Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change
Soil microbial communities modulate soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics by catalyzing litter decomposition. However, our understanding of how litter-derived carbon (C) flows through the microbial portion of the soil food web is far from comprehensive. This information is necessary to facilitate relia...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02860/full |
| _version_ | 1819115255796596736 |
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| author | Amber Heijboer Amber Heijboer Peter C. de Ruiter Peter C. de Ruiter Paul L. E. Bodelier George A. Kowalchuk |
| author_facet | Amber Heijboer Amber Heijboer Peter C. de Ruiter Peter C. de Ruiter Paul L. E. Bodelier George A. Kowalchuk |
| author_sort | Amber Heijboer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil microbial communities modulate soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics by catalyzing litter decomposition. However, our understanding of how litter-derived carbon (C) flows through the microbial portion of the soil food web is far from comprehensive. This information is necessary to facilitate reliable predictions of soil C cycling and sequestration in response to a changing environment such as land use change in the form of agricultural abandonment. To examine the flow of litter-derived C through the soil microbial food web and it’s response to land use change, we carried out an incubation experiment with soils from six fields; three recently abandoned and three long term abandoned fields. In these soils, the fate of 13C-labeled plant litter was followed by analyzing phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) over a period of 56 days. The litter-amended soils were sampled over time to measure 13CO2 and mineral N dynamics. Microbial 13C-incorporation patterns revealed a clear succession of microbial groups during litter decomposition. Fungi were first to incorporate 13C-label, followed by G− bacteria, G+ bacteria, actinomycetes and micro-fauna. The order in which various microbial groups responded to litter decomposition was similar across all the fields examined, with no clear distinction between recent and long-term abandoned soils. Although the microbial biomass was initially higher in long-term abandoned soils, the net amount of 13C-labeled litter that was incorporated by the soil microbial community was ultimately comparable between recent and long-term abandoned fields. In relative terms, this means there was a higher efficiency of litter-derived 13C-incorporation in recent abandoned soil microbial communities compared to long-term abandoned soils, most likely due to a net shift from SOM-derived C toward root-derived C input in the soil microbial food web following land-abandonment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:58:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-240620821bf748d49db19808f3d6f0cd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:58:18Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-240620821bf748d49db19808f3d6f0cd2022-12-21T18:38:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2018-11-01910.3389/fmicb.2018.02860422675Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use ChangeAmber Heijboer0Amber Heijboer1Peter C. de Ruiter2Peter C. de Ruiter3Paul L. E. Bodelier4George A. Kowalchuk5Biometris, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, NetherlandsInstitute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsBiometris, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, NetherlandsInstitute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, NetherlandsInstitute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsSoil microbial communities modulate soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics by catalyzing litter decomposition. However, our understanding of how litter-derived carbon (C) flows through the microbial portion of the soil food web is far from comprehensive. This information is necessary to facilitate reliable predictions of soil C cycling and sequestration in response to a changing environment such as land use change in the form of agricultural abandonment. To examine the flow of litter-derived C through the soil microbial food web and it’s response to land use change, we carried out an incubation experiment with soils from six fields; three recently abandoned and three long term abandoned fields. In these soils, the fate of 13C-labeled plant litter was followed by analyzing phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) over a period of 56 days. The litter-amended soils were sampled over time to measure 13CO2 and mineral N dynamics. Microbial 13C-incorporation patterns revealed a clear succession of microbial groups during litter decomposition. Fungi were first to incorporate 13C-label, followed by G− bacteria, G+ bacteria, actinomycetes and micro-fauna. The order in which various microbial groups responded to litter decomposition was similar across all the fields examined, with no clear distinction between recent and long-term abandoned soils. Although the microbial biomass was initially higher in long-term abandoned soils, the net amount of 13C-labeled litter that was incorporated by the soil microbial community was ultimately comparable between recent and long-term abandoned fields. In relative terms, this means there was a higher efficiency of litter-derived 13C-incorporation in recent abandoned soil microbial communities compared to long-term abandoned soils, most likely due to a net shift from SOM-derived C toward root-derived C input in the soil microbial food web following land-abandonment.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02860/fullsoil microbial communitydecompositionPLFA-SIPcarbon cycleagricultural abandonmentsoil food web |
| spellingShingle | Amber Heijboer Amber Heijboer Peter C. de Ruiter Peter C. de Ruiter Paul L. E. Bodelier George A. Kowalchuk Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change Frontiers in Microbiology soil microbial community decomposition PLFA-SIP carbon cycle agricultural abandonment soil food web |
| title | Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change |
| title_full | Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change |
| title_fullStr | Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change |
| title_short | Modulation of Litter Decomposition by the Soil Microbial Food Web Under Influence of Land Use Change |
| title_sort | modulation of litter decomposition by the soil microbial food web under influence of land use change |
| topic | soil microbial community decomposition PLFA-SIP carbon cycle agricultural abandonment soil food web |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02860/full |
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