Soil microbiomes show consistent and predictable responses to extreme events

Knight, Christopher G.; Nicolitch, Océane; Griffiths, Rob I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3341-4547; Goodall, Tim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1526-4071; Jones, Briony ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4428-583X; Weser, Carolin; Langridge, Holly; Davison, John; Dellavalle, Ariane; Eisenhauer, Nico; Gongalsky, Konstantin B.; Hector, Andrew; Jardine, Emma; Kardol, Paul; Maestre, Fernando T.; Schädler, Martin; Semchenko, Marina; Stevens, Carly; Tsiafouli, Maria Α.; Vilhelmsson, Oddur; Wanek, Wolfgang; de Vries, Franciska T.. 2024 Soil microbiomes show consistent and predictable responses to extreme events. Nature. 10.1038/s41586-024-08185-3

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08185-3

Abstract/Summary

Increasing extreme climatic events threaten the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Because soil microbes govern key biogeochemical processes, understanding their response to climate extremes is crucial in predicting the consequences for ecosystem functioning. Here we subjected soils from 30 grasslands across Europe to four contrasting extreme climatic events under common controlled conditions (drought, flood, freezing and heat), and compared the response of soil microbial communities and their functioning with those of undisturbed soils. Soil microbiomes exhibited a small, but highly consistent and phylogenetically conserved, response under the imposed extreme events. Heat treatment most strongly impacted soil microbiomes, enhancing dormancy and sporulation genes and decreasing metabolic versatility. Microbiome response to heat in particular could be predicted by local climatic conditions and soil properties, with soils that do not normally experience the extreme conditions being imposed being most vulnerable. Our results suggest that soil microbiomes from different climates share unified responses to extreme climatic events, but that predicting the extent of community change may require knowledge of the local microbiome. These findings advance our understanding of soil microbial responses to extreme events, and provide a first step for making general predictions about the impact of extreme climatic events on soil functioning.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/s41586-024-08185-3
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-) UKCEH Fellows
ISSN:	0028-0836
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 Meteorology and Climatology
Date made live:	29 Nov 2024 14:13 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538478

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1038/s41586-024-08185-3

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

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

ISSN:

0028-0836

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
Meteorology and Climatology