Plant litter chemistry drives long-lasting changes in the catabolic capacities of soil microbial communities

Bourget Malo Y., Fanin Nicolas, Fromin Nathalie, Hättenschwiler Stephan, Roumet Catherine, Shihan Ammar, Huys Raoul, Sauvadet Marie, Freschet Grégoire T.. 2023. Plant litter chemistry drives long-lasting changes in the catabolic capacities of soil microbial communities. Functional Ecology, 37 (7) : 2014-2028.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14379

Article de revue ; Article de recherche ; Article de revue à facteur d'impact

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Url - jeu de données - Entrepôt autre : https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0p2ngf25m

Résumé : Although microbial communities play an important role in explaining plant litter decomposition rates, whether and how litter chemistry may alter catabolic capacities of soil microbial communities remains poorly studied. During a 1-year litter decomposition experiment of 12 herbaceous species with contrasting litter chemistry, we examined the effect of plant litter type (roots vs. leaves) and litter chemical traits on the resulting capacity of soil microbial communities to degrade a wide range of carbon substrates of variable complexity (MicroResp™ method). Litter chemistry impacted both the total catabolic activity as well as specific catabolic capacities of microbial communities. In the early stages of litter decomposition total catabolic activity was mainly influenced by the amount of C and N in litter leachates, and litter N, P and Mg, then, later, by lignin concentrations. Some specific catabolic capacities could also be related to litter initial chemistry. Overall, litter trait effects on soil microbial communities decreased over time and the relative importance of traits shifted during the decomposition process. Our results highlight that litter chemistry is a strong driver of catabolic capacities of microbial decomposers and, while its effect fades with time, it remains substantial throughout the litter decomposition process. These long-lasting effects of litter chemistry suggest a persistent control on microbial catabolic capacities in ecosystems with recurrent litter production. Soil microbial catabolic activities were driven by broadly the same chemical traits across leaf and root litters. Synthesis. Such long-lasting effects of litter chemistry on catabolic capacities of microbial communities may represent a substantial indirect driver of the decomposition process. Disentangling the relative importance of this overlooked effect of litter chemistry on decomposition represents the next challenge. We argue that such research line should open ground-breaking perspectives for reconsidering our current understanding of the mechanistic links between litter traits and decomposition rate.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : litière végétale, chimie du sol, catabolisme, cycle du carbone, type de sol chimique, biodégradation, plante herbacée

Mots-clés libres : Leaf litter, Legacy effects, Litter decomposition, Litter traits, Microbial catabolic capacities, Root litter, Soil microbial communities

Classification Agris : P34 - Biologie du sol
F40 - Écologie végétale

Champ stratégique Cirad : CTS 2 (2019-) - Transitions agroécologiques

Agences de financement hors UE : Agence Nationale de la Recherche

Projets sur financement : (FRA) Mediterranean Center for Environment and Biodiversity, (FRA) Towards a Unified theory of biotic Interactions: the roLe of environmental

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