Abstract
Soil animals are abundant in soil ecosystems and are sensitive to changes in the soil environment. They play a critical role in the evaluation of soil health under different field management conditions. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effects of biochar addition on different soil animals under different treatments and experimental conditions. The results indicated that the addition of biochar increased the abundance of soil animals (E++ = 0.027) and changed their community structure. Biochar promoted the abundance of soil nematodes (E++ = 0.124) while suppressing that of soil arthropods (E++ = −0.101). The effect of biochar on soil animals was contingent upon both soil properties and the characteristics of the biochar used. Moreover, biochar addition had a positive effect on the abundance of omnivorous–predatory nematodes (OPs) under the conditions of our study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that biochar affected soil animal abundance through both direct and indirect pathways, with the most significant pathways being those mediated by soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil pH. The amount and duration of biochar addition had different effects on the abundance of different nematode species, ultimately altering the structure of the soil microfood web. This negatively affected the establishment of a stable and healthy soil ecosystem.
Published Version
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