Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Root controls on soil microbial community structure in forest soils.

Justin B Brant1, David D Myrold, Elizabeth W Sulzman

  • 1Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-7306, USA.

Oecologia
|March 21, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reciprocal transfer of carbon isotopes between ectomycorrhizal Betula papyrifera and Pseudotsuga menziesii.

The New phytologist·2021
Same author

Distributions of Extracellular Peptidases Across Prokaryotic Genomes Reflect Phylogeny and Habitat.

Frontiers in microbiology·2019
Same author

Mineral Surfaces as Agents of Environmental Proteolysis: Mechanisms and Controls.

Environmental science & technology·2019
Same author

Nitrite-oxidizing activity responds to nitrite accumulation in soil.

FEMS microbiology ecology·2018
Same author

Modeling of soil nitrification responses to temperature reveals thermodynamic differences between ammonia-oxidizing activity of archaea and bacteria.

The ISME journal·2016
Same author

Back to the Future of Soil Metagenomics.

Frontiers in microbiology·2016

Root carbon inputs significantly influence forest soil microbial communities. Removing roots altered microbial composition, favoring actinomycetes over fungi, demonstrating the critical role of root exudates in soil ecosystems.

Area of Science:

  • Soil Science
  • Microbiology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Forest soil microbial communities are vital for nutrient cycling and ecosystem health.
  • Understanding how altered resource inputs affect these communities is crucial for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change.
  • The Detritus Input and Removal Treatment (DIRT) experiment manipulates above- and belowground inputs in diverse forest ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of root exclusion on soil microbial community composition across different forest types.
  • To determine the relative importance of root-derived carbon inputs compared to other factors (e.g., litter, season) in shaping microbial communities.
  • To assess changes in microbial community size and structure using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was employed to quantify microbial biomass and community structure.
  • Root trenching was used to exclude root inputs in experimental plots.
  • Litter manipulation (exclusion and doubling) and seasonal sampling were conducted across three distinct forest sites.

Main Results:

  • Root exclusion significantly altered soil microbial community composition at all study sites.
  • Rootless plots showed increased abundance of actinomycete biomarkers and decreased abundance of fungal biomarkers.
  • Seasonal variations in microbial community composition were observed, but root exclusion effects persisted throughout the year.

Conclusions:

  • Root-derived carbon inputs exert a dominant control over soil microbial community composition in these forest ecosystems.
  • The absence of roots leads to a distinct microbial community structure, with shifts in bacterial and fungal group dominance.
  • These findings highlight the critical role of belowground inputs in maintaining forest soil health and function.