Mineral fertilizer alters cellulolytic community structure and suppresses soil cellobiohydrolase activity in a long-term fertilization experiment

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 55; pp. 70 - 77
• Main Authors: Fan, Fenliang, Li, Zhaojun, Wakelin, Steven A., Yu, Wantai, Liang, Yongchao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; arable soils; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; carbon; Carbon sequestration; Cellobiohydrolase; Cellulolytic fungi; cellulose; cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Community structure; Diversity; Eurotiomycetes; fertilizer application; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungi; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Analysis and diagnosis methods; genes; long term experiments; Long-term fertilization; mineral fertilizers; mineralization; organic matter; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; polymerase chain reaction; restriction fragment length polymorphism; soil nutrients; soil organic carbon; soil respiration; Soil science; soil structure; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Community structure; Long-term fertilization; Cellulolytic fungi; Carbon sequestration; Cellobiohydrolase; Diversity; Fertilization; Enzyme; Cellulolysis; Inorganic fertilizer; Cellulose 1,4-β-cellobiosidase; Long term; Glycosylases; Soils; Fungus; Hydrolases; Soil science
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.06.008

Nutrient inputs to soil can alter mineralization of organic matter and subsequently affect soil carbon levels. To understand how elemental interactions affect the biogeochemistry and storage of soil C, we examined soils receiving long-term applications of mineral fertilizer and manure-containing fertilizers. As cellulose is the dominant form of carbon entering arable soils, cellulolytic communities were monitored through enzymatic analysis, and characterization of the abundance (real-time PCR) and diversity (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, T-RFLP) of fungal cellobiohydrolases (cbhI) genes. The data showed that long-term mineral fertilization increased soil organic C and crop productivity, and reduced soil heterotrophic respiration and cellobiohydrolases (CBH) activity. Correspondingly, the diversity and community structure of cellulolytic fungi were substantially altered. The variation in cellulolytic fungi is mainly attributable to shifts in the proportion of Eurotiomycetes. In addition, CBH activity was significantly correlated with the diversity and community structure of cellulolytic fungi. These results suggest that enhanced C storage by mineral fertilizer addition occurs not only from extra organic carbon input, but may also be affected through the cellulose decomposing community in arable soil. ► Long-term mineral fertilization increased soil organic C. ► Long-term mineral fertilization reduced soil respiration and CBH activity. ► CBH activity was significantly correlated with diversity of cellulolytic fungi. ► CBH activity was significantly correlated with community structure of cellulolytic fungi. ► C storage may be mediated by a specific functional microbial group in arable soil.