Plant phosphorus-acquisition and -use strategies affect soil carbon cycling

Increased anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is driving N-limited ecosystems towards phosphorus (P) limitation. Plants have evolved strategies to respond to P limitation which affect N cycling in plant‐soil systems. A comprehensive understanding of how plants with efficient P‐acquisition or ‐use...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) 2021-10, Vol.36 (10), p.899-906
Main Authors: Ding, Wenli, Cong, Wen-Feng, Lambers, Hans
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon
Ecosystem
Nitrogen
nitrogen mineralisation
Phosphorus
phosphorus acquisition
phosphorus utilisation
priming
Soil
Soil Microbiology
soil organic matter decomposition
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Summary:Increased anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is driving N-limited ecosystems towards phosphorus (P) limitation. Plants have evolved strategies to respond to P limitation which affect N cycling in plant‐soil systems. A comprehensive understanding of how plants with efficient P‐acquisition or ‐use strategies influence carbon (C) and N cycling remains elusive. We highlight how P‐acquisition/-use strategies, particularly the release of carboxylates into the rhizosphere, accelerate soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and soil N mineralisation by destabilising aggregates and organic‐mineral associations. We advocate studying the effects of P-acquisition/-use strategies on SOM formation, directly or through microbial turnover. In response to low P availability, plants have evolved a variety of P‐acquisition/‐use strategies. These may affect N cycling by influencing SOM turnover.Two microbial strategies (N-mining and co-metabolism) have been proposed to explain microbially mediated priming effects. We suggest that priming should be explained from the perspective of the capacity of a plant to acquire or utilise P under low-P conditions.Efficient P‐acquisition/-use strategies may change N cycling by affecting SOM decomposition. For example, a highly efficient P-mobilising strategy, carboxylate release, may destabilise aggregates and organic‐mineral associations through chelation of metals (such as Fe, Al) and then accelerate SOM decomposition; flavonoids may work in a similar way.Efficient P‐acquisition/-use strategies may affect SOM formation directly or indirectly through microbial turnover.
ISSN:0169-5347
1872-8383
DOI:10.1016/j.tree.2021.06.005