title: Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling.
abstract: Despite several lines of observational evidence, there is a lack of consensus on whether higher fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratios directly cause higher soil carbon (C) storage. We employed RNA sequencing, protein profiling and isotope tracer techniques to evaluate whether differing F:B ratios are associated with differences in C storage. A mesocosm (13)C labeled foliar litter decomposition experiment was performed in two soils that were similar in their physico-chemical properties but differed in microbial community structure, specifically their F:B ratio (determined by PLFA analyses, RNA sequencing and protein profiling; all three corroborating each other). Following litter addition, we observed a consistent increase in abundance of fungal phyla; and greater increases in the fungal dominated soil; implicating the role of fungi in litter decomposition. Litter derived (13)C in respired CO2 was consistently lower, and residual (13)C in bulk SOM was higher in high F:B soil demonstrating greater C storage potential in the F:B dominated soil. We conclude that in this soil system, the increased abundance of fungi in both soils and the altered C cycling patterns in the F:B dominated soils highlight the significant role of fungi in litter decomposition and indicate that F:B ratios are linked to higher C storage potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJena, Germany; Centre for Ecology and HydrologyWallingford, UK.
authors.forename: Ashish A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Somak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schlager
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, UK.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puissant
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Perla G M
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.affiliation: Department of Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jehmlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchLeipzig, Germany; Department of Metabolomics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchLeipzig, Germany; Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of LeipzigLeipzig, Germany; Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Aalborg UniversityAalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Bergen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, UK.
authors.forename: Robert I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gleixner
keywords: RNA sequencing; bacteria; fungi; litter decomposition; proteomics; soil carbon; stable isotopes