Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands

Fertile islands are an important determinant of ecosystem functioning in drylands. These resourcerich patches are maintained by complex interactions among biotic and abiotic factors. Soil microorganisms are responsible for essential ecosystem processes and could affect the ability of fertile islands...

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Main Authors: Toledo, Santiago, Peri, Pablo Luis, Correa, Olga S., Montecchia, Marcela Susana, Gargaglione, Veronica Beatriz, Ladd, Brenton
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/11673
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.13151
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13151
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author Toledo, Santiago
Peri, Pablo Luis
Correa, Olga S.
Montecchia, Marcela Susana
Gargaglione, Veronica Beatriz
Ladd, Brenton
author_browse Correa, Olga S.
Gargaglione, Veronica Beatriz
Ladd, Brenton
Montecchia, Marcela Susana
Peri, Pablo Luis
Toledo, Santiago
author_facet Toledo, Santiago
Peri, Pablo Luis
Correa, Olga S.
Montecchia, Marcela Susana
Gargaglione, Veronica Beatriz
Ladd, Brenton
author_sort Toledo, Santiago
collection INTA Digital
description Fertile islands are an important determinant of ecosystem functioning in drylands. These resourcerich patches are maintained by complex interactions among biotic and abiotic factors. Soil microorganisms are responsible for essential ecosystem processes and could affect the ability of fertile islands to capture and cycle nutrients, both directly and indirectly enhancing the fertile island effect. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the attributes of soil microbial communities (abundance and activity), elucidate key drivers of the fertile island effect and analyze relationships with a range of soil parameters (physicochemical). The soils under shrub canopies had higher values of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil basal respiration (SBR) rates than soils from intercanopy spaces. However, no differences were observed in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) or in fungal and bacterial abundances between the microhabitats. Soil nutrient stocks (NPK) and pH values had a positive correlation with MBC and SBR. Also, a positive correlation was observed for fungi abundance and the K content of the soil. We also observed a positive correlation between the bacterial abundance and soil N content. This study suggests that M. tridens can be considered a keystone species that generates fertility islands, critical for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The keystone role that M. tridens plays in this system underscores the importance of improving our understanding of these interactions (plant–soil-microorganisms), especially important as drylands expand and aridity increases due to climate change in the second half of this century.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA116732022-04-19T11:53:51Z Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands Toledo, Santiago Peri, Pablo Luis Correa, Olga S. Montecchia, Marcela Susana Gargaglione, Veronica Beatriz Ladd, Brenton Arid Zones Dryland Ecosystems Bacteria Fungi Soil Respiration Carbon Canopy Zonas Aridas Ecosistemas de Tierras Secas Hongos Respiración de Suelo Carbono Cubierta de Copas Microbial Communities Spatial Heterogeneity Comunidad Microbiana Heterogeneidad Espacial Fertile islands are an important determinant of ecosystem functioning in drylands. These resourcerich patches are maintained by complex interactions among biotic and abiotic factors. Soil microorganisms are responsible for essential ecosystem processes and could affect the ability of fertile islands to capture and cycle nutrients, both directly and indirectly enhancing the fertile island effect. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the attributes of soil microbial communities (abundance and activity), elucidate key drivers of the fertile island effect and analyze relationships with a range of soil parameters (physicochemical). The soils under shrub canopies had higher values of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil basal respiration (SBR) rates than soils from intercanopy spaces. However, no differences were observed in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) or in fungal and bacterial abundances between the microhabitats. Soil nutrient stocks (NPK) and pH values had a positive correlation with MBC and SBR. Also, a positive correlation was observed for fungi abundance and the K content of the soil. We also observed a positive correlation between the bacterial abundance and soil N content. This study suggests that M. tridens can be considered a keystone species that generates fertility islands, critical for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The keystone role that M. tridens plays in this system underscores the importance of improving our understanding of these interactions (plant–soil-microorganisms), especially important as drylands expand and aridity increases due to climate change in the second half of this century. EEA Santa Cruz Fil: Toledo, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. CIT Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Toledo, Santiago: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Correa, Olga S. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Biología Aplicada y Alimentos; Argentina. Fil: Montecchia, Marcela Susana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Biología Aplicada y Alimentos; Argentina. Fil: Gargaglione Verónica Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Gargaglione Verónica Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Gargaglione Verónica Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Ladd, Brenton. Universidad Científica del Sur. Escuela de Agroforestería; Perú. 2022-04-19T11:42:51Z 2022-04-19T11:42:51Z 2022-04-15 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/11673 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.13151 Toledo S.; Peri P.L.; Correa O.S.; Montecchia M.S.; Gargaglione V.; Ladd B. (2022) Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands. Austral Ecology 47: 663–673. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13151 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Wiley Austral Ecology 47 (3) : 663–673. (May 2022)
spellingShingle Arid Zones
Dryland Ecosystems
Bacteria
Fungi
Soil Respiration
Carbon
Canopy
Zonas Aridas
Ecosistemas de Tierras Secas
Hongos
Respiración de Suelo
Carbono
Cubierta de Copas
Microbial Communities
Spatial Heterogeneity
Comunidad Microbiana
Heterogeneidad Espacial
Toledo, Santiago
Peri, Pablo Luis
Correa, Olga S.
Montecchia, Marcela Susana
Gargaglione, Veronica Beatriz
Ladd, Brenton
Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
title Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
title_full Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
title_fullStr Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
title_full_unstemmed Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
title_short Structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
title_sort structure and function of soil microbial communities in fertile islands in austral drylands
topic Arid Zones
Dryland Ecosystems
Bacteria
Fungi
Soil Respiration
Carbon
Canopy
Zonas Aridas
Ecosistemas de Tierras Secas
Hongos
Respiración de Suelo
Carbono
Cubierta de Copas
Microbial Communities
Spatial Heterogeneity
Comunidad Microbiana
Heterogeneidad Espacial
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/11673
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.13151
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13151
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