Data from: Crop rotational diversity enhances belowground communities and functions in an agroecosystem

Biodiversity loss, an important consequence of agricultural intensification, can lead to reductions in agroecosystem functions and services. Increasing crop diversity through rotation may alleviate these negative consequences by restoring positive aboveground–belowground interactions. Positive impacts of aboveground biodiversity on belowground communities and processes have primarily been observed in natural systems. Here, we test for the effects of increased diversity in an agroecosystem, where plant diversity is increased over time through crop rotation. As crop diversity increased from one to five species, distinct soil microbial communities were related to increases in soil aggregation, organic carbon, total nitrogen, microbial activity and decreases in the carbon-to-nitrogen acquiring enzyme activity ratio. This study indicates positive biodiversity–function relationships in agroecosystems, driven by interactions between rotational and microbial diversity. By increasing the quantity, quality and chemical diversity of residues, high diversity rotations can sustain soil biological communities, with positive effects on soil organic matter and soil fertility.生物多样性丧失是农业集约化的重要后果之一，可导致农业生态系统功能与服务的衰减。通过轮作提升作物多样性，或可通过恢复地上-地下正向互作缓解这些负面影响。此前学界主要在自然生态系统中观察到地上生物多样性对地下群落及生态过程的正向影响。本研究针对农业生态系统中通过长期作物轮作提升植物多样性的效应开展测试。当作物多样性从1种提升至5种时，独特的土壤微生物群落与土壤团聚体、有机碳、全氮、微生物活性的提升，以及碳氮获取酶活性比的降低显著相关。本研究表明，农业生态系统中存在正向的生物多样性-功能关系，该关系由轮作多样性与微生物多样性之间的互作所驱动。通过提升作物残体的数量、质量及化学多样性，高多样性轮作体系可维持土壤生物群落，进而对土壤有机质与土壤肥力产生正向效应。