Abstract
Plant litter decomposition is a process enabling biogeochemical cycles closing in ecosystems, and decomposition in forests constitutes the largest part of this process taking place in terrestrial biomes. Microbial communities during litter decomposition were studied mainly with low-throughput techniques not allowing detailed insight, particularly into coniferous litter, as it is more difficult to obtain high quality DNA required for analyses. Motivated by these problems, we analyzed archaeal, bacterial, and eukaryotic communities at three decomposition stages: fresh, 3- and 8-month-old litter by 16/18S rDNA pyrosequencing, aiming at detailed insight into early stages of pine litter decomposition. Archaea were absent from our libraries. Bacterial and eukaryotic diversity was greatest in 8-month-old litter and the same applied to bacterial and fungal rDNA content. Community structure was different at various stages of decomposition, and phyllospheric organisms (bacteria: Acetobacteraceae and Pseudomonadaceae members, fungi: Lophodermium, Phoma) were replaced by communities with metabolic capabilities adapted to the particular stage of decomposition. Sphingomonadaceae and Xanthomonadaceae and fungal genera Sistotrema, Ceuthospora, and Athelia were characteristic for 3-month-old samples, while 8-month-old ones were characterized by Bradyrhizobiaceae and nematodes (Plectus). We suggest that bacterial and eukaryotic decomposer communities change at different stages of pine litter decomposition in a way similar to that in broadleaf litter. Interactions between bacteria and eukaryotes appear to be one of the key drivers of microbial community structure.
Highlights
Decomposition of organic matter is a key step in nutrients cycling in all ecosystems
It is estimated that microbes are responsible for up to 90% of organic matter decomposition [5], and the dominating primary decomposers in boreal and temperate forest soil systems are microorganisms, mainly fungi and bacteria
Average daily temperature at the sampling area was below 0 °C for the majority of the period preceding t1, rose to around 12 °C 3 weeks later, and after a month it fluctuated around 15 °C until the end of the experiment
Summary
Decomposition of organic matter is a key step in nutrients cycling in all ecosystems. Plant litter decomposition is an important ecological process enabling biogeochemical cycles. Decomposition in forests constitutes the largest part of this process taking place in terrestrial biomes, due to their immense area (~ 30% of land surface [1]) and large quantities of organic matter stored. Forest litter decomposition was extensively studied since the early 1970s (reviewed, e.g., in [2]). It is estimated that microbes are responsible for up to 90% of organic matter decomposition [5], and the dominating primary decomposers in boreal and temperate forest soil systems are microorganisms, mainly fungi and bacteria. The structure and development of decomposer communities can influence the pattern of decay [3]
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