Short-term population dynamics of ammonia oxidizing bacteria in an agricultural soil

Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) control the rate limiting step of nitrification, the conversion of ammonia (NH₄⁺) to nitrite (NO₂⁻). The AOB therefore have an important role to play in regulating soil nitrogen cycling. Tillage aerates the soil, stimulating rapid changes in soil N cycling and microbial communities. Here we report results of a study of the short term responses of AOB and net nitrification to simulated tillage and NH₄⁺ addition to soil. The intensively farmed vegetable soils of the Salinas Valley, California, provide the context for this study. These soils are cultivated frequently, receive large N fertilizer inputs and there are regional concerns about groundwater N concentrations. An understanding of N dynamics in these systems is therefore important. AOB population sizes were quantified using a real-time PCR approach. In a 15 day experiment AOB populations, increased rapidly following tillage and NH₄⁺ addition and persisted after the depletion of soil NH₄⁺. AOB population sizes increased to a similar degree, over a 1.5-day period, irrespective of the amount of NH₄⁺ supplied. These data suggest selection of an AOB community in this intensively farmed and C-limited soil, that rapidly uses NH₄⁺ that becomes available. These data also suggest that mineralization may play an especially important role in regulating AOB populations where NH₄⁺ pool sizes are very low. Methodological considerations in the study of soil AOB communities are also discussed.