Stressor diversity: a hidden dimension driving soil antibiotic resistance enrichment and ecosystem functional degradation

Abstract

Soils are increasingly exposed to multiple co-occurring environmental stressors under global change, yet the ecological consequences of increasing stressor number and diversity remain incompletely understood. Here we synthesize evidence that stressor diversity, defined as the richness of co-occurring stressors and their functional heterogeneity in type and mode of action, is a key determinant of soil ecosystem responses. Increasing stressor diversity acts as a selective filter that reshapes microbial communities, reduces diversity, and alters microbial interaction networks. These changes are driven by deterministic selection and non-additive interactions among stressors. At the functional level, stressor diversity is associated with enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes, enhanced horizontal gene transfer, and increased abundance of opportunistic and potentially pathogenic taxa. At the ecosystem level, it is linked to reduced efficiency of biogeochemical processes, weakened ecosystem stability, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Recognizing stressor diversity as a key ecological dimension provides a basis for improving risk assessment and supporting integrated environmental management under global change.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

stressor diversity / global change / microbial communities / antibiotic resistance genes / ecosystem functioning

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