Links between soil microbial communities and plant traits in a species-rich grassland under long-term climate change.

ABSTRACT: Climate change can influence soil microorganisms directly by altering their growth and activity but also indirectly via effects on the vegetation, which modifies the availability of resources. Direct impacts of climate change on soil microorganisms can occur rapidly, whereas indirect effects mediated by shifts in plant community composition are not immediately apparent and likely to increase over time. We used molecular fingerprinting of bacterial and fungal communities in the soil to investigate the effects of 17 years of temperature and rainfall manipulations in a species-rich grassland near Buxton, UK. We compared shifts in microbial community structure to changes in plant species composition and key plant traits across 78 microsites within plots subjected to winter heating, rainfall su

SUBMITTER: Sayer EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5288249 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature