Changes in soil microbial biomass and community structure with addition of contrasting types of plant litter in a semiarid grassland ecosystem

Aims Elevated atmospheric CO₂ has the potential to enhance the net primary productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the role of soil microorganisms on soil C cycling following this increased available C remains ambiguous. This study was conducted to determine how quality and quantity of plant litter inputs would affect soil microorganisms and consequently C turnover.Methods Soil microbial biomass and community structure, bacterial community-level physiological profile, and CO₂ emission caused by different substrate C decomposition were investigated using techniques of biological measurements, chemical and stable C isotope analysis, and BIOLOG-ECO microplates in a semiarid grassland ecosystem of northern China in 2006 and 2007 by mixing three contrasting types of plant materials, C₃ shoot litter (SC 3), C₃ root litter (RC 3), and C₄ shoot litter (SC 4), into the 10- to 20-cm soil layer at rates equivalent to 0 (C 0), 60 (C 60), 120 (C 120) and 240 g C m ?2 (C 240).Important findings Litter addition significantly enriched soil microbial biomass C and N and resulted in changes in microbial structure. Principal component analysis of microbial structure clearly differentiated among zero addition, C₃ -plant-derived litter, and C₄ -plant-derived litter and among shoot- and root-derived litter of C₃ plants; soil microorganisms mainly utilized carbohydrates without litter addition, carboxylic acids with C₃ -plant-derived litter addition and amino acids with C₄ -plant-derived litter addition. We also detected stimulated decomposition of older substrate with C₄ -plant-derived litter inputs. Our results show that both quality and quantity of belowground litter are involved in affecting soil microbial community structure in semiarid grassland ecosystem.