Interactions Between Morel Cultivation, Soil Microbes, and Mineral Nutrients: Impacts and Mechanisms.

Morel mushrooms ( spp.) are prized for their nutritional and medicinal value. Despite extensive research on their cultivation, the species' impacts on the soil microbiota and minerals remain unclear. This study systematically evaluated six species, analyzing their effects on soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and mineral nutrients levels. The results showed that yield varied significantly among the species, with an order of > > > > > . Cultivation led to a consistent reduction in soil NO-N levels, particularly in and (40-50% decrease), while NH-N levels did not change significantly, indicating mycelial nitrate preference. Mineral nutrient alterations exhibited distinct species-dependent patterns, with showing the greatest increase in exchangeable Ca, while and caused the most obvious decreases in available B. species exerted more pronounced impacts on fungal than bacterial communities, evidenced by significant reductions in alpha diversity-particularly in high-yield -suggesting species-specific fungal inhibition. At the phylum level, consistent depletion of but enrichment of were noted. Moreover, correlation analyses identified significant positive associations between morel yield and both fungal community diversity and exchangeable Ca content. This implies that species restructures soil fungal communities through nutrient competition and mineral-mediated regulation, with calcium acting as a key modulator. Overall, by elucidating the interconnected ' species-microbe-mineral' relationships, this study highlights species' distinct regulation of soil microecology, providing valuable insights for the selection of optimized species like and targeted soil management in morel cultivation.