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Effects of habitat constraints on soil microbial community function
Naoise Nunan1, Julie Leloup2, Léo S Ruamps2
1iEES Paris, UMR 7618 CNRS-UPMC-INRA-IRD-Paris 7-UPEC, 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France. naoise.nunan@upmc.fr.
Scientific Reports
|June 29, 2017
Summary
Soil carbon models assume microbial communities are functionally similar. However, environmental context can mask differences, making microbial diversity important only in less constrained environments like the rhizosphere.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Microbial Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Most soil carbon (C) dynamics models assume microbial communities are functionally similar, irrespective of their composition or diversity.
- While studies show intrinsic functional differences exist among microbial communities, models often suffice without explicit microbial functioning.
- This presents a discrepancy between model assumptions and observed microbial community characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a mechanistic basis for reconciling the apparent discrepancy between soil C models and microbial community functional differences.
- To investigate how environmental context influences the expression of microbial community functional traits.
- To determine conditions under which soil C dynamics might depend on microbial community structure.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment involving soil microbial communities.
- Manipulated environmental context (soil and pore-network properties) to assess its effect on microbial activity.
- Compared microbial activity across different communities and environments.
Main Results:
- Environmental context (soil and pore-network properties) significantly constrained microbial community activity, making functionally different communities indistinguishable.
- Intrinsic functional differences among microbial communities became apparent when environmental constraints were reduced.
- Soil C dynamics appear to be influenced by microbial community structure in less constrained environments (rhizosphere, litter) but not in oligotrophic mineral soil.
Conclusions:
- Soil C dynamics are not solely dependent on microbial community composition; environmental context plays a crucial role in constraining microbial activity.
- Microbial community structure and diversity may influence soil C dynamics in specific microenvironments with less environmental constraint.
- The findings reconcile the functional similarity assumption in many soil C models with the observed diversity of microbial communities.
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