Sustainable ecosystem services: Interactions among land management, water conservation and soil fungal communities

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Introduction

Description

Fungal communities are highly responsive to land management and water availability. Drought can reduce fungal biomass and activity, but pre-exposure to moderate stress can enhance resistance, creating an ecological “memory” that supports ecosystem resilience. Land-use intensification, including monoculture cropping, tillage and chemical inputs, often diminishes fungal diversity and disrupts these functional roles. Maintaining heterogeneous habitats and organic inputs can preserve fungal networks critical for ecosystem stability. Integrating organic amendments, crop rotations and reduced tillage can enhance soil fungal diversity, structure and nutrient availability. Mycorrhizal fungi in agroecosystems improve crop nutrient acquisition, drought tolerance and carbon allocation to soils (Mommaerts V, et al. 2010). By fostering microbial diversity, these practices maintain productivity while reducing dependency on chemical fertilizers, aligning agricultural outputs with ecosystem sustainability. Ecological restoration of degraded landscapes and reforestation initiatives increase fungal richness and functionality. Restored soils often exhibit enhanced organic matter content and microbial connectivity, supporting plant establishment and carbon sequestration. Landscape-level restoration also benefits pollination networks and hydrological regulation, demonstrating the multi-service benefits of integrated land management.

Urban expansion fragments habitats and alters soil properties, threatening microbial diversity. Green infrastructure, urban wetlands and permeable landscapes can mitigate these effects by preserving soil fungal networks, enhancing water infiltration and supporting biodiversity (Walpole M, et al. 2009). Integrating fungal ecology into urban planning can improve soil fertility, stormwater regulation and ecosystem service delivery in human-dominated landscapes. Water availability is a key determinant of soil fungal community structure and function. Efficient water management—including rainwater harvesting, mulching and controlled irrigation—maintains soil moisture, enhancing fungal activity and diversity. Healthy fungal communities improve soil aggregation, water retention and nutrient cycling, creating feedback loops that stabilize ecosystem services under drought conditions. Mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant access to water and nutrients during dry periods, while saprotrophic fungi decompose organic matter, releasing bound water and nutrients. These microbial interactions mitigate the impacts of water scarcity on plant growth and productivity (Li M, et al. 2021). In dryland ecosystems, fungal-mediated water conservation supports primary production, carbon sequestration and habitat stability.

Combining water conservation strategies with sustainable land management enhances fungal-mediated ecosystem services. Practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage and wetland restoration optimize soil moisture and microbial activity, supporting carbon cycling, plant productivity and biodiversity. Integrative approaches strengthen ecosystem resilience to climatic variability and anthropogenic pressures. Soil fungi influence carbon fluxes by decomposing organic matter and stabilizing carbon in soil aggregates. Mycorrhizal fungi transfer plant-derived carbon to soil, while saprotrophs regulate decomposition rates. Land-use change and water stress can disrupt these processes, reducing carbon storage (Ihrmark K, et al. 2012). Conserving fungal diversity and maintaining soil organic matter are therefore essential for climate mitigation and ecosystem stability. Soil fungal health indirectly supports pollination by enhancing plant vigor and flower production. Diminished fungal diversity can lead to reduced plant growth, lower flower abundance and decreased pollinator activity. By sustaining microbial networks, integrated land and water management practices promote both productivity and ecosystem services such as pollination and biodiversity maintenance.

Conclusion

Acknowledgement

Conflict of Interest

References

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