Soil cover shapes organic matter pools and microbial communities in soils of maritime Antarctica

Victoria Martin; Hannes Schmidt; Alberto Canarini; Marianne Koranda; Bela Hausmann; Carsten W. Müller; Andreas Richter

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116894

Soil cover shapes organic matter pools and microbial communities in soils of maritime Antarctica

Victoria Martin (Corresponding author)
, Hannes Schmidt
, Alberto Canarini
, Marianne Koranda
, Bela Hausmann
, Carsten W. Müller
, Andreas Richter

Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science

Publications: Contribution to journal › Article › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

Bryophytes and biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are the two major biological soil cover types of maritime Antarctica and play a crucial role for key ecosystem functions in the barely vegetated and little developed soils. Besides their profound impacts on nutrient cycling, they also provide habitats and activity hotspots for unique soil microbial communities. Yet, the effects of biological soil cover on the physical and chemical soil environment and belowground microbial communities have not been comprehensively studied in this fragile ecosystem. We here address the research question how biocrusts and mosses shape the quantity and structure of the soil organic matter pool, and the activity and composition of subjacent microbial communities. Towards this end, we sampled soils under two common, but physiologically distinct moss species, Polytrichastrum alpinum and Sanionia unicinata, and adjacent biological soil crusts at two sites on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. We found that biocrusts and mosses differentially influenced central soil properties and subjacent soil microbial communities. All major SOM compound groups (carbohydrates, aromatics and phenols, lipids, N-containing polymers) as well as microbial biomass were more abundant in soil under biocrusts. However, microbial mass-specific growth rates were higher in soil under mosses. Our results showed moss-species-specific effects in addition to effects of soil cover type, as P. alpinum affected the activity and structure of soil microbial communities and the composition of soil organic matter stronger than S. unicinata. Our study highlights the interconnectedness between soil cover and soil biogeochemistry, which is crucial for deepening our understanding of belowground functioning in Antarctic soils. This linkage is of particular importance in the context of ongoing rapid climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula, as future shifts in the distribution and abundance of soil cover may substantially impact multiple soil processes in this vulnerable ecosystem.

Original language	English
Article number	116894
Number of pages	14
Journal	Geoderma
Volume	446
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116894
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 26 Apr 2024

Funding

We are grateful to the German Federal Environmental Agency for the sampling permission under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (number II 2.8 \u2013 94033/106), and to the Comit\u00E9 Polar Espa\u00F1ol for hosting our scientific stay at the Gabriel de Castilla Base. We further thank Dr. Petra Pjevac for technical support with amplicon sequencing data, Coline Le Noir de Carlan for lab assistance during ddPCR assays, Moritz Mohrlok for technical and conceptual help with the implementation of the Pyr-GC/MS fingerprinting method, Eva Simon for lab assistance, and Dr. Lucia Fuchslueger for valuable input to the manuscript. VM is the lead author responsible for laboratory work setup and writing of the manuscript with feedback from all co-authors. AR is responsible for the main scientific conceptualization of this work, provided scientific guidance for the progress of the project, input during manuscript writing and financial support for sample analyses. CWM is together with AR responsible for the fieldwork setup and additionally provided conceptual guidance during project development, manuscript writing, logistical planning, and execution of the field work campaign in 2018. AC was involved in conceptualizing the workflow of SOM fingerprinting via Pyr-GC/MS and provided help with enzyme assays and during manuscript writing. HS helped with sample preparation for amplicon sequencing and ddPCR assays, the analysis of microbial community composition data, and writing of the manuscript. MK provided scientific input during statistical analyses and manuscript writing. BH processed raw amplicon sequencing data.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

106026 Ecosystem research
106022 Microbiology

Keywords

Biocrusts
Biological soil cover
Maritime Antarctica
Mass-specific microbial activity
Mosses
SOM fingerprint

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10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116894Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:2086271Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Cite this

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title = "Soil cover shapes organic matter pools and microbial communities in soils of maritime Antarctica",

abstract = "Bryophytes and biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are the two major biological soil cover types of maritime Antarctica and play a crucial role for key ecosystem functions in the barely vegetated and little developed soils. Besides their profound impacts on nutrient cycling, they also provide habitats and activity hotspots for unique soil microbial communities. Yet, the effects of biological soil cover on the physical and chemical soil environment and belowground microbial communities have not been comprehensively studied in this fragile ecosystem. We here address the research question how biocrusts and mosses shape the quantity and structure of the soil organic matter pool, and the activity and composition of subjacent microbial communities. Towards this end, we sampled soils under two common, but physiologically distinct moss species, Polytrichastrum alpinum and Sanionia unicinata, and adjacent biological soil crusts at two sites on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. We found that biocrusts and mosses differentially influenced central soil properties and subjacent soil microbial communities. All major SOM compound groups (carbohydrates, aromatics and phenols, lipids, N-containing polymers) as well as microbial biomass were more abundant in soil under biocrusts. However, microbial mass-specific growth rates were higher in soil under mosses. Our results showed moss-species-specific effects in addition to effects of soil cover type, as P. alpinum affected the activity and structure of soil microbial communities and the composition of soil organic matter stronger than S. unicinata. Our study highlights the interconnectedness between soil cover and soil biogeochemistry, which is crucial for deepening our understanding of belowground functioning in Antarctic soils. This linkage is of particular importance in the context of ongoing rapid climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula, as future shifts in the distribution and abundance of soil cover may substantially impact multiple soil processes in this vulnerable ecosystem.",

keywords = "Biocrusts, Biological soil cover, Maritime Antarctica, Mass-specific microbial activity, Mosses, SOM fingerprint",

author = "Victoria Martin and Hannes Schmidt and Alberto Canarini and Marianne Koranda and Bela Hausmann and M{\"u}ller, \{Carsten W.\} and Andreas Richter",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116894",

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T1 - Soil cover shapes organic matter pools and microbial communities in soils of maritime Antarctica

AU - Martin, Victoria

AU - Schmidt, Hannes

AU - Canarini, Alberto

AU - Koranda, Marianne

AU - Hausmann, Bela

AU - Müller, Carsten W.

AU - Richter, Andreas

PY - 2024/4/26

Y1 - 2024/4/26

N2 - Bryophytes and biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are the two major biological soil cover types of maritime Antarctica and play a crucial role for key ecosystem functions in the barely vegetated and little developed soils. Besides their profound impacts on nutrient cycling, they also provide habitats and activity hotspots for unique soil microbial communities. Yet, the effects of biological soil cover on the physical and chemical soil environment and belowground microbial communities have not been comprehensively studied in this fragile ecosystem. We here address the research question how biocrusts and mosses shape the quantity and structure of the soil organic matter pool, and the activity and composition of subjacent microbial communities. Towards this end, we sampled soils under two common, but physiologically distinct moss species, Polytrichastrum alpinum and Sanionia unicinata, and adjacent biological soil crusts at two sites on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. We found that biocrusts and mosses differentially influenced central soil properties and subjacent soil microbial communities. All major SOM compound groups (carbohydrates, aromatics and phenols, lipids, N-containing polymers) as well as microbial biomass were more abundant in soil under biocrusts. However, microbial mass-specific growth rates were higher in soil under mosses. Our results showed moss-species-specific effects in addition to effects of soil cover type, as P. alpinum affected the activity and structure of soil microbial communities and the composition of soil organic matter stronger than S. unicinata. Our study highlights the interconnectedness between soil cover and soil biogeochemistry, which is crucial for deepening our understanding of belowground functioning in Antarctic soils. This linkage is of particular importance in the context of ongoing rapid climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula, as future shifts in the distribution and abundance of soil cover may substantially impact multiple soil processes in this vulnerable ecosystem.

AB - Bryophytes and biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are the two major biological soil cover types of maritime Antarctica and play a crucial role for key ecosystem functions in the barely vegetated and little developed soils. Besides their profound impacts on nutrient cycling, they also provide habitats and activity hotspots for unique soil microbial communities. Yet, the effects of biological soil cover on the physical and chemical soil environment and belowground microbial communities have not been comprehensively studied in this fragile ecosystem. We here address the research question how biocrusts and mosses shape the quantity and structure of the soil organic matter pool, and the activity and composition of subjacent microbial communities. Towards this end, we sampled soils under two common, but physiologically distinct moss species, Polytrichastrum alpinum and Sanionia unicinata, and adjacent biological soil crusts at two sites on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. We found that biocrusts and mosses differentially influenced central soil properties and subjacent soil microbial communities. All major SOM compound groups (carbohydrates, aromatics and phenols, lipids, N-containing polymers) as well as microbial biomass were more abundant in soil under biocrusts. However, microbial mass-specific growth rates were higher in soil under mosses. Our results showed moss-species-specific effects in addition to effects of soil cover type, as P. alpinum affected the activity and structure of soil microbial communities and the composition of soil organic matter stronger than S. unicinata. Our study highlights the interconnectedness between soil cover and soil biogeochemistry, which is crucial for deepening our understanding of belowground functioning in Antarctic soils. This linkage is of particular importance in the context of ongoing rapid climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula, as future shifts in the distribution and abundance of soil cover may substantially impact multiple soil processes in this vulnerable ecosystem.

KW - Biocrusts

KW - Biological soil cover

KW - Maritime Antarctica

KW - Mass-specific microbial activity

KW - Mosses

KW - SOM fingerprint

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85191337079

U2 - 10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116894

DO - 10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116894

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85191337079

SN - 0016-7061

VL - 446

JO - Geoderma

JF - Geoderma

M1 - 116894

ER -

Soil cover shapes organic matter pools and microbial communities in soils of maritime Antarctica

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this