Regulation of soil multifunctionality resistance by soil biodiversity on subtropical land-bridge islands

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation poses significant threats to soil biodiversity and ecosystem stability, yet its impacts on multifunctionality resistance under global change remain unclear. Here, we investigated 61 islands in China’s subtropical Zhelin Lake Reservoir, through experiments simulating multiple stressors, to assess how changes in soil biodiversity induced by habitat fragmentation affect the multifunctionality resistance to nitrogen enrichment, warming, and wetting-drying cycles disturbances. Our results revealed that soil moisture, nematode/protist α-diversity, and multifunctionality resistance (quantified through nutrient cycling stability) declined with fragmentation intensity (from the large to small islands). Nematode α-diversity, particularly bacterivorous taxa, emerged as a keystone mediator, directly enhancing resistance to global change stressors via microbial regulation and nutrient cycling. Conversely, protist β-diversity reduced warming resistance through community destabilization. Structural equation modeling demonstrated dual fragmentation effects: direct moisture-driven functional decline versus indirect biodiversity-mediated stabilization. Stressor-specific mechanisms diverged fungal-nematode synergies buffered nitrogen enrichment impacts, while protist community turnover exacerbated thermal vulnerability. These findings challenge microbial-centric paradigms, highlighting the predominate role of microfauna in regulating soil multifunctionality resistance to global change. Our study highlights that conservation strategies should prioritize preserving larger fragments and soil micro-faunal diversity to sustain multifunctionality under global change, emphasizing the conservation of soil microorganisms such as nematodes and protists in fragmented landscapes.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

biodiversity-ecosystem stability / habitat fragmentation / nematode functional guilds / multitrophic interactions / multifunctionality resistance

Highlight

	● Habitat fragmentation decreased α-diversity of nematodes and protozoa, but had little effect on β-diversity.
	● Soil multifunctionality resistance declined with fragmentation intensity (from the large to small islands).
	● Nematode α-diversity, particularly bacterivorous taxa, directly enhanced multifunctionality resistance.
	● Protist β-diversity explained multifunctionality resistance to warming.

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