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Lett S, Christiansen CT, Dorrepaal E, Michelsen A. Moss species and precipitation mediate experimental warming stimulation of growing season N 2 fixation in subarctic tundra. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17401. [PMID: 39041207 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Climate change in high latitude regions leads to both higher temperatures and more precipitation but their combined effects on terrestrial ecosystem processes are poorly understood. In nitrogen (N) limited and often moss-dominated tundra and boreal ecosystems, moss-associated N2 fixation is an important process that provides new N. We tested whether high mean annual precipitation enhanced experimental warming effects on growing season N2 fixation in three common arctic-boreal moss species adapted to different moisture conditions and evaluated their N contribution to the landscape level. We measured in situ N2 fixation rates in Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi and Sphagnum spp. from June to September in subarctic tundra in Sweden. We exposed mosses occurring along a natural precipitation gradient (mean annual precipitation: 571-1155 mm) to 8 years of experimental summer warming using open-top chambers before our measurements. We modelled species-specific seasonal N input to the ecosystem at the colony and landscape level. Higher mean annual precipitation clearly increased N2 fixation, especially during peak growing season and in feather mosses. For Sphagnum-associated N2 fixation, high mean annual precipitation reversed a small negative warming response. By contrast, in the dry-adapted feather moss species higher mean annual precipitation led to negative warming effects. Modelled total growing season N inputs for Sphagnum spp. colonies were two to three times that of feather mosses at an area basis. However, at the landscape level where feather mosses were more abundant, they contributed 50% more N than Sphagnum. The discrepancy between modelled estimates of species-specific N input via N2 fixation at the moss core versus ecosystem scale, exemplify how moss cover is essential for evaluating impact of altered N2 fixation. Importantly, combined effects of warming and higher mean annual precipitation may not lead to similar responses across moss species, which could affect moss fitness and their abilities to buffer environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe Lett
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Casper T Christiansen
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ellen Dorrepaal
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Terrestrial Ecology Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Liu D, Song X, Hu J, Liu Y, Wang C, Henkin Z. Precipitation affects soil nitrogen fixation by regulating active diazotrophs and nitrate nitrogen in an alpine grassland of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170648. [PMID: 38336078 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Soil asymbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation provides a critical N source to support plant growth in alpine grasslands, and precipitation change is expected to lead to shifts in soil asymbiotic N fixation. However, large gaps remain in understanding the response of soil asymbiotic N fixation to precipitation gradients. Here we simulated five precipitation gradients (10 % (0.1P), 50 % (0.5P), 70 % (0.7P), 100 % (1.0P) and 150 % (1.5P) of the natural precipitation) in an alpine grassland of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and examined the soil nitrogenase activity and N fixation rate for each gradient. Quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing were used to measure the abundance and community composition of the soil nifH DNA (total diazotrophs) and nifH RNA reverse transcription (active diazotrophs) gene. Our results showed that the soil diazotrophic abundance, diversity and nifH gene expression rate peaked under the 0.5P. Soil nitrogenase activity and N fixation rate varied in the range 0.032-0.073 nmol·C2H4·g-1·h-1 and 0.008-0.022 nmol·N2·g-1·h-1 respectively, being highest under the 0.5P. The 50 % precipitation reduction enhanced the gene expression rates of Azospirillum and Halorhodospira which were likely responsible for the high N fixation potential. The 0.5P treatment also possessed a larger and more complex active diazotrophic network than the other treatments, which facilitated the resistance of diazotrophic community to environmental stress and thus maintained a high N fixation potential. The active diazotrophic abundance had the largest positive effect on soil N fixation, while nitrate nitrogen had the largest negative effect. Together, our study suggested that appropriate precipitation reduction can enhance soil N fixation through promoting the abundance of the soil active diazotrophs and decreasing soil nitrate nitrogen, and soil active diazotrophs and nitrate nitrogen should be considered in predicting soil N inputs in the alpine grassland of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau under precipitation change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Provincial key laboratory for alpine grassland conservation and utilization on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Research, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Song
- Provincial key laboratory for alpine grassland conservation and utilization on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Research, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jian Hu
- Provincial key laboratory for alpine grassland conservation and utilization on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Research, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Provincial key laboratory for alpine grassland conservation and utilization on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Research, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Changting Wang
- Provincial key laboratory for alpine grassland conservation and utilization on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Research, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zalmen Henkin
- Department of Natural Resources, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Institute, Israel
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Klarenberg IJ, Keuschnig C, Salazar A, Benning LG, Vilhelmsson O. Moss and underlying soil bacterial community structures are linked to moss functional traits. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg J. Klarenberg
- Natural Resource Sciences University of Akureyri Akureyri Iceland
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
- Department of Ecological Science Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam Netherlands
| | - Christoph Keuschnig
- Environmental Microbial Genomics Laboratoire Ampère, CNRS, École Centrale de Lyon Écully France
- German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) Interface Geochemistry Potsdam Germany
| | - Alejandro Salazar
- Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences Agricultural University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
| | - Liane G. Benning
- German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) Interface Geochemistry Potsdam Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences Free University of Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Oddur Vilhelmsson
- Natural Resource Sciences University of Akureyri Akureyri Iceland
- BioMedical Center University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
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4
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Porada P, Bader MY, Berdugo MB, Colesie C, Ellis CJ, Giordani P, Herzschuh U, Ma Y, Launiainen S, Nascimbene J, Petersen I, Raggio Quílez J, Rodríguez-Caballero E, Rousk K, Sancho LG, Scheidegger C, Seitz S, Van Stan JT, Veste M, Weber B, Weston DJ. A research agenda for nonvascular photoautotrophs under climate change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1495-1504. [PMID: 36511294 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nonvascular photoautotrophs (NVP), including bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, are increasingly recognized as being essential to ecosystem functioning in many regions of the world. Current research suggests that climate change may pose a substantial threat to NVP, but the extent to which this will affect the associated ecosystem functions and services is highly uncertain. Here, we propose a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes that link NVP to ecosystem functions while also taking into account the substantial taxonomic diversity across multiple ecosystem types. Accordingly, we developed a new categorization scheme, based on microclimatic gradients, which simplifies the high physiological and morphological diversity of NVP and world-wide distribution with respect to several broad habitat types. We found that habitat-specific ecosystem functions of NVP will likely be substantially affected by climate change, and more quantitative process understanding is required on: (1) potential for acclimation; (2) response to elevated CO2 ; (3) role of the microbiome; and (4) feedback to (micro)climate. We suggest an integrative approach of innovative, multimethod laboratory and field experiments and ecophysiological modelling, for which sustained scientific collaboration on NVP research will be essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Porada
- Ecological Modelling, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maaike Y Bader
- Ecological Plant Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Monica B Berdugo
- Ecological Plant Geography, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Colesie
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW, UK
| | | | | | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute, Telegrafenberg A45, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Yunyao Ma
- Ecological Modelling, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Samuli Launiainen
- Ecosystems and Modeling, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juri Nascimbene
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Imke Petersen
- Ecological Modelling, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - José Raggio Quílez
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Kathrin Rousk
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, København, Denmark
| | - Leopoldo G Sancho
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christoph Scheidegger
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL, Zürcherstr. 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Seitz
- Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19-23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - John T Van Stan
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Maik Veste
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Bettina Weber
- Division of Plant Sciences, Institute for Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - David J Weston
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
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Wang Z, Li D, Sun X, Chen H, Xiao K, Wang K. Effects of Lithology on Asymbiotic N2 Fixation in Subtropical Secondary Forests, Southwest China. Ecosystems 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-023-00824-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Aguilera-Torres C, Riveros G, Morales LV, Sierra-Almeida A, Schoebitz M, Hasbún R. Relieving your stress: PGPB associated with Andean xerophytic plants are most abundant and active on the most extreme slopes. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1062414. [PMID: 36741893 PMCID: PMC9889642 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1062414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Plants interact with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), especially under stress condition in natural and agricultural systems. Although a potentially beneficial microbiome has been found associated to plants from alpine systems, this plant- PGPB interaction has been scarcely studied. Nevados de Chillán Complex hold one of the southernmost xerophytic formations in Chile. Plant species living there have to cope with drought and extreme temperatures during the growing season period, microclimatic conditions that become harsher on equatorial than polar slopes, and where the interaction with PGPB could be key for plant survival. Our goal was to study the abundance and activity of different PGPB associated to two abundant plant species of Andean xerophytic formations on contrasting slopes. Methods Twenty individuals of Berberis empetrifolia and Azorella prolifera shrubs were selected growing on a north and south slope nearby Las Fumarolas, at 2,050 m elevation. On each slope, microclimate based on temperature and moisture conditions were monitored throughout the growing period (oct. - apr.). Chemical properties of the soil under plant species canopies were also characterized. Bacterial abundance was measured as Log CFU g-1 from soil samples collected from each individual and slope. Then, the most abundant bacterial colonies were selected, and different hormonal (indoleacetic acid) and enzymatic (nitrogenase, phosphatase, ACC-deaminase) mechanisms that promote plant growth were assessed and measured. Results and Discussion Extreme temperatures were observed in the north facing slope, recording the hottest days (41 vs. 36°C) and coldest nights (-9.9 vs. 6.6°C). Moreover, air and soil moisture were lower on north than on south slope, especially late in the growing season. We found that bacterial abundance was higher in soils on north than on south slope but only under B. empetrifolia canopy. Moreover, the activity of plant growth-promoting mechanisms varied between slopes, being on average higher on north than on south slope, but with plant species-dependent trends. Our work showed how the environmental heterogeneity at microscale in alpine systems (slope and plant species identity) underlies variations in the abundance and plant growth promoting activity of the microorganisms present under the plant canopy of the Andean xerophytic formations and highlight the importance of PGPB from harsh systems as biotechnological tools for restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Aguilera-Torres
- Grupo de Ecofisiología Térmica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile,Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Puerto Williams, Chile,Rizoma, Centro de Estudios Agroecológicos y Botánicos, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Gustavo Riveros
- Laboratorio de Microbiología de Suelos, Departamento de Suelos y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Loreto V. Morales
- Grupo de Ecofisiología Térmica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile,Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Angela Sierra-Almeida
- Grupo de Ecofisiología Térmica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile,Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Puerto Williams, Chile,*Correspondence: Angela Sierra-Almeida,
| | - Mauricio Schoebitz
- Laboratorio de Microbiología de Suelos, Departamento de Suelos y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile,Laboratorio de Biopelículas y Microbiología Ambiental, Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Hasbún
- Laboratorio de Epigenética Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Departamento de Silvicultura, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Cleveland CC, Reis CRG, Perakis SS, Dynarski KA, Batterman SA, Crews TE, Gei M, Gundale MJ, Menge DNL, Peoples MB, Reed SC, Salmon VG, Soper FM, Taylor BN, Turner MG, Wurzburger N. Exploring the Role of Cryptic Nitrogen Fixers in Terrestrial Ecosystems: A Frontier in Nitrogen Cycling Research. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00804-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Salazar A, Warshan D, Vasquez‐Mejia C, Andrésson ÓS. Environmental change alters nitrogen fixation rates and microbial parameters in a subarctic biological soil crust. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Salazar
- Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Agricultural Univ. of Iceland Reykjavik Iceland
| | - Denis Warshan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Iceland Reykjavik Iceland
| | | | - Ólafur S. Andrésson
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Iceland Reykjavik Iceland
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Rousk K. Biotic and abiotic controls of nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria-moss associations. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:1330-1335. [PMID: 35687087 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most mosses are colonized by nitrogen (N)-fixing cyanobacteria. This discovery is relatively recent, which can explain the large knowledge gaps the field is now tackling. For instance, while we have a good understanding of the abiotic controls (e.g. nutrient availability, increased temperature), we still do not know much about the biotic controls of N2 fixation in mosses. I propose here that we should endeavour to position moss-cyanobacteria associations along the mutualism-parasitism continuum under varying abiotic conditions (e.g. nutrient availability). This would finally unravel the nature of the relationship between the partners and will be a big leap in our understanding of the evolution of plant-bacteria interactions using moss-cyanobacteria associations as a model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Rousk
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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10
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Klarenberg IJ, Keuschnig C, Russi Colmenares AJ, Warshan D, Jungblut AD, Jónsdóttir IS, Vilhelmsson O. Long-term warming effects on the microbiome and nifH gene abundance of a common moss species in sub-Arctic tundra. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:2044-2056. [PMID: 34719786 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial communities form the basis of biogeochemical processes and determine plant growth and health. Mosses harbour diverse bacterial communities that are involved in nitrogen fixation and carbon cycling. Global climate change is causing changes in aboveground plant biomass and shifting species composition in the Arctic, but little is known about the response of moss microbiomes in these environments. Here, we studied the total and potentially active bacterial communities associated with Racomitrium lanuginosum in response to a 20-yr in situ warming in an Icelandic heathland. We evaluated the effect of warming and warming-induced shrub expansion on the moss bacterial community composition and diversity, and nifH gene abundance. Warming changed both the total and the potentially active bacterial community structure, while litter abundance only affected the total bacterial community structure. The abundance of nifH genes was negatively affected by litter abundance. We also found shifts in the potentially nitrogen-fixing community, with Nostoc decreasing and noncyanobacterial diazotrophs increasing in relative abundance. Our data suggest that the moss microbial community and potentially nitrogen fixing taxa will be sensitive to future warming, partly via changes in litter and shrub abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg J Klarenberg
- Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Borgir i Nordurslod, Akureyri, 600, Iceland
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 102, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Christoph Keuschnig
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Avenue Guy de Collongue 36, Écully, 69134, France
| | - Ana J Russi Colmenares
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 102, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Denis Warshan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 102, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ingibjörg S Jónsdóttir
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 102, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Oddur Vilhelmsson
- Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Borgir i Nordurslod, Akureyri, 600, Iceland
- BioMedical Center, University of Iceland, Vatnsmýrarvegur 16, 101, Reykjavík, Iceland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK
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11
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Liu X, Rousk K. The moss traits that rule cyanobacterial colonization. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 129:147-160. [PMID: 34628495 PMCID: PMC8796673 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cyanobacteria associated with mosses represent a main nitrogen (N) source in pristine, high-latitude and -altitude ecosystems due to their ability to fix N2. However, despite progress made regarding moss-cyanobacteria associations, the factors driving the large interspecific variation in N2 fixation activity between moss species remain elusive. The aim of the study was to identify the traits of mosses that determine cyanobacterial colonization and thus N2 fixation activity. METHODS Four moss species varying in N2 fixation activity were used to assess cyanobacterial abundance and activity to correlate it with moss traits (morphological, chemical, water-balance traits) for each species. KEY RESULTS Moss hydration rate was one of the pivotal traits, explaining 56 and 38 % of the variation in N2 fixation and cyanobacterial colonization, respectively, and was linked to morphological traits of the moss species. Higher abundance of cyanobacteria was found on shoots with smaller leaves, and with a high frequency of leaves. High phenol concentration inhibited N2 fixation but not colonization. These traits driving interspecific variation in cyanobacterial colonization, however, are also affected by the environment, and lead to intraspecific variation. Approximately 24 % of paraphyllia, filamentous appendages on Hylocomium splendens stems, were colonized by cyanobacteria. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that interspecific variations in moss traits drive differences in cyanobacterial colonization and thus, N2 fixation activity among moss species. The key traits identified here that control moss-associated N2 fixation and cyanobacterial colonization could lead to improved predictions of N2 fixation in different moss species as a function of their morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Section, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathrin Rousk
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Section, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
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12
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Extreme freeze-thaw cycles do not affect moss-associated nitrogen fixation across a temperature gradient, but affect nutrient loss from mosses. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2021.103796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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13
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Xu‐Ri, Dai D, Xu X. The symbiotic nitrogen fixation by legumes in a legume‐companion and a legume‐dominant alpine steppe on the central Tibetan Plateau. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xu‐Ri
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences Beijing China
| | - Dongxue Dai
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Xingliang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- State Key Lab of Resources and Environmental Information System Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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14
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Van Langenhove L, Depaepe T, Verryckt LT, Fuchslueger L, Donald J, Leroy C, Krishna Moorthy SM, Gargallo-Garriga A, Ellwood MDF, Verbeeck H, Van Der Straeten D, Peñuelas J, Janssens IA. Comparable canopy and soil free-living nitrogen fixation rates in a lowland tropical forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:142202. [PMID: 33254844 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a fundamental part of nitrogen cycling in tropical forests, yet little is known about the contribution made by free-living nitrogen fixers inhabiting the often-extensive forest canopy. We used the acetylene reduction assay, calibrated with 15N2, to measure free-living BNF on forest canopy leaves, vascular epiphytes, bryophytes and canopy soil, as well as on the forest floor in leaf litter and soil. We used a combination of calculated and published component densities to upscale free-living BNF rates to the forest level. We found that bryophytes and leaves situated in the canopy in particular displayed high mass-based rates of free-living BNF. Additionally, we calculated that nearly 2 kg of nitrogen enters the forest ecosystem through free-living BNF every year, 40% of which was fixed by the various canopy components. Our results reveal that in the studied tropical lowland forest a large part of the nitrogen input through free-living BNF stems from the canopy, but also that the total nitrogen inputs by free-living BNF are lower than previously thought and comparable to the inputs of reactive nitrogen by atmospheric deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Van Langenhove
- Research group Plants and Ecosystem (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Depaepe
- Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lore T Verryckt
- Research group Plants and Ecosystem (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lucia Fuchslueger
- Research group Plants and Ecosystem (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julian Donald
- CNRS, IRD, UMR 5174 Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB), Université Toulouse, 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Celine Leroy
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France; UMR EcoFoG, CNRS, CIRAD, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97310 Kourou, France
| | - Sruthi M Krishna Moorthy
- Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Albert Gargallo-Garriga
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain; Global Change Research Institute, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Belidla 986/4a, CZ-60300 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M D Farnon Ellwood
- Centre for Research in Biosciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - Hans Verbeeck
- Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ivan A Janssens
- Research group Plants and Ecosystem (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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15
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Salazar A, Rousk K, Jónsdóttir IS, Bellenger J, Andrésson ÓS. Faster nitrogen cycling and more fungal and root biomass in cold ecosystems under experimental warming: a meta-analysis. Ecology 2020; 101:e02938. [PMID: 31750541 PMCID: PMC7027553 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Warming can alter the biogeochemistry and ecology of soils. These alterations can be particularly large in high northern latitude ecosystems, which are experiencing the most intense warming globally. In this meta-analysis, we investigated global trends in how experimental warming is altering the biogeochemistry of the most common limiting nutrient for biological processes in cold ecosystems of high northern latitudes (>50°): nitrogen (N). For comparison, we also analyzed cold ecosystems at intermediate and high southern latitudes. In addition, we examined N-relevant genes and enzymes, and the abundance of belowground organisms. Together, our findings suggest that warming in cold ecosystems increases N mineralization rates and N2 O emissions and does not affect N fixation, at least not in a consistent way across biomes and conditions. Changes in belowground N fluxes caused by warming lead to an accumulation of N in the forms of dissolved organic and root N. These changes seem to be more closely linked to increases in enzyme activity that target relatively labile N sources, than to changes in the abundance of N-relevant genes (e.g., amoA and nosZ). Finally, our analysis suggests that warming in cold ecosystems leads to an increase in plant roots, fungi, and (likely in an indirect way) fungivores, and does not affect the abundance of archaea, bacteria, or bacterivores. In summary, our findings highlight global trends in the ways warming is altering the biogeochemistry and ecology of soils in cold ecosystems, and provide information that can be valuable for prediction of changes and for management of such ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Salazar
- Faculty of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of IcelandSturlugata 7101ReykjavíkIceland
| | - Kathrin Rousk
- Department of BiologyTerrestrial Ecology SectionUniversity of CopenhagenUniversitetsparken 152100CopenhagenDenmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM)University of CopenhagenØster Voldgade 101350CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir
- Faculty of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of IcelandSturlugata 7101ReykjavíkIceland
| | - Jean‐Philippe Bellenger
- Centre SeveDepartment of ChemistryFaculty of SciencesUniversite de SherbrookeJ1K2R1SherbrookeQuebecCanada
| | - Ólafur S. Andrésson
- Faculty of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of IcelandSturlugata 7101ReykjavíkIceland
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16
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Akther H, Rousk K. High heavy metal load does not inhibit nitrogen fixation in moss-cyanobacteria associations. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2019; 28:1169-1176. [PMID: 31696444 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02127-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N2) fixation by moss-associated cyanobacteria is one of the main sources of new N input in pristine ecosystems such as boreal forests and arctic tundra. Given the non-vascular physiology of mosses, they are especially sensitive to e.g. increased N input and heavy metal deposition. While the effects of increased N input on moss-associated N2 fixation has been comprehensively assessed, hardly any reports exist on the effects of increased heavy metal load on this key ecosystem function. To address this knowledge gap, we made use of an extreme metal pollution gradient in boreal forests of Northern Sweden originating from a metal mine and its associated smelters. We collected the common moss Pleurozium schreberi, known to host cyanobacteria, along a distance gradient away from the metal source of pollution and measured moss-metal content (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb) as well as N2 fixation. We found a strong distance gradient in moss-metal content for all investigated metals: a sharp decline in metal content with distance away from the metal pollution source. However, we found a similarly steep gradient in moss-associated N2 fixation, with highest activity closest to the metal source of pollution. Hence, while mosses may be sensitive to increased heavy metal inputs, the activity of colonising cyanobacteria seem to be unaffected by heavy metals, and consequently, ecosystem function may not be compromised by elevated metal input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasna Akther
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Section, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kathrin Rousk
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Section, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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17
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Bomberg M, Claesson Liljedahl L, Lamminmäki T, Kontula A. Highly Diverse Aquatic Microbial Communities Separated by Permafrost in Greenland Show Distinct Features According to Environmental Niches. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1583. [PMID: 31354674 PMCID: PMC6637822 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Greenland Analog Project (GAP) study area in the vicinity of Kangarlussuaq, Western Greenland, was sampled for surface water and deep groundwater in order to determine the composition and estimate the metabolic features of the microbial communities in water bodies separated by permafrost. The sampling sites comprised a freshwater pond, talik lake, deep anoxic groundwater, glacier ice and supraglacial river, meltwater river and melting permafrost active layer. The microbial communities were characterized by amplicon sequencing of the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS1 spacer. In addition, bacterial, archaeal and fungal numbers were determined by qPCR and plate counts, and the utilization pattern of carbon and nitrogen substrates was determined with Biolog AN plates and metabolic functions were predicted with FAPROTAX. Different sample types were clearly distinguishable from each other based on community composition, microbial numbers, and substrate utilization patterns, forming four groups, (1) pond/lake, (2) deep groundwater, (3) glacial ice, and (4) meltwater. Bacteria were the most abundant microbial domain, ranging from 0.2–1.4 × 107 16S rRNA gene copies mL-1 in pond/lake and meltwater, 0.1-7.8 × 106 copies mL-1 in groundwater and less than 104 copies mL-1 in ice. The number of archaeal 16S and fungal 5.8S rRNA genes was generally less than 6.0 × 103 and 1.5 × 103, respectively. N2-fixing and methane-oxidizing Actinomycetes, Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia were the dominant microorganisms in the pond/lake samples, whereas iron reducing Desulfosporosinus sp. dominated the deep anaerobic groundwater. The glacial ice was inhabited by Cyanobacteria, which were mostly Chloroplast-like. The meltwater contained methano- and methylotrophic Proteobacteria, but had also high relative abundances of the nano-sized Parcubacteria. The archaea composed approximately 1% of the 16S rRNA gene pool in the pond/lake samples with nano-sized Woesearchaeota as the dominating taxon, while in the other sample types archaea were almost negligent. Fungi were also most common in the pond/lake communities, were zoospore-forming Chytridiomycetes dominated. Our results show highly diverse microbial communities inhabiting the different cold Greenlandic aqueous environments and show clear segregation of the microbial communities according to habitat, with distinctive dominating metabolic features specifically inhabiting defined environmental niches and a high relative abundance of putatively parasitic or symbiotic nano-sized taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin Bomberg
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
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