Grass rather than legume species decreases soil organic matter decomposition with nutrient addition

0571015 - BC 2024 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Jílková, Veronika - Sim, A. - Thornton, B. - Paterson, E.
Grass rather than legume species decreases soil organic matter decomposition with nutrient addition.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry. Roč. 177, February (2023), č. článku 108936. ISSN 0038-0717
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2015075; GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_013/0001782
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) MSM200961606
Program: Program na podporu mezinárodní spolupráce začínajících výzkumných pracovníků
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : temperate grassland * legume * Grass * root-derived respiration * priming effect * PLFA
OECD category: Soil science
Impact factor: 9.7, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071722003935?via%3Dihub

Nutrient addition to soil can strongly affect interactions at the root-soil interface, which play a central role in terrestrial ecosystem functions. Controversies, however, remain on whether or not soils sequester more carbon (C) with nutrient addition (for example in the context of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations), and what is the role of plant traits and growth strategies in these impacts. In this study, we conducted a laboratory manipulation experiment focused on the effects of a grass (Lolium perenne L.) species, a legume (Lotus corniculatus L.) species, and their mixture with or without nutrient addition on plant biomass, root-derived respiration, soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, and microbial community structure.L. perenne biomass and root-derived respiration were more responsive than L. corniculatus biomass and rootderived respiration to nutrient addition. The decomposition of SOM decreased, and the priming effect (PE) was negative, both with and without nutrient addition, in both plant species. Nutrient addition, however, impacted the magnitude of PE to a lesser extent in L. corniculatus than in L. perenne and in monocultures than in the mixture. With nutrient addition, fungi were more abundant and utilized a greater proportion of root-derived C than bacteria. In conclusion, the current study suggests that nutrient addition may promote a positive soil C-balance through reduced SOM decomposition, and that plant species mixtures with increased root-derived C-flow (representing root and rhizomicrobial respiration) suppressed SOM decomposition to a greater extent.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0344244