Effects of precipitation regime and N-availability on the dynamics of plant-microbial and soil biogeochemical cycling responses to rewetting

International audience; Introduction. Shifts in the frequency and magnitude of rain events (precipitation regime) associated with climate change may affect plant morphological and physiological strategies as well as soil microbial activity. Objectives. The objective of this study was to determine i) how precipitation history shapes the response dynamics of soil bacterial and fungal communities to rewetting, as well as plant-microbial competition for N, and ii) how the N status of the system may modulate the effect of precipitation regime. Materials & methods. The legacy effects of 12 weeks of contrasting precipitation (frequent or infrequent watering, equal total water input) and N inputs w…