# Simplified microbial network reduced microbial structure stability and soil functionality in alpine grassland along a natural aridity gradient

*PRI Rank #16 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-community-ecology-and-physiology/2026/rank-16*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #16 |
| 18m citations | 81 |
| Journal | Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109366 |
| Corresponding authors | Zilin Song |
| Institution | Chinese Academy of Science, China |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-community-ecology-and-physiology/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109366](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109366)

## Topics

Microbial co-occurrence network · microbial structure stability · soil functionality · alpine grassland · aridity gradient · network simplification · Soil microbial community · grassland ecosystem · Climatic gradient · microbial diversity · Ecosystem functioning · network complexity · Drought stress · soil biogeochemical processes · Community assembly

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/microbial-community-ecology-and-physiology/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```