Microbial Evolution Drives Adaptation of Substrate Degradation on Decadal to Centennial Time Scales Relevant to Global Change
[1];
- Laboratoire Des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA‐CNRS‐UVSQ Université Paris‐Saclay Gif‐sur‐Yvette France, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Irvine California USA
- UMPA CNRS UMR 5669 ENS de Lyon Lyon France
- Laboratoire Des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA‐CNRS‐UVSQ Université Paris‐Saclay Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Irvine California USA, Department of Earth System Science University of California Irvine California USA
ABSTRACT Understanding microbial adaptation is crucial for predicting how soil carbon dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles will respond to climate change. This study employs the DEMENT model of microbial decomposition, along with empirical mutation and dispersal rates, to explore the roles of mutation and dispersal in the adaptation of soil microbial populations to shifts in litter chemistry, changes that are anticipated with climate‐driven vegetation dynamics. Following a change in litter chemistry, mutation generally allows for a higher rate of litter decomposition than dispersal, especially when dispersal predominantly introduces genotypes already present in the population. These findings challenge the common idea that mutation rates are too low to affect ecosystem processes on ecological timescales. These results demonstrate that evolutionary processes, such as mutation, can help maintain ecosystem functioning as the climate changes.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NONE; SC0020382
- OSTI ID:
- 2472457
- Journal Information:
- Ecology Letters, Journal Name: Ecology Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 27; ISSN 1461-023X
- Publisher:
- Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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