Pedosphere 36(1): 200--211, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Assessment of microbial carbon use efficiency in China’s agroecosystem based on enzyme stoichiometry: A meta-analysis |
Di ZHU1, Ming ZHANG1 , Chenchen QU1, Linchuan FANG2, Ke DAI1, Chunhui GAO1, Qiaoyun HUANG1, Yichao WU1, Peng CAI1 |
1 National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China);
2 School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Agricultural ecosystems play a pivotal role in global carbon (C) sequestration efforts. Microbial C use efficiency (CUE) serves as a comprehensive metric that reflects the balance between microbial contributions to the accumulation and decomposition of soil organic C. However, the overall distribution patterns and underlying drivers of microbial CUE at the national scale remain unclear. Herein, data from 209 paired samples from 55 studies were analyzed to assess the distribution patterns and influencing factors of microbial CUE based on enzyme stoichiometry (CUEST) in agricultural ecosystems across China. Results revealed that farmlands exhibited the highest CUEST value (mean = 0.51), exceeding those of grasslands (0.46) and forests (0.44). Contrasting patterns of CUEST regulation were observed across land-use types, with farmlands showing significant (P < 0.001) positive relationships of CUEST with phosphorus vs. nitrogen (N/P) limitation index, while grasslands and forests demonstrated inverse (P < 0.05) relationships of CUEST with C limitation index. Nutrient stoichiometry emerged as the dominant driver of CUEST, with enzyme ratios and mean annual precipitation playing secondary roles. Moreover, land management practices, including fertilization, grazing, and tillage, as well as land-use transition, significantly influenced microbial CUEST by potentially altering nutrient availability and soil properties; notably, water addition in grasslands had particularly positive effects. These findings provide a critical foundation for harnessing microbial CUE in agriculture and may inform scalable strategies to enhance soil C sequestration and climate-smart land management. |
| Key Words: carbon sequestration|land-use type|microbial metabolism|nutrient availability|resource limitation|soil organic carbon|soil pH|threshold elemental ratio |
| Citation: Zhu D, Zhang M, Qu C C, Fang L C, Dai K, Gao C H, Huang Q Y, Wu Y C, Cai P. 2026. Assessment of microbial carbon use efficiency in China’s agroecosystem based on enzyme stoichiometry: A meta-analysis. Pedosphere. 36(1): 200-211. |
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