Scaling community structure: how bacteria, fungi, and ant taxocenes differentiate along a tropical forest floor

Kaspari, Michael; Stevenson, Bradley S.; Shik, Jonathan Z.; Kerekes, Jennifer

doi:10.1890/09-2089.1

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Bacterial community composition also shifted in response to P and N addition at our site (Kaspari et al. ). In addition, P and NPK addition increased decomposition of organic matter (Kaspari et al.…”

supporting

confidence: 56%

The Response of Litter‐Associated Myxomycetes to Long‐Term Nutrient Addition in a Lowland Tropical Forest

Walker

Cedeño-Sanchez

Carbonero

et al. 2019

J Eukaryotic Microbiology

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Myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds) are abundant protist predators that feed on bacteria and other microorganisms, thereby playing important roles in terrestrial nutrient cycling. Despite their significance, little is known about myxomycete communities and the extent to which they are affected by nutrient availability. We studied the influence of long‐term addition of N, P, and K on the myxomycete community in a lowland forest in the Republic of Panama. In a previous study, microbial biomass increased with P but not N or K addition at this site. We hypothesized that myxomycetes would increase in abundance in response to P but that they would not respond to the sole addition of N or K. Moist chamber cultures of leaf litter and small woody debris were used to quantify myxomycete abundance. We generated the largest myxomycete dataset (3,381 records) for any single locality in the tropics comprised by 91 morphospecies. In line with our hypothesis, myxomycete abundance increased in response to P addition but did not respond to N or K. Community composition was unaffected by nutrient treatments. This work represents one of very few large‐scale and long‐term field studies to include a heterotrophic protist highlighting the feasibility and value in doing so.

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supporting

confidence: 56%

The Response of Litter‐Associated Myxomycetes to Long‐Term Nutrient Addition in a Lowland Tropical Forest

Walker

Cedeño-Sanchez

Carbonero

et al. 2019

J Eukaryotic Microbiology

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“…High‐throughput 454 pyrosequencing has allowed for greater sampling depth and has provided a greater insight into fungal richness and diversity across the study site, compared with a previous T‐RFLP study (Kaspari et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Nutrient enrichment increased species richness of leaf litter fungal assemblages in a tropical forest

et al. 2013

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Microbial communities play a major role in terrestrial ecosystem functioning, but the determinates of their diversity and functional interactions are not well known. In this study, we explored leaf litter fungal diversity in a diverse Panama lowland tropical forest in which a replicated factorial N, P, K and micronutrient fertilization experiment of 40 × 40 m plots had been ongoing for nine years. We extracted DNA from leaf litter samples and used fungal‐specific amplification and a 454 pyrosequencing approach to sequence two loci, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU) D1 region. Using a 95% sequence similarity threshold for ITS1 spacer recovered a total of 2523 OTUs, and the number of unique ITS1 OTUs per 0.5–1.0 g leaf litter sample ranged from 55 to 177. Ascomycota were the dominant phylum among the leaf litter fungi (71% of the OTUs), followed by Basidiomycota (26% of the OTUs). In contrast to our expectations based on temperate ecosystems, long‐term addition of nutrients increased, rather than decreased, species richness relative to controls. Effect of individual nutrients was more subtle and seen primarily as changes in community compositions especially at lower taxonomic levels, rather than as significant changes in species richness. For example, plots receiving P tended to show a greater similarity in community composition compared to the other nutrient treatments, the +PK, +NK and +NPK plots appeared to be more dominated by the Nectriaceae than other treatments, and indicator species for particular nutrient combinations were identified.

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“…Thus, changes in microbial community composition within functional guilds (Kaspari et al. , Camenzind et al. ), but also among them (Liu et al.…”

Section: Embracing the Complexity Of Soil Microbial Nutrient Limitatimentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

Camenzind

Hättenschwiler

Treseder

et al. 2017

Ecological Monographs

331

183

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Abstract. Soil fungi and bacteria are the key players in the transformation and processing of carbon and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems, yet controls on their abundance and activity are not well understood. Based on stoichiometric principles, soil microbial processes are expected to be limited by mineral nutrients, which are particularly scarce in often highly weathered tropical forest soils. Such limitation is directly relevant for the fate of soil carbon and global element cycles, but its extent and nature have never been assessed systematically across the tropical biome. Here, we address the relative importance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients in limiting soil microbial biomass and process rates in tropical forests. We conducted an in-depth literature review and a meta-analysis of the available nutrient addition experiments in tropical forests worldwide. Our synthesis showed predominant and general phosphorus limitation of a variety of microbial processes across tropical forests, and additional nitrogen limitation in tropical montane forests. The apparent widespread microbial phosphorus limitation needs to be accounted for in the understanding and prediction of biogeochemical cycles in tropical forests and their future functioning. Other mineral nutrients or carbon may modify the importance of phosphorus, but more experimental studies are urgently needed.

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Scaling community structure: how bacteria, fungi, and ant taxocenes differentiate along a tropical forest floor

Cited by 23 publications

References 46 publications

The Response of Litter‐Associated Myxomycetes to Long‐Term Nutrient Addition in a Lowland Tropical Forest

The Response of Litter‐Associated Myxomycetes to Long‐Term Nutrient Addition in a Lowland Tropical Forest

Nutrient enrichment increased species richness of leaf litter fungal assemblages in a tropical forest

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

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