title: Plant diversity shapes microbe-rhizosphere effects on P mobilisation from organic matter in soil.
abstract: Plant species richness (PSR) increases nutrient uptake which depletes bioavailable nutrient pools in soil. No such relationship between plant uptake and availability in soil was found for phosphorus (P). We explored PSR effects on P mobilisation [phosphatase activity (PA)] in soil. PA increased with PSR. The positive PSR effect was not solely due to an increase in Corg concentrations because PSR remained significant if related to PA:Corg . An increase in PA per unit Corg increases the probability of the temporal and spatial match between substrate, enzyme and microorganism potentially serving as an adaption to competition. Carbon use efficiency of microorganisms (Cmic :Corg ) increased with increasing PSR while enzyme exudation efficiency (PA:Cmic ) remained constant. These findings suggest the need for efficient C rather than P cycling underlying the relationship between PSR and PA. Our results indicate that the coupling between C and P cycling in soil becomes tighter with increasing PSR.
authors.affiliation: Geoecology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 19-23, Tübingen, 72070, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hacker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, Jena, 07743, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.affiliation: Long-term Forest Ecosystem Research, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gessler
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, Jena, 07745, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gleixner
authors.affiliation: J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
authors.forename: Odette
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: González Macé
authors.affiliation: Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyedaalseweg 135, AJ Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Kroon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, Jena, 07745, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology group, Wageningen University, PObox 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesje
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mommer
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.|Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eisenhauer
authors.affiliation: Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyedaalseweg 135, AJ Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janneke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ravenek
authors.affiliation: J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, Göttingen, 37073, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheu
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.|Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weigelt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Reinhard-Baumeister-Platz 1, Karlsruhe, 76131, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wilcke
authors.affiliation: Geoecology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 19-23, Tübingen, 72070, Germany.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oelmann
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D044822:Biodiversity; D005858:Germany; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012987:Soil; D010758:Phosphorus; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases
keywords: Microorganisms; P mobilisation; The Jena Experiment; phosphatase enzymes; plant diversity; substrate availability