Soil invertebrates disrupt carbon flow through fungal networks.
Annual carbon flux through soil respiration is ten times greater than fossil fuel combustion, but its component parts are poorly understood because they are the product of complex multitrophic interactions between soil organisms. A major component of carbon flux from plants to soil occurs through networks of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Here, using 13CO2 pulse labeling, we show that natural densities of the numerically dominant fungal feeding invertebrate Protaphorura armata (order Collembola) reduces 13C enrichment of mycorrhizosphere respiration by 32%. Our findings emphasize the importance of multitrophic interactions in regulating respiration of recent plant photosynthate from soil.
Johnson
David
D
School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK. D.Johnson@abdn.ac.uk
Krsek
Martin
M
Wellington
Elizabeth M H
EM
Stott
Andrew W
AW
Cole
Lisa
L
Bardgett
Richard D
RD
Read
David J
DJ
Leake
Jonathan R
JR
D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000502:physiology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D020387:Food Chain; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D012606:Scotland; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide