Combined effects of land-use type and climate change on soil microbial activity and invertebrate decomposer activity

Low‐intensity land‐use enhances soil microbial activity, biomass and fungal‐to‐bacterial ratio in current and future climates

“…However, to detect such changes, soils would need to be sampled throughout the year, as was the case in the GCEF plots from 2013 to 2015. Similarly, total microbial activity remained unaffected by future climate conditions despite fluctuations throughout the year (Sünnemann et al., 2021).…”

“…Consequently, the beneficial effects of low‐intensity management on soil microbes may support soil carbon storage (Lange et al., 2015), soil nutrient dynamics and retention (Hacker et al., 2015; Leimer et al., 2016), soil erosion control (Pérès et al., 2013) and ecosystem multifunctionality (Eisenhauer et al., 2018). By representing the basis of the soil food web, their promotion also contributes to enhanced densities of larger soil organisms, which are more susceptible to intensive agriculture (Postma‐Blaauw et al., 2010) and climate change (Sünnemann et al., 2021). Therefore, low‐intensity systems may be equipped to alleviate prospective climate change effects to a certain extent.…”

“…Subsequently, we measured the maximum respiratory response by adding glucose (4 mg/g dry weight soil, solved in 1.5 ml distilled water), which enabled us to determine soil microbial biomass (μg C mic g −1 soil dry weight) and metabolic quotient (µl O 2 µg −1 C mic h −1 ), as done before (e.g. Sünnemann et al., 2021; Thakur et al., 2018).…”

“…ceptible to intensive agriculture(Postma-Blaauw et al, 2010) and climate change(Sünnemann et al, 2021). Therefore, low-intensity systems may be equipped to alleviate prospective climate change effects to a certain extent.…”

Conventional vs. Organic Agriculture–Which One Promotes Better Yields and Microbial Resilience in Rapidly Changing Climates?

“…The GCEF is part of the field research station of the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research in Bad Lauchstädt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, established in 2014 ( Schädler et al, 2019 ). Sünnemann et al (2021b) reported no significant interactive impact of land-use types (conventional versus organic farming) and climate change on soil microbial activity (decomposition processes) following 2 and 3 years since the establishment of the field ( Sünnemann et al, 2021b ). In another study done by Sünnemann et al (2021a) under the same experimental set-up, soil microbial respiration rates and microbial biomass (determined by PLFA profiles) remained largely unaffected by future climate conditions when soils were sampled two times in autumn for 5 years (2015–2019).…”