Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities
<p>Earthworm invasion in North American forests has the potential to greatly impact soil microbial communities by altering soil physicochemical properties, including structure, pH, nutrient availability, and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. While most research on the topic has been carried...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2023-08-01
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| Series: | SOIL |
| Online Access: | https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/9/461/2023/soil-9-461-2023.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797733550869446656 |
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| author | J. Lejoly J. Lejoly S. Quideau J. Laganière J. Karst C. Martineau M. Swallow C. Norris A. Samad |
| author_facet | J. Lejoly J. Lejoly S. Quideau J. Laganière J. Karst C. Martineau M. Swallow C. Norris A. Samad |
| author_sort | J. Lejoly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Earthworm invasion in North American forests has the
potential to greatly impact soil microbial communities by altering soil
physicochemical properties, including structure, pH, nutrient availability,
and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. While most research on the topic has
been carried out in northern temperate forests, little is known about the
impact of invasive earthworms on soil microbial communities in hemiboreal
and boreal forests, characterized by a slower decay of organic matter (OM).
Earthworm activities can increase OM mineralization, altering nutrient
cycling and biological activity in a biome where low carbon (C) and nitrogen
(N) availability typically limits microbial and plant growth. Here, we
characterized and compared microbial communities of earthworm-invaded and
non-invaded soils in previously described sites across three major soil
types found in the Canadian (hemi)boreal forest using a space-for-time
approach. Microbial communities of forest floors and surface mineral soils
were characterized using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and
metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and archaea and of the internal-transcriber-spacer-2 (ITS2) region for fungi. In forest floors, the effects of earthworm invasion were
minor. In mineral soil horizons, earthworm invasion was associated with
higher fungal biomass and greater relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal
fungi. Oligotrophic bacteria (Acidobacteriota and Chloroflexi) were less
abundant in invaded mineral soils, where Gram(<span class="inline-formula">+</span>) : Gram(<span class="inline-formula">−</span>) ratios were also
lower, while the opposite was observed for the copiotrophic Bacteroidota.
Additionally, earthworm-invaded mineral soils harboured higher fungal and
bacterial species diversity and richness. Considering the important role of
soil microbial communities for ecosystem functioning, such earthworm-induced
shifts in their community composition are likely to impact nutrient cycling,
as well as vegetation development and forest productivity at a large scale,
as the invasion progresses in these (hemi)boreal systems.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:30:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7382463e03d745d9a7480931766b5de6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2199-3971 2199-398X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:30:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SOIL |
| spelling | doaj.art-7382463e03d745d9a7480931766b5de62023-08-29T10:33:13ZengCopernicus PublicationsSOIL2199-39712199-398X2023-08-01946147810.5194/soil-9-461-2023Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communitiesJ. Lejoly0J. Lejoly1S. Quideau2J. Laganière3J. Karst4C. Martineau5M. Swallow6C. Norris7A. Samad8Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canadacurrent address: Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the NetherlandsDepartment of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Québec City, Quebec, CanadaDepartment of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Québec City, Quebec, CanadaDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Québec City, Quebec, Canada<p>Earthworm invasion in North American forests has the potential to greatly impact soil microbial communities by altering soil physicochemical properties, including structure, pH, nutrient availability, and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. While most research on the topic has been carried out in northern temperate forests, little is known about the impact of invasive earthworms on soil microbial communities in hemiboreal and boreal forests, characterized by a slower decay of organic matter (OM). Earthworm activities can increase OM mineralization, altering nutrient cycling and biological activity in a biome where low carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) availability typically limits microbial and plant growth. Here, we characterized and compared microbial communities of earthworm-invaded and non-invaded soils in previously described sites across three major soil types found in the Canadian (hemi)boreal forest using a space-for-time approach. Microbial communities of forest floors and surface mineral soils were characterized using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and archaea and of the internal-transcriber-spacer-2 (ITS2) region for fungi. In forest floors, the effects of earthworm invasion were minor. In mineral soil horizons, earthworm invasion was associated with higher fungal biomass and greater relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Oligotrophic bacteria (Acidobacteriota and Chloroflexi) were less abundant in invaded mineral soils, where Gram(<span class="inline-formula">+</span>) : Gram(<span class="inline-formula">−</span>) ratios were also lower, while the opposite was observed for the copiotrophic Bacteroidota. Additionally, earthworm-invaded mineral soils harboured higher fungal and bacterial species diversity and richness. Considering the important role of soil microbial communities for ecosystem functioning, such earthworm-induced shifts in their community composition are likely to impact nutrient cycling, as well as vegetation development and forest productivity at a large scale, as the invasion progresses in these (hemi)boreal systems.</p>https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/9/461/2023/soil-9-461-2023.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Lejoly J. Lejoly S. Quideau J. Laganière J. Karst C. Martineau M. Swallow C. Norris A. Samad Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities SOIL |
| title | Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities |
| title_full | Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities |
| title_fullStr | Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities |
| title_short | Earthworm-invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities |
| title_sort | earthworm invaded boreal forest soils harbour distinct microbial communities |
| url | https://soil.copernicus.org/articles/9/461/2023/soil-9-461-2023.pdf |
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