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The roles of microorganisms in litter decomposition and soil formation

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A Correction to this article was published on 19 January 2024

An Erratum to this article was published on 28 January 2014

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Abstract

Much has been learned about the microbial decomposition of plant litter, but relatively little is known about microbial contributions to litter and soil chemistry. We conducted a 3-year litterbag experiment and measured hydrolyzable amino acids (AA) and amino sugars (AS) to gain insights about microbial contributions to the chemical characteristics of decomposing litter and soil. Microscopic observations of hyphae were used to estimate fungal contributions to litter. The carbon (C)-normalized yields of AA and AS increased during decomposition along with nitrogen (N), indicating a shift in chemical characteristics from C-rich plant-derived biopolymers to N-rich, microbially-derived biochemicals. The contributions of fungal biomass to C and N were minor, but necromass of fungi as melanized and clamp-bearing hyphae increased during litter decomposition. Yields of glucosamine and galactosamine in litter approached those in microorganisms, particularly bacteria, suggesting major contributions of bacterial residues to litter during decomposition. The microbial contributions to decomposing litter were consistent with those observed in organic and mineral soils. Microorganisms play important roles in the organization and stabilization of soil organic matter as well as N immobilization and organic C preservation.

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Abbreviations

AA:

Amino acid

AS:

Amino sugar

THAA:

Total hydrolyzable amino acid

THAS:

Total hydrolyzable amino sugar

GlcN:

Glucosamine

GalN:

Galactosamine

OC:

Organic carbon

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Acknowledgments

We thank Karl Kaiser and Mike Philben for analyzing C, N, and AA in several microorganisms and for assistance with AA and AS analyses. We also thank Yoko Morimoto, Ruth Flerus, Tomohiro Kasuga, Seiya Shiratori, Marin Otomichi, Hiroki Inoue, Hidetomo Iwano, Isao Kato, Hiroshi Yokota, and Teruo Matsunaka for support in the laboratory. This research was supported by grant from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (No. 21710014) and by Grants-in-Aid to Cooperative Research from Rakuno Gakuen University (2008). Ronald Benner acknowledges support from NSF grant 0843417.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Midorimachi, Bunkyodai, Ebetsu, 069-8501, Japan

    Satoru Hobara & Kenta Noro

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Satoru Hobara & Ronald Benner

  3. Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, 520-2113, Japan

    Takashi Osono

  4. College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8555, Japan

    Dai Hirose

  5. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8572, Japan

    Mitsuru Hirota

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  1. Satoru Hobara
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  2. Takashi Osono
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  3. Dai Hirose
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  4. Kenta Noro
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  5. Mitsuru Hirota
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Correspondence to Satoru Hobara.

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Hobara, S., Osono, T., Hirose, D. et al. The roles of microorganisms in litter decomposition and soil formation. Biogeochemistry 118, 471–486 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-013-9912-7

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