Microbial decomposers face large stoichiometric imbalances when feeding on nutrient-poor plant residues. To meet the challenges of nutrient limitation, microorganisms might: (i) allocate less carbon (C) to growth vs. respiration or excretion (i.e., flexible C-use efficiency, CUE), (ii) produce extracellular enzymes to target compounds that supply the most limiting element, (iii) modify their cellular composition according to the external nutrient availability, and (iv) preferentially retain nutrients at senescence. These four resource use modes can have different consequences on the litter C and nitrogen (N) dynamics\u2013modes that selectively remove C from the system can reduce C storage in soil, whereas modes that delay C mineralization and increase internal N recycling could promote storage of C and N. Since we do not know which modes are dominant in litter decomposers, we cannot predict the fate of C and N released from plant residues, in particular under conditions of microbial nutrient limitation. To address this question, we developed a process-based model of litter decomposition in which these four resource use modes were implemented. We then parameterized the model using \u223c80 litter decomposition datasets spanning a broad range of litter qualities. The calibrated model variants were able to capture most of the variability in litter C, N, and lignin fractions during decomposition regardless of which modes were included. This suggests that different modes can lead to similar litter decomposition trajectories (thanks to the multiple alternative resource acquisition pathways), and that identification of dominant modes is not possible using \u201cstandard\u201d litter decomposition data (an equifinality problem). Our results thus point to the need of exploring microbial adaptations to nutrient limitation with empirical estimates of microbial traits and to develop models flexible enough to consider a range of hypothesized microbial responses.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "microbial model", "carbon use efficiency", "nitrogen limitation", "Forestry", "extracellular enzymes", "litter decomposition", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Biological Sciences", "SD1-669.5", "15. Life on land", "microbial stoichiometry", "C/N ratio", "C:N ratio", "12. Responsible consumption", "Environmental sciences", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Biologiska vetenskaper", "GE1-350"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.686945"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Forests%20and%20Global%20Change", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/ffgc.2021.686945", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/ffgc.2021.686945", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/ffgc.2021.686945"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-06-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.16310622", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-09-20T16:20:37Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Dataset for substrate stoichiometry drive the divergent accumulation of plant and microbial necromass carbon", "description": "To optimize the conversion of exogenous C into soil organic C, we manipulated the substrate stoichiometry (SS) match the requirements ranging from oligotrophs to copiotrophs. We assumed the stoichiometric ratios of fungi (C:N:P:S=10,000:1034:110:94) and bacteria (C:N:P:S=10,000:2004:494: 264) reflected substrate requirements of oligotrophs and copiotrophs. This study provided different SS levels by applying varying amounts of straw and N, P, and S. A total of five treatment groups were established: straw\u2011amended soil with no nutrient addition (NPS0), NPS0 with nutrient additions to meet the metabolic requirements from fungi (NPS1) to bacteria (NPS3), and a control soil (CK). The straw, cut into 2\u20135 mm pieces, was mixed with soil at a rate of 2 g per 100 g dry soil. The SS was regulated by adding or not adding the nutrient solutions (NS1, NS2 or NS3) containing ammonium nitrate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and ammonium sulfate (pH = 7). The concentrations of N, P, and S in NS1 were 6.42, 1.79, and 0.95 g L\u22121, in NS2 were 19.50, 3.52, and 1.90 g L\u22121, and in NS3 were 30.72, 9.98, and 4.23 g L\u22121, respectively. Topsoil (0\u201320 cm) and subsoil (20\u201340 cm) samples (8 kg each) were collected, sieved at 2 mm, and air-dry. The SS was regulated by adding 1 ml of NS1, NS2, or NS3 to 100 g of dry topsoil on a clean and smooth plastic sheet. The soil moisture was then adjusted to 60% field capacity with distilled water, followed by the addition and mixing of 2 g straw fragments. The mixture was then transferred to nylon mesh bags and sealed (aperture: 0.048 mm, length: 20 cm, and width: 15 cm). The subsoil was treated in the same manner. Nine replicates were maintained for each treatment for both topsoil or subsoil. Three soil pits (length: 1.5 m, width: 0.5 m, depth: 0.4 m) spaced at 0.6 m apart were dug in the field, and the topsoil and subsoil were stored separately. Three replicates of each treatment for subsoil were arranged in two rows (spaced approximately 20 cm) and vertically placed at 20\u201340 cm in each pit. Each pit was backfilled with the original subsoil. The same procedure was followed to fill the pits with the replicates of the five treatments for topsoil. All replicates from one pit were collected at 30, 90, and 150 days post-sowing, then brought back to the laboratory with dry ice and stored at \u201380\u2103. This study primarily investigated the following parameters: including (1) amino sugars, lignin phenols, soil water content, soil organic C (SOC), available N (AN), and available P (SAP); (2) C, N, and P cycling enzyme activities (cellobiohydrolase (CBH), \u03b2-glucosidase (BG), L-leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), \u00a0\u03b2-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG), and acid phosphatase (AP)); and (3) bacterial and fungal diversity and community composition at the phylum level. The main statistical analyses employed included one-way ANOVA, principal coordinates analysis (PCoA), and random forest models.", "keywords": ["agricultural residues", " microbial stoichiometry metabolism", " microbial necromass carbon"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Wu", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16310622"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.16310622", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.16310622", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.16310622"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-07-22T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3167308845", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-09-20T16:22:50Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-06-11", "title": "Modeling Microbial Adaptations to Nutrient Limitation During Litter Decomposition", "description": "Microbial decomposers face large stoichiometric imbalances when feeding on nutrient-poor plant residues. To meet the challenges of nutrient limitation, microorganisms might: (i) allocate less carbon (C) to growth vs. respiration or excretion (i.e., flexible C-use efficiency, CUE), (ii) produce extracellular enzymes to target compounds that supply the most limiting element, (iii) modify their cellular composition according to the external nutrient availability, and (iv) preferentially retain nutrients at senescence. These four resource use modes can have different consequences on the litter C and nitrogen (N) dynamics\u2013modes that selectively remove C from the system can reduce C storage in soil, whereas modes that delay C mineralization and increase internal N recycling could promote storage of C and N. Since we do not know which modes are dominant in litter decomposers, we cannot predict the fate of C and N released from plant residues, in particular under conditions of microbial nutrient limitation. To address this question, we developed a process-based model of litter decomposition in which these four resource use modes were implemented. We then parameterized the model using \u223c80 litter decomposition datasets spanning a broad range of litter qualities. The calibrated model variants were able to capture most of the variability in litter C, N, and lignin fractions during decomposition regardless of which modes were included. This suggests that different modes can lead to similar litter decomposition trajectories (thanks to the multiple alternative resource acquisition pathways), and that identification of dominant modes is not possible using \u201cstandard\u201d litter decomposition data (an equifinality problem). Our results thus point to the need of exploring microbial adaptations to nutrient limitation with empirical estimates of microbial traits and to develop models flexible enough to consider a range of hypothesized microbial responses.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "microbial model", "carbon use efficiency", "nitrogen limitation", "Forestry", "extracellular enzymes", "litter decomposition", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Biological Sciences", "SD1-669.5", "15. Life on land", "microbial stoichiometry", "C/N ratio", "C:N ratio", "12. Responsible consumption", "Environmental sciences", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Biologiska vetenskaper", "GE1-350"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/3167308845"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Forests%20and%20Global%20Change", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3167308845", "name": "item", "description": "3167308845", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3167308845"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-06-11T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=microbial+stoichiometry&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=microbial+stoichiometry&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "first", "title": "items (first)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=microbial+stoichiometry&", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "last", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (last)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=microbial+stoichiometry&offset=3", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 3, "numberReturned": 3, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-09-20T23:02:15.470480Z"}