Vegetation-soil system controls soil mechanisms for nitrogen transformations in an oligotrophic Mexican desert

Tapia-Torres, Yunuen; López-Lozano, Nguyen E.; Souza, Valeria; García‐Oliva, Felipe

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2014.11.007

Cited by 26 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The values of TC, TN and TP in the experimental plot were lower than the values reported for other deserts ( Thompson et al, 2006 ; Strauss, Day & Garcia-Pichel, 2012 ), as well as for soils in the CCB ( López-Lozano et al, 2012 ; Tapia-Torres et al, 2015 ). The very low C:N ratio also suggests deficiency of soil organic C, therefore a low nutrient availability to soil microbes and vegetation, limiting the N cycle due to the lack of C availability.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 77%

Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico

Pajares

Escalante

Noguez

et al. 2016

PeerJ

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Arid ecosystems are characterized by high spatial heterogeneity, and the variation among vegetation patches is a clear example. Soil biotic and abiotic factors associated with these patches have also been well documented as highly heterogeneous in space. Given the low vegetation cover and little precipitation in arid ecosystems, soil microorganisms are the main drivers of nutrient cycling. Nonetheless, little is known about the spatial distribution of microorganisms and the relationship that their diversity holds with nutrients and other physicochemical gradients in arid soils. In this study, we evaluated the spatial variability of soil microbial diversity and chemical parameters (nutrients and ion content) at local scale (meters) occurring in a gypsum-based desert soil, to gain knowledge on what soil abiotic factors control the distribution of microbes in arid ecosystems. We analyzed 32 soil samples within a 64 m2 plot and: (a) characterized microbial diversity using T-RFLPs of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, (b) determined soil chemical parameters, and (c) identified relationships between microbial diversity and chemical properties. Overall, we found a strong correlation between microbial composition heterogeneity and spatial variation of cations (Ca2, K+) and anions (HCO, Cl−, SO) content in this small plot. Our results could be attributable to spatial differences of soil saline content, favoring the patchy emergence of salt and soil microbial communities.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 77%

Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico

Pajares

Escalante

Noguez

et al. 2016

PeerJ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The values of TC, TN and TP in the experimental plot were lower than the values reported for other deserts (Thompson et al, 2006;Strauss et al, 2012), as well as for soils in the CCB (López-Lozano et al, 2012;Tapia-Torres et al, 2015). The very low C:N ratio also suggests deficiency of soil organic C, therefore a low nutrient availability to soil microbes and vegetation, limiting the N cycle due to the lack of C availability.…”

Section: Chemical Heterogeneity At Local Spatial Scale Is Mainly Due contrasting

confidence: 56%

Peer Review #2 of "Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico (v0.1)"

Geyer¹

2016

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Arid ecosystems are characterized by high spatial heterogeneity, and the variation among vegetation patches is a clear example. Soil biotic and abiotic factors associated with these patches have also been well documented as highly heterogeneous in space. Given the low vegetation cover and little precipitation in arid ecosystems, soil microorganisms are the main drivers of nutrient cycling. Nonetheless, little is known about the spatial distribution of microorganisms and the relationship that their diversity holds with nutrients and other physicochemical gradients in arid soils. In this study, we evaluated the spatial variability of soil microbial diversity and chemical parameters (nutrients and ion content) at local scale (meters) occurring in a gypsum-based desert soil, to gain knowledge on what soil abiotic factors control the distribution of microbes in arid ecosystems. We analyzed 32 soil samples within a 64 m 2 plot and: a) characterized microbial diversity using TRFLPs of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, b) determined soil chemical parameters, and c) identified relationships between microbial diversity and chemical properties. Overall, we found a strong correlation between microbial composition heterogeneity and spatial variation of cations (Ca 2+ , K +) and anions (HCO 3-, Cl-, SO 4 2-) content in this small plot. Our results could be attributable to spatial differences of soil saline content, favoring the patchy emergence of salt and soil microbial communities.

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“…Manuscript to be reviewed process promotes N conservation within the ecosystem, as previously reported for native grassland in the CCB (Tapia-Torres et al, 2015b).…”

Section: Soil Nutrient Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Peer Review #3 of "Agricultural land-use change in a Mexican oligotrophic desert depletes ecosystem stability (v0.1)"

2016

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Background. Global demand for food has led to increased land-use change, particularly in dry land ecosystems, which has caused several environmental problems due to the soil degradation. In the Cuatro Cienegas Basin (CCB), alfalfa production irrigated by flooding impacts strongly on the soil. Methods. In order to analyze the effect of such agricultural land-use change on soil nutrient dynamics and soil bacterial community composition, this work examined an agricultural gradient within the CCB which was comprised of a native desert grassland, a plot currently cultivated with alfalfa and a former agricultural field that had been abandoned for over 30 years. For each site, we analyzed C, N and P dynamic fractions, the activity of the enzyme phosphatase and the bacterial composition obtained using 16S rRNA clone libraries. Results. The results showed that the cultivated site presented a greater availability of water and dissolved organic carbon, these conditions promoted mineralization processes mediated by heterotrophic microorganisms, while the abandoned land was limited by water and dissolved organic nitrogen. The low amount of dissolved organic matter promoted nitrification, which is mediated by autotrophic microorganisms. The microbial N immobilization process and specific phosphatase activity were both favored in the native grassland. As expected, differences in bacterial taxonomical composition were observed among sites. The abandoned site exhibited similar compositions than native grassland, while the cultivated site differed. Discussion. The results suggest that the transformation of native grassland into agricultural land induces drastic changes in soil nutrient dynamics as well as in the bacterial community. However, with the absence of agricultural practices, some of the soil characteristics analyzed slowly recovers their natural state.

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Vegetation-soil system controls soil mechanisms for nitrogen transformations in an oligotrophic Mexican desert

Cited by 26 publications

References 38 publications

Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico

Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico

Peer Review #2 of "Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico (v0.1)"

Peer Review #3 of "Agricultural land-use change in a Mexican oligotrophic desert depletes ecosystem stability (v0.1)"

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