Effects of experimental warming and nitrogen fertilization on soil microbial communities and processes of two subalpine coniferous species in Eastern Tibetan Plateau, China

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 382; no. 1-2; pp. 189 - 201
• Main Authors: Zhao, Chunzhang, Zhu, Liying, Liang, Jin, Yin, Huajun, Yin, Chunying, Li, Dandan, Zhang, Nannan, Liu, Qing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer-Verlag 01.09.2014; Springer; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abies; Acid soils; Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alpine flora; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Botanical research; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; China; Coniferous forests; Conifers; Ecology; ecosystems; Environmental aspects; Enzymatic activity; enzyme activity; Enzymes; Forest soils; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Global warming; Life Sciences; Microbial activity; microbial biomass; microbial communities; Microbiology; Nitrogen; Nitrogen fertilization; Nitrogen fertilizers; Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizations; Organic matter; phospholipid fatty acids; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Picea; Picea asperata; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant-soil relationships; prediction; Regular Article; soil; Soil air; Soil biochemistry; Soil ecology; Soil enzymes; Soil heating; Soil microorganisms; Soil organic matter; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soils; temperature; China; Central Asia; Asia; Far east; China, People's Rep., Xizang, Tibetan Plateau; China, People's Rep; Labile C and N; Soil microbial community; Experimental warming; Subalpine coniferous forest; Extracellular enzyme; Microbial activity; Nitrogen fertilization; Process; Physical environment; Tibetan Plateau; Mountain; Gymnospermae; Experimentation; Species; Microbial community; Warming; Enzyme; Biochemical compound; Nitrogen; Carbon; Extracellular; Biological activity; Subalpine forests; Soils; Instability; Spermatophyta; Coniferales; Soil plant relation; Coniferous forest
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-014-2153-2

AIM: This study aimed at predicting how sub-alpine coniferous ecosystems respond to global changes in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau by understanding soil microbial communities and activities, as well as variation in the quality and quantity of soil organic matter. METHODS: An experiment was conducted to examine soil microbial communities and their related soil processes in rhizospheric soil of two coniferous species that were exposed to two levels of temperature (unwarmed and infrared heater warming) and two levels of nitrogen (unfertilized and 25 g N m⁻² a⁻¹) from April 2007. RESULTS: Four-year night warming alone slightly affected the phospholipid fatty acid contents of the microbial community. However, the combination of nitrogen addition and soil warming significantly affected soil microbial composition while reducing the biomass of major microbial groups and the activities of most enzymes, especially in Abies faxoniana plots. The combination of warming and nitrogen addition increased soil labile C and N pools in Picea asperata plots and was beneficial for soil recalcitrant C, as well as for labile and total C and N pools in A. faxoniana plots. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that future warming will slightly affect soil microbial communities and their related soil processes. However, warming combined with high nitrogen deposition will significantly constrain soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities, consequently increasing soil C and N pools in sub-alpine coniferous forests of this region.