Risks of soil erosion and antibiotic resistome in sloping land influenced by different vegetation restoration measures

The expanding antibiotic resistance crisis poses a major threat to human health. Although soils are a hotspot for antibiotic resistance genes, little is known about the profiles and drivers of ARGs in the common and important soil environment of sloping land. Vegetation restoration measures are commonly used to control soil erosion on slopes, and vegetation itself can have an impact on soil microbial communities as well as soil resistome. Therefore, the metagenomic approach was used to investigate the profiles of soil ARGs as well as these risks under five vegetation restoration measures in sloping lands. Microbial communities, soil physicochemical properties, and soil erosion risk were also measured to comprehensively analyze the effects of vegetation restoration measures on slope soil ARGs. The results showed that bare land without revegetation measures had a combined risk of erosion and ARGs. The shifting cultivated treatment was the most effective for controlling soil erosion and reducing the diversity of risk ARGs. Shrub growth treatments may increase the species and abundance of human pathogenic bacteria in sloping soils. Different vegetation restoration measures may shape soil antibiotic resistance by affecting soil erosion amounts as well as microbial communities. Overall, based on the One Health framework, this study improves the understanding of soil resistome in sloping lands and provides novel insights into the composition and dynamics of ARGs in vegetation-soil ecosystems.