Legume-microbiome interactions unlock mineral nutrients in regrowing tropical forests.

ABSTRACT: Legume trees form an abundant and functionally important component of tropical forests worldwide with N₂-fixing symbioses linked to enhanced growth and recruitment in early secondary succession. However, it remains unclear how N₂-fixers meet the high demands for inorganic nutrients imposed by rapid biomass accumulation on nutrient-poor tropical soils. Here, we show that N₂-fixing trees in secondary Neotropical forests triggered twofold higher in situ weathering of fresh primary silicates compared to non-N₂-fixing trees and induced locally enhanced nutrient cycling by the soil microbiome community. Shotgun metagenomic data from weathered minerals support the role of enhanced nitrogen and carbon cycling in increasing acidity and weathering. Metagen

SUBMITTER: Epihov DZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7980381 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature