Changes in the Size of the Active Microbial Pool Explain Short-Term Soil Respiratory Responses to Temperature and Moisture.

ABSTRACT: Heterotrophic respiration contributes a substantial fraction of the carbon flux from soil to atmosphere, and responds strongly to environmental conditions. However, the mechanisms through which short-term changes in environmental conditions affect microbial respiration still remain unclear. Microorganisms cope with adverse environmental conditions by transitioning into and out of dormancy, a state in which they minimize rates of metabolism and respiration. These transitions are poorly characterized in soil and are generally omitted from decomposition models. Most current approaches to model microbial control over soil CO2 production relate responses to total microbial biomass (TMB) and do not differentiate between microorganisms in active and dormant physiological states. Indeed, few data

SUBMITTER: Salazar-Villegas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4836035 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature