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Microbial trait multifunctionality drives soil organic matter formation potential
Emily D Whalen1,2, A Stuart Grandy3,4, Kevin M Geyer5
1Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA. ewhalen.cel@gmail.com.
Nature Communications
|November 25, 2024
Summary
Certain fungal traits drive soil organic matter formation and stabilization. Multifunctional fungi with intermediate trait investments promote soil organic matter complexity and stability, challenging simple trait-based models.
Area of Science:
- Soil science
- Microbiology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Soil organic matter (SOM) is Earth's largest terrestrial carbon pool, crucial for soil health and climate regulation.
- Microbial residues are a primary source of SOM, yet the specific microbial traits influencing SOM formation and stabilization remain unclear.
- Understanding these traits is vital for predicting carbon cycling and developing effective soil management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct relationship between distinct fungal traits and their capacity to form different soil organic matter pools.
- To determine if specific microbial traits consistently predict soil organic matter accumulation across various functional pools (total vs. stable SOM).
- To identify fungal traits or trait combinations that enhance SOM formation, complexity, and stability.
Main Methods:
- Incubation of individual fungal species in soil organic matter-free model soils.
- Direct measurement of fungal physiological, morphological, and biochemical traits.
- Quantification of SOM formation potentials associated with each fungal species and its traits.
Main Results:
- Distinct fungal traits were associated with the formation of different soil organic matter functional pools.
- 'Multifunctional' fungal species, exhibiting intermediate investment in carbon use efficiency, growth rate, turnover rate, and biomass protein/phenol content, significantly promoted SOM formation.
- These multifunctional fungi enhanced SOM functional complexity and stability.
Conclusions:
- Soil organic matter formation and stabilization are driven by a complex interplay of microbial traits, not just binary trade-offs.
- Fungal traits associated with intermediate investment levels appear optimal for promoting SOM formation, complexity, and stability.
- Synergies among microbial traits are critical for forming functionally complex soil organic matter, necessitating a move beyond simplistic trait-based frameworks.
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