Land use driven change in soil pH affects microbial carbon cycling processes

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Malik, A.A., Puissant, J., Buckeridge, K.M., Goodall, T., Jehmlich, N., Chowdhury, S., Gweon, H.S., Peyton, J.M, Masson, K.E., van Agtmaal, M., Blaud, A., Clark, I. M., Whitaker, J., Pywell, R.F., Ostle, N., Gleixner, G. and Griffiths, R.I. 2018. Land use driven change in soil pH affects microbial carbon cycling processes. Nature Communications. 9 (3591). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1

AuthorsMalik, A.A., Puissant, J., Buckeridge, K.M., Goodall, T., Jehmlich, N., Chowdhury, S., Gweon, H.S., Peyton, J.M, Masson, K.E., van Agtmaal, M., Blaud, A., Clark, I. M., Whitaker, J., Pywell, R.F., Ostle, N., Gleixner, G. and Griffiths, R.I.
Abstract

Soil microorganisms act as gatekeepers for soil–atmosphere carbon exchange by balancing the accumulation and release of soil organic matter. However, poor understanding of the mechanisms responsible hinders the development of effective land management strategies to enhance soil carbon storage. Here we empirically test the link between microbial ecophysiological traits and topsoil carbon content across geographically distributed soils and land use contrasts. We discovered distinct pH controls on microbial mechanisms of carbon accumulation. Land use intensification in low-pH soils that increased the pH above a threshold (~6.2) leads to carbon loss through increased decomposition, following alleviation of acid retardation of microbial growth. However, loss of carbon with intensification in near-neutral pH soils was linked to decreased microbial biomass and reduced growth efficiency that was, in turn, related to trade-offs with stress alleviation and resource acquisition. Thus, less-intensive management practices in near-neutral pH soils have more potential for carbon storage through increased microbial growth efficiency, whereas in acidic soils, microbial growth is a bigger constraint on decomposition rates.

Year of Publication2018
JournalNature Communications
Journal citation9 (3591)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1
Web address (URL)http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05980-1
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
Funder project or codeU-Grass: Understanding and enhancing soil ecosystem services and resilience in UK grass and croplands
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online04 Sep 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted06 Aug 2018
Copyright licenseCC BY
PublisherNature Publishing Group
ISSN2041-1723

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