等的关键过程与机制、生物多样性与生态功能关系、全球变化对生物多样性的影响机制等,第6方面主要涉及生物监测与预测、数据共享等,第7方面涉及多样性保护、自然与人类健康关系这两个与公众息息相关的重要话题.这30个问题的筛选难免存在偏颇,希望能以此为契机,促进我国生物多样性研究人员对本领域核心问题的深入思考与探讨.

The Drosophila retinal-specific protein, TRP (transient receptor potential), is the founding member of a family of store-operated channels (SOCs) conserved from C. elegans to humans. In vitro studies indicate that TRP is a SOC, but that the related retinal protein, TRPL, is constitutively active. In the current work, we report that coexpression of TRP and TRPL leads to a store-operated, outwardly rectifying current distinct from that owing to either TRP or TRPL alone. TRP and TRPL interact directly, indicating that the TRP-TRPL-dependent current is mediated by heteromultimeric association between the two subunits. We propose that the light-activated current in photoreceptor cells is produced by a combination of TRP homo- and TRP-TRPL heteromultimers.

Increasing biodiversity loss profoundly affects community structure and ecosystem functioning. Therefore, revealing the mechanisms associated with community assembly and co-occurrence network structure of microbes along plant species diversity gradients is very important for understanding biodiversity maintenance and community stability in response to plant diversity loss.

Microbial inoculants containing arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are potential tools in increasing the sustainability of our food production systems. Given the demand for sustainable agriculture, the production of such inoculants has potential economic value and has resulted in a variety of commercial inoculants currently being advertised. However, their use is limited by inconsistent product efficacy and lack of consumer confidence. Here, we propose a framework that can be used to assess the quality and reliability of AM inoculants. First, we set out a range of basic quality criteria which are required to achieve reliable inoculants. This is followed by a standardized bioassay which can be used to test inoculum viability and efficacy under controlled conditions. Implementation of these measurements would contribute to the adoption of AM inoculants by producers with the potential to increase sustainability in food production systems.

Summary Elucidating the temporal dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is critical for understanding their functions. Furthermore, research investigating the temporal dynamics of AM fungi in response to agricultural practices remains in its infancy. We investigated the effect of nitrogen fertilisation and watering reduction on the temporal dynamics of AM fungi, across the lifespan of wheat. Nitrogen fertilisation decreased AM fungal spore density (SD), extraradical hyphal density (ERHD), and intraradical colonisation rate (IRCR) in both watering conditions. Nitrogen fertilisation affected AM fungal community composition in soil but not in roots, regardless of watering conditions. The temporal analysis revealed that AM fungal ERHD and IRCR were higher under conventional watering and lower under reduced watering in March than in other growth stages at low (≤ 70 kg N ha−1 yr−1) but not at high (≥ 140) nitrogen fertilisation levels. AM fungal SD was lower in June than in other growth stages and community composition varied with plant development at all nitrogen fertilisation levels, regardless of watering conditions. This study demonstrates that high nitrogen fertilisation levels disrupt the temporal dynamics of AM fungal hyphal growth but not sporulation and community composition.