Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Temporal patterns of carbon flow from grassland vegetation to soil microorganisms measured using 13C-labelling and signature fatty acids

Birgander, Johanna LU and Olsson, Pål Axel LU (2021) In Plant and Soil 462(1-2). p.245-255
Abstract

Purpose: We investigated how the C flow from plants to microorganisms varies throughout the year in a temperate grassland. Additionally, we investigated how the C flow relates to saprotrophic activity and vegetation changes. Methods: In situ stable isotope pulse labelling (13CO2) was employed to estimate the flow of recently plant-derived C to soil microorganisms by using signature fatty acids. Bacterial and fungal growth was estimated using radio-labelling in laboratory incubations. Results: The C flow from plants to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi peaked during the warmer parts of the year, but saprotrophic microorganisms showed little temporal variation in C flow. Also saprotrophic fungi received considerable... (More)

Purpose: We investigated how the C flow from plants to microorganisms varies throughout the year in a temperate grassland. Additionally, we investigated how the C flow relates to saprotrophic activity and vegetation changes. Methods: In situ stable isotope pulse labelling (13CO2) was employed to estimate the flow of recently plant-derived C to soil microorganisms by using signature fatty acids. Bacterial and fungal growth was estimated using radio-labelling in laboratory incubations. Results: The C flow from plants to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi peaked during the warmer parts of the year, but saprotrophic microorganisms showed little temporal variation in C flow. Also saprotrophic fungi received considerable amounts of C from plants throughout the year. Bacterial and fungal growth showed temporal variation with a growth peak in August for both. This suggests a shift in the C source from mainly rhizosphere C in colder parts of the year, to older C-sources in warmer parts of the year (August). Conclusion: We conclude that AM fungi, saprotrophic fungi and bacteria differ in the amount of recently-fixed C they receive from plants throughout the year. Hence, temporal patterns need to be considered to understand ecosystem functioning. The studied plant community included winter annuals, which potentially maintain a high C flow to saprotrophic fungi during the cold season.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), Fatty acids, PLFA, C, Rhizosphere, Season, Temporal patterns
in
Plant and Soil
volume
462
issue
1-2
pages
11 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85100797734
ISSN
0032-079X
DOI
10.1007/s11104-021-04854-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e6aba19b-2006-4702-bce8-510edb201692
date added to LUP
2021-03-03 08:14:13
date last changed
2024-05-16 05:03:26
@article{e6aba19b-2006-4702-bce8-510edb201692,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose: We investigated how the C flow from plants to microorganisms varies throughout the year in a temperate grassland. Additionally, we investigated how the C flow relates to saprotrophic activity and vegetation changes. Methods: In situ stable isotope pulse labelling (<sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub>) was employed to estimate the flow of recently plant-derived C to soil microorganisms by using signature fatty acids. Bacterial and fungal growth was estimated using radio-labelling in laboratory incubations. Results: The C flow from plants to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi peaked during the warmer parts of the year, but saprotrophic microorganisms showed little temporal variation in C flow. Also saprotrophic fungi received considerable amounts of C from plants throughout the year. Bacterial and fungal growth showed temporal variation with a growth peak in August for both. This suggests a shift in the C source from mainly rhizosphere C in colder parts of the year, to older C-sources in warmer parts of the year (August). Conclusion: We conclude that AM fungi, saprotrophic fungi and bacteria differ in the amount of recently-fixed C they receive from plants throughout the year. Hence, temporal patterns need to be considered to understand ecosystem functioning. The studied plant community included winter annuals, which potentially maintain a high C flow to saprotrophic fungi during the cold season.</p>}},
  author       = {{Birgander, Johanna and Olsson, Pål Axel}},
  issn         = {{0032-079X}},
  keywords     = {{Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM); Fatty acids; PLFA, C; Rhizosphere; Season; Temporal patterns}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{245--255}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Plant and Soil}},
  title        = {{Temporal patterns of carbon flow from grassland vegetation to soil microorganisms measured using 13C-labelling and signature fatty acids}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04854-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11104-021-04854-8}},
  volume       = {{462}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}