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Root traits and mycorrhizal fungi mediate reactive N and warming impacts on soil organic carbon

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Abstract

Plant roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a ubiquitous symbiosis in terrestrial ecosystems and critically affect soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. However, how roots and AMF mediate the impact of reactive nitrogen (Nr) and climate warming on SOC remains unclear. Using a multi-year Nr addition and simulated warming experiment in a semi-arid grassland, we show that Nr input and warming alter SOC by reshaping plant communities and inducing multidimensional tradeoffs among fine-root traits and AMF communities. Stable isotope (13C) tracing revealed that Nr- and warming-induced changes in roots and AMF reduced C input belowground, and mineral-associated organic C and microbial necromass in soil, while stimulating organic C decomposition. Nr input also increased soil N:P ratios and shifted AMF communities toward taxa with finer extraradical hyphae, weakening SOC protection. Together, these findings highlight root-AMF interactions as critical regulators and improve predictions of long-term SOC dynamics under future climate change.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23664696.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jiuxin Guo, Fanglong Su, Fuwei Wang, Qilai Yang, Juanjuan Zhang, Yanan Wei, Shijie Li, Luyao Zhou, and Hui Guo for their assistance in field experimental maintenance. We also thank the Ningxia Yunwu Mountains Grassland Natural Reserve Administration for providing logistical support. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32371626 (Y.Q.), 32001140 (Y.Q.) and 32171553 (Yi. Z.)), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20240193 (Y.Q.)), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (RENCAI2025013 (S.H.)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agro-Grassland Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

    Yunpeng Qiu, Yi Zhang & Shuijin Hu

  2. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

    Yunfeng Zhao, Xinyu Xu, Tangqing He, Kangcheng Zhang, Tongshuo Bai, Zhen Li, Chenglong Ye, Xiaodong Wang, Yexin Zhao, Kaiyun Qian, Xinxin Cao & Shuqi Wu

  3. Ningxia Yunwu Mountains Grassland Natural Reserve Administration, Guyuan, China

    Bianbian Wang

  4. Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Xinyu Xu

  5. Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Christopher Gillespie

  6. International Magnesium Institute, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Lijin Guo

  7. School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Huaihai Chen

  8. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

    Liang Guo

  9. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China

    Liang Guo

  10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Ripley Tisdale

  11. Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Ripley Tisdale, Alex Woodley & Kevin Garcia

  12. Department of Biological Science, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA

    Weixing Zhu

  13. State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Lingli Liu

  14. College of Resources and Environment, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Lingli Liu

  15. State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, China

    Yi Wang

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  1. Yunpeng Qiu
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  2. Yunfeng Zhao
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Contributions

S.H., Y.Q., Yi. Z., and Y.W. conceived this work, established and maintained the Nr addition and temperature manipulation experiment. Y.Q. and S.H. designed the two independent 13C isotope tracing experiments. Y.Q., Yunfeng Z., B.W., Yexin Z., X.X., K.Z., T.H., K.Q., C.Y., Z.L., Liang G., X.C., and T.B. performed field and lab work. Y.Q., X.W., Lijin G., S.W., and H.C. conducted bioinformatic and statistical analyses. Y.Q. and S.H. wrote the original manuscript. C.G., R.T., A.W., K.G., W.Z., and L.L. reviewed and edited the final manuscript.

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Yi Zhang or Shuijin Hu.

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Qiu, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, B. et al. Root traits and mycorrhizal fungi mediate reactive N and warming impacts on soil organic carbon.
Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69301-7

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