Flooding and prolonged drought have differential legacy impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, microbial communities and plant productivity

Background and aims Extreme climate events, including flooding and prolonged drought, may establish long-lasting (legacy) effects on soil abiotic and biotic properties, potentially influencing soil N-cycling, microbial communities, and plant productivity. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer often stimulates plant growth, but it remains unknown whether N addition can alleviate the impact of legacy drought or waterlogging events on crops. Our aim was to assess the interactive effects of legacy extreme climate events and N-addition on these processes.