夜间增温和施氮对川西亚高山针叶林土壤有效氮和微生物特性的短期影响

开展亚高山针叶林典型林地土壤有效氮和微生物特性对气候变化的响应研究, 对预测未来气候变化背景下亚高山针叶林生态系统C、N的源/汇功能具有重要意义。该文采用红外辐射加热器模拟增温结合外施氮肥的方法, 研究了川西亚高山针叶林下土壤化学特性、有效氮含量以及微生物生物量对夜间增温和施氮的短期响应。结果表明: 在模拟增温试验期间(2009年4月-2010年4月), 空气平均温度和5 cm土壤平均温度分别比对照提高了1.93和4.19 ℃, 增温幅度分别以夏季和冬季最为显著。增温对土壤pH值、有机碳、全氮和微生物生物量无显著影响。增温在试验前期降低了土壤NH₄ ⁺-N含量, 增加了NO₃ ^--N含量, 其影响程度随着增温时间的延长而下降。施氮显著增加了有效氮和微生物生物量氮, 降低了土壤pH值, 使土壤表现出明显的酸化现象。与单独的增温和施氮处理相比, 增温和施氮联合处理对林下土壤的有效氮和微生物特性有显著的交互作用, 显著增加了土壤的有机碳、有效氮及土壤微生物生物量氮含量, 并导致土壤进一步酸化。结果说明, 川西亚高山针叶林的土壤有效氮和微生物特性对土壤氮素状况的变化反应敏感, 而林下土壤有效氮和微生物特性对单独的温度升高表现出一定的适应性, 但更对增温和施氮双因素结合处理反应敏感且表现出不同的响应方式。因此, 该区域在未来全球变化下的氮沉降状况及气候变化的多因素协同效应值得长期深入的探讨。     

高山林线土壤微生物群落结构对模拟增温的响应

研究土壤微生物群落结构对模拟增温的响应,对预测全球气候变化背景下土壤碳氮磷循环具有重要意义.采用开顶式生长室(OTC)模拟增温,研究了土壤有机质层和矿质土壤层真菌(F)、细菌(B)、革兰氏阳性菌(G⁺)和革兰氏阴性菌(G^-)PLFAs微生物量,以及真菌/细菌(F/B)和革兰氏阴性菌/革兰氏阳性菌(G^-/G⁺)比值对模拟增温的响应.结果表明: OTC模拟增温使空气温度增加0.87 ℃,土壤有机质层温度增加0.5 ℃,矿质土壤层温度增加0.23 ℃.土壤有机质层微生物群落组成比矿质土壤层对模拟增温的响应更敏感.细菌比真菌对模拟增温的响应更加敏感,模拟增温显著影响了土壤有机质层的F/B和G^-/G⁺比值,对矿质土壤层的所有PLFAs含量或比值均没有显著影响.微生物的PLFAs含量及真菌/细菌和G^-/G⁺比值总体呈现非生长季低于生长季前期和生长季后期.冗余分析表明,土壤中的碳含量(可溶性有机碳DOC 12.1%、凋落物可溶性碳DC 9.5%和全碳TC 3%)是微生物群落结构的决定性因素,可溶性组分(DOC和DC)对微生物群落结构的影响大于全量养分(全碳和总氮).     

短期增温和增加降水对内蒙古荒漠草原土壤呼吸的影响

利用红外辐射增温装置模拟短期持续增温和降水增加交互作用对内蒙古荒漠草原土壤呼吸作用的影响, 结果表明: 土壤含水量对月土壤呼吸的影响显著大于土壤温度增加的影响, 生长旺季的月土壤呼吸显著大于生长末季; 土壤温度和水分增加都显著影响日土壤呼吸, 但二者的交互作用对土壤呼吸无显著影响。荒漠草原7‒8月平均土壤呼吸速率为1.35 μmol CO₂·m ^-2·s ^-1, 7月份为2.08 μmol CO₂·m ^-2·s ^-1, 8月份为0.63 μmol CO₂·m ^-2·s ^-1。土壤呼吸与地下各层根系生物量呈幂函数关系, 0‒10 cm土层的根系生物量对土壤呼吸的解释率(79.2%)明显高于10‒20 cm土层的解释率(31.6%)。0-10 cm土层的根系生物量是根系生物量的主体, 根系生物量对土壤呼吸的影响具有层次性。在未来全球变暖和降水格局变化的情景下, 荒漠草原土壤水分含量是影响生物量的主导环境因子, 而根系生物量的差异是造成土壤呼吸异质性的主要生物因素, 土壤含水量可通过影响根系生物量控制土壤呼吸的异质性。     

The response of soil respiration to different N compounds addition in a saline–alkaline grassland of northern China

不同形态氮化合物添加对中国北方盐渍化草地土壤呼吸的影响 持续增加的氮沉降在提高陆地生态系统生产力的同时也会对土壤微生物产生显著影响;土壤呼吸由植物根系呼吸和土壤微生物呼吸组成,因此影响植物生产力和微生物的因子都会影响到土壤呼吸。以往氮富集对土壤呼吸的研究主要在土壤中性的草地生态系统开展,而对于盐渍化草地土壤呼吸是如何响应氮沉降的研究尚不多见,这限制了全球变化陆地生态系统土壤呼吸模型预测的准确性和完整性。本研究以中国北方农牧交错带盐渍化草地为研究对象,通过3年(2017–2019年)野外监测土壤呼吸及相关生物和非生物因子的变化,探讨了不同形态氮化合物添加(NH₄NO₃、(NH₄)₂SO₄和NH₄HCO₃)对盐渍化草地土壤呼吸的影响及其调控机制。结果表明：(i)土壤呼吸受大气温度、土壤温度及降水的调控,呈现双峰的季节动态变化趋势和显著的年际差异。(ii)与对照相比,经过3年的处理,土壤呼吸在NH₄NO₃、(NH₄)₂SO₄和NH₄HCO₃添加处理下分别提高了19.9%、13.0%和16.6%。(iii)NH₄NO₃添加对土壤呼吸较高的促进作用与较高的地上生物量、地下生物量以及土壤NO₃⁻含量有关。(iv)在NH₄HCO₃ 添加处理下,土壤碳排放(土壤呼吸)显著增加而碳输入(净生产力)无显著改变,表明NH₄HCO₃添加会降低土壤碳的固持。(v)净地下生产力(BNPP)是盐渍化草地土壤呼吸的最主要调控因子,并且土壤阳离子浓度和pH值通过影响土壤微生物间接影响土壤呼吸。上述研究结果表明,草地添加NH₄NO₃的研究高估了氮沉降对土壤呼吸的影响,并且在碳循环预测模型中应充分考虑盐渍化草地土壤碳动态。     

模拟氮沉降对华西雨屏区撑绿杂交竹林土壤呼吸的影响

2008年1月至2009年2月,对华西雨屏区撑绿杂交竹（Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocala mopsi）人工林进行模拟氮沉降试验,氮沉降水平分别为对照(CK, 0 g N·m^-2·a^-1)、低氮(5 g N·m^-2·a^-1)、中氮(15 g N·m^-2·a^-1)和高氮(30 g N·m^-2·a^-1),采用红外CO₂分析法测定土壤呼吸速率.结果表明： 杂交竹林土壤呼吸呈明显的季节变化,7月最高,1月最低.对照样方土壤呼吸年累积量为(389±34) g C·m^-2·a^-1.土壤呼吸速率与10 cm土壤温度和气温呈极显著正指数关系,与微生物生物量碳、氮呈极显著正线性关系.模拟氮沉降显著促进了土壤呼吸,低氮、中氮处理与对照之间差异达显著水平,但高氮处理与对照之间差异不显著.自然状态下,杂交竹林土壤表层微生物生物量碳和氮分别为0.460和0.020 mg·g^-1,而所有氮处理中土壤微生物生物量碳和氮均显著增加.杂交竹林土壤表层(0～20 cm)细根密度为388 g·m^-2,模拟氮沉降对杂交竹林细根密度的影响不显著.基于土壤10 cm深度温度和空气温度计算的杂交竹林土壤呼吸Q₁₀值分别为2.66和1.87,短期模拟氮沉降并未显著影响土壤呼吸温度敏感性.杂交竹林土壤呼吸变异主要受温度和微生物生物量的控制,模拟氮沉降可能通过增加土壤微生物生物量促进了该系统土壤CO₂排放.     

氮添加对沙质草地微生物呼吸与根系呼吸的影响

土壤呼吸可以细化为根系呼吸和微生物呼吸,二者对氮添加的响应有所不同.本文以科尔沁沙质草地为研究对象,探讨氮添加对土壤CO₂排放的影响,并细化为微生物呼吸和根系呼吸的响应特征.结果表明: 在观测期(5—10月),土壤呼吸、微生物呼吸月动态均呈先升高后降低的趋势;微生物呼吸是土壤呼吸的主要贡献者,占82.6%;观测期内根系呼吸贡献率随月份而变化,根系呼吸贡献率两个峰值分别出现在5月(占49.4%)和8月(占41.9%),6个月的平均贡献率为17.4%;在10 ℃条件下,根系呼吸较微生物呼吸对氮添加的响应更为敏感,微生物呼吸速率在氮添加后降低了3.9%,而根系呼吸降低了17.7%;氮添加提高了土壤呼吸、微生物呼吸温度敏感性Q₁₀值,也提高了二者对土壤水分变化的敏感程度.     

长期模拟升温对崇明东滩湿地土壤微生物生物量的影响

以崇明东滩芦苇湿地为对象,采用开顶室生长箱(Open top chambers OTCs)原位模拟大气升温试验,研究了连续升温8a对崇明东滩湿地0—40cm土层土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量的影响。结果表明:连续升温显著提高了崇明东滩湿地土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量,从土壤表层到深层(0—10,10—20,20—30,30—40cm),微生物生物量碳分别增加了39.32%、70.79%、65.20%、74.09%,微生物生物量氮分别增加了66.46%、178.27%、47.24%、64.11%。但升温对土壤微生物生物量的影响因不同土层和不同季节并未表现出统一的规律,长期模拟升温显著提高4月0—20cm土层和7月0—40cm土层微生物生物量碳氮含量,对10月0—40cm土层微生物生物量碳含量没有影响,但是显著提高了10月0—40cm土层微生物生物量氮含量,同时,微生物生物量碳氮比在7月也显著提高。相关分析表明:无论在升温条件还是在对照条件下,土壤温度、含水量、总氮与土壤微生物生物量碳氮及微生物生物量碳氮比均无相关关系,升温条件下,有机碳与微生物生物量碳氮含量以及微生物生物量碳氮比呈显著正相关,但是在对照条件下有机碳与微生物生物量碳氮含量以及微生物生物量碳氮比呈显著负相关。因此,土壤有机碳是影响土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量对长期模拟升温响应的重要生态因子。     

有机肥氮投入比例对双季稻田根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物熵的影响

为探明不同有机肥氮素占总氮投入的百分比对双季稻区早、晚稻各生育时期稻田根际土壤微生物的影响,本研究以大田定位试验为平台,应用氯仿熏蒸-K₂SO₄提取法和化学分析法系统分析了施用化肥N(M₁)、30%有机肥N(M₂)、50%有机肥N(M₃)、100%有机肥N(M₄)和无N对照(M₀)5个不同施肥处理双季稻田根际土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、微生物生物量氮(MBN)和微生物熵的差异.结果表明: 在早稻和晚稻各主要生育时期,施肥措施均能提高稻田根际土壤MBC、MBN和微生物熵,各施肥处理根际土壤MBC、MBN和微生物熵均随水稻生育期推进呈先增加后降低的变化趋势,均于齐穗期达到最大值,成熟期为最低值;其中,各处理双季稻田根际土壤MBC、MBN、MBC/MBN值和微生物熵一般均表现为M₄＞M₃＞M₂＞M₁＞M₀,M₂、M₃和M₄处理间均无显著差异,但均显著高于M₀处理.可见,单独施用化肥措施对提高根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物熵效果有限,施用有机肥或有机无机肥配施提高根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物熵的效果较好.     

冻融变化对西南亚高山森林优势种云杉和华西箭竹根区土壤理化性质与酶活性的影响

西南亚高山森林是典型的季节性冻土区,为深入研究气候变暖背景下冻融循环变化对森林土壤环境的影响,该研究以西南亚高山森林乔木层与灌木层优势种云杉(Picea asperata)和华西箭竹(Fargesia nitida)根区土壤为研究对象,利用红外辐射加热器模拟气候变暖,研究增温对非生长季土壤冻融循环、土壤理化性质和酶活性的影响。在此基础上,开展室内培养实验,进一步验证冻融循环变化对土壤性质的影响。结果表明:(1)与对照小区比较,增温小区5cm和15cm土层温度分别升高2.85和2.13℃,冻结天数分别减少了60和32天,冻融循环次数分别由3次和1次降为0次。(2)增温增加了两物种根区土壤总氮(TN)、可溶性有机氮(DON)和微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量,但降低了土壤铵态氮(NH₄⁺-N)含量。土壤冻结天数、冻融循环次数与TN、DON含量显著负相关,与NH₄⁺-N含量显著正相关。(3)增温显著促进了两树种根区土壤N-乙酰-β-D-葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)活性,但显著抑制了脲酶(Ure)活性。土壤冻结天数、冻...     

增温施氮对高寒草甸生产力及生物量分配的影响

在青藏高原高寒草甸区设置模拟增温和氮添加处理,研究长期增温与外源氮输入对高寒草甸群落生产及其分配的影响.结果表明:开顶箱增温装置造成小环境暖干化,即显著提高地表空气温度1.6℃,提高表层土壤温度1.4℃,降低土壤含水量4.7%.2012、2013和2014年不施氮处理下增温分别降低地上生物量61.5%、108.8%和77.1%,在高氮(40和80kg N·hm^-2·a^-1)处理下增温对群落地上生物量无显著影响,这说明增温的影响依赖于氮添加水平,且施氮补偿了增温导致的土壤氮损失.增温导致根冠比增加,2012、2013和2014年不施氮处理下增温分别增加根冠比98.6%、60.7%和97.8%.在不增温处理下,植物群落地上、地下生物量的变化率均表现出低氮(10、20 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1)促进、高氮抑制的趋势,达到饱和阈值时的氮添加剂量分别为56.0和55.5 kg N·hm^-2·a^-1;而在增温处理下,地上、地下生物量随施氮量增加呈线性增加趋势.这说明增温改变了高寒草甸生物量分配对外源氮输入的响应模式,增温导致的土壤无机氮含量变化是生物量分配模式改变的主要原因.由氮添加试验估算的高寒草甸氮饱和阈值表明,高寒草甸对氮输入的敏感性高于其他类型草地.     

Contrasting above‐ and belowground organic matter decomposition and carbon and nitrogen dynamics in response to warming in High Arctic tundra

Tundra regions are projected to warm rapidly during the coming decades. The tundra biome holds the largest terrestrial carbon pool, largely contained in frozen permafrost soils. With warming, these permafrost soils may thaw and become available for microbial decomposition, potentially providing a positive feedback to global warming. Warming may directly stimulate microbial metabolism but may also indirectly stimulate organic matter turnover through increased plant productivity by soil priming from root exudates and accelerated litter turnover rates. Here, we assess the impacts of experimental warming on turnover rates of leaf litter, active layer soil and thawed permafrost sediment in two high‐arctic tundra heath sites in NE‐Greenland, either dominated by evergreen or deciduous shrubs. We incubated shrub leaf litter on the surface of control and warmed plots for 1 and 2 years. Active layer soil was collected from the plots to assess the effects of 8 years of field warming on soil carbon stocks. Finally, we incubated open cores filled with newly thawed permafrost soil for 2 years in the active layer of the same plots. After field incubation, we measured basal respiration rates of recovered thawed permafrost cores in the lab. Warming significantly reduced litter mass loss by 26% after 1 year incubation, but differences in litter mass loss among treatments disappeared after 2 years incubation. Warming also reduced litter nitrogen mineralization and decreased the litter carbon to nitrogen ratio. Active layer soil carbon stocks were reduced 15% by warming, while soil dissolved nitrogen was reduced by half in warmed plots. Warming had a positive legacy effect on carbon turnover rates in thawed permafrost cores, with 10% higher respiration rates measured in cores from warmed plots. These results demonstrate that warming may have contrasting effects on above‐ and belowground tundra carbon turnover, possibly governed by microbial resource availability.     

Belowground responses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea asperata</Emphasis> seedlings to warming and nitrogen fertilization in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

The impacts of global climatic change on belowground ecological processes of terrestrial ecosystems are still not clear. We therefore conducted an experiment in the subalpine coniferous forest ecosystem of the eastern edges of the Tibetan Plateau to study roots of Picea asperata seedlings and rhizosphere soil responses to soil warming and nitrogen availability from April 2007 to December 2008. The seedlings were subjected to two levels of temperature (ambient; infrared heater warming) and two nitrogen levels (0 or 25 g m⁻²year⁻¹ N). We used a free air temperature increase from an overhead infrared heater to raise both air and soil temperature by 2.1 and 2.6°C, respectively. The results showed that warming alone significantly increased total biomass, coarse root biomass and fine root biomass of P. asperata seedlings. Both total biomass and fine root biomass were increased, but coarse root biomass was significantly decreased by nitrogen fertilization and warming combined with nitrogen fertilization. Warming induced a prominent increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) and NO₃ ⁻-N of rhizosphere soil, while nitrogen fertilization significantly decreased SOC and NH₄ ⁺-N of rhizosphere soil. The warming, fertilization and warming × N fertilization interaction decreased soil microbial C significantly, but substantially increased soil microbial N. These results suggest that nitrogen deposition combined with warmer temperatures under future climatic change possibly will have no effect on fine root production of P. asperata seedlings, but could enhance the nitrification process of their rhizosphere soils in subalpine coniferous forests.     

Individual and interactive effects of warming and nitrogen supply on CO2 fluxes and carbon allocation in subarctic grassland

Climate warming has been suggested to impact high latitude grasslands severely, potentially causing considerable carbon (C) losses from soil. Warming can also stimulate nitrogen (N) turnover, but it is largely unclear whether and how altered N availability impacts belowground C dynamics. Even less is known about the individual and interactive effects of warming and N availability on the fate of recently photosynthesized C in soil. On a 10-year geothermal warming gradient in Iceland, we studied the effects of soil warming and N addition on CO₂ fluxes and the fate of recently photosynthesized C through CO₂ flux measurements and a ¹³CO₂ pulse-labeling experiment. Under warming, ecosystem respiration exceeded maximum gross primary productivity, causing increased net CO₂ emissions. N addition treatments revealed that, surprisingly, the plants in the warmed soil were N limited, which constrained primary productivity and decreased recently assimilated C in shoots and roots. In soil, microbes were increasingly C limited under warming and increased microbial uptake of recent C. Soil respiration was increased by warming and was fueled by increased belowground inputs and turnover of recently photosynthesized C. Our findings suggest that a decade of warming seemed to have induced a N limitation in plants and a C limitation by soil microbes. This caused a decrease in net ecosystem CO₂ uptake and accelerated the respiratory release of photosynthesized C, which decreased the C sequestration potential of the grassland. Our study highlights the importance of belowground C allocation and C-N interactions in the C dynamics of subarctic ecosystems in a warmer world.     

Responses of a rice–wheat rotation agroecosystem to experimental warming

Climate change is likely to affect agroecosystems in many ways. This study was performed to investigate how a rice–winter wheat rotation agroecosystem in southeast China would respond to global warming. By using an infrared heater system, the soil surface temperature was maintained about 1.5 °C above ambient milieu over 3 years. In the third growing season (2009–2010), the evapotranspiration (ET) rate, crop production, soil respiration, and soil carbon pool were monitored. The ET rate was 23 % higher in the warmed plot as compared to the control plot during the rice paddy growing season, and the rice grain yield was 16.3 % lower, but there was no significant difference in these parameters between the plots during the winter wheat-growing season. The phenology of the winter wheat shifted under experimental warming, and ET may decrease late in the winter wheat-growing season. Experimental warming significantly enhanced soil respiration, with mean annual soil respiration rates of 2.57 ± 0.17 and 1.96 ± 0.06 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 observed in the warmed and control plots, respectively. After 3 years of warming, a significant decrease in the total organic carbon was observed, but only in the surface soil (0–5 cm). Warming also stimulated the belowground biomass, which may have compensated for any heat-induced loss of soil organic carbon. Paddy rice seemed to be more vulnerable to warming than winter wheat in terms of water-use efficiency and grain production.     

秸秆还田与施肥对稻田土壤微生物生物量及固氮菌群落结构的影响

利用氯仿熏蒸法和变性梯度凝胶电泳法(PCR-DGGE)研究了秸秆覆盖还田与施肥对灰棕冲积水稻土0—10cm和10—20cm土层土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和固氮菌群落结构的影响。结果表明:土壤微生物量碳、氮和固氮菌多样性从0—10cm土层到10—20cm土层均呈现降低趋势。无秸秆覆盖处理(对照组)的土壤微生物生物量碳(SMB-C)和微生物生物量氮(SMB-N)量最小。在秸秆覆盖还田处理中,低氮和无钾处理的SMB-C和SMB-N都显著低于全量氮磷钾肥处理。虽然无磷处理的SMB-N低于全量氮磷钾处理,但差异不显著。说明秸秆覆盖还田配施充足氮磷钾肥能显著提高土壤微生物生物量碳、氮。由DGGE图谱多样性指数分析得知,配施充足氮磷钾肥的处理土壤的固氮菌多样性最丰富。UPGMA聚类分析显示,10种不同处理的聚类图也不同,对照(无秸秆)处理0—10cm和10—20cm的微生物不同于其它处理单独聚在了一个群里。DGGE条带测序得知,14个条带的近缘种大部分为非培养细菌nifH基因片段,主要优势菌群其归属于变形菌门(Proteobacteria)的β-变形菌纲(Betaproteobacteria)。应用PCR-DGGE技术可以解释灰棕冲积水稻土秸秆覆盖不同肥料用量固氮菌分子群落结构特点。     

Differential effects of warming and nitrogen fertilization on soil respiration and microbial dynamics in switchgrass croplands

The mechanistic understanding of warming and nitrogen (N) fertilization, alone or in combination, on microbially mediated decomposition is limited. In this study, soil samples were collected from previously harvested switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) plots that had been treated with high N fertilizer (HN: 67 kg N ha^?1) and those that had received no N fertilizer (NN) over a 3‐year period. The samples were incubated for 180 days at 15 °C and 20 °C, during which heterotrophic respiration, δ¹³C of CO₂, microbial biomass (MB), specific soil respiration rate (R_s: respiration per unit of microbial biomass), and exoenzyme activities were quantified at 10 different collections time. Employing switchgrass tissues (referred to as litter) with naturally abundant ¹³C allowed us to partition CO₂ respiration derived from soil and amended litter. Cumulative soil respiration increased significantly by 16.4% and 4.2% under warming and N fertilization, respectively. Respiration derived from soil was elevated significantly with warming, while oxidase, the agent for recalcitrant soil substrate decomposition, was not significantly affected by warming. Warming, however, significantly enhanced MB and R_s indicating a decrease in microbial growth efficiency (MGE). On the contrary, respiration derived from amended litter was elevated with N fertilization, which was consistent with the significantly elevated hydrolase. N fertilization, however, had little effect on MB and R_s, suggesting little change in microbial physiology. Temperature and N fertilization showed minimal interactive effects likely due to little differences in soil N availability between NN and HN samples, which is partly attributable to switchgrass biomass N accumulation (equivalent to ~53% of fertilizer N). Overall, the differential individual effects of warming and N fertilization may be driven by physiological adaptation and stimulated exoenzyme kinetics, respectively. The study shed insights on distinct microbial acquisition of different substrates under global temperature increase and N enrichment.     

Does long-term soil warming affect microbial element limitation? A test by short-term assays of microbial growth responses to labile C,N and P additions

Increasing global temperatures have been reported to accelerate soil carbon (C) cycling, but also to promote nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. However, warming can differentially affect ecosystem C, N and P dynamics, potentially intensifying elemental imbalances between soil resources, plants and soil microorganisms. Here, we investigated the effect of long-term soil warming on microbial resource limitation, based on measurements of microbial growth (¹⁸O incorporation into DNA) and respiration after C, N and P amendments. Soil samples were taken from two soil depths (0–10, 10–20 cm) in control and warmed (>14 years warming, +4°C) plots in the Achenkirch soil warming experiment. Soils were amended with combinations of glucose-C, inorganic/organic N and inorganic/organic P in a full factorial design, followed by incubation at their respective mean field temperatures for 24 h. Soil microbes were generally C-limited, exhibiting 1.8-fold to 8.8-fold increases in microbial growth upon C addition. Warming consistently caused soil microorganisms to shift from being predominately C limited to become C-P co-limited. This P limitation possibly was due to increased abiotic P immobilization in warmed soils. Microbes further showed stronger growth stimulation under combined glucose and inorganic nutrient amendments compared to organic nutrient additions. This may be related to a prolonged lag phase in organic N (glucosamine) mineralization and utilization compared to glucose. Soil respiration strongly positively responded to all kinds of glucose-C amendments, while responses of microbial growth were less pronounced in many of these treatments. This highlights that respiration–though easy and cheap to measure—is not a good substitute of growth when assessing microbial element limitation. Overall, we demonstrate a significant shift in microbial element limitation in warmed soils, from C to C-P co-limitation, with strong repercussions on the linkage between soil C, N and P cycles under long-term warming.     

Soil warming alters microbial substrate use in alpine soils

Will warming lead to an increased use of older soil organic carbon (SOC) by microbial communities, thereby inducing C losses from C‐rich alpine soils? We studied soil microbial community composition, activity, and substrate use after 3 and 4 years of soil warming (+4 °C, 2007–2010) at the alpine treeline in Switzerland. The warming experiment was nested in a free air CO₂ enrichment experiment using depleted ¹³CO₂ (δ¹³C = ?30‰, 2001–2009). We traced this depleted ¹³C label in phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) of the organic layer (0–5 cm soil depth) and in C mineralized from root‐free soils to distinguish substrate ages used by soil microorganisms: fixed before 2001 (‘old’), from 2001 to 2009 (‘new’) or in 2010 (‘recent’). Warming induced a sustained stimulation of soil respiration (+38%) without decline in mineralizable SOC. PLFA concentrations did not reveal changes in microbial community composition due to soil warming, but soil microbial metabolic activity was stimulated (+66%). Warming decreased the amount of new and recent C in the fungal biomarker 18:2ω6,9 and the amount of new C mineralized from root‐free soils, implying a shift in microbial substrate use toward a greater use of old SOC. This shift in substrate use could indicate an imbalance between C inputs and outputs, which could eventually decrease SOC storage in this alpine ecosystem.     

Effects of long-term experimental warming on plants and soil microbes in a cool temperate semi-natural grassland in Japan

To clarify the effects of long-term warming on ecosystem matter cycling, we conducted an in situ 7-year experimental warming (2009–2015) using infrared heaters in a cool temperate semi-natural grassland in Japan. We measured plant aboveground biomass, soil total C and N, soil inorganic N (NH₄ ⁺-N and NO₃ ^?-N), and soil microbial biomass for 7 years (2009–2015). We also measured heterotrophic respiration for 2 years (2013–2014) and assessed net N mineralization and nitrification in 2015. We found that warming immediately increased plant aboveground biomass, but this effect ceased in 2013. However, the soil microbial biomass was continuously depressed by warming. Soil inorganic N concentrations in warmed plots substantially increased in the later years of the experiment (2013–2015) and the potential net N mineralization rate was also higher than in the earlier years. In contrast, heterotrophic respiration decreased with warming in 2013–2014. Our observations indicate that long-term warming has a contrasting effect on plants and soil microbes. In addition, the warming could have different effects on subterranean C and N cycling. To enhance the accuracy of estimation of future climate change, it is essential to continuously observe the warming effects on ecosystems and to focus on the change in subterranean C and N cycling.