Excess nitrogen alters soil microbial networks and their functional roles in plant health and climate

Abstract

Excess nitrogen (N) is fundamentally reshaping soil microbial communities and the biogeochemical networks that sustain ecosystem functioning. Beyond changes in microbial diversity, increasing evidence suggests that excessive N inputs reorganize microbial interaction networks, with cascading effects on nutrient cycling, plant-microbe relationships, and climate feedbacks. Here, we synthesize emerging insights into how N enrichment alters soil microbial network architecture and the ecological mechanisms underlying these transformations. We propose that microbial network responses to N enrichment are context dependent, governed by nutrient availability, microbial life-history strategies, soil properties, and ecosystem characteristics. Nitrogen-driven shifts in microbial traits, keystone taxa, and interspecific interactions can modify carbon and nitrogen turnover, influence greenhouse gas dynamics, and alter plant health outcomes. However, co-occurrence networks mainly capture statistical associations and require integration with functional, experimental, and process-based approaches to establish causality. Bridging microbial network ecology with biogeochemical theory and sustainable N management will advance our ability to predict ecosystem responses to ongoing global nitrogen perturbations.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Excess nitrogen / soil microbial networks / nutrient cycling / plant-microbe interactions / greenhouse gases / climate regulation / ecosystem functioning

Highlight

	● Excess nitrogen reshapes soil microbial interaction networks beyond simple changes in diversity.
	● Nitrogen enrichment can rewire microbial networks through trait-mediated shifts from oligotrophic to copiotrophic life-history strategies.
	● Altered microbial networks weaken plant-microbe interactions and reduce nutrient use efficiency.
	● Network reorganization can alter nitrification, denitrification, methane oxidation, and greenhouse-gas regulation.
	● Understanding microbial network dynamics is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to nitrogen enrichment.

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