Effects of precipitation regime on the structure of soil micro-food web in the grassland of northern China

doi:10.17520/biods.2022208

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims: Due to global climate change, precipitation regimes in arid and semi-arid regions are exhibiting a trend of increase in rainfall intensity with a reduction in frequency. These changes in precipitation patterns can affect belowground communities and ecosystem functions. However, previous studies mainly focused on the effects of precipitation amounts on soil micro-food web, the changes of precipitation intensity and frequency on soil micro-food web were relatively few, especially in ecosystem function.
Methods: We performed a field experiment initiated in 2012 to examine the effects of changes in the precipitation regime (i.e. precipitation intensity: 2 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, and 40 mm). Microbial communities were determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and high throughput sequencing (16S and ITS). The composition and structure of the nematode community was determined by morphological identification.
Results: Different precipitation intensities significantly affected soil fungal PLFA, which was highest under the 20 mm treatment. Furthermore, fungal diversity had different responses to precipitation intensity treatment. The abundance of nematodes in each trophic group responded differently to precipitation intensity, and the abundance of bacterivores increased monotonically with the increase in precipitation intensity (P = 0.012). The abundance of fungivores (P < 0.001) and plant parasites (P = 0.046) were both significantly higher in medium (10 mm), high (20 mm) and extrem precipitation intensities (40 mm) than in low precipitation intensities (2 mm and 5 mm). Different precipitation intensities significantly affected soil nematode diversity. All the diversity indices were the highest under medium and high-intensity precipitation (10 mm or 20 mm). The soil nematode community composition was similar between moderate precipitation intensity (10 mm) and extreme precipitation intensity (40 mm). Changes in precipitation patterns increased soil water content, fungal PLFA, and fungivore diversity, thus improving ecosystem multifunction.
Conclusion: High precipitation intensity promoted fungal PLFA in the northern temperate steppe, while moderate precipitation intensity promoted microbial diversity. The abundance of nematodes increased with precipitation intensity, and the diversity of nematodes was highest under moderate and high precipitation intensity. The changes in soil micro-food web further affected ecosystem multifunction, mainly through increasing fungal biomass, abundance of fungivores nematodes, and nematode diversity.

Key words: precipitation intensity, precipitation frequency, soil microbial community, soil nematode community, ecosystem multifunctionality

Yushan Xiao, Changrao Yang, Guo Zheng, Pengfeng Wu, Shixiu Zhang, Shuyan Cui. Effects of precipitation regime on the structure of soil micro-food web in the grassland of northern China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2022, 30(12): 22208.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2022208

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2022/V30/I12/22208

Figures/Tables 7

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生态系统功能 Ecosystem functions	单位 Unit	重要性 Importance
地上生物量 Aboveground biomassg/m² 植物丰富度 Plant richness		为食草动物提供必要的营养 Providing essential nutrients for herbivores (Binder et al, 2018)
地下生物量 Belowground biomass	g/m²	支持地下生态系统过程的关键功能 A key function to support belowground ecosystem processes (Wagg et al, 2014)
土壤有机碳 Soil organic carbon	g/kg	为植物提供养分、保障土壤肥力水平以及促进团聚体的形成 Providing nutrients for plants, maintaining soil fertility levels and promoting the formation of aggregates (Pan et al, 2009; Castellano et al, 2015)
土壤总氮 Soil total nitrogen	g/kg
土壤总磷 Soil total phosphorus	g/kg
土壤微生物量碳 Soil microbial biomass carbon	mg/kg	反映土壤质量和微生物活动的动态 Reflecting the dynamics of soil quality and microbial activity (Powlson et al, 1987)
土壤微生物量氮 Soil microbial biomass nitrogen	mg/kg
碱解氮 Available nitrogen	mg/kg	衡量土壤供氮能力, 反映土壤氮素有效性 Measuring soil nitrogen supply capacity and reflecting soil nitrogen availability (Huhe et al, 2016)
铵态氮 Ammoniacal nitrogen	mg/kg
硝态氮 Nitrate nitrogen	mg/kg

生态系统功能 Ecosystem functions	单位 Unit	重要性 Importance
地上生物量 Aboveground biomassg/m² 植物丰富度 Plant richness		为食草动物提供必要的营养 Providing essential nutrients for herbivores (Binder et al, 2018)
地下生物量 Belowground biomass	g/m²	支持地下生态系统过程的关键功能 A key function to support belowground ecosystem processes (Wagg et al, 2014)
土壤有机碳 Soil organic carbon	g/kg	为植物提供养分、保障土壤肥力水平以及促进团聚体的形成 Providing nutrients for plants, maintaining soil fertility levels and promoting the formation of aggregates (Pan et al, 2009; Castellano et al, 2015)
土壤总氮 Soil total nitrogen	g/kg
土壤总磷 Soil total phosphorus	g/kg
土壤微生物量碳 Soil microbial biomass carbon	mg/kg	反映土壤质量和微生物活动的动态 Reflecting the dynamics of soil quality and microbial activity (Powlson et al, 1987)
土壤微生物量氮 Soil microbial biomass nitrogen	mg/kg
碱解氮 Available nitrogen	mg/kg	衡量土壤供氮能力, 反映土壤氮素有效性 Measuring soil nitrogen supply capacity and reflecting soil nitrogen availability (Huhe et al, 2016)
铵态氮 Ammoniacal nitrogen	mg/kg
硝态氮 Nitrate nitrogen	mg/kg

	降水强度 Precipitation intensity
	2 mm	5 mm	10 mm	20 mm	40 mm
生态系统多功能指数 EMF	-0.22 ± 0.21^b	0.26 ± 0.02^ab	- 0.81 ± 0.48^b	0.51 ± 0.19^a	0.28 ± 0.30^ab
地上生物量 AGB	124.67 ± 13.19^b	177.18 ± 17.49^a	162.37 ± 9.64^ab	173.16 ± 14.90^a	195.41 ± 6.89^a
地下生物量 BGB	222.18 ± 14.57^b	356.76 ± 28.33^a	173.24 ± 33.99^b	279.45 ± 35.81^ab	229.40 ± 33.17^b
植物丰富度 Richness	6.50 ± 0.07^b	7.56 ± 0.08^ab	7.58 ± 0.11^ab	8.00 ± 0.00^a	8.17 ± 0.87^a
土壤有机碳 SOC	15.06 ± 0.40^a	15.77 ± 0.25^a	14.05 ± 0.62^a	15.62 ± 0.56^a	15.63 ± 0.71^a
土壤全氮 TN	1.59 ± 0.05^a	1.67 ± 0.02^a	1.51 ± 0.09^a	1.64 ± 0.06^a	1.66 ± 0.06^a
土壤全磷 TP	0.18 ± 0.01^a	0.17 ± 0.01^a	0.15 ± 0.01^a	0.17 ± 0.01^a	0.16 ± 0.01^a
土壤微生物量碳 MBC	177.91 ± 25.26^a	161.99 ± 19.29^a	151.56 ± 0.481^a	181.46 ± 14.80^a	174.46 ± 15.39^a
土壤微生物量氮 MBN	14.36 ± 2.93^a	11.59 ± 2.12^a	10.06 ± 1.60^a	12.82 ± 2.65^a	10.47 ± 1.55^a
碱解氮 AN	243.88 ± 35.52^a	200.38 ± 44.57^a	134.31 ± 13.47^b	200.81 ± 22.91^a	181.56 ± 15.18^a
铵态氮 NH₄⁺-N	5.56 ± 0.29^a	5.55 ± 0.17^a	5.50 ± 0.20^a	6.54 ± 0.61^a	5.71 ± 0.32^a
硝态氮 NO₃^--N	2.70 ± 0.65^a	3.91 ± 0.73^a	2.67 ± 0.79^a	1.54 ± 0.35^a	2.42 ± 0.52^a

	降水强度 Precipitation intensity
	2 mm	5 mm	10 mm	20 mm	40 mm
生态系统多功能指数 EMF	-0.22 ± 0.21^b	0.26 ± 0.02^ab	- 0.81 ± 0.48^b	0.51 ± 0.19^a	0.28 ± 0.30^ab
地上生物量 AGB	124.67 ± 13.19^b	177.18 ± 17.49^a	162.37 ± 9.64^ab	173.16 ± 14.90^a	195.41 ± 6.89^a
地下生物量 BGB	222.18 ± 14.57^b	356.76 ± 28.33^a	173.24 ± 33.99^b	279.45 ± 35.81^ab	229.40 ± 33.17^b
植物丰富度 Richness	6.50 ± 0.07^b	7.56 ± 0.08^ab	7.58 ± 0.11^ab	8.00 ± 0.00^a	8.17 ± 0.87^a
土壤有机碳 SOC	15.06 ± 0.40^a	15.77 ± 0.25^a	14.05 ± 0.62^a	15.62 ± 0.56^a	15.63 ± 0.71^a
土壤全氮 TN	1.59 ± 0.05^a	1.67 ± 0.02^a	1.51 ± 0.09^a	1.64 ± 0.06^a	1.66 ± 0.06^a
土壤全磷 TP	0.18 ± 0.01^a	0.17 ± 0.01^a	0.15 ± 0.01^a	0.17 ± 0.01^a	0.16 ± 0.01^a
土壤微生物量碳 MBC	177.91 ± 25.26^a	161.99 ± 19.29^a	151.56 ± 0.481^a	181.46 ± 14.80^a	174.46 ± 15.39^a
土壤微生物量氮 MBN	14.36 ± 2.93^a	11.59 ± 2.12^a	10.06 ± 1.60^a	12.82 ± 2.65^a	10.47 ± 1.55^a
碱解氮 AN	243.88 ± 35.52^a	200.38 ± 44.57^a	134.31 ± 13.47^b	200.81 ± 22.91^a	181.56 ± 15.18^a
铵态氮 NH₄⁺-N	5.56 ± 0.29^a	5.55 ± 0.17^a	5.50 ± 0.20^a	6.54 ± 0.61^a	5.71 ± 0.32^a
硝态氮 NO₃^--N	2.70 ± 0.65^a	3.91 ± 0.73^a	2.67 ± 0.79^a	1.54 ± 0.35^a	2.42 ± 0.52^a