Soil microbial activity along an altitudinal gradient: Vegetation as a main driver beyond topographic and edaphic factors

Ivashchenko, Kristina; Sushko, Sofia; Selezneva, Alexandra; Ananyeva, N. D.; Zhuravleva, Anna; Kudeyarov, V. N.; Макаров, М. И.; Blagodatsky, Sergey

doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104197

Cited by 25 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…All chosen mountain transects (one long and six short) were northeastern and had nonalkaline soil parent materials. Soils of the long transect were classified as Cambisols, Umbrisols, and Leptosols [ 17 ], and soil of short transects was Haplic (Humic) Cambisols. Along each transect, 0.5 m × 0.5 m plots were established for grass vegetation survey and soil sampling.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The altitudinal gradient in mountains forms altitudinal zonation of vegetation. So that a vertical distribution of successive plant communities in mountains contributes to heterogeneity of SOM properties [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], which may affect temperature sensitivity of its decomposition under the climate change. The temperature sensitivity index of SOM decomposition by microorganisms (Q 10 ) has been widely used to predict the soil response to climate warming [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temperature Sensitivity of Topsoil Organic Matter Decomposition Does Not Depend on Vegetation Types in Mountains

Komarova

Ivashchenko

Sushko

et al. 2022

Plants

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Rising air temperatures caused by global warming affects microbial decomposition rate of soil organic matter (SOM). The temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition (Q10) may depend on SOM quality determined by vegetation type. In this study, we selected a long transect (3.6 km) across the five ecosystems and short transects (0.1 km) from grazed and ungrazed meadows to forests in the Northwest Caucasus to consider different patterns in Q10 changes at shift of the vegetation belts. It is hypothesized that Q10 will increase along altitudinal gradient in line with recalcitrance of SOM according to kinetics-based theory. The indicators of SOM quality (BR:C, basal soil respiration rate per unit of soil organic carbon; MBC:C, ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon; soil C:N ratio) were used for checking the hypothesis. It was shown that Q10 did not differ across vegetation types within long and short transects, regardless differences in projective cover (14–99%) and vegetation species richness (6–12 units per plot). However, Q10 value differed between the long and short transects by almost two times (on average 2.4 vs. 1.4). Such a difference was explained by environmental characteristics linked with terrain position (slope steepness, microclimate, and land forms). The Q10 changes across studied slopes were driven by BR:C for meadows (R2 = 0.64; negative relationship) and pH value for forests (R2 = 0.80; positive relationship). Thus, proxy of SOM quality explained Q10 variability only across mountain meadows, whereas for forests, soil acidity was the main driver of microbial activity.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature Sensitivity of Topsoil Organic Matter Decomposition Does Not Depend on Vegetation Types in Mountains

Komarova

Ivashchenko

Sushko

et al. 2022

Plants

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show abstract

“…Bacteria prefer labile substrates, while fungi are prone to decomposing complex substrates ( Hackl et al, 2005 ; Djukic et al, 2010 ). Their ability for decomposing SOM can be assessed by multiple extracellular enzyme activities that mediate the rate-limiting step in degrading complex compounds ( Ivashchenko et al, 2021 ; Zuo et al, 2021 ). Soil microorganisms would invest resources to synthesize and secrete extracellular enzymes for the required nutrients ( Sinsabaugh et al, 2013 ; Malik et al, 2020 ; Shao et al, 2021 ), potentially indicating the microbial demand for nutrients and microbial activity ( Wu et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Elevational gradients have been regarded as a powerful “natural laboratory” to investigate the response and feedback of soil function to climate change ( Cui et al, 2021 ; Feng et al, 2021 ), particularly to detect the elevational patterns of soil microbial community and extracellular enzyme activity since the climate and biotic attributes change drastically within small spatial scales ( Djukic et al, 2010 ; Siles et al, 2017 ; Klimek et al, 2020 ). Research on the elevational patterns of soil microbial community and extracellular enzyme activity has been extensive ( Whitaker et al, 2014 ; Xu et al, 2014 ; He X. et al, 2020 ; Cui et al, 2021 ; Fan et al, 2021 ; Ivashchenko et al, 2021 ), but a consensus remains elusive. For example, Djukic et al (2010) found that total microbial biomass was lower at mid-elevation, and fungi/bacteria ratio decreased with increasing elevation in European Alps.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting responses of soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activity along an elevation gradient on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Liu

Chen

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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Soil microbial community composition and extracellular enzyme activity are two main drivers of biogeochemical cycling. Knowledge about their elevational patterns is of great importance for predicting ecosystem functioning in response to climate change. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on how soil microbial community composition and extracellular enzyme activity vary with elevation, and little is known about their elevational variations on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a region sensitive to global change. We therefore investigated the soil microbial community composition using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) analysis, and enzyme activities at 2,820 m (coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest), 3,160 m (dark coniferous forest), 3,420 m (alpine dwarf forest), and 4,280 m (alpine shrubland) above sea level. Our results showed that soil microbial community composition and extracellular enzyme activities changed significantly along the elevational gradient. Biomass of total microbes, bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at the highest elevation were the significantly lowest among the four elevations. In contrast, extracellular enzyme activities involved in carbon (C)-, nitrogen (N)-, and phosphorus (P)- acquiring exhibited the maximum values at the highest elevation. Total nutrients and available nutrients, especially P availability jointly explained the elevational pattern of soil microbial community, while the elevational variation of extracellular enzyme activities was dependent on total nutrients. Microbial metabolism was mainly C- and P-limited with an increasing C limitation but a decreasing P limitation along the elevational gradient, which was related significantly to mean annual temperature and total P. These results indicated a vital role of soil P in driving the elevational patterns of soil microbial community and metabolism. Overall, the study highlighted the contrasting responses of soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activities to elevation, possibly suggesting the differences in adaption strategy between population growth and resource acquisition responding to elevation. The results provide essential information for understanding and predicting the response of belowground community and function to climate change on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

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“…However, this study is less in the sub‐alpine regions of Southwest China. Altitude gradient is often used to assess the influence of climate on soil ecosystems (Ivashchenko et al, 2021; Li et al, 2022). Altitude reflects differences in climatic conditions such as temperature, precipitation, vegetation distribution and microbial diversity, which may affect the distribution of soil aggregate's P fractions, but these are not known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The distribution, effectiveness and environmental threshold of soil aggregate phosphorus fractions in the sub‐alpine region of Southwest China

et al. 2022

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This article is a study of total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP) and phosphorus (P) fractions of soil aggregates along an altitude gradient in the sub-alpine region of Southwest China. We conclude that soil aggregate TP and AP contents are higher at 3980 m and 3347 m; there are no significant differences in soil aggregate TP at any altitude (p > 0.05); the AP and phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC) are higher in 0.25-0.5 mm aggregate. Soil aggregates TPi > TPo at 3009 m and TPo > TPi at 3347, 3654 and 3980 m. Using multiple stepwise regression analysis, we conclude that NaOH-Pi is the key fraction of AP supply, NaHCO 3 -Pi and NaOH-Pi are important fractions of CaCl 2 -P. Through piecewise linear fitting of soil aggregate AP and CaCl 2 -P, the soil P environmental threshold obtained is 27.766 mg kg À1 in this region. Also we got <0.25 mm, 0.25-0.5 mm aggregates at 3980 m which have high soil P loss risk. Our study fills in gap about the distribution of P fraction in aggregates and effects of soil P fraction for AP and CaCl 2 -P in high-altitude areas. Our study provides a reference and scientific basis for understanding the soil aggregate P storage capacity and the biological effectiveness of P fractions at high altitudes. Our study on the P environmental threshold provides a reference for soil P storage capacity. Our study provides a reference value for the soil P loss risk management, and sustainable development of soil ecosystems in the sub-alpine region of Southwest China.

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Soil microbial activity along an altitudinal gradient: Vegetation as a main driver beyond topographic and edaphic factors

Cited by 25 publications

References 63 publications

Temperature Sensitivity of Topsoil Organic Matter Decomposition Does Not Depend on Vegetation Types in Mountains

Temperature Sensitivity of Topsoil Organic Matter Decomposition Does Not Depend on Vegetation Types in Mountains

Contrasting responses of soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activity along an elevation gradient on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The distribution, effectiveness and environmental threshold of soil aggregate phosphorus fractions in the sub‐alpine region of Southwest China

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