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| Titel |
The effect of resource history on the functioning of soil microbial communities is maintained across time |
| VerfasserIn |
A. D. Keiser, M. S. Strickland, N. Fierer, M. A. Bradford |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1726-4170
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 8, no. 6 ; Nr. 8, no. 6 (2011-06-09), S.1477-1486 |
| Datensatznummer |
250005950
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-8-1477-2011.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Historical resource conditions appear to influence microbial community
function. With time, historical influences might diminish as populations
respond to the contemporary environment. Alternatively, they may persist
given factors such as contrasting genetic potentials for adaptation to a new
environment. Using experimental microcosms, we test competing hypotheses
that function of distinct soil microbial communities in common environments
(H1a) converge or (H1b) remain dissimilar over time. Using a
6 × 2 (soil community inoculum × litter environment)
full-factorial design, we compare decomposition rates in experimental
microcosms containing grass or hardwood litter environments. After 100 days,
communities that develop are inoculated into fresh litters and decomposition
followed for another 100 days. We repeat this for a third, 100-day period.
In each successive, 100-day period, we find higher decomposition rates
(i.e. functioning) suggesting communities function better when they have an
experimental history of the contemporary environment. Despite these
functional gains, differences in decomposition rates among initially
distinct communities persist, supporting the hypothesis that dissimilarity
is maintained across time. In contrast to function, community composition is
more similar following a common, experimental history. We also find that
"specialization" on one experimental environment incurs a cost, with loss of
function in the alternate environment. For example, experimental history of
a grass-litter environment reduced decomposition when communities were
inoculated into a hardwood-litter environment. Our work demonstrates
experimentally that despite expectations of fast growth rates, physiological
flexibility and rapid evolution, initial functional differences between
microbial communities are maintained across time. These findings question
whether microbial dynamics can be omitted from models of ecosystem processes
if we are to predict reliably global change effects on biogeochemical
cycles. |
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