Fertilization shapes microbial life strategies, carbon and nitrogen metabolic functions in Camellia oleifera soil

Ting Liu; Dandan Tong; Shu Chen; Chen Ning; Xuyuan Zhang; Ekaterina Filimonenko; Abeer S Aloufi; Wenyan Cai; Asma Farooq; Gaoqiang Liu; Yakov Kuzyakov; Wende Yan

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122896

Fertilization shapes microbial life strategies, carbon and nitrogen metabolic functions in Camellia oleifera soil

J Environ Manage. 2024 Nov:370:122896. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122896. Epub 2024 Oct 18.

Authors

Ting Liu¹, Dandan Tong², Shu Chen³, Chen Ning⁴, Xuyuan Zhang⁵, Ekaterina Filimonenko⁶, Abeer S Aloufi⁷, Wenyan Cai⁴, Asma Farooq⁴, Gaoqiang Liu², Yakov Kuzyakov⁸, Wende Yan⁹

Affiliations

¹ College of Life and Environmental Science, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China; Lutou National Station for Scientific Observation and Research of Forest Ecosystems, Yueyang, 414000, Hunan, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
² College of Life and Environmental Science, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China.
³ School of Earth Systems and Sustainability, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, 62901, United States.
⁴ College of Life and Environmental Science, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China.
⁵ Lutou National Station for Scientific Observation and Research of Forest Ecosystems, Yueyang, 414000, Hunan, China.
⁶ Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, Tyumen, 625003, Russia.
⁷ Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, 117198, Russia; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, 420049, Russia; Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Department of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.
⁹ College of Life and Environmental Science, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, Hunan, China; Lutou National Station for Scientific Observation and Research of Forest Ecosystems, Yueyang, 414000, Hunan, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39423612
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122896

Abstract

Mineral and organic fertilizers as well as microbial inoculations are crucial to maintain and to improve soil health and quality, ecosystem functions, and fruit yield in Camellia oleifera plantations. However, how these fertilizers shape the life strategies and functions of microbial communities in soil is unclear. Here, we conducted a one-year field experiment with three types of fertilizers: mineral (NPK), manure (Man), and microbial (MicrF), and analyzed soil properties, bacterial and fungal communities to assess microbial life strategies, functional traits and their determinants. The application of MicrF strongly increased the diversity of both soil bacterial (by 6.4%) and fungal communities (by 23%). Organic matter inputs from Man and MicrF had greater effects on the life strategies of bacteria than fungi: the dominant r-strategy bacteria (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria) increased with Man and MicrF, but K-strategists (Acidobacteria) decreased. Conversely, the abundance of r-strategy fungi (Ascomycota) decreased, but that of K-fungi (Basidiomycota) increased. Predictions of the functions indicated that microbial fertilization accelerated the bacterial carbohydrates, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, while also increasing the prevalence of wood saprotrophic fungi. The changes in the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the microbial communities induced priming effects by co-metabolism, which were mainly regulated by contents of soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, and ammonium nitrogen, as well as carbon to nitrogen ratio. The application of MicrF is an effective approach to increase the diversity and multifunctionality of soil microbial communities in Camellia oleifera plantations, including organic matter decomposition, carbon and nitrogen metabolism. These findings provide valuable insights into the fertilizer regimes based on microbial ecological strategies and functional profiles in Camellia oleifera plantations.

Keywords: Camellia oleifera; Functional traits; Microbial community structure; Microbial life strategy; Organic and mineral fertilization; Soil C and N cycling.

MeSH terms

Bacteria / metabolism
Camellia* / metabolism
Carbon* / metabolism
Fertilizers*
Fungi / metabolism
Nitrogen* / metabolism
Soil Microbiology*
Soil* / chemistry

Substances

Nitrogen
Fertilizers
Carbon
Soil