Metallic micronutrients are associated with the structure and function of the soil microbiome

Zhongmin Dai, Xu Guo, Jiahui Lin, Xiu Wang, Dan He, Rujiong Zeng, Jun Meng, Jipeng Luo, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez, Philip C. Brookes and Jianming Xu ()
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Zhongmin Dai: Zhejiang University
Xu Guo: Zhejiang University
Jiahui Lin: Zhejiang University
Xiu Wang: Zhejiang University
Dan He: Zhejiang University
Rujiong Zeng: Zhejiang University
Jun Meng: Zhejiang University of Science and Technology
Jipeng Luo: Zhejiang University
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo: Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC
Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Philip C. Brookes: Zhejiang University
Jianming Xu: Zhejiang University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract The relationship between metallic micronutrients and soil microorganisms, and thereby soil functioning, has been little explored. Here, we investigate the relationship between metallic micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo and Ni) and the abundance, diversity and function of soil microbiomes. In a survey across 180 sites in China, covering a wide range of soil conditions the structure and function of the soil microbiome are highly correlated with metallic micronutrients, especially Fe, followed by Mn, Cu and Zn. These results are robust to controlling for soil pH, which is often reported as the most important predictor of the soil microbiome. An incubation experiment with Fe and Zn additions for five different soil types also shows that increased micronutrient concentration affects microbial community composition and functional genes. In addition, structural equation models indicate that micronutrients positively contribute to the ecosystem productivity, both directly (micronutrient availability to plants) and, to a lesser extent, indirectly (via affecting the microbiome). Our findings highlight the importance of micronutrients in explaining soil microbiome structure and ecosystem functioning.

Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-44182-2

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44182-2

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