Microbial respiratory thermal adaptation is regulated by r‐/K‐strategy dominance. (22nd September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Hongyang; Jing, Qingfang; Liu, Xiang; Zhou, Xuhui; Fang, Changming; Li, Bo; Zhou, Shurong; Nie, Ming
• Is Part Of: Ecology letters. Volume 25:Number 11(2022)
• Page Start: 2489
• Page End: 2499
• Publication Date: 2022-09-22
• Subjects: adaptation -- carbon cycling -- climate warming -- ecological strategy -- microbial community; Ecology -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.14106
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-023X

Abstract

Abstract: Microbial thermal adaptation is considered to be one of the core mechanisms affecting soil carbon cycling. However, the role of microbial community composition in controlling thermal adaptation is poorly understood. Using microbial communities from the rhizosphere and bulk soils in an 8‐year warming experiment as a model, we experimentally demonstrate that respiratory thermal adaptation was much stronger in microbial K ‐strategist‐dominated bulk soils than in microbial r ‐strategist‐dominated rhizosphere soils. Soil carbon availability exerted strong selection on the dominant ecological strategy of the microbial community, indirectly influencing respiratory thermal adaptation. Our findings shed light on the linchpin of the dominant ecological strategy exhibited by the microbial community in determining its respiratory thermal adaptation, with implications for understanding soil carbon losses under warming. Abstract : Microbial respiratory thermal adaptation is considered to be one of the core mechanisms affecting soil carbon cycling. We found that respiratory thermal adaptation was much stronger in the K‐strategist‐dominant microbial community than in the r‐strategist‐dominant microbial community, and emphasise the importance of the dominant ecological strategy exhibited by the microbial community in determining its respiratory thermal adaptation, with implications for understanding soil carbon losses under warming.