Impacts of plant root traits and microbial functional attributes on soil respiration components in the desert-oasis ecotone.

ABSTRACT: Dividing soil respiration (Rs) into autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) represents a pivotal step in deciphering how Rs responds to environmental perturbations. Nevertheless, in arid ecosystems beset by environmental stress, the partitioning of Rs and the underlying mechanisms through which microbial and root traits govern the distinct components remain poorly understood. This study was strategically designed to investigate Rs and its components (Ra and Rh), soil properties, and root traits within the desert-oasis ecotone (encompassing the river bank, transitional zone, and desert margin) of northwest China. Employing metagenomics, we quantitatively characterized microbial taxonomic attributes (i.e., taxonomic composition) and functional attributes (specifically

SUBMITTER: Wang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11850576 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature