Depth matters : Effects of precipitation regime on soil microbial activity upon rewetting of a plant-soil system
International audience; Climate change is predicted to affect not only the amount but also the temporal distribution of rain. Changes in frequency and amplitude of rain events, i.e. precipitation patterns, result in different water conditions with soil depth, and likely affect plant growth and shape plant and soil microbial activity. Here, we used 18O stable isotope probing (SIP) to investigate bacterial and fungal communities that actively grew or not upon rewetting, at three different depths in plant-soil mesocosms previously subjected to frequent or infrequent watering for 12 weeks (equal total water input). Phylogenetic marker genes for bacteria and fungi were sequenced after rewetting,…
Effects of precipitation regime on soil bacterial and fungal activity upon rewetting of a plant-soil system using 18O-SIP: depth matters
EASPEBIOmEDOCT INRA; Climate change is predicted to affect not only the amount but also the temporal distribution of rain. Changes in frequency and amplitude of rain events, likely shape the activity of plants and soil microbes. Fluctuating water conditions will differ with soil depth between precipitation patterns, affecting plant growth and may result in differential microbial response upon rewetting. Our objective was to investigate, in plant-soil systems, the response of the metabolically active microbial communities to a rewetting event and to which extent this was modulated by 1) soil depth and 2) precipitation legacy. Wheat planted in soil mesocosms were subjected to frequent or infr…