Effects of two root-secreted phenolic compounds from a subalpine coniferous species on soil enzyme activity and microbial biomass |
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Authors: | Ziliang Zhang Mingfeng Qiao Dandan Li Chunzhang Zhao Yuejiao Li |
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Institution: | 1. Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization &2. Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 9 Section 4, South Renmin Road, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China;3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China;4. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China |
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Abstract: | In order to evaluate the ecological consequences and potential mechanisms of specific C compounds on soil microbial processes under climate warming, we injected solutions of two modelled root exudates, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester (DBP), respectively, into soil at two concentrations (20 and 1000?µg?g?1 soil). For all treatments, soils amended with the two phenolic compounds were incubated at two temperatures (20°C and 30°C) for 30 days. The responses of soil enzyme activity and microbial property to modelled root exudates to some extent depended on temperature regime, exudation component, and addition concentration. For example, the addition of BHT tended to decrease the soil enzyme activities. However, DBP addition generally increased the two metabolic enzyme activities at 30°C, and tended to decrease the two enzyme activities at 20°C, but a significant reduction was observed only at a high concentration at 20°C. The microbial biomass and enzyme activity were generally lower at 30°C compared to those at 20°C, when averaged across all treatment combinations. Taken together, our results indicated that the amounts and quality of liable root-derived C can differentially affect microbial processes, and various environmental changes will greatly complicate root–microbe–soil interactions in forests. |
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Keywords: | root exudates 2 6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol 1 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid dibutyl ester soil enzyme microbial biomass |
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