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Labile carbon 'primes' fungal use of nitrogen from submerged leaf litter

Soares, Margarida LU ; Kritzberg, Emma S. LU and Rousk, Johannes LU (2017) In FEMS Microbiology Ecology 93(9).
Abstract

Microbial decomposers colonising submerged leaf litter are in close spatial proximity with periphytic algae and can use carbon (C) exudates released during photosynthesis. We investigated whether labile C delivered as algal exudates could affect the microbial colonisation and decomposition of leaf litter. Using microcosms, we submerged leaf litter in pond water and monitored fungal and bacterial growth over time and tested the effect of algal photosynthetic exudates by comparing microcosms in light and dark. In order to experimentally assign the effect of algal products to labile C delivery and test for a C driven mechanism, we ran a parallel experiment with microcosms in the dark where we mimicked the delivery of algal labile C by... (More)

Microbial decomposers colonising submerged leaf litter are in close spatial proximity with periphytic algae and can use carbon (C) exudates released during photosynthesis. We investigated whether labile C delivered as algal exudates could affect the microbial colonisation and decomposition of leaf litter. Using microcosms, we submerged leaf litter in pond water and monitored fungal and bacterial growth over time and tested the effect of algal photosynthetic exudates by comparing microcosms in light and dark. In order to experimentally assign the effect of algal products to labile C delivery and test for a C driven mechanism, we ran a parallel experiment with microcosms in the dark where we mimicked the delivery of algal labile C by continuously adding glucose. Labile C delivered as algal exudates or glucose resulted in a dominance of fungal decomposers over bacteria, and stimulated the acquisition of more N-rich OM fractions from litter during periods of active fungal growth. Our results highlight that labile C stimulates fungal decomposers and increases N removal from leaf litter. Since fungal necromass is more resistant to degradation than bacterial, we expect that a fungal-dominated litter degradation might contribute to more protected C pools.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
algae and photosynthetic exudates, fungi, labile carbon, leaf litter decomposition, nitrogen mining, priming effect
in
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
volume
93
issue
9
article number
fix110
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85040570800
  • pmid:28957586
ISSN
1574-6941
DOI
10.1093/femsec/fix110
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b79eafce-cfc3-4112-a641-3470cb1941de
date added to LUP
2018-01-31 07:50:40
date last changed
2024-01-14 14:18:11
@article{b79eafce-cfc3-4112-a641-3470cb1941de,
  abstract     = {{<p>Microbial decomposers colonising submerged leaf litter are in close spatial proximity with periphytic algae and can use carbon (C) exudates released during photosynthesis. We investigated whether labile C delivered as algal exudates could affect the microbial colonisation and decomposition of leaf litter. Using microcosms, we submerged leaf litter in pond water and monitored fungal and bacterial growth over time and tested the effect of algal photosynthetic exudates by comparing microcosms in light and dark. In order to experimentally assign the effect of algal products to labile C delivery and test for a C driven mechanism, we ran a parallel experiment with microcosms in the dark where we mimicked the delivery of algal labile C by continuously adding glucose. Labile C delivered as algal exudates or glucose resulted in a dominance of fungal decomposers over bacteria, and stimulated the acquisition of more N-rich OM fractions from litter during periods of active fungal growth. Our results highlight that labile C stimulates fungal decomposers and increases N removal from leaf litter. Since fungal necromass is more resistant to degradation than bacterial, we expect that a fungal-dominated litter degradation might contribute to more protected C pools.</p>}},
  author       = {{Soares, Margarida and Kritzberg, Emma S. and Rousk, Johannes}},
  issn         = {{1574-6941}},
  keywords     = {{algae and photosynthetic exudates; fungi; labile carbon; leaf litter decomposition; nitrogen mining; priming effect}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{FEMS Microbiology Ecology}},
  title        = {{Labile carbon 'primes' fungal use of nitrogen from submerged leaf litter}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fix110}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/femsec/fix110}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}