Feedbacks between plant N demand and rhizosphere priming depend on type of mycorrhizal association

Benjamin N. Sulman; Edward R. Brzostek; Chiara Medici; Elena Shevliakova; Duncan N.L. Menge; Richard P. Phillips

doi:10.1111/ele.12802

Feedbacks between plant N demand and rhizosphere priming depend on type of mycorrhizal association

Benjamin N. Sulman, Edward R. Brzostek, Chiara Medici, Elena Shevliakova, Duncan N.L. Menge, Richard P. Phillips

Plant-Soil Interactions

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

132 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ecosystem carbon (C) balance is hypothesised to be sensitive to the mycorrhizal strategies that plants use to acquire nutrients. To test this idea, we coupled an optimality-based plant nitrogen (N) acquisition model with a microbe-focused soil organic matter (SOM) model. The model accurately predicted rhizosphere processes and C–N dynamics across a gradient of stands varying in their relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees. When mycorrhizal dominance was switched – ECM trees dominating plots previously occupied by AM trees, and vice versa – legacy effects were apparent, with consequences for both C and N stocks in soil. Under elevated productivity, ECM trees enhanced decomposition more than AM trees via microbial priming of unprotected SOM. Collectively, our results show that ecosystem responses to global change may hinge on the balance between rhizosphere priming and SOM protection, and highlight the importance of dynamically linking plants and microbes in terrestrial biosphere models.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1043-1053
Number of pages	11
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	20
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12802
State	Published - Aug 2017

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Program (DE-SC0016188), and the US National Science Foundation Ecosystem Studies Program (grant #1153401). The field research was conducted at Indiana University's Research and Teaching Preserve. Thanks to Z. Brown, T. Roman, and L. Jacobs for field and data processing help. Thanks to Dr. C. Chou, Dr. A. Porporato, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. This report was prepared by B. Sulman under award NA14OAR4320106 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. This study was also supported by NOAA Climate Program Office's Atmospheric Chemistry, Carbon Cycle, and Climate program, award #NA15OAR4310065. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Keywords

Biogeochemical model
N-cycle feedbacks
biogeochemistry
carbon cycling
forest productivity
mycorrhizae
plant-soil interactions
soil carbon

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@article{b3bdd9e3578a4e088f11f996524f33d6,

title = "Feedbacks between plant N demand and rhizosphere priming depend on type of mycorrhizal association",

abstract = "Ecosystem carbon (C) balance is hypothesised to be sensitive to the mycorrhizal strategies that plants use to acquire nutrients. To test this idea, we coupled an optimality-based plant nitrogen (N) acquisition model with a microbe-focused soil organic matter (SOM) model. The model accurately predicted rhizosphere processes and C–N dynamics across a gradient of stands varying in their relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees. When mycorrhizal dominance was switched – ECM trees dominating plots previously occupied by AM trees, and vice versa – legacy effects were apparent, with consequences for both C and N stocks in soil. Under elevated productivity, ECM trees enhanced decomposition more than AM trees via microbial priming of unprotected SOM. Collectively, our results show that ecosystem responses to global change may hinge on the balance between rhizosphere priming and SOM protection, and highlight the importance of dynamically linking plants and microbes in terrestrial biosphere models.",

keywords = "Biogeochemical model, N-cycle feedbacks, biogeochemistry, carbon cycling, forest productivity, mycorrhizae, plant-soil interactions, soil carbon",

author = "Sulman, \{Benjamin N.\} and Brzostek, \{Edward R.\} and Chiara Medici and Elena Shevliakova and Menge, \{Duncan N.L.\} and Phillips, \{Richard P.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 John Wiley \& Sons Ltd/CNRS",

year = "2017",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1111/ele.12802",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

pages = "1043--1053",

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T1 - Feedbacks between plant N demand and rhizosphere priming depend on type of mycorrhizal association

AU - Sulman, Benjamin N.

AU - Brzostek, Edward R.

AU - Medici, Chiara

AU - Shevliakova, Elena

AU - Menge, Duncan N.L.

AU - Phillips, Richard P.

PY - 2017/8

Y1 - 2017/8

N2 - Ecosystem carbon (C) balance is hypothesised to be sensitive to the mycorrhizal strategies that plants use to acquire nutrients. To test this idea, we coupled an optimality-based plant nitrogen (N) acquisition model with a microbe-focused soil organic matter (SOM) model. The model accurately predicted rhizosphere processes and C–N dynamics across a gradient of stands varying in their relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees. When mycorrhizal dominance was switched – ECM trees dominating plots previously occupied by AM trees, and vice versa – legacy effects were apparent, with consequences for both C and N stocks in soil. Under elevated productivity, ECM trees enhanced decomposition more than AM trees via microbial priming of unprotected SOM. Collectively, our results show that ecosystem responses to global change may hinge on the balance between rhizosphere priming and SOM protection, and highlight the importance of dynamically linking plants and microbes in terrestrial biosphere models.

AB - Ecosystem carbon (C) balance is hypothesised to be sensitive to the mycorrhizal strategies that plants use to acquire nutrients. To test this idea, we coupled an optimality-based plant nitrogen (N) acquisition model with a microbe-focused soil organic matter (SOM) model. The model accurately predicted rhizosphere processes and C–N dynamics across a gradient of stands varying in their relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees. When mycorrhizal dominance was switched – ECM trees dominating plots previously occupied by AM trees, and vice versa – legacy effects were apparent, with consequences for both C and N stocks in soil. Under elevated productivity, ECM trees enhanced decomposition more than AM trees via microbial priming of unprotected SOM. Collectively, our results show that ecosystem responses to global change may hinge on the balance between rhizosphere priming and SOM protection, and highlight the importance of dynamically linking plants and microbes in terrestrial biosphere models.

KW - Biogeochemical model

KW - N-cycle feedbacks

KW - biogeochemistry

KW - carbon cycling

KW - forest productivity

KW - mycorrhizae

KW - plant-soil interactions

KW - soil carbon

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85021753003

U2 - 10.1111/ele.12802

DO - 10.1111/ele.12802

M3 - Letter

C2 - 28669138

AN - SCOPUS:85021753003

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 20

SP - 1043

EP - 1053

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 8

ER -

Feedbacks between plant N demand and rhizosphere priming depend on type of mycorrhizal association

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Keywords

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