Montane forests are commonly limited by phosphorus (P) scarcity, yet Rhododendron species persist via specialized P-acquisition strategies. However, the microbial processes governing P utilization among wild Rhododendron species remain unclear. We collected soil and root samples from three wild Rhododendron species—Rhododendron latoucheae Franch. (R. latoucheae), Rhododendron fortunei Lindl. (R. fortunei) and Rhododendron simsii Planch. (R. simsii)—in a montane forest and analyzed soil P fractions, acid phosphatase activity, and fungal community traits to investigate their relationships with P cycling. The results showed significant differences in P fraction contents between non-rhizosphere and rhizosphere soils among the three species. In R. fortunei, rhizospheric NaOH-Po decreased tenfold while H₂O-Pi increased by 9.13 mg/kg, indicating a shift toward labile P. In contrast, R. latoucheae and R. simsii showed increases in moderately labile P by 32.54% and 22.09%, respectively. R. latoucheae exhibited the lowest acid phosphatase activity in non-rhizosphere soil (4.810 ± 0.560 μmol/d/g), which increased significantly in the rhizosphere. Fungal community analysis revealed a significant enrichment of Podila in the rhizosphere of R. latoucheae (10.84%) and R. simsii (9.17%), while Penicillium (6.80%), Trichoderma (3.65%) and Mortierella (5.83%) were dominant in the R. fortunei rhizosphere. R. latoucheae mineralized organic P through acid phosphatase hydrolysis driven by nutrient scarcity. R. fortunei likely mobilizes inorganic P through ericoid mycorrhizal-associated secretion of organic acids and the activity of specialized phosphate-solubilizing fungi facilitated by high substrate availability. Soil nutrients (SOC, TN, $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{O}}_3^{-}$-N) influenced fungal abundances and indirectly shaped soil P fractions, whereas fungal taxa abundance in the rhizosphere directly drove P turnover. Our results confirm that different wild Rhododendron species employ distinct P-acquisition strategies mediated by rhizosphere fungi and enzyme activities, and provide new insights into microbial-driven P cycling in montane forests.

Urban wetlands are assumed to contribute to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions; however, the microbial mechanisms underlying enhanced N₂O fluxes in urban wetlands and differences in microbial responses between aquatic and soil compartments have not been clearly identified. Here, we characterized the nitrogen (N) cycling microbial communities and their functional metabolic pathways in urban and rural wetlands using metagenomics and N₂O flux measurements. Results showed that urbanization drove a 6~8-fold increase in N₂O fluxes from urban wetlands compared to rural wetlands. Structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed that urbanization intensity was a primary driver (standardized coefficients: 0.72 for soil and 0.92 for water). In wetland water, N₂O emissions were negatively correlated with inorganic nutrient concentrations (coefficient = −0.62). Aquatic microbial communities exhibited substantial taxonomic shifts but preserved network connectivity, indicating adaptive strategies for surviving urban perturbations at the cost of reduced functional redundancy. In wetland soil, microbial communities maintained stability under urbanization, which was attributed to environmental buffering from heterogeneous microenvironments. Soil N₂O emissions were positively linked to microbial alpha diversity (coefficient = 0.79). Furthermore, urban wetlands enriched genes mediating nitrification and denitrification while depleting genes associated with N fixation and organic N metabolism. This functional shift reflects microbial specialization in processing elevated reactive N (Nr) inputs from urban sources, trapping urban wetlands in an “N loss loop” that reinforces high N₂O fluxes. This study elucidates the microbial mechanisms governing wetland N₂O emissions under urbanization, thereby enhancing understanding of microbially mediated N cycling in the urban wetland ecosystem.