Long-Term Warming in Alaska Enlarges the Diazotrophic Community in Deep Soils

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TitleLong-Term Warming in Alaska Enlarges the Diazotrophic Community in Deep Soils
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsFeng, J, C. Penton, R, He, Z, Van Nostrand, JD, Yuan, MM, Wu, L, Wang, C, Qin, Y, Shi, ZJ, Guo, X, Schuur, EAG, Luo, Y, Bracho, R, Konstantinidis, KT, Cole, JR, Tiedje, JM, Yang, Y, Zhou, J
JournalMbio
Volume10
Paginatione02521–18
ISSN2150-7511
KeywordsArctic tundra, carbon, climate warming, diazotrophs, diversity, forest, gene sequencing, increases, LTER-ARC, microbial community, nitrogen-fixation, permafrost, root exudation, soil microbiology, thaw, Tundra
Abstract

Tundra ecosystems are typically carbon (C) rich but nitrogen (N) limited. Since biological N-2 fixation is the major source of biologically available N, the soil N-2-fixing (i.e., diazotrophic) community serves as an essential N supplier to the tundra ecosystem. Recent climate warming has induced deeper permafrost thaw and adversely affected C sequestration, which is modulated by N availability. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the responses of diazotrophic communities to warming across the depths of tundra soils. Herein, we carried out one of the deepest sequencing efforts of nitrogenase gene (nifH) to investigate how 5 years of experimental winter warming affects Alaskan soil diazotrophic community composition and abundance spanning both the organic and mineral layers. Although soil depth had a stronger influence on diazotrophic community composition than warming, warming significantly (P

DOI10.1128/mBio.02521-18