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Biotic interactions mediate soil microbial feedbacks to climate change.

Thomas W Crowther1, Stephen M Thomas2, Daniel S Maynard3

  • 1Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511; thomas.crowther@yale.edu.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
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PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Soil animals regulate microbial decomposition, a key process in the global carbon cycle. Their top-down control can dampen climate change feedbacks, even when warming and nitrogen enrichment stimulate microbial activity.

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biotic interactionbottom-up controlglobal changesoil feedbacktop-down control

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Soil Science
  • Climate Change Research

Background:

  • Soil microbes release significant carbon (50-75 Pg/year), influencing climate feedbacks.
  • Global change factors (warming, nitrogen enrichment) impact soil microbial activity.
  • Interspecific interactions' role in mediating these feedbacks is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate how soil animals mediate microbial responses to warming and nitrogen enrichment.
  • Assess the regulatory effects of soil food webs on carbon cycle-climate feedbacks.

Main Methods:

  • Long-term, field-based global change experiment.
  • Manipulated warming and nitrogen enrichment.
  • Assessed microbial (fungal) biomass, enzyme production, and decomposition rates with and without soil animals.

Main Results:

  • Warming and nitrogen enrichment stimulated fungal growth and decomposition without soil animals.
  • Soil invertebrates consumed fungi, restoring microbial process rates to ambient levels.
  • Top-down control by soil animals is significant when bottom-up limitations are relieved.

Conclusions:

  • Soil animals play a crucial role in regulating carbon cycle-climate feedbacks.
  • Top-down control by soil fauna can dampen warming-induced increases in microbial decomposition.
  • Understanding soil food web dynamics is vital for accurate climate change projections.