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Response of soil microbial activity to grazing, nitrogen deposition, and exotic cover in a serpentine grassland

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Abstract

Background and aims

Exotic species, nitrogen (N) deposition, and grazing are major drivers of change in grasslands. However little is known about the interactive effects of these factors on below-ground microbial communities.

Methods

We simulated realistic N deposition increases with low-level fertilization and manipulated grazing with fencing in a split-plot experiment in California’s largest serpentine grassland. We also monitored grazing intensity using camera traps and measured total available N to assess grazing and nutrient enrichment effects on microbial extracellular enzyme activity (EEA), microbial N mineralization, and respiration rates in soil.

Results

Continuous measures of grazing intensity and N availability showed that increased grazing and N were correlated with increased microbial activity and were stronger predictors than the categorical grazing and fertilization measures. Exotic cover was also generally correlated with increased microbial activity resulting from exotic-driven nutrient cycling alterations. Seasonal effects, on abiotic factors and plant phenology, were also an important factor in EEA with lower activity occurring at peak plant biomass.

Conclusions

In combination with previous studies from this serpentine grassland, our results suggest that grazing intensity and soil N availability may affect the soil microbial community indirectly via effects on exotic cover and associated changes in nutrient cycling while grazing directly impacts soil community function.

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Abbreviations

CBH:

Cellobiohydrolase

EEA:

Extracellular enzyme assay

LAP:

L-leucine aminopeptidase

NAG:

β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase

PHOS:

Phosphatase

XYL:

β-xylopyranoside

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funding from the Kearney Foundation for Soil Science. We thank Christal Niederer for her assistance with fieldwork and Bonnie Keeler for her useful comments on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Carleton College, 1 North College St., Northfield, MN, 55057, USA

    Ellen H. Esch & Daniel L. Hernández

  2. Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis, 2099 Westside Rd., Bodega Bay, CA, 94923, USA

    Jae R. Pasari

  3. Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 111 Koshland Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    Rose S. G. Kantor

  4. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1910 East–west Rd., Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Paul C. Selmants

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  1. Ellen H. Esch
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  2. Daniel L. Hernández
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Correspondence to Ellen H. Esch.

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Esch, E.H., Hernández, D.L., Pasari, J.R. et al. Response of soil microbial activity to grazing, nitrogen deposition, and exotic cover in a serpentine grassland. Plant Soil 366, 671–682 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1463-5

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