Title: Alterations in soil pH emerge as a key driver of the impact of global change on soil microbial nitrogen cycling: Evidence from a global meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract Aim Soil nitrogen (N) cycling is critical to the productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the impact of global change factors (GCFs) on the microbial mediators of N cycling pathways has yet to be synthesized, and it also remains unclear whether the response of the abundance of N‐cycling genes can predict changes in their corresponding processes. Location Global. Time period 2000–2021. Major taxa studied Archaea, bacteria. Methods We synthesized 8322 paired observations of soil microorganisms related to N cycling from field experiments in which GCFs (climate change and nutrient addition) were manipulated. Results We found that the abundance of soil microbes and most N‐cycling genes were resistant to elevated CO ₂ , experimental warming and water addition/reduction; however, N addition and the combination of N addition with other GCFs significantly increased the abundance of ammonia oxidizer bacteria ( amoA‐AOB ). The results indicated that in steady‐state (natural) conditions, the main factors driving the global abundance of soil bacteria, archaea and N‐cycling genes varied in terms of the contributions of climatic and edaphic factors. However, upon manipulation of GCFs, the induced change in soil pH was the most essential factor associated with changes in the abundance of soil microbes and N‐cyclingmore » genes. Notably, the changes in ammonia‐oxidizing archaea ( amoA‐AOA ) and amoA‐AOB genes, in addition to genes involved in denitrification ( nirS and nirK ), were significantly correlated with the rates of their corresponding processes, but GCF‐induced shifts in the potential nitrification rate (PNR) were explained well by changes in the abundance of the amoA‐AOB gene under GCFs. Main conclusions Our study highlights how ongoing GCFs impact the abundance of soil microbes and N‐cycling genes, which might have a profound impact on terrestrial N cycling. Our field‐based results provide new insights into the drivers of the abundance of soil microbes and N‐cycling genes.« less

Authors:

Zhong, Yangquanwei  ^[1];

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Yan, Weiming  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Yan, Weiming"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-5509-0806"

Canisares, Lucas P. ^[3]; Wang, Shi ^[4]; Brodie, Eoin L. ^[5]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an (China)
2. Northwest A&F University, Yangling (China); Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Yangling (China)
3. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
4. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
5. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

Publication Date:

Sun Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2022

Research Org.:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

OSTI Identifier:

2228274

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1905347

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-05CH11231; 32230067; DE‐AC02‐05CH11231

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Global Ecology and Biogeography

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1466-822X

Publisher:

Wiley

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; global change; nitrogen-transformation process; nitrogen-cycling genes; nutrient addition; soil microbe; soil pH