Sticky dead microbes: Rapid abiotic retention of microbial necromass in soil

作者：Kate M. Buckeridge, Alfio Fabio La Rosa, Kelly E. Mason, Jeanette Whitaker, Niall P. McNamara, Helen Grant, Nick Ostle · 发表于：Soil Biology and Biochemistry · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107929 · 被引用次数：195 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology、Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies

Microbial necromass dominates soil organic matter. Recent research on necromass and soil carbon storage has focused on necromass production and stabilization mechanisms but not on the mechanisms of necromass retention. We present evidence from soil incubations with stable-isotope labeled necromass that abiotic adsorption may be more important than biotic immobilization for short-term necromass retention. We demonstrate that necromass adsorbs not only to mineral surfaces, but may also interact with other necromass. Furthermore, necromass cell chemistry alters necromass-necromass interaction, with more bacterial tracer retained when there is yeast necromass present. These findings suggest that the adsorption and abiotic interaction of microbial necromass and its functional properties, beyond chemical stability, deserve further investigation in the context of soil carbon sequestration.