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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Aridity alters soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry, yet the implications of these processes for soil microbial functional traits and potentials at the genomic level remain poorly synthesized. Here we combine measurements of soil C, N and P pools and ratios with shotgun metagenomes from 200 natural ecosystems spanning major biomes worldwide. Across sites, increased aridity is associated with lower soil C:N and N:P (and C:P) ratios and with a coordinated shift in microbial functional potential. Genes linked to catabolic resource acquisition—including carbohydrate-active enzymes and pathways for degradation of plant litter and organophosphorus compounds—are declined as C becomes relatively scarce. In contrast, genes supporting anabolic investment in growth and drought resistance, such as RNA transcription, protein synthesis and intracellular transport, are increased. These patterns indicate that aridity-related change in soil elemental ratios is coupled to a broad shift from catabolic to anabolic strategies in soil microbiomes. By linking soil elemental ratios to microbial functional traits across biomes, our study provides a framework for anticipating how climate-driven drying may reorganize microbial metabolism with consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling.
Author(s): Li C, Feng Y, Sáez-Sandino T, Xiong C, Eldridge DJ, Gross N, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y, Ochoa V, Gozalo B, Guirado E, Zhou G, García-Gómez M, Valencia E, Berdugo M, Asensio S, Martínez-Valderrama J, Mendoza BJ, Berhe AA, Cutler NA, Abades S, Alcántara J, Alfaro F, Arroyo AI, Barrett M, Bastida F, Blaum N, Boldgiv B, Bowker M, Branquinho C, Hart SC, Deák B, Durán J, Espinosa CI, Fajardo A, Fraser LH, Gallardo A, García Velázquez L, Geissler K, Grebenc T, Gusman Moltanvan E, Kindermann L, Köbel M, Laanisto L, le Roux PC, Liancourt P, Liang J, Linstädter A, Louw MA, Macek P, Maggs-Kölling G, Makhalanyane TP, Manzaneda AJ, Marais E, Montesinos D, Mora JP, Moreno G, Muñoz-Rojas M, Mussery A, Unuk Nahberger T, Nair GR, Neuhauser S, Plaza C, Pueyo Y, Rey PJ, Rey A, de los Ríos A, Rodríguez A, Rodriguez Lozano B, Roman R, Ruppert JC, Salah A, Serôdio J, Siles JA, Singh J, Travers S, Undrakhbold S, Valkó O, Vivas M, Wang L, Williams MA, Zaady E, Maestre FT, Singh BK, Delgado-Baquerizo M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Nature Communications
Year: 2026
Volume: 17
Online publication date: 20/06/2026
Acceptance date: 06/05/2026
Date deposited: 18/08/2026
ISSN (electronic): 2041-1723
Publisher: Nature
URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73215-9
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73215-9
Data Access Statement: All environmental variables for 200-sample dataset used in this study have been deposited in Figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28829420. All raw sequencing data used in this study have been submitted to the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) database under the accession numbers PRJNA1162941 (shotgun metagenomics), PRJNA1249113 (16S rRNA gene amplicon), and PRJNA1249114 (18S rRNA gene amplicon). The corresponding SRA accession numbers for the 200-sample metagenomic sequences are provided along with the environmental variables in Figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28829420. Supplementary Data 1 listed genes and their KEGG classification we analyzed in this study; supplementary Data 2 showed categories of the genes involved in soil C degradation, N and P cycling; and supplementry Data 3 showed categories of CAZy-annotated genes involved in C, N and P-acquisition enzymes. All R codes supporting the conclusions of this article are included in Figshare at https://doi
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