In alpine grasslands, nitrogen limitation constrains plant growth, and nitrogen fertilization is a common strategy for rehabilitating degraded lands. However, the effects of different nitrogen types, levels, and durations on plant diversity and ecosystem functionality remain unclear. This study investigates slightly degraded alpine grasslands in the Three Rivers Source Region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We applied ammonium sulfate, potassium nitrate, and urea at varying concentrations (20 g m^–2, 10 g m^–2, and 0 g m^–2) and assessed plant biodiversity, biomass, and multifunctionality. Under long-term nitrogen addition, different nitrogen types influenced species loss and gain rates, thereby affecting species richness; increasing nitrogen levels elevated species loss rates, while ecosystem multifunctionality remained unaffected by environmental constraints. In contrast, under short-term nitrogen addition, nitrogen type primarily influenced species gain rates, which altered species richness and, in turn, ecosystem multifunctionality; nitrogen levels affected both species loss and gain rates, jointly shaping richness and multifunctionality. Overall, short-term nitrogen addition significantly increased species diversity and biomass, whereas long-term addition reduced diversity without affecting multifunctionality. These findings underscore the contrasting impacts of short- and long-term nitrogen inputs and the combined regulatory roles of nitrogen type, addition level, and application duration in the ecological restoration of degraded alpine grasslands.

The widespread use of antibiotics across medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, and industry has driven a significant increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing a critical threat to both human health and ecosystem stabi-lity. The persistence and distribution of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment are major concerns because they can disseminate through various pathways, including atmospheric transport, biogeochemical cycling, and trophic transfer. This review focuses on the ecological and public health implications of antibiotics and AMR within the framework of “One Health,” emphasizing their occurrence, fate, degradation, and risks in soil ecosystems. We highlight knowledge gaps and advocate for integrated, cross-sectoral research to inform environmental risk assessment and support evidence-based policies for AMR mitigation and ecological sustainability.

Collembola predominates soil fauna community of subtropical forests, where they play essential roles in the soil detrital network. Diverse tree species can reshape the functional traits of Collembola communities by altering habitat conditions and food availability, yet little is known about this process. In June 2023, we investigated the structural composition and functional traits of Collembola in the litter and soil layers under six tree species in a subtropical forest common garden. A total of 543 Collembola individuals were captured, belonging to six families, with higher abundance observed in forests dominated by phoebe (Michelia macclurei), fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), and pine (Pinus massoniana) compared to other forests. Among functional traits, sensory and dispersal traits of Collembola were significantly more pronounced in fir and Sapindus saponaria forests than in Castanopsis carlesii forests. The highest functional diversity indices of Collembola were recorded in fir forests relative to other forest types. Statistical analysis revealed that Collembola dispersal and sensory traits are primarily influenced by litter calcium content and soil organic matter, highlighting their adaptive responses to key environmental factors. This study adopted a functional trait-based approach to explore how tree species affect the community structure and functional traits of Collembola.

The coexistence of virulence factor genes (VFGs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environmental microbial communities poses an escalating threat to public health, particularly under pollutant-induced selective pressures. While non-antibiotic pollutants have been shown to promote ARG dissemination, their effects on VFGs remain poorly understood. Soil pH can simultaneously affect pollutant bioavailability and microbial community composition, thereby altering selective pressures and modulating the dynamics of both ARGs and VFGs. Here, we assessed the influence of arsenic (As) and triclocarban (TCC), alone and in combination, on soil VFG profiles across a pH gradient. Co-contamination significantly increased VFG abundance, with near-neutral pH intensifying this effect through enhanced pollutant bioavailability. VFG enrichment was primarily driven by pollutant-induced shifts in microbial community composition. In particular, neutral pH conditions promoted the proliferation of γ-Proteobacteria, which may serve as dominant VFG hosts. In addition, the co-contamination enhanced the co-occurrence of VFGs and ARGs, suggesting a potential expansion of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacterial populations and elevating the risk of virulence trait dissemination. These findings underscore the need to evaluate microbial risks from the perspective of VFGs, particularly under co-contamination scenarios, to better anticipate emerging public health threats within a One Health framework.

Plant–herbivore interactions are strongly shaped by plant genotype and soil resource availability, but studies that jointly consider these factors within an integrated aboveground–belowground framework remain limited. This knowledge gap constrains the optimization of cultivar breeding and fertilizer management for sustainable agriculture. We conducted a factorial greenhouse experiment with three factors, brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens Stål) infestation (present/absent), rice cultivar (resistant or susceptible), and fertilizer type (chemical or organic), to test how cultivar and fertilizer affect rice resistance to BPH and, in turn, how BPH alters soil nutrient availability, microbial biomass, and nematode communities through plant-mediated pathways. Both resistant cultivar and organic fertilizer significantly suppressed BPH performance relative to susceptible cultivar and chemical fertilizer. They also mitigated BPH-induced reductions in plant growth, microbial biomass, soil resources, and bacterial- and fungal-feeding nematodes. In contrast, chemical fertilizer exacerbated BPH impacts, particularly on susceptible rice, and promoted root-feeding nematodes. Cultivar and fertilizer independently affected plant and soil responses without showing synergistic interaction. Our findings suggest that combining resistant cultivars with organic fertilizer strengthens resistance to aboveground herbivores and belowground root-feeding nematodes, while enhancing soil resources and food web stability. This integrated strategy provides an effective approach for sustainable pest management and nutrient regulation in rice systems.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas, contributes significantly to global warming, with agricultural soils being a major source due to intensified nitrogen fertilizer use. While straw incorporation is widely adopted to enhance soil organic carbon sequestration and nutrient retention, its impact on N₂O emissions remains controversial. This study investigated the effects of various combinations of rice straw and nitrogen fertilizer on N₂O emissions in a paddy soil through a controlled microcosm experiment. We monitored CO₂ and N₂O fluxes, ammonium and nitrate dynamics, the activities of key extracellular enzymes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling, and the abundances of N₂O-related microbial guilds. Results showed that straw amendment stimulated microbial activity and enhanced CO₂ emissions, whereas nitrogen addition suppressed heterotrophic respiration. Both straw and nitrogen amendments significantly increased N₂O emissions, with a synergistic effect observed under combined applications. N₂O emissions were primarily driven by nitrogen amendment and exhibited significant positive correlations with the abundances of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), complete ammonia oxidizers clade A (comammox clade A), nirK-denitrifiers, and fungal denitrifiers; moreover, random forest modeling revealed that the abundances of AOB, comammox clade A, nirK-denitrifiers accounted for a substantial portion of the variation in cumulative N₂O emissions. Additionally, partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) identified a hierarchical regulatory cascade involving nitrogen availability, microbial community dynamics, and enzyme activity as the key mechanisms governing N₂O fluxes. Overall, these findings underscore the critical roles of prokaryotic ammonia oxidizers and nirK-denitrifiers in modulating N₂O emissions and provide valuable insights for developing field management strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils receiving straw amendment.