Land use driven change in soil pH affects microbial carbon cycling processes

Ashish A. Malik (), Jeremy Puissant, Kate M. Buckeridge, Tim Goodall, Nico Jehmlich, Somak Chowdhury, Hyun Soon Gweon, Jodey M. Peyton, Kelly E. Mason, Maaike Agtmaal, Aimeric Blaud, Ian M. Clark, Jeanette Whitaker, Richard F. Pywell, Nick Ostle, Gerd Gleixner and Robert I. Griffiths
Additional contact information
Ashish A. Malik: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Jeremy Puissant: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Kate M. Buckeridge: Lancaster University
Tim Goodall: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Nico Jehmlich: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ
Somak Chowdhury: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Hyun Soon Gweon: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Jodey M. Peyton: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Kelly E. Mason: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Maaike Agtmaal: Imperial College London
Aimeric Blaud: Rothamsted Research
Ian M. Clark: Rothamsted Research
Jeanette Whitaker: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Richard F. Pywell: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Nick Ostle: Lancaster University
Gerd Gleixner: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Robert I. Griffiths: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Soil microorganisms act as gatekeepers for soil–atmosphere carbon exchange by balancing the accumulation and release of soil organic matter. However, poor understanding of the mechanisms responsible hinders the development of effective land management strategies to enhance soil carbon storage. Here we empirically test the link between microbial ecophysiological traits and topsoil carbon content across geographically distributed soils and land use contrasts. We discovered distinct pH controls on microbial mechanisms of carbon accumulation. Land use intensification in low-pH soils that increased the pH above a threshold (~6.2) leads to carbon loss through increased decomposition, following alleviation of acid retardation of microbial growth. However, loss of carbon with intensification in near-neutral pH soils was linked to decreased microbial biomass and reduced growth efficiency that was, in turn, related to trade-offs with stress alleviation and resource acquisition. Thus, less-intensive management practices in near-neutral pH soils have more potential for carbon storage through increased microbial growth efficiency, whereas in acidic soils, microbial growth is a bigger constraint on decomposition rates.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05980-1

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