Belowground Response to Drought in a Tropical Forest Soil. I. Changes in Microbial Functional Potential and Metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Global climate models predict a future of increased severity of drought in many tropical forests. Soil microbes are central to the balance of these systems as sources or sinks of atmospheric carbon (C), yet how they respond metabolically to drought is not well-understood. We simulated drought in the typically aseasonal Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, by intercepting precipitation falling through the forest canopy. This approach reduced soil moisture by 13% and water potential by 0.14 MPa (from -0.2 to -0.34). Previous results from this experiment have demonstrated that the diversity and composition of these soil microbial communities are sensitive to even small changes in soil water. Here, we show prolonged drought significantly alters the functional potential of the community a

SUBMITTER: Bouskill NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4837414 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature