Title：
Effects of plant diversity and drought on Feammox activity in riparian wetlands
Authors：
Corresponding
Author：
Shuo Wang, Di Xu, Bangjing Ding*, Wenzhi Liu
Pubyear：
2026
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Journal：
Plant and Soil
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Abstract：
AimsAnaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to ferric iron reduction (Feammox) represents a newly recognized pathway linking the global nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) cycles, yet its environmental sensitivity and biotic regulation remain poorly understood.MethodsHere, we combined a large-scale field survey (123 samples) with a controlled pot experiment (432 samples), manipulating soil moisture and plant species richness (0-8 species) to examine how drought and plant diversity jointly regulate Feammox activity and its microbial drivers across plant phenological stages.ResultsDrought markedly suppressed Feammox primarily through pathways mediated by changes in soil properties. In contrast, plant diversity exerted a significant positive effect on Feammox activity that was not fully explained by the measured soil physicochemical properties, despite concurrent changes in these properties. However, plant diversity did not improve Feammox drought resistance, particularly from the fast-growing to the wilting stage, when anoxia and Fe(III) solubility sharply declined. The abundances of Acidimicrobiaceae bacterium A6 and Geobacter showed distinct environmental responses but weak coupling with Feammox rates.ConclusionsOverall, Fe redox status emerged as the key mediator linking drought, plant diversity, and phenology in regulating coupled N-Fe cycling under climate change.
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