Anthropogenic N deposition, fungal gene expression, and an increasing soil carbon sink in the Northern Hemisphere

Donald R. Zak; William A. Argiroff; Zachary B. Freedman; Rima A. Upchurch; Elizabeth M. Entwistle; Karl J. Romanowicz

doi:10.1002/ecy.2804

Anthropogenic N deposition, fungal gene expression, and an increasing soil carbon sink in the Northern Hemisphere

Donald R. Zak, William A. Argiroff, Zachary B. Freedman, Rima A. Upchurch, Elizabeth M. Entwistle, Karl J. Romanowicz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Terrestrial ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere are a globally important sink for anthropogenic CO₂ in the Earth's atmosphere, slowing its accumulation as well as the pace of climate warming. With the use of a long-term field experiment (ca. 20 yr), we show that the expression of fungal class II peroxidase genes, which encode enzymes mediating the rate-limiting step of organic matter decay, are significantly downregulated (−60 to −80%) because of increases in anthropogenic N deposition; this response was consistent with a decline in extracellular peroxidase enzyme activity in soil, the slowing of organic-matter decay, and greater soil C storage. The reduction in peroxidase expression we document here occurred in the absence of a compositional shift in metabolically active fungi, indicating that an overall reduction in peroxidase expression underlies the slowing of decay and increases in soil C storage. This molecular mechanism has global implications for soil C storage and should be represented in coupled climate–biogeochemical models simulating the influence of enhanced terrestrial C storage on atmospheric CO₂ and the future climate of an N-enriched Earth.

Original language	English
Article number	e02804
Journal	Ecology
Volume	100
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2804
State	Published - Oct 1 2019
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Our work was supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, Division of Environmental Biology and the National Science Foundation, Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology program. Zac Freedman was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch project 1011670 and the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Joel Blum, Lauren Cline, Brad Cardinale, Ines Ibanez, Knute Nadelhoffer, Peter Pellitier and Joseph Zak provided critical feedback on earlier versions of the manuscript.

Funders	Funder number
West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station
National Science Foundation
U.S. Department of Energy
Division of Environmental Biology
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and Agriculture	1011670

Keywords

anthropogenic N deposition
biogeochemical feedback
fungal peroxidase
gene expression
microbial decay
soil C storage

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/ecy.2804

Cite this

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title = "Anthropogenic N deposition, fungal gene expression, and an increasing soil carbon sink in the Northern Hemisphere",

abstract = "Terrestrial ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere are a globally important sink for anthropogenic CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere, slowing its accumulation as well as the pace of climate warming. With the use of a long-term field experiment (ca. 20 yr), we show that the expression of fungal class II peroxidase genes, which encode enzymes mediating the rate-limiting step of organic matter decay, are significantly downregulated (−60 to −80%) because of increases in anthropogenic N deposition; this response was consistent with a decline in extracellular peroxidase enzyme activity in soil, the slowing of organic-matter decay, and greater soil C storage. The reduction in peroxidase expression we document here occurred in the absence of a compositional shift in metabolically active fungi, indicating that an overall reduction in peroxidase expression underlies the slowing of decay and increases in soil C storage. This molecular mechanism has global implications for soil C storage and should be represented in coupled climate–biogeochemical models simulating the influence of enhanced terrestrial C storage on atmospheric CO2 and the future climate of an N-enriched Earth.",

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AU - Argiroff, William A.

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AU - Upchurch, Rima A.

AU - Entwistle, Elizabeth M.

AU - Romanowicz, Karl J.

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N2 - Terrestrial ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere are a globally important sink for anthropogenic CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere, slowing its accumulation as well as the pace of climate warming. With the use of a long-term field experiment (ca. 20 yr), we show that the expression of fungal class II peroxidase genes, which encode enzymes mediating the rate-limiting step of organic matter decay, are significantly downregulated (−60 to −80%) because of increases in anthropogenic N deposition; this response was consistent with a decline in extracellular peroxidase enzyme activity in soil, the slowing of organic-matter decay, and greater soil C storage. The reduction in peroxidase expression we document here occurred in the absence of a compositional shift in metabolically active fungi, indicating that an overall reduction in peroxidase expression underlies the slowing of decay and increases in soil C storage. This molecular mechanism has global implications for soil C storage and should be represented in coupled climate–biogeochemical models simulating the influence of enhanced terrestrial C storage on atmospheric CO2 and the future climate of an N-enriched Earth.

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Anthropogenic N deposition, fungal gene expression, and an increasing soil carbon sink in the Northern Hemisphere

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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