Variations in soil functioning of grasslands along a management gradient

TY - JOUR

T1 - Variations in soil functioning of grasslands along a management gradient

AU - Boone, R. W.C.

AU - Robroek, B. J.M.

AU - van der Putten, W. H.

AU - van Eekeren, N.

AU - Mills, R. T.E.

AU - Tiekstra, A.

AU - Wagemaker, C. A.M.

AU - Peters, R.

AU - van den Berg, S. K.

AU - Wijnen, P. L.

AU - de Kroon, H.

N1 - Data archiving: no NIOO data

PY - 2026/11/1

Y1 - 2026/11/1

N2 - Agriculture in Europe is moving toward greater sustainability along one of two main paths: continued intensification supported by new technologies, and an increasing shift toward less intensive approaches. The latter is expected to improve soil abiotic and biotic properties and thereby enhancing soil functioning. Yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood under on-farm conditions. To address this, we examined how management intensity influences soil abiotic attributes, microbial communities, and processes related to nutrient cycling along a locally constrained gradient of permanent grasslands (within a 12-km radius). Farmer surveys on management practices were combined with measurements of soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, bulk density, nitrogen, bacterial and fungal communities, and three complementary indicators of organic matter degradation: litter decomposition, extracellular enzymatic activity, and evenness of substrate utilisation. Management intensity significantly altered fungal community composition. SOC increased with reduced management intensity and was positively correlated with decomposition rates and fungal community composition, suggesting a central role of fungal-driven processes in organic matter stabilisation. In contrast, total enzymatic activity was not linked to management intensity but was primarily governed by abiotic factors, especially soil pH. Evenness of substrate utilisation showed no clear response to management but was associated with bacterial community composition. These divergent patterns highlight that different soil processes are controlled by distinct drivers and cannot be captured by a single process. Our results demonstrate that local-scale management decisions influence soil processes through complex and non-linear pathways shaped by both abiotic and biotic factors. These findings underscore the importance of multi-process approaches and context-sensitive management strategies to support sustainable grassland use.

AB - Agriculture in Europe is moving toward greater sustainability along one of two main paths: continued intensification supported by new technologies, and an increasing shift toward less intensive approaches. The latter is expected to improve soil abiotic and biotic properties and thereby enhancing soil functioning. Yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood under on-farm conditions. To address this, we examined how management intensity influences soil abiotic attributes, microbial communities, and processes related to nutrient cycling along a locally constrained gradient of permanent grasslands (within a 12-km radius). Farmer surveys on management practices were combined with measurements of soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, bulk density, nitrogen, bacterial and fungal communities, and three complementary indicators of organic matter degradation: litter decomposition, extracellular enzymatic activity, and evenness of substrate utilisation. Management intensity significantly altered fungal community composition. SOC increased with reduced management intensity and was positively correlated with decomposition rates and fungal community composition, suggesting a central role of fungal-driven processes in organic matter stabilisation. In contrast, total enzymatic activity was not linked to management intensity but was primarily governed by abiotic factors, especially soil pH. Evenness of substrate utilisation showed no clear response to management but was associated with bacterial community composition. These divergent patterns highlight that different soil processes are controlled by distinct drivers and cannot be captured by a single process. Our results demonstrate that local-scale management decisions influence soil processes through complex and non-linear pathways shaped by both abiotic and biotic factors. These findings underscore the importance of multi-process approaches and context-sensitive management strategies to support sustainable grassland use.

KW - Agricultural sustainability

KW - Management intensity

KW - Microbial communities

KW - Soil functioning

U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2026.110626

DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2026.110626

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105044454536

SN - 0167-8809

VL - 411

JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

M1 - 110626

ER -