{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1007/s10533-015-0157-5", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:15:20Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-11-14", "title": "Chronic Nitrogen Fertilization And Carbon Sequestration In Grassland Soils: Evidence Of A Microbial Enzyme Link", "description": "Chronic nitrogen (N) fertilization can greatly affect soil carbon (C) sequestration by altering biochemical interactions between plant detritus and soil microbes. In lignin-rich forest soils, chronic N additions tend to increase soil C content partly by decreasing the activity of lignin-degrading enzymes. In cellulose-rich grassland soils it is not clear whether cellulose-degrading enzymes are also inhibited by N additions and what consequences this might have on changes in soil C content. Here we address whether chronic N fertilization has affected (1) the C content of light versus heavier soil fractions, and (2) the activity of four extracellular enzymes including the C-acquiring enzyme \u03b2-1,4-glucosidase (BG; necessary for cellulose hydrolysis). We found that 19\u00a0years of chronic N-only addition to permanent grassland have significantly increased soil C sequestration in heavy but not in light soil density fractions, and this C accrual was associated with a significant increase (and not decrease) of BG activity. Chronic N fertilization may increase BG activity because greater N availability reduces root C:N ratios thus increasing microbial demand for C, which is met by C inputs from enhanced root C pools in N-only fertilized soils. However, BG activity and total root mass strongly decreased in high pH soils under the application of lime (i.e. CaCO3), which reduced the ability of these organo-mineral soils to gain more C per units of N added. Our study is the first to show a potential \u2018enzyme link\u2019 between (1) long-term additions of inorganic N to grassland soils, and (2) the greater C content of organo-mineral soil fractions. Our new hypothesis is that the \u2018enzyme link\u2019 occurs because (a) BG activity is stimulated by increased microbial C demand relative to N under chronic fertilization, and (b) increased BG activity causes more C from roots and from microbial metabolites to accumulate and stabilize into organo-mineral C fractions. We suggest that any combination of management practices that can influence the BG \u2018enzyme link\u2019 will have far reaching implications for long-term C sequestration in grassland soils.", "keywords": ["DECOMPOSITION", "DYNAMICS", "570", "\u03b2-1", "4-Glucosidase", "/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2304", "NUTRIENT RELEASE", "Environmental Sciences & Ecology", "Root C:N ratio", "Extracellular enzyme activity", "LITTER DECAY", "FOREST ECOSYSTEMS", "0399 Other Chemical Sciences", "0402 Geochemistry", "Environmental Chemistry", "Geosciences", " Multidisciplinary", "beta-1", "4-Glucosidase", "Earth-Surface Processes", "Water Science and Technology", "2. Zero hunger", "Multidisciplinary", "Science & Technology", "/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1904", "Geology", "sequestration", "Agronomy & Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Soil carbon", "N DEPOSITION", "ORGANIC-MATTER", "PHOSPHORUS", "Fertilization", "Physical Sciences", "N ratio [Root C]", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Soil carbon sequestration", "Liming", "TURNOVER", "Life Sciences & Biomedicine", "Geosciences", "/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2312", "Environmental Sciences", "RESPONSES"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-015-0157-5"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Biogeochemistry", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s10533-015-0157-5", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s10533-015-0157-5", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s10533-015-0157-5"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2015-11-14T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/ele.14530", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:19:24Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-10-16", "title": "Microbial Evolution Drives Adaptation of Substrate Degradation on Decadal to Centennial Time Scales Relevant to Global Change", "description": "ABSTRACT

Understanding microbial adaptation is crucial for predicting how soil carbon dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles will respond to climate change. This study employs the DEMENT model of microbial decomposition, along with empirical mutation and dispersal rates, to explore the roles of mutation and dispersal in the adaptation of soil microbial populations to shifts in litter chemistry, changes that are anticipated with climate\uffe2\uff80\uff90driven vegetation dynamics. Following a change in litter chemistry, mutation generally allows for a higher rate of litter decomposition than dispersal, especially when dispersal predominantly introduces genotypes already present in the population. These findings challenge the common idea that mutation rates are too low to affect ecosystem processes on ecological timescales. These results demonstrate that evolutionary processes, such as mutation, can help maintain ecosystem functioning as the climate changes.Understanding microbial adaptation is crucial for predicting how soil carbon dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles will respond to climate change. This study employs the DEMENT model of microbial decomposition, along with empirical mutation and dispersal rates, to explore the roles of mutation and dispersal in the adaptation of soil microbial populations to shifts in litter chemistry, changes that are anticipated with climate\uffe2\uff80\uff90driven vegetation dynamics. Following a change in litter chemistry, mutation generally allows for a higher rate of litter decomposition than dispersal, especially when dispersal predominantly introduces genotypes already present in the population. These findings challenge the common idea that mutation rates are too low to affect ecosystem processes on ecological timescales. These results demonstrate that evolutionary processes, such as mutation, can help maintain ecosystem functioning as the climate changes.