Zhang, JianweiSáez Sandino, TadeoMaestre, Fernando T.Feng, YouzhiYu, YongjieBerdugo Vega, MiguelWang, JuntaoColeine, ClaudiaGarcía Velázquez, LauraSingh, Brajesh K.Delgado Baquerizo, Manuel2025-02-102025-02-102024-12Zhang J, Sáez-Sandino T, Maestre FT, Feng Y, Yu Y, Berdugo M, Wang J, Coleine C, García-Velázquez L, Singh BK, Delgado-Baquerizo M. Global environmental dependences of soil biodiversity and functions are modified by water availability thresholds. Science of The Total Environment 2025;958:178033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178033.0048-969710.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178033https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/117968Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42407410, 42177297 and 42477305) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Strategic Priority Research (XDA28010302). M.D-B. is supported by a project of the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) and the Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades of the Junta de Andalucía (FEDER Andalucía 2014-2020 Objetivo temático “01 - Refuerzo de la investigación, el desarrollo tecnológico y la innovación”) associated with the research project P20_00879 (ANDABIOMA). F.T.M. acknowledges support from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the KAUST Climate and Livability Initiative. TS-S is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2017-88- 124- R).Global soil biodiversity and functions are threatened by water availability thresholds. However, the role of these thresholds in modulating the environmental drivers of soil biodiversity and functions remains poorly understood. Analyzing a global dataset of 383 sites across major terrestrial biomes, we found that water availability threshold (measured by aridity index) reorganizes the relative importance of climate, vegetation, and soil properties in regulating soil biodiversity and functions. In less arid regions, vegetation and soil properties jointly explained the primary patterns of soil biodiversity and functions. Conversely, after crossing such water availability threshold toward more arid conditions, climate became the dominant controlling factor, outpacing other environmental variables. Notably, this water-induced shift in environmental dependence was more pronounced for soil multidiversity than for soil multifunctionality. Our findings highlight the critical role of water availability thresholds in shaping the environmental factors that govern soil biodiversity and ecosystem functions, providing valuable insights into potential ecosystem transformations in the context of on-going global aridification.engjournal article1879-1026https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178033https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724081907?via%3Dihubrestricted access502/504574.1631.4Climate changeWater availabilitySoil biodiversitySoil functionsEcological conservationEcología (Biología)Edafología (Biología)Medio ambiente natural2417.13 Ecología Vegetal2511.06 Conservación de Suelos