ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Terrestrial Microbiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1707894
This article is part of the Research TopicMicrobial-driven Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling Mechanisms in Terrestrial EcosystemsView all 4 articles
Co-application of biochar and compost enhanced soil carbon sequestration in urban green space
Provisionally accepted
Ben Wang1Wenfang Li1Na Xue1Ruyang Xi1Yanjun Wang1Lele Fang1Qiang Wang1Xinchun Liang2Yiqian Xiao3
Xiuyun Yang1*Xiaogang Wu1*- 1Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, China
- 2Shanxi Xiyu Expressway Co., Ltd., Jinzhong, Jinzhong, China
- 3China Highway Engineering Consulting Corporation, Beijing 100195, China, Beijing, China
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The mechanism of biochar and compost as soil amendments in urban green spaces remains unclear. Using Euonymus kiautschovicus as a model system, this study established eight treatment gradients, 0 (CK), single biochar applications: 4% (BC4), 8% (BC8), 12% (BC12), 7.5% compost (COM), and their combinations BCC4 (BC4 + 7.5% COM), BCC8 (BC8 + 7.5% COM), BCC12 (BC12 + 7.5% COM). Through metagenomic sequencing and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) analysis, we investigated soil microbiome structure, carbon sequestration functional genes, and their interactions in response to amendments. The combined application of medium-low dose biochar (4%-8%) with compost significantly optimized the physicochemical properties and microbial functions in soils. Compared to single amendments, hybrid treatments synergistically enhanced soil moisture content. Specifically, BCC8 increased by 27% compared to the CK, organic carbon levels reached 12.8 g/kg with BCC12, and available nutrients showed 45% higher available phosphorus with BCC4. Metagenomic analysis revealed that hybrid treatments reshaped microbial community structure, with BCC8 significantly enriching Acidobacteria (8.72%) and Nitrospira (1.42%), driving an increased abundance of carbon fixation genes. Among key carbon fixation pathways, the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA) exhibited the highest gene abundance (mean 15.03), dominated by MAG176. The Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle displayed broad adaptability, with MAG59 identified as a core carbon-fixing strain. This study has significant implications for the application of biochar-compost combinations in carbon management of urban green spaces.
Keywords: urban green space, biochar, Compost, Metagenomics, soil carbon sequestration
Received: 18 Sep 2025; Accepted: 20 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Li, Xue, Xi, Wang, Fang, Wang, Liang, Xiao, Yang and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiuyun Yang, xyyang2002@yeah.net
Xiaogang Wu, wuxg@sxau.edu.cn
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