Thermal sensitivity of soil microbial carbon use efficiency across forest biomes

8 páginas.- 4 figuras.- 47 referencias.- n The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50593-6

Understanding the large-scale pattern of soil microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and its temperature sensitivity (CUET) is critical for understanding soil carbon–climate feedback. We used the 18O-H2O tracer method to quantify CUE and CUET along a north-south forest transect. Climate was the primary factor that affected CUE and CUET, predominantly through direct pathways, then by altering soil properties, carbon fractions, microbial structure and functions. Negative CUET (CUE decreases with measuring temperature) in cold forests (mean annual temperature lower than 10 °C) and positive CUET (CUE increases with measuring temperature) in warm forests (mean annual temperature greater than 10 °C) suggest that microbial CUE optimally operates at their adapted temperature. Overall, the plasticity of microbial CUE and its temperature sensitivity alter the feedback of soil carbon to climate warming; that is, a climate-adaptive microbial community has the capacity to reduce carbon loss from soil matrices under corresponding favorable climate conditions.

This work was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFF1315103), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42377345). F. Bastida thanks the I + D + I project PID2020-114942RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the i-LINK + 2018 (LINKA20069) from CSIC. M.D-B. acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the I + D + i project PID2020-115813RA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. M.D-B. is also supported by a project of the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) and the Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades of the Junta de Andalucía (FEDER Andalucía 2014-2020 Objetivo temático “01 - Refuerzo de la investigación, el desarrollo tecnológico y la innovación”) associated with the research project P20_00879 (ANDABIOMA).

Peer reviewed