<p>Crop straw is one of the most abundant biomass energy sources in agricultural production. As the predominant method for utilizing this resource, straw returning to soil is crucial for enhancing soil quality and fostering sustainable agriculture. This review examines the comprehensive ecological impacts of straw returning, specifically examining its effects on soil physical structure, including aggregate stability and water retention capacity; nutrient availability, particularly nitrogen (N), phosphorus(P); soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and stabilization; and the structure and function of soil microbial communities. Crucially, the review covers both bacteria and fungi, revealing changes in their overall abundance, species richness and diversity, community composition, and symbiotic network interactions. Furthermore, we analyses variations in the soil environment resulting from different straw returning practices, highlights current limitations such as the significant influence of management practices, soil types, climatic conditions, and potential short-term risks like nutrient fixation and greenhouse gas emissions, and proposes future research directions focused on optimizing returning patterns to synergistically enhance soil health and C sequestration, and elucidating the driving factors behind microbial community dynamics, key functional group activities, interspecies interactions, and network stability under straw input. Therefore, this review aims to synthesize existing knowledge on how straw returning influences soil physical and chemical properties, nutrient dynamics, and microbial communities, thereby providing a theoretical basis for designing efficient and sustainable straw management strategies that enhance soil health and carbon sequestration.</p>