Freeze-thaw and dry-wet events reduce microbial extracellular enzyme activity, but not organic matter turnover in an agricultural grassland soil

Maki Miura; Timothy G. Jones; Paul W. Hill; Davey L. Jones

doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2019.08.002

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Freeze-thaw and dry-wet events reduce microbial extracellular enzyme activity, but not organic matter turnover in an agricultural grassland soil

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Freeze-thaw and dry-wet events reduce microbial extracellular enzyme activity, but not organic matter turnover in an agricultural grassland soil

Maki Miura, Timothy G. Jones, Paul W. Hill and Davey L. Jones

Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Vol.144, pp.196-199

2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2019.08.002

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Abstract

Agricultural grassland

Carbon dynamics

Enzyme production

Microbial function

Phosphatase

Soils in temperate agroecosystems are frequently exposed to extremes of moisture and temperature during which time soil functioning may be negatively affected. The aim of this study was to directly compare the effects of a single dry-wet or freeze-thaw (−5 °C or −20 °C) cycle on extracellular enzyme activity and soil organic matter turnover. We measured the activity of six enzymes before and after imposing the freeze-thaw or dry-rewet events. Our results showed that drying had a much greater impact on total enzyme activity than a −20 °C freezing event (38 vs. 10% reduction, respectively), while freezing at −5 °C had no appreciable effect. Enzyme activity recovered back to control levels relatively quickly which we ascribe to de novo exoenzyme production (within 3 d for the −20 °C freeze-thaw treatment and 14 d for the dry-wet treatment). We added 14C-labelled plant residues to the soil prior to imposing the same thermal or moisture stress events. Monitoring residue decomposition before and after imposing the treatments indicated that none of the stress regimes greatly affected organic matter turnover rates. Our results did reveal, however, a pulse of 14CO2 which was produced during the drying and freezing events themselves. We ascribe this to a shift in microbial metabolism and the production of stress avoidance metabolites (e.g. osmo- and cryo-protectants, membrane lipids). Our work highlights that extreme weather events may affect exoenzyme activity, however, these responses are transitory and are unlikely to greatly affect soil organic matter cycling unless they occur at high frequency.

Details

Title: Freeze-thaw and dry-wet events reduce microbial extracellular enzyme activity, but not organic matter turnover in an agricultural grassland soil
Authors/Creators: Maki Miura - Bangor University
Timothy G. Jones - Bangor University
Paul W. Hill - Bangor University
Davey L. Jones - Bangor University
Publication Details: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Vol.144, pp.196-199
Publisher: Elsevier B.V
Identifiers: 991005560441307891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.45 Soil Science; 3.45.112 Soil Carbon Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas: Soil Science
ESI research areas: Agricultural Sciences