Functional diversity of microbial decomposers facilitates plant coexistence in a plant-microbe-soil feedback model
Resource
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 107, 14251-14256
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Journal Volume
107
Journal Issue
32
Pages
14251-14256
Date Issued
2010
Author(s)
Miki, T.
Ushio, Masayuki
Chen, Chein-Hung
Ushio, Masayuki
Fukui, Shin
Fukui, Shin
Kondoh, Michio
Kondoh, Michio
Abstract
Theory and empirical evidence suggest that plant-soil feedback (PSF) determines the structure of a plant community and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The plant community alters the nutrient pool size in soil by affecting litter decomposition processes, which in turn shapes the plant community, forming a PSF system. However, the role of microbial decomposers in PSF function is often overlooked, and it remains unclear whether decomposers reinforce or weaken litter-mediated plant control over nutrient cycling. Here, we present a theoreticalmodel incorporating the functional diversity of both plants and microbial decomposers. Two fundamental microbial processes are included that control nutrient mineralization from plant litter: (i) assimilation of mineralized nutrient into the microbial biomass (microbial immobilization), and (ii) release of the microbial nutrients into the inorganic nutrient pool (net mineralization).With this model, we show thatmicrobial diversitymay act as a buffer thatweakens plant control over the soil nutrient pool, reversing the sign of PSF from positive to negative and facilitating plant coexistence. This is explained by the decoupling of litter decomposability and nutrient pool size arising from a flexible change in the microbial community composition and decomposition processes in response to variations in plant litter decomposability. Our results suggest that themicrobial community plays a central role in PSF function and the plant community structure. Furthermore, the results strongly imply that the plant-centered view of nutrient cycling should be changed to a plant-microbe-soil feedback system, by incorporating the community ecology of microbial decomposers and their functional diversity.
Subjects
Buffering effect; Ecological model; Microbial community; Nutrient cycling; Plant-soil feedback
SDGs
Other Subjects
article; biomass; decomposition; feedback system; microbial diversity; mineralization; plant community; plant ecology; plant litter; priority journal; soil microflora; species diversity; synecology; biological model; ecosystem; food; food chain; microbiology; plant; soil; theoretical model; Biomass; Ecosystem; Food; Food Chain; Models, Biological; Models, Theoretical; Plants; Soil; Soil Microbiology
Type
journal article