Work

Linking belowground diversity to soil organic carbon spatial patterns: The role of fine root functional diversity in dry-hot valley herbaceous communities

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Herbaceous root contribution to soil organic carbon can reach 70% in savanna landscapes. However, in dry-hot valleys, the relationship between belowground functional diversity of herbaceous communities and soil organic carbon spatial pattern remains unclear, resulting in a lack of scientific basis for precisely matching the assembly of herbaceous restoration communities with soil organic carbon stability during restoration practices in dry-hot valleys. Across 3 altitude belts, 30 sampling plots (10 per belt) were investigated to determine fine root functional diversity based on 11 trait measurements and quantify soil water storage capacity, coefficient of variation and Moran’s I of organic carbon, and available nutrients. Results showed significant altitudinal variations in vegetation coverage (up to 109%), Simpson index (up to 369%), and fine root functional diversity (up to 46-fold). The coefficient of variation and Moran's I of soil organic carbon increased significantly with altitude. Altitude-related gradients in soil water storage and available nutrients had positive effects on vegetation coverage and species diversity. Functional diversity was correlated with soil organic carbon coefficient of variation and, synergistically with vegetation coverage, exhibited a positive effect on soil organic carbon Moran's I. In dry-hot valleys, the increase in species diversity broadens the interspecific variation of fine root functional traits across varying soil environments along the altitude gradient, thereby linking the fine root functional diversity with the formation of soil organic carbon patches. Under soil environmental constraints, restoration community assembly could prioritize optimizing the stability of carbon hotspots or patches, rather than overemphasizing their significant spatial expansion.

Source: Global Ecology and Conservation

DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04349