How do microbial communities in top-and subsoil respond to root litter addition under field conditions?

Abstract Contrasting microbial community composition and activity at different soil depths may affect root litter decomposition. These effects have up to now been investigated mainly in laboratory studies, which may not be able to take into account complex in situ conditions. Our study aimed to analyze the composition and activity of microbial communities after addition of 13 C labeled wheat root litter to a loamy soil under grassland at 30, 60 and 90 cm depths, during a three-year field experiment. We investigated the dynamics of bacterial and fungal abundances and community structures by DNA genotyping and pyrosequencing of 16S and 18S rDNAs. The genetic structures of bacterial and fungal…