Soil functional operating range linked to microbial biodiversity and community composition using denitrifiers as model guild.

ABSTRACT: Soil microorganisms are key players in biogeochemical cycles. Yet, there is no consistent view on the significance of microbial biodiversity for soil ecosystem functioning. According to the insurance hypothesis, declines in ecosystem functioning due to reduced biodiversity are more likely to occur under fluctuating, extreme or rapidly changing environmental conditions. Here, we compare the functional operating range, a new concept defined as the complete range of environmental conditions under which soil microbial communities are able to maintain their functions, between four naturally assembled soil communities from a long-term fertilization experiment. A functional trait approach was adopted with denitrifiers involved in nitrogen cycling as our model soil community. Using short-term temp

SUBMITTER: Hallin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3527374 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature