Lignin decomposition is sustained under fluctuating redox conditions in humid tropical forest soils
Abstract
Abstract Lignin mineralization represents a critical flux in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, yet little is known about mechanisms and environmental factors controlling lignin breakdown in mineral soils. Hypoxia is thought to suppress lignin decomposition, yet potential effects of oxygen (O 2 ) variability in surface soils have not been explored. Here, we tested the impact of redox fluctuations on lignin breakdown in humid tropical forest soils during ten‐week laboratory incubations. We used synthetic lignins labeled with 13 C in either of two positions (aromatic methoxyl or propyl side chain C β ) to provide highly sensitive and specific measures of lignin mineralization seldom employed in soils. Four‐day redox fluctuations increased the percent contribution of methoxyl C to soil respiration relative to static aerobic conditions, and cumulative methoxyl‐C mineralization was statistically equivalent under static aerobic and fluctuating redox conditions despite lower soil respiration in the latter treatment. Contributions of the less labile lignin C β to soil respiration were equivalent in the static aerobic and fluctuating redox treatments during periods of O 2 exposure, and tended to decline during periods of O 2 limitation, resulting in lower cumulative C β mineralization in the fluctuatingmore »
- Authors:
-
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley CA 94720 USA
- Department of Biochemistry Wisconsin Energy Institute University of Wisconsin Madison WI 53706 USA
- US Forest Products Laboratory Madison WI 53726 USA, Department of Bacteriology University of Wisconsin Madison WI 53706 USA
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1400691
- Resource Type:
- Publisher's Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Global Change Biology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Global Change Biology Journal Volume: 21 Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 1354-1013
- Publisher:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Hall, Steven J., Silver, Whendee L., Timokhin, Vitaliy I., and Hammel, Kenneth E. Lignin decomposition is sustained under fluctuating redox conditions in humid tropical forest soils. United Kingdom: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1111/gcb.12908.
Hall, Steven J., Silver, Whendee L., Timokhin, Vitaliy I., & Hammel, Kenneth E. Lignin decomposition is sustained under fluctuating redox conditions in humid tropical forest soils. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12908
Hall, Steven J., Silver, Whendee L., Timokhin, Vitaliy I., and Hammel, Kenneth E. Thu .
"Lignin decomposition is sustained under fluctuating redox conditions in humid tropical forest soils". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12908.
@article{osti_1400691,
title = {Lignin decomposition is sustained under fluctuating redox conditions in humid tropical forest soils},
author = {Hall, Steven J. and Silver, Whendee L. and Timokhin, Vitaliy I. and Hammel, Kenneth E.},
abstractNote = {Abstract Lignin mineralization represents a critical flux in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, yet little is known about mechanisms and environmental factors controlling lignin breakdown in mineral soils. Hypoxia is thought to suppress lignin decomposition, yet potential effects of oxygen (O 2 ) variability in surface soils have not been explored. Here, we tested the impact of redox fluctuations on lignin breakdown in humid tropical forest soils during ten‐week laboratory incubations. We used synthetic lignins labeled with 13 C in either of two positions (aromatic methoxyl or propyl side chain C β ) to provide highly sensitive and specific measures of lignin mineralization seldom employed in soils. Four‐day redox fluctuations increased the percent contribution of methoxyl C to soil respiration relative to static aerobic conditions, and cumulative methoxyl‐C mineralization was statistically equivalent under static aerobic and fluctuating redox conditions despite lower soil respiration in the latter treatment. Contributions of the less labile lignin C β to soil respiration were equivalent in the static aerobic and fluctuating redox treatments during periods of O 2 exposure, and tended to decline during periods of O 2 limitation, resulting in lower cumulative C β mineralization in the fluctuating treatment relative to the static aerobic treatment. However, cumulative mineralization of both the C β ‐ and methoxyl‐labeled lignins nearly doubled in the fluctuating treatment relative to the static aerobic treatment when total lignin mineralization was normalized to total O 2 exposure. Oxygen fluctuations are thought to be suboptimal for canonical lignin‐degrading microorganisms. However, O 2 fluctuations drove substantial Fe reduction and oxidation, and reactive oxygen species generated during abiotic Fe oxidation might explain the elevated contribution of lignin to C mineralization. Iron redox cycling provides a potential mechanism for lignin depletion in soil organic matter. Couplings between soil moisture, redox fluctuations, and lignin breakdown provide a potential link between climate variability and the biochemical composition of soil organic matter.},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.12908},
journal = {Global Change Biology},
number = 7,
volume = 21,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {Thu Apr 30 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Thu Apr 30 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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