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Soil micro-food web interactions and rhizosphere priming effect

Plant and Soil volume 432, pages 129–142 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Background and aims

The rhizosphere priming effect (RPE) is the stimulation or suppression of soil organic matter decomposition by living roots and associated rhizosphere organisms. The RPE is pivotal in regulating biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems. However, biological mechanisms, especially soil micro-food web interactions, behind the RPE remain largely unknown.

Methods

We quantified the RPE of soybean and cottonwood at three growth stages using a natural 13C tracer method, measured soil microbial and nematode community composition, and investigated their relations with the RPE.

Results

The magnitude of the RPE varied widely at different growth stages. Soybean produced a greater cumulative RPE than cottonwood. The plant species effect was also observed in the bacterial PLFA with higher values found in the soybean treatment. Mantel test analysis suggested that the variations in microbial community were closely related with the RPE, soil and plant characteristics. The nematode community affected the RPE indirectly through altering the structure of the microbial community.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that the RPE was connected with interactions of soil micro-food webs. This connection indicates that soil micro-food web interactions in the rhizosphere may either regulate microbial turnover and/or microbial community composition, subsequently modulating the RPE.

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Abbreviations

RPE:

Rhizosphere priming effect

SOM:

Soil organic matter

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

MBC:

Microbial biomass carbon

MBN:

Microbial biomass nitrogen

PLFA:

Phospholipid fatty acid

DOC:

Dissolved organic carbon

DTN:

Dissolved total nitrogen

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan of China (2017YFD0200602).

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Author notes

  1. Xinchang Kou and Tongqing Su contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 417, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Xinchang Kou, Tongqing Su, Ningning Ma, Qi Li, Peng Wang, Zhengfang Wu, Wenju Liang & Weixin Cheng

  2. School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China

    Xinchang Kou & Zhengfang Wu

  3. Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning, 530001, China

    Tongqing Su

  4. Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA

    Weixin Cheng

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  1. Xinchang Kou
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Correspondence to Qi Li or Peng Wang.

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Kou, X., Su, T., Ma, N. et al. Soil micro-food web interactions and rhizosphere priming effect. Plant Soil 432, 129–142 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3782-7

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Keywords

  • Soil micro-food web
  • Rhizosphere priming effect
  • Microbial PLFA
  • Nematode community