Land use driven change in soil pH affects microbial carbon cycling processes

Malik, Ashish A.; Puissant, Jeremy; Buckeridge, Kate M.; Goodall, Tim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1526-4071; Jehmlich, Nico; Chowdhury, Somak; Gweon, Hyun Soon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6218-6301; Peyton, Jodey M.; Mason, Kelly E.; van Agtmaal, Maaike; Blaud, Aimeric; Clark, Ian M.; Whitaker, Jeanette ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8824-471X; Pywell, Richard F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6431-9959; Ostle, Nick; Gleixner, Gerd; Griffiths, Robert I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3341-4547. 2018 Land use driven change in soil pH affects microbial carbon cycling processes. Nature Communications, 9, 3591. 10, pp. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text
N521029JA.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Download (1MB) | Preview

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1

Abstract/Summary

Soil microorganisms act as gatekeepers for soil–atmosphere carbon exchange by balancing the accumulation and release of soil organic matter. However, poor understanding of the mechanisms responsible hinders the development of effective land management strategies to enhance soil carbon storage. Here we empirically test the link between microbial ecophysiological traits and topsoil carbon content across geographically distributed soils and land use contrasts. We discovered distinct pH controls on microbial mechanisms of carbon accumulation. Land use intensification in low-pH soils that increased the pH above a threshold (~6.2) leads to carbon loss through increased decomposition, following alleviation of acid retardation of microbial growth. However, loss of carbon with intensification in near-neutral pH soils was linked to decreased microbial biomass and reduced growth efficiency that was, in turn, related to trade-offs with stress alleviation and resource acquisition. Thus, less-intensive management practices in near-neutral pH soils have more potential for carbon storage through increased microbial growth efficiency, whereas in acidic soils, microbial growth is a bigger constraint on decomposition rates.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-) Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-) UKCEH Fellows Unaffiliated
ISSN:	2041-1723
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	21 Sep 2018 15:05 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/521029

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)
UKCEH Fellows
Unaffiliated

ISSN:

2041-1723

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Agriculture and Soil Science