Microbial community structure mediates response of soil C decomposition to litter addition and warming

Microbial activity has been highlighted as one of the main unknowns controlling the fate and turnover of soil organic matter (SOM) in response to climate change. How microbial community structure and function may (or may not) interact with increasing temperature to impact the fate and turnover of SOM, in particular when combined with changes in litter chemistry, is not well understood. The primary aim of this study was to determine if litter chemistry impacted the decomposition of soil and litter-derived carbon (C), and its interaction with temperature, and whether this response was controlled by microbial community structure and function. Fresh or pre-incubated eucalyptus leaf litter (¹³C enriched) was added to a woodland soil and incubated at 12, 22, or 32 °C. We tracked the movement of litter and soil-derived C into CO₂, water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), and microbial phospholipids (PLFA). The litter additions produced significant changes in every parameter measured, while temperature, interacting with litter chemistry, predominately affected soil C respiration (priming and temperature sensitivity), microbial community structure, and the metabolic quotient (a proxy for microbial carbon use efficiency [CUE]). The direction of priming varied with the litter additions (negative with fresh litter, positive with pre-incubated litter) and was related to differences in the composition of microbial communities degrading soil-C, particularly gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, resulting from litter addition. Soil-C decomposition in both litter treatments was more temperature sensitive (higher Q₁₀) than in the soil-only control, and soil-C priming became increasingly positive with temperature. However, microbes utilizing soil-C in the litter treatments had higher CUE, suggesting the longer-term stability of soil-C may be increased at higher temperature with litter addition. Our results show that in the same soil, the growth of distinct microbial communities can alter the turnover and fate of SOM and, in the context of global change, its response to temperature.     

Temporal dynamics of microbial communities on decomposing leaf litter of 10 plant species in relation to decomposition rate

Few empirical studies have examined how microbial communities on decomposing litters change in relation to litter chemistry or how microbial community composition is related to the rate of decomposition. We examined the relationships among microbial community composition, litter chemistry, and decomposition rates in a common garden experiment of the decomposition of leaf litters of 10 plant species. Microbial community composition, as measured by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and 7 litter chemistry variables (%N, C:N, four carbon fractions, and lignin:N) were examined at 1, 2, and 8 months into decomposition. Both microbial and litter chemistry variables were reduced to a single axis each through nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) to examine the relationship between microbes, litter chemistry, and decomposition rates. Although microbial communities were separated according initial litter chemistry and lability, individual measures of litter chemistry had limited ability to predict microbial community composition during decomposition. Decomposition rate constants were explained by litter chemistry of initial, 1-, 2- and, 8-month old litters (60–72% of the variance), and by microbial community composition at the 8-month collection date (67%). The results suggest that initial litter chemistry determines the rate of decomposition and microbial community composition early in decomposition while the composition of the microbial community plays a more important role in determining decomposition rate later in decomposition.     

Mechanisms of solute transport affect small-scale abundance and function of soil microorganisms in the detritusphere

In the detritusphere, particulate organic matter offers new sites for microorganisms, whereas soluble substrates are transported into the adjacent soil. We investigated how mechanisms of solute transport affect microbial abundance and function in the detritusphere. In a first experiment, transport was restricted to diffusion, whereas in a second experiment it was dominated by convection. Two soil moisture contents were established in each experiment. When diffusion was the exclusive transport mechanism, the addition of maize litter induced distinct gradients in enzyme activities, soil organic C content and microbial biomass to a depth of 1.5–2.8 mm. Convection enlarged these gradients to 2.5–3.0 mm. The moisture regime modified the temporal pattern of diffusive C transport, microbial growth and enzyme release by inducing faster transport at large water contents. Convective transport seemed to be unaffected by soil moisture content. Using a convective‐diffusive transport model with first‐order decay, it was possible to simulate the observed activity profiles. The results indicate that the spatial dimension of the detritusphere is governed by the ratio between decay rate of available substrates and transport rate. Bacteria and fungi showed differing utilization strategies as revealed by coupling phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis with stable isotope techniques. Fungi assimilated C directly in the litter, whereas bacteria took up the substrates in the soil and therefore depended more on transport processes than fungi. Our results demonstrate the impact of physicochemical conditions on the abundance and function of microorganisms in the detritusphere. Furthermore, the combination of enzymatic measurements and mathematical transport modelling may offer a new way to measure substrate decay rates in soil.     

温度和秸秆质量调节与秸秆分解相关的微生物磷脂脂肪酸（PLFA）组成

Variations in temperature and moisture play an important role in soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. However, relationships between changes in microbial community composition induced by increasing temperature and SOM decomposition are still unclear. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of temperature and moisture levels on soil respiration and microbial communities involved in straw decomposition and elucidate the impact of microbial communities on straw mass loss. A 120-d litterbag experiment was conducted using wheat and maize straw at three levels of soil moisture (40%, 70%, and 90% of water-holding capacity) and temperature (15, 25, and 35°C). The microbial communities were then assessed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. With the exception of fungal PLFAs in maize straw at day 120, the PLFAs indicative of Gram-negative bacteria and fungi decreased with increasing temperatures. Temperature and straw C/N ratio significantly affected the microbial PLFA composition at the early stage, while soil microbial biomass carbon (C) had a stronger effect than straw C/N ratio at the later stage. Soil moisture levels exhibited no significant effect on microbial PLFA composition. Total PLFAs significantly influenced straw mass loss at the early stage of decomposition, but not at the later stage. In addition, the ratio of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial PLFAs was negatively correlated with the straw mass loss. These results indicated that shifts in microbial PLFA composition induced by temperature, straw quality, and microbial C sources could lead to changes in straw decomposition.     

Multiple effects of reindeer grazing on the soil processes in nutrient-poor northern boreal forests

Reindeer grazing has a great influence on the ground vegetation of nutrient-poor northern boreal forests dominated by Cladonia lichens in Fennoscandia. Grazing may influence the soil processes in these systems either by influencing the quality of plant litter, or by indirect effects through the soil microclimate. In order to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of reindeer on boreal forest soils, we analyzed litter decomposition, soil and microbial C and N, microbial community composition, and soil organic matter quality in three forest sites with old reindeer exclosures adjacent to grazed areas. There was no effect of grazing on soil C/N ratio, inorganic N concentrations, microbial biomass C, microbial community structure analyzed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, and organic matter quality analyzed by sequential fractionation, in the soil organic layer. However, microbial N was enhanced by grazing at some of the sampling dates and was negatively correlated with soil moisture, which indicates that increased microbial N could be a stress response to drought. The effect of grazing on litter decomposition varied among the decomposition stages: during the first 1.5 months, the litter C loss was significantly higher in the grazed than the ungrazed areas, but the difference rapidly levelled out and, after one year, the accumulated litter C loss was higher in the ungrazed than the grazed areas. Litter N loss was, however, higher in the grazed areas. Our study demonstrates that herbivores may influence soil processes through several mechanisms at the same time, and to a varying extent in the different stages of decomposition.     

Soil moisture and soil-litter mixing effects on surface litter decomposition: A controlled environment assessment

Recent studies suggest the long-standing discrepancy between measured and modeled leaf litter decomposition in drylands is, in part, the result of a unique combination of abiotic drivers that include high soil surface temperature and radiant energy levels and soil-litter mixing. Temperature and radiant energy effects on litter decomposition have been widely documented. However, under field conditions in drylands where soil-litter mixing occurs and accelerates decomposition, the mechanisms involved with soil-litter mixing effects are ambiguous. Potential mechanisms may include some combination of enhanced microbial colonization of litter, physical abrasion of litter surfaces, and buffering of litter and its associated decomposers from high temperatures and low moisture conditions. Here, we tested how soil-litter mixing and soil moisture interact to influence rates of litter decomposition in a controlled environment. Foliar litter of two plant species (a grass [Eragrostis lehmanniana] and a shrub [Prosopis velutina]) was incubated for 32 weeks in a factorial combination of soil-litter mixing (none, light, and complete) and soil water content (2, 4, 12% water-filled porosity) treatments. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were quantified one week into the experiment to evaluate initial microbial colonization. A complementary incubation experiment with simulated rainfall pulses tested the buffering effects of soil-litter mixing on decomposition.Under the laboratory conditions of our experiments, the influence of soil-litter mixing was minimal and primarily confined to changes in PLFAs during the initial stages of decomposition in the constant soil moisture experiment and the oscillating soil moisture conditions of the rainfall pulse experiment. Soil-litter mixing effects on CO₂ production, total phospholipid concentrations, and bacterial to total PLFA ratios were observed within the first week, but responses were fairly weak and varied with litter type and soil moisture treatment. Across the entire 32-week incubation experiment, soil moisture had a significant positive effect on mass loss, but soil-litter mixing did not. The lack of strong soil-litter mixing effects on decomposition under the moderate and relatively constant environmental conditions of this study is in contrast to results from field studies and suggests the importance of soil-litter mixing may be magnified when the fluctuations and extremes in temperature, radiant energy and moisture regimes common dryland field settings are in play.     

Interactive effects of warming, soil humidity and plant diversity on litter decomposition and microbial activity

Human activity has induced a multitude of global changes that are likely to affect the functioning of ecosystems. Although these changes act in concert, studies on interactive effects are scarce. Here, we conducted a laboratory microcosm experiment to explore the impacts of temperature (9, 12 and 15 °C), changes in soil humidity (moist, dry) and plant diversity (1, 4, 16 species) on soil microbial activity and litter decomposition.We found that changes in litter decomposition did not mirror impacts on microbial measures indicating that the duration of the experiment (22 weeks) may not have been sufficient to determine the full magnitude of global change effects. However and notably, changes in temperature, humidity and plant litter diversity/composition affected in a non-additive way the microbial parameters investigated. For instance, microbial metabolic efficiency increased with plant diversity in the high moisture treatment but remained unaffected in low moisture treatment suggesting that climate changes may mask beneficial effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. Moreover, litter decomposition was unaffected by plant litter diversity/composition but increased with increasing temperature in the high moisture treatment, and decreased with increasing temperature in the low moisture treatment.We conclude that it is inevitable to perform complex experiments considering multiple global change agents in order to realistically predict future changes in ecosystem functioning. Non-additive interactions highlight the context-dependency of impacts of single global change agents.     

Litter decomposition in Mediterranean ecosystems: Modelling the controlling role of climatic conditions and litter quality

A new process-based model of litter decomposition, characterized by detailed climatic data input and simple litter quality parameters, is proposed. Compared to existing litter carbon models, specific implementations for temperature and moisture limiting effects have been adopted. The model is capable to represent decomposition processes in Mediterranean ecosystems, with summer drought slowing down, even at optimal temperatures, the litter decay rates of sclerophyll plants whose leaf masses are rich in structural compounds and low in N content. The model was calibrated by a best fitting procedure of two different datasets. First, unpublished results of litterbag experiments on leaf litter of 9 Mediterranean species, decomposing under controlled and not limiting temperature and water conditions, have been used to estimate the decay rate dependency from litter quality that was defined by only three initial C pools (labile, stable and recalcitrant compounds) instead of traditional N-based indices. Second, a set of published data from three medium-term field experiments on a single species, Phillyrea angustifolia, decomposing under different climatic conditions, have been used to estimate the limiting effects of temperature and moisture. The model was then validated against published data on seven other species and showed a correct reproduction of the major patterns of litter mass loss during decomposition processes of other seven different Mediterranean species. The model simulations, satisfactory for different litter types under a wide range of climatic conditions, suggest that factors which were not taken into account, such as initial litter N contents, microclimatic variations related to stand structure, soil chemistry and texture, and microbial communities, are not very significant for assessing decomposition dynamics in Mediterranean ecosystems. The minimal requirements of input data, the simple structure, and the easiness of parameterisation make our model, among the many other available litter carbon models, an attractive alternative for different research purposes, at least for Mediterranean ecosystems.     

Scots pine litter decomposition along drainage succession and soil nutrient gradients in peatland forests, and the effects of inter-annual weather variation

Peatlands form a large carbon (C) pool but their C sink is labile and susceptible to changes in climate and land-use. Some pristine peatlands are forested, and others have the potential: the amount of arboreal vegetation is likely to increase if soil water levels are lowered as a consequence of climate change. On those sites tree litter dynamics may be crucial for the C balance. We studied the decomposition of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needle and root litter in boreal peatland sites representing gradients in drainage succession (succession following water level drawdown caused by forest drainage) and soil nutrient level during several years of varying weather conditions. Neither gradient had an unambiguous effect on litter mass loss. Mass loss over 2 years was faster in undrained versus drained sites for both needle litter, incubated in the moss layer, and fine root litter, incubated in 0-10 cm peat layer, suggesting moisture stress in the surface layers of the drained sites limited decomposition. Differences among the drained sites were not consistent. Among years, mass loss correlated positively with precipitation variables, and mostly negatively or not at all with temperature sum. We concluded that a long-term water level drawdown in peatlands does not necessarily enhance decay of fresh organic matter. Instead, the drained site may turn into a ‘large hummock-system’ where several factors, including litter quality, relative moisture deficiency, higher acidity, lower substrate temperature, and in deeper layers also oxygen deficiency, may interact to constrain organic matter decomposition. Further, the decomposition rates may not vary systematically among sites of different soil nutrient levels following water level drawdown. Our results emphasize the importance of annual weather variations on decomposition rates, and demonstrate that single-period incubation studies incorporate an indeterminable amount of temporal variation.     

The effect of earthworms and liming on soil microbial communities

The effect of liming and earthworms on the composition and function of soil microbial communities was investigated in an upland soil from the UK in order to understand interactions between the biotic and abiotic components of soil systems. A factorial experiment was established using soils from the Sourhope Farm, near Kelso, with lime or no lime added, with or without earthworms added and a combined treatment of both lime and earthworm additions. The soils were incubated and destructively sampled after 180 days. Measurements of soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, phenotypic structure (by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and responses to four carbon substrates (d-glucose, l-arginine, α-ketoglutaric acid, α-cyclodextrin) were determined. Statistically significant results were limited to the litter layers, with no significant observations in either the H or Ah horizons. There were significant decreases in the soil microbial biomass and microbial activity in the litter layers caused by the addition of earthworms; liming reduced microbial biomass only. The addition of earthworms caused a significant difference in the PLFA principle component analysis (PCA) profile, as did liming. For the PLFA PCA profile, earthworm plus lime treatment was indistinguishable from the liming result. Addition of earthworms significantly suppressed the response to glucose; this effect was removed by liming. This indicates that liming may significantly alter the ecological interactions between earthworms and the microbial community.     

Effects of soil moisture and plant interactions on the soil microbial community structure

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of soil moisture content and plant species on soil microbial community structure using cultivation-independent methods. White clover and ryegrass were grown individually or in a mixture. Plants were subjected to soil moisture content corresponding to 60% field capacity (FC) and 80% FC. Total plant biomass of white clover and ryegrass increased with increasing soil moisture contents. At a given soil moisture content, total biomass of white clover was lower in the ryegrass–clover (RC) mixture compared with those grown individually, while total biomass of ryegrass was higher. Microbial community structure assessed by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) was more affected by plant species than soil moisture. Community level physiological profiles (CLPP), in terms of diversity of substrate utilization and average well colour development (AWCD) were affected by plant species and soil moisture. Soil moisture effects were more pronounced in clover than in ryegrass. AWCD and diversity of substrate utilization in the ryegrass–clover mix were similar to those of sole clover while they differed from that of ryegrass suggesting a dominant effect of clover in the mix.     

Litter, warming and plants affect respiration and allocation of soil microbial and plant C, N and P in arctic mesocosms

In a mesocosm experiment, we studied decomposition rates as CO₂ efflux and changes in plant mass, nutrient accumulation and soil pools of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), in soils from a sub-arctic heath. The soil was incubated at 10 °C and 12 °C, with or without leaf litter and with or without plants present. The purpose of the experiment was to analyse decomposition and nutrient transformations under simulated, realistic conditions in a future warmer Arctic.Both temperature enhancement and litter addition increased respiration rates. Temperature enhancement and surprisingly also litter addition decreased microbial biomass carbon (C) content, resulting in a pronounced increase of specific respiration. Microbial P content increased progressively with temperature enhancement and litter addition, concomitant with increasing P mineralisation, whereas microbial N increased only in the litter treatment, at the same time as net N mineralisation decreased. In contrast, microbial biomass N decreased as temperature increased, resulting in a high mobilisation of inorganic N.Plant responses were closely coupled to the balance of microbial mineralisation and immobilisation. Plant growth and N accumulation was low after litter addition because of high N immobilisation in microbes and low net mineralisation, resulting in plant N limitation. Growth increased in the temperature-enhanced treatments, but was eventually limited by low supply of P, reflected in a low plant P concentration and high N-to-P ratio. Hence, the different microbial responses caused plant N limitation after litter addition and P limitation after temperature enhancement. Although microbial processes determined the main responses in plants, the plants themselves influenced nutrient turnover. With plants present, P mobilisation to the plant plus soil inorganic pools increased significantly, and N mobilisation non-significantly, when litter was added. This was presumably due to increased mineralisation in the rhizosphere, or because the nutrients in addition to being immobilised by microbes also could be absorbed by plants. This suggests that the common method of measuring nutrient mineralisation in soils incubated without plants may underestimate the rates of nutrient mobilisation, which probably contributes to a commonly observed discrepancy of measured lower rates of net nutrient mineralisation than uptake rates in arctic soils.     

Direct and indirect effects of tree diversity drive soil microbial diversity in temperate deciduous forest

We investigated the link between aboveground and belowground diversity in temperate deciduous forest ecosystems. To this end, we determined the effects of the tree species composition on the biomass and composition of the soil microbial community using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles in the Hainich National Park, a deciduous mixed forest on loess over limestone in Central-Germany. We investigated the effects of the leaf litter composition on the microbial community, hypothesizing that distinctive leaf litter compositions increase signature PLFAs. In addition, we studied the impact of clay content, pH and nutrient status of the soil on the microbial community in different surface soil layers. Consequently, soil was sampled from depths of 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm. Plots with highest leaf litter diversity had the largest total amounts of fatty acids, but only PLFA 16:1ω5, which is a common marker for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, was significantly increased. In the uppermost soil layer, the pH explained most of the variance in microbial composition. In the deeper surface soil layers, nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus determined the microbial abundances and composition. Our results suggest that the soil microbial community is mainly indirectly influenced by aboveground diversity. Changes in soil pH or the soil nutrient status that are driven by specific plant traits like leave litter quality drive these indirect changes. Specific direct interactions are most reasonable for mycorrhizal fungi.     

土壤质地对秸秆分解的影响及其微生物机制

本研究以河南省封丘县的砂质、壤质、黏质潮土为对象,基于网袋秸秆埋设法,比较分析了经半年埋设后小麦和玉米秸秆分解速率变化,及基于磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)的微生物组成差异。结果表明:秸秆分解率在不同质地潮土间无显著性差异;残留秸秆中碳含量与原始秸秆相当,表明秸秆分解过程中碳按比例减少;但氮和磷含量显著增加,尤其在质地黏重的土壤处理中更为明显。经半年埋设,小麦和玉米秸秆中钾的释放比例分别高达99%和97%。PLFA结果显示,两种秸秆中的细菌、真菌、放线菌在砂、壤、黏土处理间无显著差异,表明影响秸秆分解的微生物生物量在不同土壤质地处理间相当,这可能是导致秸秆在不同质地潮土中分解率无显著差异的原因之一;但PCA分析表明,参与小麦和玉米秸秆分解的微生物种类有所不同,其差别主要与革兰氏阳性菌14:0、i14:0、3OH-16:0、i17:0,革兰氏阴性菌cy17:0以及放线菌10Me18:0有关。     

Response of soil microbial community and diversity to increasing water salinity and nitrogen fertilization rate in an arid soil

The scarcity of fresh water has forced farmers to use saline water (SW) for irrigation. It is important to understand the response of the soil microbial community and diversity to saline irrigation water. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of irrigation water salinity and nitrogen fertilization rates on soil physicochemical properties, microbial activity, microbial biomass, and microbial functional diversity. The field experiment consisted of a factorial design with three levels of irrigation water salinity (electrical conductivities (ECs) of 0.35, 4.61 or 8.04?dS?m^?1) and two nitrogen rates (0 and 360?kg?N?ha^?1). The results showed that the 4.61 and 8.04?dS?m^?1 treatments both reduced soil microbial biomass C (MBC), microbial biomass N (MBN), basal respiration, total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), bacterial PLFA, fungal PLFA, and fungal:bacterial ratios. In contrast, the SW treatments increased the MBC:MBN ratio. Nitrogen fertilization increased soil MBC, MBN, basal respiration, total PLFA, bacterial PLFA, and gram-negative bacterial PLFA. In contrast, N fertilization decreased gram-positive bacterial PLFA, fungal PLFA, and fungal:bacterial ratios. Average well color development, Richness, and Shannon's Index were always lowest in the 8.04?dS?m^?1 treatment. Carbon utilization patterns in the 8.04?dS?m^?1 treatment were different from those in the 0.35?dS?m^?1 treatment. In conclusion, five years of irrigation with brackish or SW reduced the soil microbial biomass, activity, and functional diversity, which may cause the deterioration of soil quality. Thus, the high-salinity water (EC?>?4.61?dS?m^?1) is not appropriate as a single irrigation water resource. Proper N fertilizer input may overcome some of the negative effects of salinity on soil microbial.     

Plant species richness leaves a legacy of enhanced root litter-induced decomposition in soil

Increasing plant species richness generally enhances plant biomass production, which may enhance accumulation of carbon (C) in soil. However, the net change in soil C also depends on the effect of plant diversity on C loss through decomposition of organic matter. Plant diversity can affect organic matter decomposition via changes in litter species diversity and composition, and via alteration of abiotic and/or biotic attributes of the soil (soil legacy effect). Previous studies examined the two effects on decomposition rates separately, and do therefore not elucidate the relative importance of the two effects, and their potential interaction. Here we separated the effects of litter mixing and litter identity from the soil legacy effect by conducting a factorial laboratory experiment where two fresh single root litters and their mixture were mixed with soils previously cultivated with single plant species or mixtures of two or four species. We found no evidence for litter-mixing effects. In contrast, root litter-induced CO₂ production was greater in soils from high diversity plots than in soils from monocultures, regardless of the type of root litter added. Soil microbial PLFA biomass and composition at the onset of the experiment was unaffected by plant species richness, whereas soil potential nitrogen (N) mineralization rate increased with plant species richness. Our results indicate that the soil legacy effect may be explained by changes in soil N availability. There was no effect of plant species richness on decomposition of a recalcitrant substrate (compost). This suggests that the soil legacy effect predominantly acted on the decomposition of labile organic matter. We thus demonstrated that plant species richness enhances root litter-induced soil respiration via a soil legacy effect but not via a litter-mixing effect. This implies that the positive impacts of species richness on soil C sequestration may be weakened by accelerated organic matter decomposition.     

Effect of N addition,moisture, and temperature on soil microbial respiration and microbial biomass in forest soil at different stages of litter decomposition

Purpose

The objective of the present study was to investigate the interactive effects of nitrogen (N) addition, temperature, and moisture on soil microbial respiration, microbial biomass, and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) at different decomposition stages of different tree leaf litters.

Materials and methods

A laboratory incubation experiment with and without litter addition was conducted for 80 days at two temperatures (15 and 25 °C), two wetting intensities (35 and 50 % water-filled porosity space (WFPS)) and two doses of N addition (0 and 4.5 g N m^?2, as NH₄NO₃). The tree leaf litters included three types of broadleaf litters, a needle litter, and a mixed litter of them. Soil microbial respiration, microbial biomass, and qCO₂ along with other soil properties were measured at two decomposition stages of tree leaf litters.

Results and discussion

The increase in soil cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux and microbial biomass during the incubation depended on types of tree leaf litters, N addition, and hydrothermal conditions. Soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and N and qCO₂ were significantly greater in all litter-amended than in non-amended soils. However, the difference in the qCO₂ became smaller during the late period of incubation, especially at 25 °C. The interactive effect of temperature with soil moisture and N addition was significant for affecting the cumulative litter-derived CO₂-C flux at the early and late stages of litter decomposition. Furthermore, the interactive effect of soil moisture and N addition was significant for affecting the cumulative CO₂ flux at the late stage of litter decomposition but not early in the experiment.

Conclusions

This present study indicated that the effects of addition of N and hydrothermal conditions on soil microbial respiration, qCO₂, and concentrations of labile C and N depended on types of tree leaf litters and the development of litter decomposition. The results highlight the importance of N availability and hydrothermal conditions in interactively regulating soil microbial respiration and microbial C utilization during litter decomposition under forest ecosystems.

     

Land-use intensification and agroforestry in the Kenyan highland: Impacts on soil microbial community composition and functional capacity

This study investigates microbial communities in soil from sites under different land use in Kenya. We sampled natural forest, forest plantations, agricultural fields of agroforestry farms, agricultural fields with traditional farming and eroded soil on the slopes of Mount Elgon, Kenya. We hypothesised that microbial decomposition capacity, biomass and diversity (1) decreases with intensified cultivation; and (2) can be restored by soil and land management in agroforestry. Functional capacity of soil microbial communities was estimated by degradation of 31 substrates on Biolog EcoPlates™. Microbial community composition and biomass were characterised by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and microbial C and N analyses. All 31 substrates were metabolised in all studied soil types, i.e. functional diversity did not differ. However, both the substrate utilisation rates and the microbial biomass decreased with intensification of land use, and the biomass was positively correlated with organic matter content. Multivariate analysis of PLFA and Biolog EcoPlate™ data showed clear differences between land uses, also indicated by different relative abundance of PLFA markers for certain microorganism groups. In conclusion, our results show that vegetation and land use control the substrate utilisation capacity and microbial community composition and that functional capacity of depleted soils can be restored by active soil management, e.g. forest plantation. However, although 20–30 years of agroforestry farming practises did result in improved soil microbiological and chemical conditions of agricultural soil as compared to traditional agricultural fields, the change was not statistically significant.     

Soil characteristics determine soil carbon and nitrogen availability during leaf litter decomposition regardless of litter quality

Climate and litter quality have been identified as major drivers of litter decomposition, but our knowledge of how soil characteristics (e.g. microbial community and chemical properties) determine carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) availability derived from the decomposition of litter of different qualities is still scarce. We conducted a microcosm experiment to evaluate how soils with contrasting microbial communities and soil properties (denoted Soils A and B hereafter, where Soil B has higher bacterial and fungal abundance, fungal:bacterial ratio, and organic C than Soil A) determine the availability of soil C (carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids and phenols) and N (dissolved organic and inorganic N, microbial biomass N and available N) during the decomposition of litter of contrasting quality (C:N ratios ranging from 20 to 102). We also evaluated the relative importance of soil characteristics and litter quality as drivers of C and N inputs to the soil during this process. Overall, higher soil C and N availability after litter decomposition was found in Soil B than in Soil A. Soil characteristics had a higher positive effect on soil C and N contents than litter quality during litter decomposition. We also found that changes in N availability and organic matter quality registered after litter decomposition, linked to different soil characteristics, were able to promote dissimilarities in the potential mineralization rates. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that soil characteristics (e.g. microbial communities and chemical properties) can be more important than litter quality in determining soil C and equally important for N availability during the decomposition of leaf litter.     

Chemical manipulation of soil biota in a fescue meadow

Formalin, phorate, and sodium chlorate were used in field enclosures to create artificial habitats in a fescue meadow containing (1) reduced number of earthworms, (2) reduced numbers of earthworms and soil arthropods, and (3) reduction of total soil fauna and rate of microbial decomposition. Under these conditions, confined fescue litter initially decomposed more rapidly where arthropods or earthworms were suppressed than in controls with full complements of soil animals. After one year, reduction in numbers of soil animals had no net effect on litter decomposition, with faunal activity apparently having been compensated for by increased microbial activity. Where animals and microbial activity were reduced, rate of litter loss was depressed initially but recovered after 10 months as the effects of chemical suppression of microbial populations subsided. Contrary to the effects on annual loss of litter, elimination of all or portions of the soil fauna depressed rates of loss of confined and buried roots, reflecting the role of animals in fragmenting roots before their decomposition by microorganisms.Habitat manipulations had pronounced effects on the mobility of ¹³⁴Cs, and loss of the radionuclide from labelled litter was retarded despite an accelerated rate of decomposition. This effect apparently was associated with proliferation of microorganisms on litter and microbial immobilization of the radionuclide. Immobilization of ¹³⁴Cs occurred following chemical perturbations, but only after an initial period of rapid loss resulting from increased microbial activity. Distribution of ¹³⁴Cs in soil beneath tagged litter bags reflected the role of animals in element redistribution within soil. Restricted vertical mobility of the nuclide occurred except where chemical application killed vegetation within the experimental enclosures.