Land use intensity differently affects soil microbial functional communities in arable fields

Land use intensification can influence soil microbial communities and their functional potential. However, the impacts of different aspects of land use intensification on functional groups of soil microbes remain insufficiently elucidated in agroecosystems. This study investigated soil microbial groups and their functional potential in arable fields embedded in a gradient of land use intensity (LUI), integrating multiple agricultural practices in the Netherlands. The results reveal changes in soil bacterial and fungal functional groups along the LUI gradient, with a strong negative relationship between LUI and the diversity of many fungal functional groups. Changes in LUI also led to significant changes in the composition of both bacterial and fungal functional communities. Specifically, irrigation and pest control were identified as the primary practices influencing the community assembly of soil microbial functional groups. We further show that the connectivity between soil fungal functional groups decreased under higher LUI. In summary, our findings demonstrate that reducing land use intensity may have positive impacts on the functional potential of soil microbial communities, particularly for soil fungi. Sustainable management practices particularly related to irrigation and pest control may alleviate some of the observed adverse effects. • Land use intensification reduces the diversity of soil fungal functional groups. • Irrigation and pest control are two main practices influencing soil functional groups. • Adjusting practices for drought alleviation and pest control benefits soil functional diversity.