When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats
It is generally predicted that grazers enhance soil microbial activity and nutrient availability and promote soil bacteria in fertile ecosystems, but retard microbial activity and nutrient availability and promote soil fungi in infertile ecosystems. We tested these predictions in tundra by comparing...
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crwiley:10.1111/oik.01355 2024-09-15T18:39:40+00:00 When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats Stark, Sari Männistö, Minna K. Eskelinen, Anu 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/oik.01355 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Foik.01355 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.01355 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Oikos volume 124, issue 5, page 593-602 ISSN 0030-1299 1600-0706 journal-article 2014 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.01355 2024-08-13T04:17:24Z It is generally predicted that grazers enhance soil microbial activity and nutrient availability and promote soil bacteria in fertile ecosystems, but retard microbial activity and nutrient availability and promote soil fungi in infertile ecosystems. We tested these predictions in tundra by comparing grazing effects between fertile and infertile habitats and with/without nutrient manipulation by fertilization. Grazing decreased soil N content in fertile and in fertilized plots in infertile habitats while increased it in infertile tundra habitats, which directly opposed our prediction. We conclude that this unpredicted outcome probably resulted from nutrient transport between habitats. Also contrasting with our hypothesis, grazing increased fungal rather than bacterial abundance in fertilized plots at both habitats. In support with predictions, grazing increased microbial activity for soil C decomposition in fertile but decreased it in infertile habitats. The effect of grazing on soil C decomposition followed same patterns as grazer‐induced changes in the activity of β‐glucosidase, which is an extracellular enzyme synthesized by soil microorganisms for degrading soil cellulose. We suggest that the theoretical framework on grazer–soil interactions should incorporate microbial potential for extracellular enzyme production (‘microscale’ grazer effects) and nutrient translocation by grazers among habitats (‘macroscale’ grazer effects) as important mechanisms by which grazers influence soil processes and nutrient availability for plants at contrasting levels of habitat fertility. Article in Journal/Newspaper Tundra Wiley Online Library Oikos 124 5 593 602 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
description |
It is generally predicted that grazers enhance soil microbial activity and nutrient availability and promote soil bacteria in fertile ecosystems, but retard microbial activity and nutrient availability and promote soil fungi in infertile ecosystems. We tested these predictions in tundra by comparing grazing effects between fertile and infertile habitats and with/without nutrient manipulation by fertilization. Grazing decreased soil N content in fertile and in fertilized plots in infertile habitats while increased it in infertile tundra habitats, which directly opposed our prediction. We conclude that this unpredicted outcome probably resulted from nutrient transport between habitats. Also contrasting with our hypothesis, grazing increased fungal rather than bacterial abundance in fertilized plots at both habitats. In support with predictions, grazing increased microbial activity for soil C decomposition in fertile but decreased it in infertile habitats. The effect of grazing on soil C decomposition followed same patterns as grazer‐induced changes in the activity of β‐glucosidase, which is an extracellular enzyme synthesized by soil microorganisms for degrading soil cellulose. We suggest that the theoretical framework on grazer–soil interactions should incorporate microbial potential for extracellular enzyme production (‘microscale’ grazer effects) and nutrient translocation by grazers among habitats (‘macroscale’ grazer effects) as important mechanisms by which grazers influence soil processes and nutrient availability for plants at contrasting levels of habitat fertility. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stark, Sari Männistö, Minna K. Eskelinen, Anu |
spellingShingle |
Stark, Sari Männistö, Minna K. Eskelinen, Anu When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
author_facet |
Stark, Sari Männistö, Minna K. Eskelinen, Anu |
author_sort |
Stark, Sari |
title |
When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
title_short |
When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
title_full |
When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
title_fullStr |
When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
title_full_unstemmed |
When do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? A test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
title_sort |
when do grazers accelerate or decelerate soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in tundra? a test of theory on grazing effects in fertile and infertile habitats |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/oik.01355 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Foik.01355 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.01355 |
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Tundra |
genre_facet |
Tundra |
op_source |
Oikos volume 124, issue 5, page 593-602 ISSN 0030-1299 1600-0706 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.01355 |
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Oikos |
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124 |
container_issue |
5 |
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593 |
op_container_end_page |
602 |
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1810484016027009024 |