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Nutrient limitation may induce microbial mining for resources from persistent soil organic matter.

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Soil microbes, fungi and bacteria, do not preferentially consume high-quality carbon. Instead, they target microbially processed organic matter, challenging long-held assumptions in decomposition and nutrient cycling research.

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Area of Science:

  • Soil microbiology
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Ecosystem ecology

Background:

  • Fungi and bacteria are key soil decomposers of organic matter (OM).
  • Decomposition by different microbial groups is hypothesized to influence ecosystem biogeochemical cycling.
  • Empirical evidence for this link is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how organic matter quality affects fungal and bacterial decomposition.
  • To determine if microbial decomposers preferentially utilize high-quality carbon sources.
  • To assess the impact of microbial group contributions on nutrient cycling.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized soil from a long-term detritus manipulation experiment in a coniferous forest.
  • Varied organic matter quality through litter input/removal treatments over 20 years.
  • Analyzed soil organic matter (SOM) quality using respiration rates and stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) in respired CO2 and microbial biomarkers (PLFAs).

Main Results:

  • Both fungal and bacterial growth increased with carbon quality, with no change in the fungal-to-bacterial growth ratio.
  • Microbial decomposers did not show a preference for higher-quality carbon for either breakdown or growth.
  • Respired CO2 was isotopically enriched compared to soil carbon, indicating preferential use of microbially processed OM.
  • Microbial activity targeted nitrogen-rich OM components, suggesting selective nutrient mining rather than carbon quality preference.

Conclusions:

  • The assumption that microbes prioritize high-quality carbon is challenged.
  • Microbial decomposers utilize microbially processed organic matter, potentially due to nutrient limitations.
  • This selective organic matter use has implications for understanding soil carbon and nutrient cycling.