Molecular Microbiology Research 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 79-91 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 86 productivity and carbon dioxide flux from the soil (Suseela and Tharayil, 2018). The presence of large amounts of deadwood can affect greenhouse gas emissions, especially with increasing temperatures that could reduce the carbon sink capacity of boreal forests (Pastorelli et al., 2020). Moreover, microbial evolution in response to warming can reshape soil carbon feedbacks, potentially aggravating soil carbon loss or buffering it depending on temperature-dependent mortality rates. These feedbacks are critical for understanding and predicting ecosystem responses to climate change. 7.3 Mitigation strategies Mitigation strategies to manage the impact of climate change on decomposition and ecosystem health include conserving microbial biodiversity and enhancing plant diversity. High microbial diversity has been shown to stabilize soil organic carbon decomposition responses to warming, particularly in subsoil environments (Xu et al., 2021). This suggests that maintaining microbial diversity is crucial for ecosystem stability under climate change. Additionally, increasing plant litter diversity can significantly enhance decomposition rates, comparable to the effects projected from climate warming (Mori et al., 2020). Therefore, promoting plant diversity and conserving microbial communities are essential strategies for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on decomposition processes and overall ecosystem health. 8 Human Impact on Microbial Decomposition 8.1 Land use changes Land use changes significantly impact soil microbial communities and their decomposition activities. Different land use practices, such as agriculture, urbanization, and deforestation, alter soil properties and microbial dynamics. For example, land use changes significantly affect soil microbial communities and their decomposition activities. Agricultural expansion and urbanization lead to changes in soil structure, which in turn affect microbial decomposition rates (Figure 3). Pollutants such as pesticides and industrial waste may negatively impact microbial decomposition functions, reducing soil fertility and ecosystem health (Coban et al., 2022). In low-pH soils, increased land use intensity may improve decomposition rates by alleviating acid inhibition of microbial growth, whereas in near-neutral pH soils, microbial biomass and growth efficiency decline, leading to carbon loss (Malik et al., 2018). Moreover, converting forest lands to other land uses, such as agriculture, results in significant losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass, which are crucial for maintaining soil health and ecosystem functions (Padbhushan et al., 2022). Restoration measures like reforestation and the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have shown potential to improve soil microbial communities and enhance soil carbon storage. Figure 3 Land degradation types and examples of beneficial microorganisms acting as remediation agents (Adopted from Coban et al., 2022)
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