Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry reveals widespread soil phosphorus limitation to microbial metabolism across Chinese forests

Cui, Yongxing; Bing, Haijian; Moorhead, Daryl L.; Delgado‐Baquerizo, Manuel; Ye, Luping; Yu, Jialuo; Zhang, Shangpeng; Wang, Xia; Peng, Shushi; Guo, Xue; Zhu, Biao; Chen, Ji; Tan, Wenfeng; Wang, Yunqiang; Zhang, Xingchang; Fang, Linchuan

doi:10.1038/s43247-022-00523-5

Cited by 59 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…All these changes can affect soil microbial community composition and activity and drive changes in soil extracellular enzyme production and activity (Chen, Luo, García‐Palacios, et al, 2018; Hedo et al, 2015; Knelman et al, 2015). In turn, extracellular enzymes, secreted primarily by soil microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi (Burns, 1982), can affect soil nutrient cycling processes by catalyzing decomposition of litter and SOM (Chen et al, 2020; Cui et al, 2022; Leinweber et al, 2008; Tan et al, 2020). However, there are major uncertainties about how soil extracellular enzyme activities respond to fire over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post‐fire soil extracellular enzyme activities in subtropical–warm temperate climate transitional forests

Wang

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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Wildfire impacts on soil microbial community structure and functional activity have attracted a growing attention because of the higher sensitivity of soil microbes to wildfire. Soil extracellular enzymes play pivotal roles in biogeochemical processes, such as mediating carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. However, little is known about how post‐fire changes in soil biogeochemical properties and microbial community composition affect soil extracellular enzyme activities. This study explored the responses and regulating factors of C‐, nitrogen‐(N), and phosphorus‐(P) acquiring extracellular enzyme activities across a wildfire chronosequence (i.e., 1, 6, 13, and 50 years after fire) in subtropical–temperate ecotonal forests in Central China. The activities of C‐(β‐glucosidase), N‐(N‐acetylglucosaminidase), and P‐(acid phosphatase) acquiring enzymes declined with time post‐fire, with the highest values one‐year post‐fire. The response of C‐acquiring enzyme activity to fire was positively correlated with bacterial biomass, suggesting that microbial compositions were related to post‐fire changes in extracellular enzyme decomposition. The response of N‐acquiring enzyme activity to fire was positively correlated with soil P availability, while P‐acquiring enzyme activity was positively correlated with soil N availability. Overall, soil extracellular enzyme activity declined with time post‐fire, suggesting wildfire may reduce microbial demand for nutrients over time. Future research is needed to elucidate fire impacts on microbial processes for nutrient‐microbial‐enzyme linkages.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post‐fire soil extracellular enzyme activities in subtropical–warm temperate climate transitional forests

Wang

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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“…Our study found that the influence of land-use change was more predominant at the upslope than at the check dam since the erosion processes accelerated nutrient loss. Previous studies have reported a subsequent P limitation of plants after the microbial P limitation (Cui et al 2022;Xue et al 2022), therefore, the P deficiency issue of the revegetated forest on hillslopes should be considered for the local government. It is especially important since the increasing vegetation biomass and water deficiency (Jia et al 2019) would aggravate microbial P limitation with the development of the revegetated forest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the empirical balance points derived from the global database (Fig. 2) (Cui et al 2022), the VTC limitation was generally less than zero, and the VTN/P limitation was generally less than zero in cropland (Fig. S2).…”

Section: Microbial Metabolic Limitations Predicted By the Improved V-...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3), which may be explained by the greater uptake of P by root systems with depth. With the investigation of microbial P limitation in forest ecosystems in China, Cui et al (2022) found that the positive influence of the vegetation index on microbial P limitation increased with depth, implying an accelerated competition of P between microorganisms and plants with increasing root density. In addition, the loess soils have a high soil pH and low soil P availability (Wei et al 2011), and the cessation of fertilization in revegetated ecosystems excluded anthropogenic inputs of P (Cui et al 2021;DeForest et al 2021).…”

Section: Effects Of Cropland Revegetation On Microbial Metabolic Limi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The threshold element ratio (TER) model can predict simultaneous co-limitations by N and P based on the elemental ratio of C/N or C/P, but it cannot identify the most limiting nutrient and fails to identify microbial C limitation (Cui et al 2018;Mori, 2020). The enzyme vector model can quantify the relative C limitation with vector length and N/P limitation with vector angle; however, this model relies on the empirical global-scale ecoenzymatic stoichiometry, which varies among ecosystems due to local factors (Cui et al 2022;Moorhead et al 2016;Sinsabaugh et al 2009Sinsabaugh et al , 2008. A new enzyme vector (V-T) model has been recently developed based on balance points of P and N acquisition that are not constrained by soil resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Divergent responses of microbial metabolic limitations to cropland revegetation at erosion and deposition topographies in the hilly-gully region of the northern Loess Plateau, China

Yao¹,

Tang²,

Wang³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Aims Cropland revegetation is an effective measure to curb soil erosion on eroding hillslopes and increase farmers’ income at depositional check dams. However, how soil microbial metabolic limitation responds to cropland revegetation in erosion and deposition landscapes remains poorly understood, which has substantial implications for carbon (C) retention and nutrient cycling in the eroding environment. Methods We sampled 0-2 m soils in cropland and revegetated forest and grassland at upslopes and check dams on the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau, China. The activities of soil C-, nitrogen (N)-, and phosphorus (P)-acquiring enzymes were analyzed, and the improved V-T model derived from the vector model with the balance point was used to quantify microbial metabolic limitations based on ecoenzymatic stoichiometry. Results Microorganisms suffered from no energy (C) limitation, but the relative microbial C limitation was greater in revegetated land than in cropland in both landscapes. At upslopes, microbial P limitation occurred in the revegetated forest in soils below 20 cm due to the assimilation of P by the root system, while microorganisms were mainly limited by N in cropland and revegetated grassland. At check dams, land-use change had no significant influence on microbial N/P limitations owing to abundant soil C and nutrients and a wet environment. Conclusions Concludingly, this study revealed a non-response phenomenon of cropland revegetation on microbial metabolic limitation at lower-lying depositional topography, which compensates for the current understanding of resource restrictions on microorganisms at slopes or flat areas.

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Limiting Resources Define the Global Pattern of Soil Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency

Cui,

Hu,

Peng

et al. 2024

Advanced Science

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Microbial carbon (C) use efficiency (CUE) delineates the proportion of organic C used by microorganisms for anabolism and ultimately influences the amount of C sequestered in soils. However, the key factors controlling CUE remain enigmatic, leading to considerable uncertainty in understanding soil C retention and predicting its responses to global change factors. Here, we investigate the global patterns of CUE estimate by stoichiometric modeling in surface soils of natural ecosystems, and examine its associations with temperature, precipitation, plant‐derived C and soil nutrient availability. We found that CUE is determined by the most limiting resource among these four basic environmental resources within specific climate zones (i.e., tropical, temperate, arid, and cold zones). Higher CUE is common in arid and cold zones and corresponds to limitations in temperature, water, and plant‐derived C input, while lower CUE is observed in tropical and temperate zones with widespread limitation of nutrients (e.g., nitrogen or phosphorus) in soil. The contrasting resource limitations among climate zones led to an apparent increase in CUE with increasing latitude. The resource‐specific dependence of CUE implies that soils in high latitudes with arid and cold environments may retain less organic C in the future, as warming and increased precipitation can reduce CUE. In contrast, oligotrophic soils in low latitudes may increase organic C retention, as CUE could be increased with concurrent anthropogenic nutrient inputs. The findings underscore the importance of resource limitations for CUE and suggest asymmetric responses of organic C retention in soils across latitudes to global change factors.

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Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry reveals widespread soil phosphorus limitation to microbial metabolism across Chinese forests

Cited by 59 publications

References 54 publications

Post‐fire soil extracellular enzyme activities in subtropical–warm temperate climate transitional forests

Post‐fire soil extracellular enzyme activities in subtropical–warm temperate climate transitional forests

Divergent responses of microbial metabolic limitations to cropland revegetation at erosion and deposition topographies in the hilly-gully region of the northern Loess Plateau, China

Limiting Resources Define the Global Pattern of Soil Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency

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