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Dynamics and distribution of 13C-labeled straw carbon by microorganisms as affected by soil fertility levels in the Black Soil region of Northeast China

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Abstract

Microorganisms mediate the decomposition of straw residue in soil, but how soil fertility levels affect microbial incorporation of straw C remains unclear in many ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to quantify the contribution of straw C to microbial organic C (MBC), and to evaluate the effect of different soil fertility levels on the distribution of straw-derived soil organic C (SOC) pools. An in situ incubation was set up with soils amended with or without 13C-labeled maize straw. Across fertility treatments, straw C retained in soil decreased, on average, from 84 % after 30 days (June 5, 2011) to 30 % after 365 days (May 5, 2012). Over the entire incubation, 2–5 % of straw C was incorporated to MBC. At the high and medium fertility levels, MBC contained, on average, 58 % of straw C and 42 % of native SOC, respectively, whereas more than 75 % of MBC was derived from straw C at the low fertility level. Total MBC was lower in soil at the low fertility level compared with soils at the high and medium fertility levels. These results suggest that in low fertility soils, the addition of crop straw significantly promoted the activity and growth of soil microorganisms and provided a potential positive feedback to soil fertility.

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Acknowledgments

This study is financially funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant numbers 41171237 and 31330011) and by the “Strategic Priority Research Program-Climate Change: Carbon Budget and Relevant Issues” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Program number XDA05050501). This research represents collaboration with the scientists at the University of Tennessee under the support in part by the National Science Foundation of the USA (Grant number CBET-1220731).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110866, China

    Tingting An, Shuangyi Li, Hui Li, Jiubo Pei & Jingkuan Wang

  2. Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Sean Schaeffer, Jie Zhuang & Mark Radosevich

  3. Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Jie Zhuang

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  1. Tingting An
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  3. Jie Zhuang
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Correspondence to Jingkuan Wang.

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An, T., Schaeffer, S., Zhuang, J. et al. Dynamics and distribution of 13C-labeled straw carbon by microorganisms as affected by soil fertility levels in the Black Soil region of Northeast China. Biol Fertil Soils 51, 605–613 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-015-1006-3

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