Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in a low-latitude forest ecosystem varies by season and habitat but is unaffected by experimental warming

Experimental warming of forest ecosystems typically stimulates soil respiration (CO₂ efflux), but most warming experiments have been conducted in northern latitudes (>?40°N) with relatively young soils. We quantified the influence of experimental warming on soil respiration (R_T) in two adjacent forest habitats—a mature, closed canopy forest and a gap where trees were manually removed— on highly-weathered Ultisols of the southeastern U.S. (33°N). Using temperature variation, both natural and induced by experimental warming, we also quantified the temperature sensitivity of R_T, defined as the activation energy, E_A in the Arrhenius equation. Experimental warming (either + 3 °C or + 5 °C above ambient) did not significantly increase soil respiration rate or cumulative CO₂ loss over the 3 years of the experiment, and did not influence the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, once the influence of natural temperature variation was taken into consideration. Despite the absence of an experimental warming effect, we observed that E_A varied on monthly time scales, and varied differently in each habitat. Soil moisture and habitat also influenced R_T, but the effects were not consistent, and varied by month. Our results suggest that although R_T does depend on temperature, the sensitivity of R_T to temperature variation is influenced primarily by factors like microclimate and plant phenology that can change on relatively short (<?monthly) time scales. Thus, using the temperature sensitivity of R_T to predict future CO₂ losses due to warming is only reasonable if monthly variation in E_A is incorporated into models for lower-latitude subtropical ecosystems with highly weathered soils, such as those in this study. Finally, our results suggest that higher temperatures may not enhance R_T in highly-weathered, C-poor soils to the extent that has been reported in prior studies of high-latitude soils, which may constrain ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges and feedbacks to the climate system.     

Responses of Soil,Heterotrophic, and Autotrophic Respiration to Experimental Open-Field Soil Warming in a Cool-Temperate Deciduous Forest

How global warming will affect soil respiration (R _S) and its source components is poorly understood despite its importance for accurate prediction of global carbon (C) cycles. We examined the responses of R _S, heterotrophic respiration (R _H), autotrophic respiration (R _A), nitrogen (N) availability, and fine-root biomass to increased temperature in an open-field soil warming experiment. The experiment was conducted in a cool-temperate deciduous forest ecosystem in northern Japan. As this forest is subjected to strong temporal variation in temperature, on scales ranging from daily to seasonal, we also investigated the temporal variation in the effects of soil warming on R _S, R _H, and R _A. Soil temperature was continuously elevated by about 4.0°C from 2007 to 2014 using heating wires buried in the soil, and we measured soil respiratory processes in all four seasons from 2012 to 2014. Soil warming increased annual R _S by 32–45%, but the magnitude of the increase was different between the components: R _H and R _A were also stimulated, and increased by 39–41 and 17–18%, respectively. Soil N availability during the growing season and fine-root biomass were not remarkably affected by the warming treatment. We found that the warming effects varied seasonally. R _H increased significantly throughout the year, but the warming effect showed remarkable seasonal differences, with the maximum stimulation in the spring. This suggests that warmer spring temperature will produce a greater increase in CO₂ release than warmer summer temperatures. In addition, we found that soil warming reduced the temperature sensitivity (Q ₁₀) of R _S. Although the Q ₁₀ of both R _H and R _A tended to be reduced, the decrease in the Q ₁₀ of R _S was caused mainly by a decrease in the response of R _A to warming. These long-term results indicate that a balance between the rapid and large response of soil microbes and the acclimation of plant roots both play important roles in determining the response of R _S to soil warming, and must be carefully considered to predict the responses of soil C dynamics under future temperature conditions.     

Impacts of nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing tree species on soil respiration and microbial community composition during forest management in subtropical China

Forest management with N-fixing trees can improve soil fertility and tree productivity, but have little information regarding belowground carbon processes and microbial properties. We aimed to evaluate the effects of three forest management regimes, which were Erythrophleum fordii (N-fixing tree), Pinus massoniana (non-N-fixing tree), and their mixed forest, on soil respiration and microbial community composition in subtropical China, using Barometric Process Separation and phospholipid fatty acid profiles, respectively. We found that the inclusions of N-fixing species in forests significantly increased the soil respiration, but have no effects on SOC and ecosystem total C stock. In addition, soil microbial communities were obviously different among the three forest management regimes. For instance, total and bacterial PLFAs were higher in the E. fordii and mixed forest than in the P. massoniana forest. Conversely, fungal PLFAs in the P. massoniana forest were elevated versus the other two forests. Soil total N, nitrate-N and pH were the key determinants shaping the microbial community composition. Our study suggests that variations in soil respiration in the studied forests could be primarily explained by the differences of root biomass and soil microbial biomass, but not soil organic carbon. Although soil fertility and microbial biomass were promoted, N-fixing plantings also brought on increased CO₂ emissions in laboratory assays. The future decision of tree species selection for forest management in subtropical China therefore needs to consider the potential influences of tree species on CO₂ emissions.     

Potential effects of warming on soil respiration and carbon sequestration in a subtropical forest

Aims

Subtropical ecosystems are receiving unprecedented changes in temperature as a consequence of anthropogenic activities, which potentially affects soil respiration (R _s) and carbon (C) sequestration. Due to the large amounts of C store and cycle in subtropical forests, investigations about how R _s and C sequestration respond to warming will be critical for our understanding of future global-scale climate and biogeochemical cycling.

Methods

In this study, we transferred soil samples and plant seedlings collected from a mixed forest to the growth chambers in two sites (300 m and 30 m a.s.l.), which induced an artificial warming of ca. 1 °C between the two corresponding forest mesocosms. We tested whether the modification of abiotic factors induced by the downward translocation could alter R _s and soil C sequestration. We also investigated the effects on the biotic factors by including root biomass and soil microbial biomass.

Results

Our results showed that R _s was greater in the warm site than in the control site, which were related to the higher aboveground biomass, litterfall and root biomass. R _s showed a significantly positive exponential relationship with soil temperature. The downward translocation tended to decrease soil C sequestration, which was attributed to the decreased C use efficiency of soil microorganisms and increased root growth under downward translocation.

Conclusion

R _s responded strongly to downward translocation, suggesting that climate warming exacerbated R _s and tended to reduce soil C sequestration. The ability of subtropical forests to act as CO₂ sink may be reduced under climate warming.

     

Soil pH and electrical conductivity are key edaphic factors shaping bacterial communities of greenhouse soils in Korea

Soil microorganisms play an essential role in soil ecosystem processes such as organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and plant nutrient availability. The land use for greenhouse cultivation has been increasing continuously, which involves an intensive input of agricultural materials to enhance productivity; however, relatively little is known about bacterial communities in greenhouse soils. To assess the effects of environmental factors on the soil bacterial diversity and community composition, a total of 187 greenhouse soil samples collected across Korea were subjected to bacterial 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analysis. A total of 11,865 operational taxonomic units at a 97% similarity cutoff level were detected from 847,560 sequences. Among nine soil factors evaluated; pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺), available P₂O₅, organic matter, and NO₃-N, soil pH was most strongly correlated with bacterial richness (polynomial regression, pH: R² = 0.1683, P < 0.001) and diversity (pH: R² = 0.1765, P < 0.001). Community dissimilarities (Bray-Curtis distance) were positively correlated with Euclidean distance for pH and EC (Mantel test, pH: r = 0.2672, P < 0.001; EC: r = 0.1473, P < 0.001). Among dominant phyla (> 1%), the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetes were also more strongly correlated with pH and EC values, compared with other soil cation contents, such as Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺. Our results suggest that, despite the heterogeneity of various environmental variables, the bacterial communities of the intensively cultivated greenhouse soils were particularly influenced by soil pH and EC. These findings therefore shed light on the soil microbial ecology of greenhouse cultivation, which should be helpful for devising effective management strategies to enhance soil microbial diversity and improving crop productivity.     

Structure of microbial communities of peat soils in two bogs in Siberian tundra and forest zones

The structure and functional activity of microbial complexes of a forest oligo-mesotrophic subshrub- grass-moss bog (OMB, Central Evenkiya) and a subshrub-sedge bog in the polygonal tundra (PB, Lena River Delta Samoylovsky Island) was studied. Soil of the forest bog (OMB) differed from that of the polygonal tundra bog (PB) in higher productivity (C_org, N_total, P, and K reserves), higher biomass of aerobic chemoorganotrophs (2.0 to 2.6 times), and twice the level of available organic matter. The contribution of microorganisms to the carbon pool was different, with the share of C_mic in C_org 1.4 to 2.5 times higher in PB compared to OMB. Qualitative composition of the methane cycle microorganisms in PB and OMB soils differed significantly. Methanogenic archaea (Euryarchaeota) in the shrub-sedge PB of tundra were more numerous and diverse than in the oligo-mesotrophic bog (OMB) and belonged to six families (Methanomassiliicoccaceae, Methanoregulaceae, Methanobacteriaceae, Methanomicrobiaceaee, Methanosarcinaceae, and Methanotrichaceae), while members of only four families (Methanosarcinacea, Methanobacteriaceae, Methanotrichaceae, and Methanomassiliicoccaceae) were revealed in OMB. In both bogs, methane-oxidizing bacteria belonged to Alphaproteobacteria (II) and Gammaproteobacteria (I). Methanotroph diversity was higher in OMB than in PB. Microbial communities of PB soils had higher potential activity of methanogenesis and methanotrophy compared to those of OMB. Methanogenic and methanotrophic activities in PB were 20 and 2.3 times higher, respectively, than in OMB.     

Different Response Patterns of Soil Respiration to a Nitrogen Addition Gradient in Four Types of Land-Use on an Alluvial Island in China

It has been well documented that nitrogen (N) additions significantly affect soil respiration (R _s) and its components [that is, autotrophic (R _a) and heterotrophic respiration (R _h)] in terrestrial ecosystems. These N-induced effects largely result from changes in plant growth, soil properties (for example, pH), and/ or microbial community. However, how R _s and its components respond to N addition gradients from low to high fertilizer application rates and what the differences are in diverse land-use types remain unclear. In our study, a field experiment was conducted to examine response patterns of R _s to a N addition gradient at four levels (0, 15, 30, and 45 g N m^?2 y^?1) in four types of land-use (paddy rice–wheat and maize–wheat croplands, an abandoned field grassland, and a Metasequoia plantation) from December 2012 to September 2014 in eastern China. Our results showed that N addition significantly stimulated R _s in all four land-use types and R _h in croplands (paddy rice–wheat and maize–wheat). R _s increased linearly with N addition rates in croplands and the plantation, whereas in grassland, it exhibited a parabolic response to N addition rates with the highest values at the moderate N level in spite of the homogeneous matrix for all four land-use types. This suggested higher response thresholds of R _s to the N addition gradient in croplands and the plantation. During the wheat-growing season in the two croplands, R _h also displayed linear increases with rising N addition rates. Interestingly, N addition significantly decreased the apparent temperature sensitivity of R _s and increased basal R _s. The different response patterns of R _s to the N addition gradient in diverse land-use types with a similar soil matrix indicate that vegetation type is very important in regulating terrestrial C cycle feedback to climate change under N deposition.     

Effect of emissions from a Copper-Nickel Smelter on soil microbial communities in forest biogeocenoses of the Kola Peninsula

The effect of industrial pollution with emissions from the Severonikel Copper-Nickel Smelter (CNS) on soil microbial communities of forest biogeocenoses has been studied taking into account their relative location under tree crowns (near the stem, in the undercrown area, or under gaps in the canopy). The results show that increasing technogenic pollution results in a significant decrease in the microbial biomass, basal respiration, and maximum specific growth rate, as well as in dominance of K-strategists in the microbial communities of polluted soils. The effect of location under the crown, compared to the intercrown area, manifests itself in dominance of rapidly growing microorganisms with the r-strategy. However, emissions from the CNS inhibit the growth of r-strategists, and the location-dependent differences between microbial communities are leveled off in areas with the highest pollution level.     

Forest fire may disrupt plant–microbial feedbacks

Plant–microbial feedbacks are important drivers of plant community structure and dynamics. These feedbacks are driven by the variable modification of soil microbial communities by different plant species. However, other factors besides plant species can influence soil communities and potentially interact with plant–microbial feedbacks. We tested for plant–microbial feedbacks in two Eucalyptus species, E. globulus and E. obliqua, and the influence of forest fire on these feedbacks. We collected soils from beneath mature trees of both species within native forest stands on the Forestier Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia, that had or had not been burnt by a recent forest fire. These soils were subsequently used to inoculate seedlings of both species in a glasshouse experiment. We hypothesized that (i) eucalypt seedlings would respond differently to inoculation with conspecific versus heterospecific soils (i.e., exhibit plant–microbial feedbacks) and (ii) these feedbacks would be removed by forest fire. For each species, linear mixed effects models tested for differences in seedling survival and biomass in response to inoculation with conspecific versus heterospecific soils that had been collected from either unburnt or burnt stands. Eucalyptus globulus displayed a response consistent with a positive plant–microbial feedback, where seedlings performed better when inoculated with conspecific versus heterospecific soils. However, this effect was only present when seedlings were inoculated with unburnt soils, suggesting that fire removed the positive effect of E. globulus inoculum. These findings show that external environmental factors can interact with plant–microbial feedbacks, with possible implications for plant community structure and dynamics.     

Invasive plants decrease microbial capacity to nitrify and denitrify compared to native California grassland communities

Exotic plant invasions are a major driver of global environmental change that can significantly alter the availability of limiting nutrients such as nitrogen (N). Beginning with European colonization of California, native grasslands were replaced almost entirely by annual exotic grasses, many of which are now so ubiquitous that they are considered part of the regional flora (“naturalized”). A new wave of invasive plants, such as Aegilops triuncialis (Barb goatgrass) and Elymus caput-medusae (Medusahead), continue to spread throughout the state today. To determine whether these new-wave invasive plants alter soil N dynamics, we measured inorganic N pools, nitrification and denitrification potentials, and possible mediating factors such as microbial biomass and soil pH in experimental grasslands comprised of A. triuncialis and E. caput-medusae. We compared these measurements with those from experimental grasslands containing: (1) native annuals and perennials and (2) naturalized exotic annuals. We found that A. triuncialis and E. caput-medusae significantly reduced ion-exchange resin estimates of nitrate (NO₃ ^?) availability as well as nitrification and denitrification potentials compared to native communities. Active microbial biomass was also lower in invaded soils. In contrast, potential measurements of nitrification and denitrification were similar between invaded and naturalized communities. These results suggest that invasion by A. triuncialis and E. caput-medusae may significantly alter the capacity for soil microbial communities to nitrify or denitrify, and by extension alter soil N availability and rates of N transformations during invasion of remnant native-dominated sites.     

Soil nutrients and microbial biomass in three contrasting Mediterranean forests

Aims

The extent to which the spatial and temporal patterns of soil microbial and available nutrient pools hold across different Mediterranean forest types is unclear impeding the generalization needed to consolidate our understanding on Mediterranean ecosystems functioning.

Methods

We explored the response of soil microbial, total, organic and inorganic extractable nutrient pools (C, N and P) to common sources of variability, namely habitat (tree cover), soil depth and season (summer drought), in three contrasting Mediterranean forest types: a Quercus ilex open woodland, a mixed Q. suber and Q. canariensis woodland and a Pinus sylvestris forest.

Results

Soil microbial and available nutrient pools were larger beneath tree cover than in open areas in both oak woodlands whereas the opposite trend was found in the pine forest. The greatest differences in soil properties between habitat types were found in the open woodland. Season (drought effect) was the main driver of variability in the pine forest and was related to a loss of microbial nutrients (up to 75 % loss of N_mic and P_mic) and an increase in microbial ratios (C_mic/N_mic, C_mic/P_mic) from Spring to Summer in all sites. Nutrient pools consistently decreased with soil depth, with microbial C, N and P in the top soil being up to 208 %, 215 % and 274 % larger than in the deeper soil respectively.

Conclusions

Similar patterns of variation emerged in relation to season and soil depth across the three forest types whereas the direction and magnitude of the habitat (tree cover) effect was site-dependent, possibly related to the differences in tree species composition and forest structure, and thus in the quality and distribution of the litter input.     

Temperature Responses of Photosynthesis and Respiration of Maize (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zea mays</Emphasis>) Plants to Experimental Warming

Understanding the key processes and mechanisms of photosynthetic and respiratory acclimation of maize (Zea mays L.) plants in response to experimental warming may further shed lights on the changes in the carbon exchange and Net Primary Production (NPP) of agricultural ecosystem in a warmer climate regime. In the current study, we examined the temperature responses and sensitivity of foliar photosynthesis and respiration for exploring the mechanisms of thermal acclimation associated with physiological and biochemical processes in the North China Plain (NCP) with a field manipulative warming experiment. We found that thermal acclimation of A_n as evidenced by the upward shift of A_n-T was determined by the maximum velocity of Rubisco carboxylation (V_cmax), the maximum rate of electron transport (J_max), and the stomatal- regulated CO₂ diffusion process (g_s), while the balance between respiration and photosynthesis (R_d/A_g), and/or regeneration of RuBP and the Rubisco carboxylation (J_max/V_cmax) barely affected the thermal acclimation of A_n. We also found that the temperature response and sensitivity of R_d was closely associated with the changes in foliar N concentration induced by warming. These results suggest that the leaf-level thermal acclimation of photosynthesis and respiration may mitigate or even offset the negative impacts on maize from future climate warming, which should be considered to improve the accuracy of process-based ecosystem models under future climate warming.     

Fungal to bacterial biomass ratio in the forests soil profile

The carbon content in microbial biomass (C_mic-MB) was determined in various horizons of the soil profile (sod-podzo, gray, podzol, and rzhavozem) of various forests (oak, spruce archangel, spruce moss, aspen, spruce broadleaf) in the southern taiga of European Russia (Moscow and Kaluga regions) by the substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and direct microscopy (DM) methods. The fungi-to-bacteria ratio was measured by the selective inhibition technique and DM. A quantitative differentiation of the fungal mycelium was suggested. The C_mic-DM / C_mic-SIR in various horizons of the soil profile was about 98%. The fungal contribution to MB was 52–74% and 92–99% according to the SIR and DM methods, respectively. The microbial parameters were associated with the CO₂ and N₂O production by the soils. The contradictory data about the fungal portion in the MB of soils of various ecosystems were discussed.     

Sap flow of the southern conifer, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agathis australis</Emphasis> during wet and dry summers

Key message

Analysis of sap flux density during drought suggests that the large sapwood and rooting volumes of larger trees provide a buffer against drying soil.

Abstract

The southern conifer Agathis australis is amongst the largest and longest-lived trees in the world. We measured sap flux densities (F _d) in kauri trees with a DBH range of 20–176 cm to explore differences in responses of trees of different sizes to seasonal conditions and summer drought. F _d was consistently higher in larger trees than smaller trees. Peak F _d was 20 and 8 g m^?2 s^?1 for trees of diameters of 176 and 20 cm, respectively, during the wet summer. Multiple regression analysis revealed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and vapour pressure deficit (D) were the main drivers of F _d. During drought, larger trees were more responsive to D whilst smaller trees were more responsive to soil drying. Our largest tree had a sapwood area of 3,600 cm². Preliminary analysis suggests stem water storage provides a buffer against drying soil in larger trees. Furthermore, F _d of smaller trees had higher R ² values for soil moisture at 30 and 60 cm depth than soil moisture at 10 cm depth (R ² = 0.68–0.97 and 0.55–0.67, respectively) suggesting that deeper soil moisture is more important for these trees. Larger trees did not show a relationship between F _d and soil moisture, suggesting they were accessing soil water deeper than 60 cm. These results suggest that larger trees may be better prepared for increasing frequency and intensity of summer droughts due to deeper roots and/or larger stem water storage capacity.

     

Context-dependent tree species effects on soil nitrogen transformations and related microbial functional genes

Although it is generally accepted that tree species can influence nutrient cycling processes in soils, effects are not consistently found, nor are the mechanisms behind tree species effects well understood. Our objectives were to gain insights into the mechanism(s) underlying the effects of tree species on soil nitrogen cycling processes, and to determine the consistency of tree species effects across sites. We compared N cycling in soils beneath six tree species (ash, sycamore maple, lime, beech, pedunculate oak, Norway spruce) in common garden experiments planted 42 years earlier at three sites in Denmark with distinct land-use histories (forest and agriculture). We measured: (1) net and gross rates of N transformations using the ¹⁵N isotope pool-dilution method, (2) soil microbial community composition through qPCR of fungal ITS, bacterial and archaeal 16S, and (3) abundance of functional genes associated with N cycling processes—for nitrification the archaeal and bacterial ammonia-monooxygenase genes (amoA AOA and amoA AOB, respectively) and for denitrification, the nitrate reductase genes nirK and nirS. Carbon concentrations were higher in soils under spruce than under broadleaves, so N transformation rates were standardized per g soil C. Soil NH₄⁺ parameters (gross ammonification, gross NH₄⁺ consumption, net ammonification (net immobilization in this case), and NH₄⁺ concentrations, per g C) were all lowest in soils under spruce. Soils under spruce also had the lowest gene abundance of bacteria, bacterial:fungal ratio, denitrifying microorganisms, ammonia-oxidizing archaea and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Differences in N-cycling processes and organisms among the five broadleaf species were smaller. The ‘spruce effect’ on soil microbes and N transformations appeared to be driven by its acidifying effect on soil and tighter N cycling, which occurred at the previously forested sites but not at the previously agricultural site. We conclude that existing characteristics of soils, including those resulting from previous land use, mediate the effects of tree species on the soil microbial communities and activities that determine rates of N-cycling processes.     

Soil-borne seed pathogens: contributors to the naturalization gauntlet in Pacific Northwest (USA) forest and steppe communities?

Soil-borne seed pathogens are omnipresent but are often overlooked components of a community’s biotic resistance to plant naturalization and invasion. Using multi-year greenhouse experiments, we compared the seed mortality of single invasive, naturalized, and native grass species in sterilized and unsterilized soils collected from Pacific Northwest (USA) steppe and forest communities. Native Pseudoroegneria spicata displayed the greatest seed mortality, naturalized Secale cereale displayed intermediate seed mortality, and invasive Bromus tectorum was least affected by soil pathogens. Seed mortality across all three species was consistently greater in soils collected from steppe than soils collected from forest; seeds sown into sterilized steppe soil experienced half the overall seed mortality compared to seeds sown into unsterilized steppe soil. Soil sterilization did not affect grass seed mortality in forest soils. We conclude that (1) removing soil-borne pathogens with sterilization does increase native and non-native grass seed survival, and (2) soil-borne pathogens may influence whether an introduced species becomes invasive or naturalized within these Pacific Northwest communities as a result of differential seed survival. Soil-borne pathogens in these communities, however, have the greatest negative effect on the survival of native grass seeds, suggesting that the native microbial soil flora more effectively attack seeds of native plants than seeds of non-native species.     

Gross Nitrogen Turnover of Natural and Managed Tropical Ecosystems at Mt. Kilimanjaro,Tanzania

In our study at Mt. Kilimanjaro, East Africa, we quantified gross rates of ammonification, nitrification, nitrogen immobilization, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in soils across different land uses, climate zones (savanna, montane forest ecosystems, extensive agroforest homegarden, and intensively managed coffee plantation), and seasons (dry, wet, and transition from dry to wet season) to identify if and to what extent conversion of natural ecosystems to cultivated land has affected key soil microbial nitrogen turnover processes. Overall variation of gross soil nitrogen turnover rates across different ecosystems was more pronounced than seasonal variations, with the highest turnover rates occurring at the transition between dry and wet seasons. Nitrogen production and immobilization rates positively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations as well as substrate availability of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen r > 0.67, P < 0.05), but did not correlate with soil ammonium and nitrate concentrations. Soil nitrogen turnover rates were highest in the montane Ocotea forest (ammonification 29.84, nitrification 12.67, NH₄ ⁺ immobilization 38.92, NO₃ ^? immobilization 10.74, and DNRA 1.54 µg N g^?1 SDW d^?1) and progressively decreased with decreasing annual rainfall and increasing land-use intensity. Using indicators of N retention and characteristics of soil nutrient status, we observed a grouping of faster, but tighter N cycling in the (semi-) natural savanna and Ocotea forest. This contrasted with a more open N cycle in managed systems (the homegarden and coffee plantation) where N was more prone to leaching or gaseous losses due to high nitrate production rates. The partly disturbed (selected logging) lower montane forest ranged between these two groups.     

Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus ponderosa</Emphasis> afforestation on soilborne <Emphasis Type="Italic">Frankia</Emphasis> and saprophytic Actinobacteria in Northwest Patagonia,Argentina

Large areas in the extra-Andean region in the forest - steppe ecotone in “Northwestern Argentinean Patagonia” have been replaced by plantations of the exotic conifer Pinus ponderosa which modify soils physical and chemical factors and alter the biodiversity. Considering that in the region occur saprophytic soilborne actinobacteria that play important role as the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) in symbiosis with native plant species and the production of bioactive molecules in plants rhizosphere, we aimed to study the effect of the plantation on the abundance of the N₂ fixer Frankia and on the genus diversity of cultivable rhizospheric actinobacteria. The study was performed with soils of six paired sites with pine plantations and natural neighbor areas (including steppes or shrublands). Abundance of infective Frankia was estimated by evaluating the nodulation capacity of soils, through a plant bioassay using Ochetophila trinervis as trap plant. Isolation trials for saprophytic actinobacteria were performed by applying chemotactic and successive soils dilutions methods. We concluded that P. ponderosa afforestation affect soil actinobacteria. This was mainly evidenced by a decrease in the Frankia nodulation capacity in O. trinervis, which was related to plantation age, to lower soil carbon and nitrogen content, higher available phosphorus, and to a slight decrease in soils pH. Pine plantation influence on the cultivable saprophytic actinobacteria was less clear. The study highlights the importance of soils as source of Frankia and rhizospheric actinobacteria in relation to disturbance caused by pine plantation in natural environments with native actinorhizal plant species.     

Soil warming accelerates decomposition of fine woody debris

Aims

There is evidence that increased N inputs to boreal forests, via atmospheric deposition or intentional fertilization, may impact negatively on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi leading to a reduced flux of plant-derived carbon (C) back to the atmosphere via ECM. Our aim was to investigate the impact of N fertilization of a Pinus sylvestris (L.) forest stand on the return of recently photoassimilated C via the ECM component of soil respiration.

Methods

We used an in situ, large-scale, ¹³C-CO₂ isotopic pulse labelling approach and monitored the ¹³C label return using soil gas efflux chambers placed over three different types of soil collar to distinguish between heterotrophic (R_H), autotrophic (R_A; partitioned further into contributions from ECM hyphae and total R_A) and total (R_S) soil respiration.

Results

The impact of N fertilization was to significantly reduce R_A, particularly respiration via extramatrical ECM hyphae. ECM hyphal flux in control plots showed substantial spatial variability, resulting in mean flux estimates exceeding estimates of total R_A, while ECM contributions to R_A in N treated plots were estimated at around 30%.

Conclusion

Significant impacts on soil C cycling may be caused by reduced plant C allocation to ECM fungi in response to increased N inputs to boreal forests; ecosystem models so far lack this detail.     

The impact of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carpobrotus</Emphasis> cfr. <Emphasis Type="Italic">acinaciformis</Emphasis> (L.) L. Bolus on soil nutrients,microbial communities structure and native plant communities in Mediterranean ecosystems

Background and aims

Carpobrotus spp. are amongst the most impactful and widespread plant invaders of Mediterranean habitats. Despite the negative ecological impacts on soil and vegetation that have been documented, information is still limited about the effect by Carpobrotus on soil microbial communities. We aimed to assess the changes in the floristic, soil and microbial parameters following the invasion by Carpobrotus cfr. acinaciformis within an insular Mediterranean ecosystem.

Methods

Within three study areas a paired-site approach, comparing an invaded vs. a non-invaded plot, was established. Within each plot biodiversity indexes, C and N soil content, pH and microbial biomass and structure (bacterial and fungal) were assessed.

Results

Invaded plots showed a decrease of α-species richness and diversity. The least represented plant species in invaded plots were those related to grassland habitats. In all invaded soils, a significant increase of carbon and nitrogen content and a significant decrease of pH were registered. Carpobrotus significantly increased bacterial and fungal biomass and altered soil microbial structure, particularly favoring fungal growth.

Conclusions

Carpobrotus may deeply impact edaphic properties and microbial communities and, in turn, these strong modifications probably increase its invasive potential and its ability to overcome native species, by preventing their natural regeneration.