OPENAIRE OpenAire Sygma Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE) NERC Open Research Archive Aalborg University Research Portal MPG.PuRe DOAJ Crossref Microsoft Academic Graph Europe PubMed Central VBN HAL INRAE UnpayWall Frontiers OpenAPC Global Initiative PubMed Central European Union Open Data Portal Frontiers in Microbiology Open Access 2016-08-08 2024-11-05 Despite several lines of observational evidence, there is a lack of consensus on whether higher fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratios directly cause higher soil carbon (C) storage. We employed RNA sequencing, protein profiling and isotope tracer techniques to evaluate whether differing F:B ratios are associated with differences in C storage. A mesocosm (13)C labeled foliar litter decomposition experiment was performed in two soils that were similar in their physico-chemical properties but differed in microbial community structure, specifically their F:B ratio (determined by PLFA analyses, RNA sequencing and protein profiling; all three corroborating each other). Following litter addition, we observed a consistent increase in abundance of fungal phyla; and greater increases in the fungal dominated soil; implicating the role of fungi in litter decomposition. Litter derived (13)C in respired CO2 was consistently lower, and residual (13)C in bulk SOM was higher in high F:B soil demonstrating greater C storage potential in the F:B dominated soil. We conclude that in this soil system, the increased abundance of fungi in both soils and the altered C cycling patterns in the F:B dominated soils highlight the significant role of fungi in litter decomposition and indicate that F:B ratios are linked to higher C storage potential. Microbiology (medical) Proteomics 0301 basic medicine environment/Bioclimatology Supplementary Data [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes stable isotopes litter decomposition Microbiology 03 medical and health sciences proteomics [SDU.STU.GC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geochemistry [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology [SDU.STU.GC] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geochemistry soil carbon European Commission bacteria Stable isotopes 2. Zero hunger 655240 0303 health sciences Bacteria Litter decomposition Fungi RNA sequencing QR Microbiology 15. Life on land Soil carbon [SDU.ENVI] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment QR1-502 6. Clean water QR [SDE.BE] Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDE.MCG] Environmental Sciences/Global Changes [SDV.EE] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment [SDV.EE.BIO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Bioclimatology [SDV.EE.BIO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology fungi [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces environment Ashish A. Malik, Ashish A. Malik, Somak Chowdhury, Veronika Schlager, Anna Oliver, Jeremy Puissant, Perla Griselle Mellado Vázquez, Nico Jehmlich, Martin von Bergen, Robert Iwan Griffiths, Gerd Gleixner, 2016-08-09 journalpaper Despite several lines of observational evidence, there is a lack of consensus on whether higher fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratios directly cause higher soil carbon (C) storage. We employed RNA sequencing, protein profiling and isotope tracer techniques to evaluate whether differing F:B ratios are associated with differences in C storage. A mesocosm (13)C labeled foliar litter decomposition experiment was performed in two soils that were similar in their physico-chemical properties but differed in microbial community structure, specifically their F:B ratio (determined by PLFA analyses, RNA sequencing and protein profiling; all three corroborating each other). Following litter addition, we observed a consistent increase in abundance of fungal phyla; and greater increases in the fungal dominated soil; implicating the role of fungi in litter decomposition. Litter derived (13)C in respired CO2 was consistently lower, and residual (13)C in bulk SOM was higher in high F:B soil demonstrating greater C storage potential in the F:B dominated soil. We conclude that in this soil system, the increased abundance of fungi in both soils and the altered C cycling patterns in the F:B dominated soils highlight the significant role of fungi in litter decomposition and indicate that F:B ratios are linked to higher C storage potential. Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling 2164/13228 https://doi.org/2164/13228 655240