TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of soil copper and zinc levels on the abundance of methanotrophic, nitrifying, and N2O-reducing microorganisms in drylands worldwide
AU - Corrochano-Monsalve, Mario
AU - Saiz, Hugo
AU - Maestre, Fernando T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - Understanding soil microbial populations influencing biogeochemical cycles with potential implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes emissions is crucial. Methanotrophic, nitrifying and N2O-reducing microorganisms are major drivers of CH4 and N2O fluxes in soils. The metabolism of these organisms relies on enzymes that require as cofactors metal ions scarcely available in the soil, such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Despite the importance of these ions, how their concentrations relate to the abundance of these microbes at the global scale has not been addressed yet. Here, we used data from a global survey carried out in 47 drylands from 12 countries to evaluate the role of soil Cu and Zn concentrations, and their relationship with aridity, as drivers of the abundance of methanotrophs, archaeal and bacterial nitrifiers, and N2O reducers. To do so, we performed qPCR analyses of the marker genes pmoA, archaeal and bacterial amoA and nosZI. We did not find an association between the abundance of methanotrophs and Cu or Zn availability. However, our results highlight the importance of Cu influencing the abundance of nitrifying bacteria and N2O reducers, two main actors involved in the N2O cycle. Our findings indicate that dryland soils can be prone to reduce the N2O coming from nitrification to innocuous N2, but reductions in soil Cu availability (e.g., by increased aridity conditions due to climate change) could shift this trend.
AB - Understanding soil microbial populations influencing biogeochemical cycles with potential implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes emissions is crucial. Methanotrophic, nitrifying and N2O-reducing microorganisms are major drivers of CH4 and N2O fluxes in soils. The metabolism of these organisms relies on enzymes that require as cofactors metal ions scarcely available in the soil, such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Despite the importance of these ions, how their concentrations relate to the abundance of these microbes at the global scale has not been addressed yet. Here, we used data from a global survey carried out in 47 drylands from 12 countries to evaluate the role of soil Cu and Zn concentrations, and their relationship with aridity, as drivers of the abundance of methanotrophs, archaeal and bacterial nitrifiers, and N2O reducers. To do so, we performed qPCR analyses of the marker genes pmoA, archaeal and bacterial amoA and nosZI. We did not find an association between the abundance of methanotrophs and Cu or Zn availability. However, our results highlight the importance of Cu influencing the abundance of nitrifying bacteria and N2O reducers, two main actors involved in the N2O cycle. Our findings indicate that dryland soils can be prone to reduce the N2O coming from nitrification to innocuous N2, but reductions in soil Cu availability (e.g., by increased aridity conditions due to climate change) could shift this trend.
KW - amoA
KW - Climate change
KW - Drylands
KW - Greenhouse gases
KW - nosZI
KW - pmoA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85182891082&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105284
DO - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105284
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85182891082
SN - 0929-1393
VL - 196
JO - Applied Soil Ecology
JF - Applied Soil Ecology
M1 - 105284
ER -