Plant functional groups shape microbial colonization and decomposition dynamics in grassland soils

Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah; Catarina S.C. Martins; Eleonora Egidi; Catriona A. Macdonald; Jun-Tao Wang; Nico Eisenhauer; Peter B. Reich; Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo; Brajesh K. Singh

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110067

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Plant functional groups shape microbial colonization and decomposition dynamics in grassland soils

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Plant functional groups shape microbial colonization and decomposition dynamics in grassland soils

Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah, Catarina S.C. Martins, Eleonora Egidi, Catriona A. Macdonald, Jun-Tao Wang, Nico Eisenhauer, Peter B. Reich, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo and Brajesh K. Singh

Soil biology & biochemistry, Vol.214, 110067

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.110067

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Abstract

Litter decomposition rate

Microbial community assembly

Plant functional groups

Protists and metazoan microfauna

Soil microbial diversity

Tea bag index

Litter decomposition is a key ecosystem process that governs nutrient release and organic matter turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. While plants are known to influence rhizosphere microbiome, their role in shaping microbial colonization of litter, and further regulating decomposition remains less understood. Here, we employed a field-based Tea Bag Index (TBI) experiment to investigate how living plant functional groups (PFGs), including C3, C4, forb, and N2-fixing legumes affect decomposition of standardized tea substrates (Green tea = labile; Rooibos tea = recalcitrant) and the associated microbial communities. Our results demonstrate that PFG type exerted a stronger influence on decomposition rate than species richness. The PFG impacts on decomposition were linked directly with shifts in substrate-colonizing communities, and indirectly with higher soil nitrate, N mineralization, and favourable moisture conditions. Microbial assemblages on Green vs Rooibos tea were distinct, indicating strong substrate filtering with PFG-mediated selection of decomposer communities. Across both substrates, PFGs and soil properties jointly explained most of the variance in decomposition rate, with additional, context-dependent contributions from bacterial and faunal (protist and metazoan) diversity reflecting their functional roles in litter breakdown. These findings underscore the central role of PFGs in structuring decomposer communities and regulating key soil processes. Preserving plant functional diversity is therefore essential for preserving microbial-mediated soil processes and ensuring grassland ecosystem resilience.

Details

Title: Plant functional groups shape microbial colonization and decomposition dynamics in grassland soils
Authors/Creators: Ramesha H. Jayaramaiah - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Catarina S.C. Martins - Western Sydney University
Eleonora Egidi - Western Sydney University
Catriona A. Macdonald - Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
Jun-Tao Wang - Western Sydney University
Nico Eisenhauer - German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
Peter B. Reich - Western Sydney University
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo - Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Av. Reina Mercedes 10, E-41012, Sevilla, Spain
Brajesh K. Singh - Western Sydney University
Publication Details: Soil biology & biochemistry, Vol.214, 110067
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.
Number of pages: 14
Identifiers: 991005845962807891
Murdoch Affiliation: SoilsWest; Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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