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Organic matter decomposition and carbon content in soil fractions as affected by a gradient of labile carbon input to a temperate forest soil

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Abstract

Labile carbon (C) input to soils is expected to affect soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and soil organic C (SOC) stocks in temperate coniferous forests. We hypothesized that the SOM decomposition rate, C content in soil fractions, and microbial and faunal abundance and activity were increased along the gradient in labile C input around wood ant nests. Three distances from the nest that differed in annual labile C input to soil were selected: 4 m with 6379 mg C m−2, 30 m with 9060 mg C m−2, and 70 m with 9215 mg C m−2. Soil from the organic horizon (Oe+Oa), surface mineral horizon (A), and subsoil mineral horizon (B) was analyzed for C content in soil fractions and for activity and abundance of soil microorganisms and fauna. In addition, a 1-year litter-bag and soil-bag decomposition experiment was conducted. Although the rate of soil decomposition did not differ along the labile C input gradient, the rate of litter decomposition in the B horizon increased as labile C input increased with distance from the nest. Correspondingly, the C content in bulk soil and in the labile and less-protected soil fractions in the B horizon decreased as labile C input increased. We infer that, because the O and A horizons are less C-limited than the B horizon, the changes in the labile C input along the gradient affected the B horizon more than the surface O and A horizons. However, soil microbial and faunal activity and abundances were not consistently affected by the gradient. Apparently, C stocks in soil fractions are more important for microbial and faunal communities than labile C inputs. Although the results indicate that SOC content changes very slowly in the coniferous forest soil of the current study, increases in the input of natural labile C leads to decreases in the SOC stock in the B horizon. By increasing the labile C input to temperate forest soils, future increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration may therefore lead to a significant loss of SOC in deep soil layers.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jiří Petrásek, Kristýna Hošková, Ota Rauch, Pavlína Stuchlá, and Jan Hanzelka for help with field sampling and laboratory analyses, and Bruce Jaffee for English revision of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (17-08717S), the Czech Academy of Sciences (L200961602), and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic - MEYS (projects LM2015075, EF16_013/0001782). Some of the equipment used for this study was purchased from the Operational Programme Prague - Competitiveness (Project CZ.2.16/3.1.00/21516). Institutional funding for K. J. was provided by the Center for Geosphere Dynamics (UNCE/SCI/006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Centre, Institute of Soil Biology and SoWa RI, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Veronika Jílková, Miloslav Devetter & Josef Starý

  2. Institute for Environmental Studies and SoWa RI, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-12801, Prague, Czech Republic

    Kateřina Jandová, Tomáš Cajthaml, Jaroslav Kukla & Anna Vacířová

  3. Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, CZ-14220, Prague, Czech Republic

    Tomáš Cajthaml

  4. Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 3, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Miloslav Devetter

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  1. Veronika Jílková
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  2. Kateřina Jandová
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Fig. S1

Partial redundancy analysis (RDA) of C contents in soil fractions from July in the A and B horizon. Nests (replications) and horizons were used as covariables. (PNG 202 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 513 kb)

Fig. S2

Principal components analysis (PCA) of microbial community composition (mol% PLFA abundance) in soils as affected by the distance from the nest (4, 30, or 70 m), season (April, July, or October), and soil horizon (O, A, or B). Clusters mark the differences between the 4 m distance and the 30 and 70 m distance in the B horizon in April and July. (PNG 1025 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 82 kb)

Fig. S3

Principal components analysis (PCA) of fauna community composition (as indicated by abundance) in soils as affected by the distance from the nest (4, 30, or 70 m), season (April, July, or October), and soil horizon (O or A). (PNG 596 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 34 kb)

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Jílková, V., Jandová, K., Cajthaml, T. et al. Organic matter decomposition and carbon content in soil fractions as affected by a gradient of labile carbon input to a temperate forest soil. Biol Fertil Soils 56, 411–421 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-020-01433-4

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