1. Incorporation of root-derived carbon into soil microarthropods varies between cropping systems.
- Author
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Li, Zhipeng, Scheunemann, Nicole, Potapov, Anton M., Shi, Lingling, Pausch, Johanna, Scheu, Stefan, and Pollierer, Melanie M.
- Subjects
CROPPING systems ,CARBON in soils ,OILSEEDS ,WHITE clover ,RAPESEED ,LOLIUM perenne ,INCEPTISOLS - Abstract
As the dynamics and magnitude of rhizodeposition vary considerably among cropping systems, we investigated effects of cropping system on the incorporation of root-derived carbon (C) into Collembola, a dominant taxon of soil microarthropods. In the field, we used
13 CO2 to pulse label a crop monoculture (oilseed rape, Brassica napus L.), a mixed-grass community (dominated by Lolium perenne L. mixed with clover Trifolium repens L.), and a tree plantation (willow, Salix schwerinii E.L. Wolf and Salix viminalis L.). During 28 days, the incorporation of13 C was traced in nine species of Collembola including epedaphic (surface-dwelling), hemiedaphic (litter-dwelling), and euedaphic (soil-dwelling) functional groups. Incorporation of13 C into Collembola reached a plateau before day 3 after the labeling in grass and willow, but increased up to day 14 in rape. While euedaphic Collembola incorporated less root-derived C than epedaphic and hemiedaphic Collembola in rape and willow, the incorporation of13 C was similar among functional groups in grass. Differential incorporation of13 C in euedaphic species points to niche differentiation within the same functional group. Our findings highlight that cropping system not only affects the flux of root C into soil mesofauna, being slower in rape than in grass and willow, but also the utilization of root-derived resources by functional groups and species of Collembola. The results indicate that pronounced differences in belowground C inputs between cropping systems affect microbivores as basal species and thereby soil food webs and their functioning and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2020
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