Adjustment of microbial nitrogen use efficiency to carbon:nitrogen imbalances regulates soil nitrogen cycling

Maria Mooshammer (), Wolfgang Wanek (), Ieda Hämmerle, Lucia Fuchslueger, Florian Hofhansl, Anna Knoltsch, Jörg Schnecker, Mounir Takriti, Margarete Watzka, Birgit Wild, Katharina M Keiblinger, Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern and Andreas Richter ()
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Maria Mooshammer: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Wolfgang Wanek: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Ieda Hämmerle: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Lucia Fuchslueger: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Florian Hofhansl: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Anna Knoltsch: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Jörg Schnecker: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Mounir Takriti: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Margarete Watzka: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Birgit Wild: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna
Katharina M Keiblinger: Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern: Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Andreas Richter: Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Microbial nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) describes the partitioning of organic N taken up between growth and the release of inorganic N to the environment (that is, N mineralization), and is thus central to our understanding of N cycling. Here we report empirical evidence that microbial decomposer communities in soil and plant litter regulate their NUE. We find that microbes retain most immobilized organic N (high NUE), when they are N limited, resulting in low N mineralization. However, when the metabolic control of microbial decomposers switches from N to C limitation, they release an increasing fraction of organic N as ammonium (low NUE). We conclude that the regulation of NUE is an essential strategy of microbial communities to cope with resource imbalances, independent of the regulation of microbial carbon use efficiency, with significant effects on terrestrial N cycling.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4694

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