Rare Taxa as Key Drivers of Soil Multi-Nutrient Cycling Under Different Crop Types

Soil microorganisms are crucial for nutrient cycling, with abundant and rare taxa playing distinct roles. However, the mechanisms by which soil microbes influence nutrient cycling under different crop types remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the network structure, diversity, and microbial composition of croplands in the Yellow River Delta, focusing on four primary crops: soybean, maize, cotton, and sorghum. The findings revealed that the co-occurring network structure of sorghum planting-soils exhibited greater complexity than other crop types. Bacterial alpha diversity in cotton-planting soil is the highest and susceptible to environmental variations. The diversity of both rare and abundant taxa responds differently to soil nutrients depending on the crop type. While abundant taxa play a crucial role in soil multi-nutrient cycling, rare taxa are key drivers of variations in nutrient cycling expression. The diversity of rare taxa showed a strong correlation with critical nutrients. Structural equation modeling revealed that the alpha diversity of rare bacterial and fungal taxa significantly influenced the soil multi-nutrient cycling index (<i>MNC</i>). Specifically, higher Shannon indices of rare bacterial taxa were associated with lower <i>MNC</i>, while the opposite was true for soil fungi. Soil organic carbon and soil total nitrogen are the key factors influencing alpha diversity in rare bacterial and fungal taxa. Moreover, this study provides new insights into the role of rare soil microbial diversity in the nutrient cycling of agricultural ecosystems.