caa a22 4500 445384107 CHVBK 20180317143026.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110801xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10021-011-9440-z doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10021-011-9440-z Identification of General Patterns of Nutrient and Labile Carbon Control on Soil Carbon Dynamics Across a Successional Gradient [Elektronische Daten] [Alexandru Milcu, Angela Heim, Richard Ellis, Stefan Scheu, Pete Manning] Carbon (C) inputs and nutrient availability are known to affect soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. However, general rules regarding the operation of these factors across a range of soil nutrient availabilities and substrate qualities are unidentified. "Priming” (stimulated decomposition by labile C inputs) and ‘preferential substrate utilization' (retarded decomposition due to shifts in community composition towards microbes that do not mineralize SOC) are two hypotheses to explain effects of labile C additions on SOC dynamics. For effects of nutrient additions (nitrogen and phosphorus) on SOC dynamics, the stoichiometric (faster decomposition of materials of low carbon-to-nutrient ratios) and ‘microbial mining' (that is, reduced breakdown of recalcitrant C forms for nutrients under fertile conditions) hypotheses have been proposed. Using the natural gradient of soil nutrient availability and substrate quality of a chronosequence, combined with labile C and nutrient amendments, we explored the support for these contrasting hypotheses. Additions of labile C, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and combinations of C and N and C and P were applied to three sites: 2-year fallow grassland, mature grassland and forest, and the effects of site and nutrient additions on litter decomposition and soil C dynamics were assessed. The response to C addition supported the preferential substrate hypothesis for easily degradable litter C and the priming hypothesis for SOC, but only in nitrogen-enriched soils of the forest site. Responses to N addition supported the microbial mining hypothesis irrespective of C substrate (litter or SOC), but only in the forest site. Further, P addition effects on SOC support the stoichiometric hypothesis; P availability appeared key to soil C release (priming) in the forest site if labile C and N is available. These results clearly link previously contrasting hypotheses of the factors controlling SOC with the natural gradient in litter quality and nutrient availability that exists in ecosystems at different successional stages. A holistic theory that incorporates this variability of responses, due to different mechanisms, depending on nutrient availability and substrate quality is essential for devising management strategies to safeguard soil C stocks. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 2011 carbon sequestration nationallicence priming effect nationallicence microbial mining nationallicence succession nationallicence microorganisms nationallicence litter decomposition nationallicence Milcu Alexandru Division of Biology, NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, SL5 7PY, Ascot, UK aut Heim Angela Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany aut Ellis Richard Veterinary Laboratories Agency, VLA Weybridge, KT15 3NB, New Haw, UK aut Scheu Stefan J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073, Göttingen, Germany aut Manning Pete Division of Biology, NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, SL5 7PY, Ascot, UK aut Ecosystems Springer-Verlag 14/5(2011-08-01), 710-719 1432-9840 14:5<710 2011 14 10021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9440-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9440-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Milcu Alexandru Division of Biology, NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, SL5 7PY, Ascot, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Heim Angela Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ellis Richard Veterinary Laboratories Agency, VLA Weybridge, KT15 3NB, New Haw, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Scheu Stefan J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073, Göttingen, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Manning Pete Division of Biology, NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, SL5 7PY, Ascot, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Ecosystems Springer-Verlag 14/5(2011-08-01), 710-719 1432-9840 14:5<710 2011 14 10021 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer