Flood-Induced Changes in Soil Microbial Functions as Modified by Plant Diversity.

ABSTRACT: Flooding frequency is predicted to increase during the next decades, calling for a better understanding of impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and for developing strategies to mitigate potential damage. Plant diversity is expected to buffer flooding effects by providing a broad range of species' responses. Here we report on the response of soil processes to a severe summer flood in 2013, which affected major parts of central Europe. We compared soil microbial respiration, biomass, nutrient limitation and enzyme activity in a grassland biodiversity experiment in Germany before flooding, one week and three months after the flood. Microbial biomass was reduced in the severely flooded plots at high, but not at low plant functional group richness. Flooding alleviated microbial nitrogen limitation

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez Mace O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5117659 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature