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Drying and rewetting effects on soil microbial community composition and nutrient leaching.

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Drying and rewetting effects on soil microbial community composition and nutrient leaching. / Gordon, Helen; Haygarth, Philip M.; Bardgett, Richard D.
In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 40, No. 2, 02.2008, p. 302-311.

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Gordon H, Haygarth PM, Bardgett RD. Drying and rewetting effects on soil microbial community composition and nutrient leaching. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2008 Feb;40(2):302-311. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.08.008

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@article{3b0c34528d4f41a0bb4fef985109d6b0,
title = "Drying and rewetting effects on soil microbial community composition and nutrient leaching.",
abstract = "The effects of a dry-rewetting event (D/RW) on soil microbial properties and nutrient release by leaching from two soils taken from adjacent grasslands with different histories of management intensity were studied. These were a low-productivity grassland, with no history of fertilizer application and a high-productivity grassland with a history of high fertilizer application, referred to as unimproved and improved grassland, respectively. The use of phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) revealed that the soil of the unimproved grassland had a significantly greater microbial biomass, and a greater abundance of fungi relative to bacteria than did the improved grassland. Soils from both grasslands were maintained at 55% water holding capacity (WHC) or dried to 10% WHC and rewetted to 55% WHC, and then sampled on days 1, 3, 9, 16, 30 and 50 after rewetting. The D/RW stress significantly reduced microbial biomass carbon (C), fungal PLFA and the ratio of fungal-to-bacterial PLFA in both soils. In contrast, D/RW increased microbial activity, but had no effect on total PLFA and bacterial PLFA in either soil. Microbial biomass nitrogen (N) was reduced significantly by D/RW in both soils, but especially in those of the improved grassland. In terms of nutrient leaching, the D/RW stress significantly increased concentrations of dissolved organic C and dissolved organic N in leachates taken from the improved soil only. This treatment increased the concentration of dissolved inorganic N in leachate of both soils, but this effect was most pronounced in the improved soil. Overall, our data show that D/RW stress leads to greater nutrient leaching from improved than from unimproved grassland soils, which have a greater microbial biomass and abundance of fungi relative to bacteria. This finding supports the notion that soils with more fungal-rich communities are better able to retain nutrients under D/RW than are their intensively managed counterparts with lower fungal to bacterial ratios, and that D/RW can enhance nutrient leaching with potential implications for water quality.",
keywords = "Grassland, Carbon, Dissolved organic carbon, Dissolved organic nitrogen, Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, Drying and rewetting, Leaching, Leachates, Microbial biomass, Nitrogen, PLFA, Nutrient retention and release",
author = "Helen Gordon and Haygarth, {Philip M.} and Bardgett, {Richard D.}",
year = "2008",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.08.008",
language = "English",
volume = "40",
pages = "302--311",
journal = "Soil Biology and Biochemistry",
issn = "0038-0717",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Drying and rewetting effects on soil microbial community composition and nutrient leaching.

AU - Gordon, Helen

AU - Haygarth, Philip M.

AU - Bardgett, Richard D.

PY - 2008/2

Y1 - 2008/2

N2 - The effects of a dry-rewetting event (D/RW) on soil microbial properties and nutrient release by leaching from two soils taken from adjacent grasslands with different histories of management intensity were studied. These were a low-productivity grassland, with no history of fertilizer application and a high-productivity grassland with a history of high fertilizer application, referred to as unimproved and improved grassland, respectively. The use of phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) revealed that the soil of the unimproved grassland had a significantly greater microbial biomass, and a greater abundance of fungi relative to bacteria than did the improved grassland. Soils from both grasslands were maintained at 55% water holding capacity (WHC) or dried to 10% WHC and rewetted to 55% WHC, and then sampled on days 1, 3, 9, 16, 30 and 50 after rewetting. The D/RW stress significantly reduced microbial biomass carbon (C), fungal PLFA and the ratio of fungal-to-bacterial PLFA in both soils. In contrast, D/RW increased microbial activity, but had no effect on total PLFA and bacterial PLFA in either soil. Microbial biomass nitrogen (N) was reduced significantly by D/RW in both soils, but especially in those of the improved grassland. In terms of nutrient leaching, the D/RW stress significantly increased concentrations of dissolved organic C and dissolved organic N in leachates taken from the improved soil only. This treatment increased the concentration of dissolved inorganic N in leachate of both soils, but this effect was most pronounced in the improved soil. Overall, our data show that D/RW stress leads to greater nutrient leaching from improved than from unimproved grassland soils, which have a greater microbial biomass and abundance of fungi relative to bacteria. This finding supports the notion that soils with more fungal-rich communities are better able to retain nutrients under D/RW than are their intensively managed counterparts with lower fungal to bacterial ratios, and that D/RW can enhance nutrient leaching with potential implications for water quality.

AB - The effects of a dry-rewetting event (D/RW) on soil microbial properties and nutrient release by leaching from two soils taken from adjacent grasslands with different histories of management intensity were studied. These were a low-productivity grassland, with no history of fertilizer application and a high-productivity grassland with a history of high fertilizer application, referred to as unimproved and improved grassland, respectively. The use of phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) revealed that the soil of the unimproved grassland had a significantly greater microbial biomass, and a greater abundance of fungi relative to bacteria than did the improved grassland. Soils from both grasslands were maintained at 55% water holding capacity (WHC) or dried to 10% WHC and rewetted to 55% WHC, and then sampled on days 1, 3, 9, 16, 30 and 50 after rewetting. The D/RW stress significantly reduced microbial biomass carbon (C), fungal PLFA and the ratio of fungal-to-bacterial PLFA in both soils. In contrast, D/RW increased microbial activity, but had no effect on total PLFA and bacterial PLFA in either soil. Microbial biomass nitrogen (N) was reduced significantly by D/RW in both soils, but especially in those of the improved grassland. In terms of nutrient leaching, the D/RW stress significantly increased concentrations of dissolved organic C and dissolved organic N in leachates taken from the improved soil only. This treatment increased the concentration of dissolved inorganic N in leachate of both soils, but this effect was most pronounced in the improved soil. Overall, our data show that D/RW stress leads to greater nutrient leaching from improved than from unimproved grassland soils, which have a greater microbial biomass and abundance of fungi relative to bacteria. This finding supports the notion that soils with more fungal-rich communities are better able to retain nutrients under D/RW than are their intensively managed counterparts with lower fungal to bacterial ratios, and that D/RW can enhance nutrient leaching with potential implications for water quality.

KW - Grassland

KW - Carbon

KW - Dissolved organic carbon

KW - Dissolved organic nitrogen

KW - Dissolved inorganic nitrogen

KW - Drying and rewetting

KW - Leaching

KW - Leachates

KW - Microbial biomass

KW - Nitrogen

KW - PLFA

KW - Nutrient retention and release

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36048999763&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.08.008

DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.08.008

M3 - Journal article

VL - 40

SP - 302

EP - 311

JO - Soil Biology and Biochemistry

JF - Soil Biology and Biochemistry

SN - 0038-0717

IS - 2

ER -