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Growth measurements of saprotrophic fungi and bacteria reveal differences between canopy and forest floor soils

Author

Summary, in English

Canopy-held organic matter develops into a distinct soil system separate from the forest floor in wet temperate coniferous forests, creating a natural microcosm. We distinguished between fungal and bacterial components of the decomposer community in one site with Maple (Acer macrophyllum) and one site with Alder (Alnus rubra) by using direct measurements of growth; acetate incorporation into ergosterol, and leucine incorporation for fungi and bacteria, respectively. The higher organic matter content of the canopy soils correlated with higher fungal growth. The relative importance of fungi, indicated by fungal: bacterial growth ratio, was higher in the canopy soil of the Maple site, while there was no difference in the Alder site. The high C:N ratio of the Maple canopy soil likely contributed to this difference. These results demonstrate a divergence between canopy and forest floor that should be explored to gain insights in decomposer ecology using the natural microcosms that the canopy soils provide. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publishing year

2009

Language

English

Pages

862-865

Publication/Series

Soil Biology & Biochemistry

Volume

41

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • Fungal growth
  • Epiphytes
  • Canopy soil
  • Acetate incorporation into ergosterol
  • Bacterial growth
  • forest
  • Temperate coniferous
  • Leucine incorporation

Status

Published

Project

  • Carbon drivers and microbial agents of soil respiration
  • Effect of environmental factors on fungal and bacterial growth in soil
  • Microbial carbon-use efficiency

Research group

  • Microbial Ecology

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0038-0717