@article{37e5838f-ebd5-46d2-ac76-9a354f8ae7dc,
  abstract     = {{<p>Straw addition is a widely used agricultural practice to maintain soil fertility. However, its effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient cycling are complex, with outcomes ranging from inhibition to stimulation of SOC mineralization via the priming effect. Freeze-thaw cycles are common disturbances in agroecosystems of high-altitude regions that are predicted to increase in frequency and severity with climate change. However, it remains unclear whether these perturbations will modify the effect of straw addition on SOC turnover. In this study, we investigated how an experimental freeze-thaw cycle influenced straw-induced priming of SOC mineralization in croplands and its microbial underpinnings, by adding C<sub>3</sub> rice straw with or without mineral nitrogen (N) into soils with a long-term C<sub>4</sub> maize cultivation under unperturbed conditions, or following a freeze-thaw cycle. We found that a freeze-thaw cycle reduced the priming of SOC mineralization by 35% in soils added with straw alone, an effect similar to that of mineral N addition in unperturbed soils. This result indicated that a freeze-thaw cycle could enhance soil nutrient and C availability, which was validated by increased NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> as well as elevated particulate organic C and dissolved organic C, alleviating microbial demand for resources from soils. In unperturbed soils, the priming responses were driven by a microbial succession from copiotrophs to oligotrophs. Straw addition initially stimulated its copiotrophic decomposers, which likely co-metabolized soil organic matter fractions (i.e., via microbial stoichiometric decomposition). This phase was subsequently succeeded by a diversity of thriving oligotrophs, generating a pronounced N-mining. A freeze-thaw cycle disrupted this succession, leading to the selection of specific freeze-tolerant taxa and promotion of resilient copiotrophs. These surviving taxa could be responsible for the decreased priming effect after thawing. Overall, freeze-thaw-induced shifts in microbial life strategies can alter cropland susceptibility to priming, advancing mechanistic understanding of SOC dynamics.</p>}},
  author       = {{Na, Meng and Xiang, Mengqin and Wang, Yifan and Lu, Haifeng and Zhou, Jihai and Tian, Chunjie and Li, Lu Jun and Miao, Yuqing and Sun, Hailong and Xu, Shangqi and Rousk, Johannes}},
  issn         = {{0038-0717}},
  keywords     = {{A freeze-thaw cycle; Crop straw addition; Microbial communities; Nitrogen mining; Priming effect}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Soil Biology and Biochemistry}},
  title        = {{Freeze-thaw perturbation decreases priming of soil organic carbon mineralization induced by straw return in croplands}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110180}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.soilbio.2026.110180}},
  volume       = {{219}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}