Fertilization impacts microbiomes along the grassland trophic chain.

ABSTRACT: Agricultural grasslands are often managed intensively, influencing soil properties and microbial communities. These changes may, in turn, affect the microbiome of organisms across multiple trophic levels within the same habitat, and significant shifts in these communities can disrupt health and functionality along the entire trophic chain. This study investigates how fertilization affects microbial communities in multiple connected below- and above-ground trophic compartments of grassland ecosystems. We compared control grassland sites to those treated with organic fertilizers-biogas digestate, cow/horse manure, and pig slurry-using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and soil nutrient analysis. Shifts in microbial composition occurred in response to fertilization, with compartment-dependent effe

SUBMITTER: Jetter K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12503161 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature