ArticleBiology and fertility of soils2026
Biochar reshapes soil bacterial community composition and survival strategies: a meta-analysis revealing trade-offs between microbial stability and functional complexity.
Article in Biology and fertility of soils, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Biochar Application Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Aggregate-Associated Carbon Fractions Through Microbial Community Regulation inMicroorganisms · 2026Article
- Iron-Modified Biochar Reduces Phosphorus Leaching and Maintains Microbial Network Complexity in Acidic Soils Under Simulated Intense Rainfall.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Rate-Dependent Effects of Biochar on Soil Fertility and Bacterial-Fungal Communities in Maize Fields of the Black Soil Region: A Three-Year Field Study.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Synergistic effects of organic amendments and dual microbial inoculation on morphophysiological traits, nutrient uptake, and microbial symbiosis of black soybean (Glycine max) in Inceptisol.BMC plant biology · 2026Article
- Soil as a Battlefield and a Reservoir: Linking Soil Components to the Epidemiology of Soilborne Plant Diseases.Microbial ecology · 2026Review
- Long-term field evaluation of sewage sludge biochar in green roof substrates reveals hydrological, vegetation, and microbial responses.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Impacts of Tobacco Stalk Biochar Remediation in Microplastic-Contaminated Soil on Early Rice Growth Indicators and Soil Quality.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Deciphering biochar-PGPR-plant synergies for sustainable soil rhizoremediation of organic pollutants.Archives of microbiology · 2026Review
- Synthetic microbial communities for plant growth promotion and soil-borne disease suppression: design principles, mechanisms, and translational challenges.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Review
- Biochar and milk vetch synergistically enhance rice yield and soil fertility via regulating N-cycling in reddish paddy fields.Frontiers in plant science · 2026Article
- Synergistic effects of biochar andFrontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
As a promising strategy for improving soil health and mitigating climate change, biochar has received increasing attention in recent years. However, findings regarding its microbial effects are often context-dependent, and the complex impacts of biochar on soil microbial communities remain inadequately understood. Here, we integrated 843 samples of 16 S rRNA sequencing data from 24 independent studies, utilizing machine learning and co-occurrence network analysis to evaluate general patterns and mechanisms by which biochar alters bacteria community composition and survival strategies. Overall, biochar significantly increased soil organic C, total N, pH, and reduced bulk density, which in turn affected microbial communities. While biochar addition did not notably alter bacterial α-diversity (Shannon index or species richness), it significantly changed β-diversity, indicating that biochar addition altered microbial community composition. Biochar changed community composition and survival strategies by reducing the oligotroph/copiotroph ratio, favouring copiotrophs groups (e.g., Bacteroidota). Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00374-025-01971-9.
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