Lytic virus-bacteria interactions enhance soil nutrient accumulation in biocrusts of desert steppe on the Loess Plateau

This study takes biocrusts and their subsoils on the Loess Plateau as the research objects, investigating the responses of soil bacterial and viral communities to different biocrusts and subsoils. Furthermore, we conducted an in-depth exploration of the responses of viruses with different lifestyle strategies to different biocrusts and their subsoils. In addition, we studied the interactions between viruses with dif ferent lifestyle strategies and bacterial communities. The results showed that lytic viruses in biocrusts on the Loess Plateau continuously release nutrients by lysing bacteria, thereby promoting nutrient accumulation in crust soils.