Initial state of soil microbial communities determines their stress response

Publication date: Available online 15 August 2018Source: Journal of Environmental Chemical EngineeringAuthor(s): Wassila Riah-Anglet, Isabelle Trinsoutrot-Gattin, Marie-Paule Norini, Adrien Gauthier, Xavier Latour, Karine LavalAbstractThe relationships between microbial communities biodiversity and soil functions are difficult to identify. In most cases, the establishment of these links requires alteration of microbial communities. In this work, we deliberately chose to subject soils to an unrealistic dose of biocide (fungicide 1000 times the recommended dose) in order to modify soil microbial communities. Two different soils were chosen from a luvisol, with contrasting land-uses: a long-term arable cropping plot (CC) and a permanent grassland (PG). Microbial communities were assessed by the measurement of the total microbial biomass via the quantification of total soil DNA. Total bacterial and fungal abundances and different bacterial taxa were measured by qPCR of rRNA genes. Results showed that fungicide stress significantly reduced total microbial and fungal biomass in PG and CC soils and decreased bacterial biomass only in CC soil. In both soils, fungicide stress decreased the abundance of Acidobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The Proteobacteria groups were insensitive or increased after fungicide addition. Enzyme activities and soil carbon mineralization were evaluated. In both soils, fungicide stress reduced cellulase, β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities, while N-ace...
Source: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research