Precipitation Changes Have Significantly Altered the Balance of Soil Ecological Stoichiometry in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas of China

Global climate change has rendered the ecological environment in China’s arid and semi-arid regions increasingly fragile. Water has emerged as a limiting factor for development in these areas. The current understanding of how soil stoichiometry responds to changes in precipitation remains incomplete. This study utilized meta-analysis to synthesize and organize a substantial body of relevant research data, examining the relationships between precipitation variation, influencing factors, soil nutrients, and stoichiometric ratios. The findings indicate that changes in precipitation significantly affect soil physical and chemical properties. Overall, soil ecological stoichiometry shows a downward trend, suggesting that soils in these regions are highly sensitive to moisture fluctuations. The responses of desert and desert steppe ecosystems exhibit the most pronounced econometric ratio changes, while surface and deep soils demonstrate differing responses to variations in precipitation. Analysis of environmental factors reveals that climate, soil physical and chemical properties, and microbial activities are the primary drivers of changes in metering ratios. Precipitation fluctuations affect the soil C, N, and P equilibrium in arid and semi-arid regions by controlling soil moisture, organic matter, and microbial activity. Consequently, these changes can potentially influence nutrient cycling, vegetation growth, and ecosystem stability. This research demonstrates the sensitivity of soil C:N:P balance in arid regions of China to precipitation variations, offering a foundation for evaluating nutrient cycling in arid ecosystems, the resilience of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus reservoirs, and guiding future ecological restoration and climate change adaptation efforts in arid regions.