Accurate detection of soil microbial community responses to environmental change requires the use of multiple methods

Ernest D. Osburn; Steven G. McBride; Joseph V. Kupper; Jim A. Nelson; David H. McNear; Rebecca L. McCulley; J. E. Barrett

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108685

Accurate detection of soil microbial community responses to environmental change requires the use of multiple methods

Ernest D. Osburn, Steven G. McBride, Joseph V. Kupper, Jim A. Nelson, David H. McNear, Rebecca L. McCulley, J. E. Barrett

Plant and Soil Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Identifying general patterns in microbial community responses to global change factors remains a challenge in soil ecology, partially due to different methods used to characterize microbial communities among studies. In this study, we used DNA-based (qPCR, sequencing) and PLFA approaches to assess microbial responses to both land use change and drought-rewetting. Both methods detected microbial community responses to land use change but the drought-rewetting responses detected by the two methods were qualitatively different: PLFAs revealed clear effects of soil drying on microbial communities, which 16S sequencing did not. In contrast, sequencing revealed strong responses to rewetting, which PLFAs did not show. Further, PLFAs revealed a marked increase in fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratios following drought, which was not evident in our qPCR data. Overall, our results show that full elucidation of microbial community responses to global change will require the use of multiple methodological approaches.

Original language	English
Article number	108685
Journal	Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume	169
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108685
State	Published - Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Coweeta LTER, funded by National Science Foundation grant DEB-1637522 , a United States Department of Agriculture Postdoctoral Fellowship ( NIFA 1023307 ), and by the Virginia Tech Global Change Center. We thank the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service for support. We also thank Bobbie Niederlehner for help with analytical chemistry.

Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Coweeta LTER, funded by National Science Foundation grant DEB-1637522, a United States Department of Agriculture Postdoctoral Fellowship (NIFA 1023307), and by the Virginia Tech Global Change Center. We thank the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service for support. We also thank Bobbie Niederlehner for help with analytical chemistry.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Drought
Forest
fungal:bacterial
PLFA
qPCR
Rewetting
Sequencing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Microbiology
Soil Science

UN SDGs

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

Access to Document

10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108685

Cite this

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title = "Accurate detection of soil microbial community responses to environmental change requires the use of multiple methods",

abstract = "Identifying general patterns in microbial community responses to global change factors remains a challenge in soil ecology, partially due to different methods used to characterize microbial communities among studies. In this study, we used DNA-based (qPCR, sequencing) and PLFA approaches to assess microbial responses to both land use change and drought-rewetting. Both methods detected microbial community responses to land use change but the drought-rewetting responses detected by the two methods were qualitatively different: PLFAs revealed clear effects of soil drying on microbial communities, which 16S sequencing did not. In contrast, sequencing revealed strong responses to rewetting, which PLFAs did not show. Further, PLFAs revealed a marked increase in fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratios following drought, which was not evident in our qPCR data. Overall, our results show that full elucidation of microbial community responses to global change will require the use of multiple methodological approaches.",

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note = "Funding Information: This work was funded by the Coweeta LTER, funded by National Science Foundation grant DEB-1637522 , a United States Department of Agriculture Postdoctoral Fellowship ( NIFA 1023307 ), and by the Virginia Tech Global Change Center. We thank the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service for support. We also thank Bobbie Niederlehner for help with analytical chemistry. Funding Information: This work was funded by the Coweeta LTER, funded by National Science Foundation grant DEB-1637522, a United States Department of Agriculture Postdoctoral Fellowship (NIFA 1023307), and by the Virginia Tech Global Change Center. We thank the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service for support. We also thank Bobbie Niederlehner for help with analytical chemistry. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

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N2 - Identifying general patterns in microbial community responses to global change factors remains a challenge in soil ecology, partially due to different methods used to characterize microbial communities among studies. In this study, we used DNA-based (qPCR, sequencing) and PLFA approaches to assess microbial responses to both land use change and drought-rewetting. Both methods detected microbial community responses to land use change but the drought-rewetting responses detected by the two methods were qualitatively different: PLFAs revealed clear effects of soil drying on microbial communities, which 16S sequencing did not. In contrast, sequencing revealed strong responses to rewetting, which PLFAs did not show. Further, PLFAs revealed a marked increase in fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratios following drought, which was not evident in our qPCR data. Overall, our results show that full elucidation of microbial community responses to global change will require the use of multiple methodological approaches.

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Accurate detection of soil microbial community responses to environmental change requires the use of multiple methods

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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