<UnorderedList Mark="Bullet"> <ItemContent> Warming boosted microbial respiration under drought (40% WHC). </ItemContent> <ItemContent> Low moisture suppressed microbial thermal compensation under drought; this suppression weakened during recovery. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> Farmland soils showed stronger warming-induced respiratory responses than forests. </ItemContent> <ItemContent> Land use types significantly affected both MCC and MCR values. </ItemContent> </UnorderedList>Climate warming is exacerbating soil drought and precipitation events, as well as different land use types lead varying nutrient inputs, driving substantial shifts in microbial communities that may influence soil respiration. Microbial thermal compensation mechanisms serve as critical biological regulators, alleviating the warming-induced enhancement of soil respiration. However, the effects of soil moisture and land use types on the thermal responses of microbial respiration remain insufficiently understood and constrained. Here, we collected soil from four distinct sites, each comprising both farmland and forest, and conducted indoor experiments to simulate drought and rewetting events. We then assayed the thermal responses of microbial respiration rates at 40% and 60% of soil water holding capacity (WHC) in the first moisture incubation experiment, and at a consistent moisture level (60% WHC) in the subsequent recovery moisture experiment. Our results showed that low soil moisture suppressed the thermal compensatory response while enhancing respiration in both soil types after drought and rewetting. In the incubation experiment, the respiratory response of soil microbes to warming was stronger in farmland ecosystems than in forest ecosystems. Notably, farmland soils under prior low moisture stress exhibited a high thermal compensatory response of microbial respiration after rewetting–opposite to forest soils. Overall, our findings suggested that climate warming-induced drought might weaken the thermal compensatory response of microbial respiration in both farmland and forest soils, with this effect persisting after rewetting. By improving estimates of projected soil carbon losses to the atmosphere via respiration, our work contributes to more accurate predictive modelling of carbon dynamics in farmland and forest soils under climate warming.

Low soil moisture suppresses microbial thermal compensatory response under drought and rewetting

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发表日期：

2026年5月26日

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Wenju Chen,
Xueying Huo,
Yizhe Su,
Dexiang Wang

摘要

Warming boosted microbial respiration under drought (40% WHC).

Low moisture suppressed microbial thermal compensation under drought; this suppression weakened during recovery.

Farmland soils showed stronger warming-induced respiratory responses than forests.

Land use types significantly affected both MCC and MCR values.

Climate warming is exacerbating soil drought and precipitation events, as well as different land use types lead varying nutrient inputs, driving substantial shifts in microbial communities that may influence soil respiration. Microbial thermal compensation mechanisms serve as critical biological regulators, alleviating the warming-induced enhancement of soil respiration. However, the effects of soil moisture and land use types on the thermal responses of microbial respiration remain insufficiently understood and constrained. Here, we collected soil from four distinct sites, each comprising both farmland and forest, and conducted indoor experiments to simulate drought and rewetting events. We then assayed the thermal responses of microbial respiration rates at 40% and 60% of soil water holding capacity (WHC) in the first moisture incubation experiment, and at a consistent moisture level (60% WHC) in the subsequent recovery moisture experiment. Our results showed that low soil moisture suppressed the thermal compensatory response while enhancing respiration in both soil types after drought and rewetting. In the incubation experiment, the respiratory response of soil microbes to warming was stronger in farmland ecosystems than in forest ecosystems. Notably, farmland soils under prior low moisture stress exhibited a high thermal compensatory response of microbial respiration after rewetting–opposite to forest soils. Overall, our findings suggested that climate warming-induced drought might weaken the thermal compensatory response of microbial respiration in both farmland and forest soils, with this effect persisting after rewetting. By improving estimates of projected soil carbon losses to the atmosphere via respiration, our work contributes to more accurate predictive modelling of carbon dynamics in farmland and forest soils under climate warming.