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There are many ways in which climate futures can be envisioned, such asglobal and regional climate models, scenarios of future emission trajectories, orpathways and visions of societal transformation. All these anticipatory practicesaim to make the climatic future knowable in the present. In so doing, they quiteoften envision a climatic future that is inherently violent: a future marked bydisaster
Boreal forest soils function as a terrestrial net sink in the global carbon cycle. The prevailing dogma has focused on aboveground plant litter as a principal source of soil organic matter. Using C-14 bomb-carbon modeling, we show that 50 to 70% of stored carbon in a chronosequence of boreal forested islands derives from roots and root-associated microorganisms. Fungal biomarkers indicate impaired
Foliose lichens with cyanobacterial bionts (bipartite and tripartite) form a distinct assemblage of epiphytes strongly associated with humid microclimatic conditions in inland British Columbia. Previous research showed that these cyano- and cephalolichen communities are disproportionately abundant and species-rich on conifer saplings beneath Populus compared to beneath other tree species. More rev
The effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization (0-150 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) since 1865) and pH (3.3-7.4) on fungal and bacterial growth, biomass and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition were investigated in grassland soils from the 'Park Grass Experiment', Rothamsted Research, UK. Bacterial growth decreased and fungal growth increased with lower pH, resulting in a 50-fold increase in the relative
We studied bacterial and fungal colonization of submerged plant litter, using a known Si-accumulator (Equisetum arvense), in experimental microcosms during one month. We specifically addressed the microbial decomposer role concerning biogenic silica (bSiO2) dissolution from the degrading litter. To vary the rates and level of microbial colonization, the litter was combined with a range of mineral
There is growing evidence of the importance of extramatrical mycelium (EMM) of mycorrhizal fungi in carbon (C) cycling in ecosystems. However, our understanding has until recently been mainly based on laboratory experiments, and knowledge of such basic parameters as variations in mycelial production, standing biomass and turnover as well as the regulatory mechanisms behind such variations in fores
Mycorrhizal fungi constitute a considerable sink for carbon in most ecosystems. This carbon is used for building extensive mycelial networks in the soil as well as for metabolic activity related to nutrient uptake. A number of methods have been developed recently to quantify production, standing biomass and turnover of extramatrical mycorrhizal mycelia (EMM) in the field. These methods include min
Global patterns in soil, plant, and fungal stable isotopes of N (delta N-15) show promise as integrated metrics of N cycling, particularly the activity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. At small spatial scales, however, it remains difficult to differentiate the underlying causes of plant delta N-15 variability and this limits the application of such measurements to better understand N cycling. We co
Our aim was to examine the effect of water stress on plant growth and development of two native plant species (Tetraclinis articulata and Crithmum maritimum) and on microbial community composition and activity in the rhizosphere soil, following the addition of an organic amendment, namely sugar beet residue (SBR), and/or the inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, namely Glomus mos
Soil tillage practices affect the soil microbial community in various ways, with possible consequences for nitrogen (N) losses, plant growth and soil organic carbon (C) sequestration. As microbes affect soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics largely through their activity, their impact may not be deduced from biomass measurements alone. Moreover, residual microbial tissue is thought to facilitate SOM
Secondary hole-nesting birds that do not construct nest holes themselves and hence regularly breed in nest boxes constitute important model systems for field studies in many biological disciplines with hundreds of scientists and amateurs involved. Those research groups are spread over wide geographic areas that experience considerable variation in environmental conditions, and researchers provide
While many laboratory studies have focused on the short term effects of biochar addition to soil), there have been comparatively few tracing its longer term effects in the field. This study investigated the multiyear impact of biochar on crop performance and soil quality with specific emphasis on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling over a 3 y period. Biochar was added to an agricultural field at 0
A substantial portion of the carbon (C) fixed by the trees is allocated belowground to ectomycorrhizal (EM) symbionts, but this fraction usually declines after fertilization. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of optimal fertilization (including all the necessary nutrients) on the growth of EM fungi in young Norway spruce forests over a three year period. In addition, the amou
The determination of the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) pattern of soil organisms has become one of the most commonly used methods to study microbial community structure. Here we recapitulate the background of our work applying the PLFA method to soil in the early 1990s. We also stress that although the PLFA method was, and still is, a rapid and sensitive method to detect changes in the microbial
Resolving fungal and bacterial groups within the microbial decomposer community is thought to capture disparate life strategies for soil microbial decomposers, associating bacteria with an r-selected strategy for carbon (C) and nutrient use, and fungi with a K-selected strategy. Additionally, food-web model-based work has established a widely held belief that the bacterial decomposer pathway in so
Longer periods of drought and droughts of higher intensity are expected to become increasingly frequent with future climate change. This has implications for the microbially mediated turnover of soil organic matter (SOM), which will feedback to the global C cycle. In this study, we addressed the microbial dynamics underlying the pulse of respiration following rewetting of dry soil, and how the dro
We studied the microbial communities in maize (Zea mays) rhizosphere to determine the extent to which their structure, biomass, activity and growth were influenced by plant genotype (su1 and sh2 genes) and the addition of standard and high doses of different types of fertilizer (inorganic, raw manure and vermicompost). For this purpose, we sampled the rhizosphere of maize plants at harvest, and an
Through changes in climate and other environmental factors, alpine tundra ecosystems are subject to increased cover of erect shrubs, reduced predictability of rodent dynamics and changes in wild and domesticated herbivore densities. To predict the dynamics of these ecosystems, we need to understand how these simultaneous changes affect alpine vegetation. In the long term, vegetation dynamics may d
The way microbes behave in nature can vary widely depending on the spatial characteristics of the habitats they are located in. The spatial structure of the microbial environment can determine whether and to which extent processes such as organic matter degradation, and synergistic or antagonistic microbial processes occur. Investigating how the different spatial characteristics of microhabitats i
