Depth matters: effects of precipitation regime on soil microbial activity upon rewetting of a plant-soil system

Engelhardt, Ilonka C.; Welty, Amy; Blazewicz, Steven J.; Bru, David; Rouard, Nadine; Breuil, Marie -Christine; Gessler, Arthur; Galiano, Lucía; Miranda, José Carlos; Spor, Aymé; Barnard, Romain L.

doi:10.1038/s41396-018-0079-z

Title: Depth matters: effects of precipitation regime on soil microbial activity upon rewetting of a plant-soil system

Journal Article · 23 February 2018 · The ISME Journal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-018-0079-z · OSTI ID:1474362

Engelhardt, Ilonka C. ^[1]; Welty, Amy ^[2]; Blazewicz, Steven J. ^[3]; Bru, David ^[1]; Rouard, Nadine ^[1]; Breuil, Marie -Christine ^[1]; Gessler, Arthur ^[4]; Galiano, Lucía ^[4]; Miranda, José Carlos ^[5]; Spor, Aymé ^[1]; Barnard, Romain L. ^[1]

Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comte, Dijon (France)
Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comte, Dijon (France); Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf (Switzerland)
Univ. Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid (Spain)

Changes in frequency and amplitude of rain events, that is, precipitation patterns, result in different water conditions with soil depth, and likely affect plant growth and shape plant and soil microbial activity. Here, we used ¹⁸O stable isotope probing (SIP) to investigate bacterial and fungal communities that actively grew or not upon rewetting, at three different depths in soil mesocosms previously subjected to frequent or infrequent watering for 12 weeks (equal total water input). Phylogenetic marker genes for bacteria and fungi were sequenced after rewetting, and plant-soil microbial coupling documented by plant ¹³C-CO₂ labeling. Soil depth, rather than precipitation pattern, was most influential in shaping microbial response to rewetting, and had differential effects on active and inactive bacterial and fungal communities. After rewetting, active bacterial communities were less rich, more even and phylogenetically related than the inactive, and reactivated throughout the soil profile. Active fungal communities after rewetting were less abundant and rich than the inactive. The coupling between plants and soil microbes decreased under infrequent watering in the top soil layer. In conclusion, we suggest that differences in fungal and bacterial abundance and relative activity could result in large effects on subsequent soil biogeochemical cycling.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1474362

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-738625; 891882

Journal Information:: The ISME Journal, Vol. 12; ISSN 1751-7362

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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