Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Science of the Total Environment. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Science of the Total Environment, 648, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.039
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Management versus site effects on the abundance of nitrifiers and denitrifiers in European mountain grasslands
AU - Szukics, U.
AU - Grigulis, K.
AU - Legay, N.
AU - Kastl, E.M.
AU - Baxendale, C.
AU - Bardgett, R.D.
AU - Clément, J.C.
AU - Lavorel, S.
AU - Schloter, M.
AU - Bahn, M.
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Science of the Total Environment. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Science of the Total Environment, 648, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.039
PY - 2019/1/15
Y1 - 2019/1/15
N2 - It is well established that the abundances of nitrogen (N) transforming microbes are strongly influenced by land-use intensity in lowland grasslands. However, their responses to management change in less productive and less fertilized mountain grasslands are largely unknown. We studied eight mountain grasslands, positioned along gradients of management intensity in Austria, the UK, and France, which differed in their historical management trajectories. We measured the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) as well as nitrite-reducing bacteria using specific marker genes. We found that management affected the abundance of these microbial groups along each transect, though the specific responses differed between sites, due to different management histories and resulting variations in environmental parameters. In Austria, cessation of management caused an increase in nirK and nirS gene abundances. In the UK, intensification of grassland management led to 10-fold increases in the abundances of AOA and AOB and doubling of nirK gene abundance. In France, ploughing of previously mown grassland caused a 20-fold increase in AOA abundance. Across sites the abundance of AOB was most strongly related to soil NO3−-N availability, and AOA were favored by higher soil pH. Among the nitrite reducers, nirS abundance correlated most strongly with N parameters, such as soil NO3−-N, microbial N, leachate NH4+-N, while the abundance of nirK-denitrifiers was affected by soil total N, organic matter (SOM) and water content. We conclude that alteration of soil environmental conditions is the dominant mechanism by which land management practices influence the abundance of each group of ammonia oxidizers and nitrite reducers.
AB - It is well established that the abundances of nitrogen (N) transforming microbes are strongly influenced by land-use intensity in lowland grasslands. However, their responses to management change in less productive and less fertilized mountain grasslands are largely unknown. We studied eight mountain grasslands, positioned along gradients of management intensity in Austria, the UK, and France, which differed in their historical management trajectories. We measured the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) as well as nitrite-reducing bacteria using specific marker genes. We found that management affected the abundance of these microbial groups along each transect, though the specific responses differed between sites, due to different management histories and resulting variations in environmental parameters. In Austria, cessation of management caused an increase in nirK and nirS gene abundances. In the UK, intensification of grassland management led to 10-fold increases in the abundances of AOA and AOB and doubling of nirK gene abundance. In France, ploughing of previously mown grassland caused a 20-fold increase in AOA abundance. Across sites the abundance of AOB was most strongly related to soil NO3−-N availability, and AOA were favored by higher soil pH. Among the nitrite reducers, nirS abundance correlated most strongly with N parameters, such as soil NO3−-N, microbial N, leachate NH4+-N, while the abundance of nirK-denitrifiers was affected by soil total N, organic matter (SOM) and water content. We conclude that alteration of soil environmental conditions is the dominant mechanism by which land management practices influence the abundance of each group of ammonia oxidizers and nitrite reducers.
KW - Nitrifiers
KW - Denitrifiers
KW - Land use intensity
KW - Mountain grasslands
KW - Soil nitrogen cycle
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.039
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.039
M3 - Journal article
VL - 648
SP - 745
EP - 753
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
SN - 0048-9697
ER -