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Background and aims <p>Soil multifunctionality (SMF) quantifies the capacity of soil to deliver and sustain multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously. Soil is a central component of the atmosphere-plant-soil continuum (SPAC). Although numerous studies have examined the influence of atmospheric or vegetation factors on SMF separately, integrated analyses encompassing all three SPAC compartments remain scarce. To map SMF heterogeneity for 10—20&#xa0;cm and 20—40&#xa0;cm layers and to evaluate how plant communities and soil physicochemical drivers control SMF on the Helan Mountains eastern alluvial fan.</p> Methods <p>We quantified depth-specific SMF and analyzed its environmental drivers using XGBoost and statistical analyses.</p> Results <p>In the 0—10&#xa0;cm layer, the <i>Stipa gobica</i> community had a median SMF of 0.53, which was significantly higher than that of any other community. This advantage persisted at 10—20&#xa0;cm, where its median of 0.44 still exceeded that of the remaining communities. Meanwhile, the regulatory effect of plant communities on SMF declined markedly with soil depth. Spatial simulations revealed that SMF decreased with increasing depth and increased progressively from the north to the south. Among the environmental variables examined, salinity-related environmental conditions emerged as important drivers of SMF. Their relative importance varied with soil depth, with the carbonate index (CAI) explaining 18% of SMF variation at 10—20&#xa0;cm and approximately 6% at 20—40&#xa0;cm.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings advance the understanding of SPAC and controls over regional SMF, provide a scientific basis for alluvial-fan vegetation management, and support sustainable agriculture and resource use in Northwestern China.</p>

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Dominant drivers of soil multifunctionality change: interactions among soil, plants, and the atmosphere

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月11日

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  • Tiantian Luo,
  • Weiyi Zhou,
  • Yun Shi,
  • Fenghong Zhang,
  • Guo Rui,
  • Hongyuan He,
  • Tao Wu,
  • Hongxia Li,
  • Yiting Ma

摘要

Background and aims

Soil multifunctionality (SMF) quantifies the capacity of soil to deliver and sustain multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously. Soil is a central component of the atmosphere-plant-soil continuum (SPAC). Although numerous studies have examined the influence of atmospheric or vegetation factors on SMF separately, integrated analyses encompassing all three SPAC compartments remain scarce. To map SMF heterogeneity for 10—20 cm and 20—40 cm layers and to evaluate how plant communities and soil physicochemical drivers control SMF on the Helan Mountains eastern alluvial fan.

Methods

We quantified depth-specific SMF and analyzed its environmental drivers using XGBoost and statistical analyses.

Results

In the 0—10 cm layer, the Stipa gobica community had a median SMF of 0.53, which was significantly higher than that of any other community. This advantage persisted at 10—20 cm, where its median of 0.44 still exceeded that of the remaining communities. Meanwhile, the regulatory effect of plant communities on SMF declined markedly with soil depth. Spatial simulations revealed that SMF decreased with increasing depth and increased progressively from the north to the south. Among the environmental variables examined, salinity-related environmental conditions emerged as important drivers of SMF. Their relative importance varied with soil depth, with the carbonate index (CAI) explaining 18% of SMF variation at 10—20 cm and approximately 6% at 20—40 cm.

Conclusion

These findings advance the understanding of SPAC and controls over regional SMF, provide a scientific basis for alluvial-fan vegetation management, and support sustainable agriculture and resource use in Northwestern China.