Effects of micronutrient fertilization on soil carbon pools and microbial community functioning

Fertilization with macronutrients, e.g., nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), has wide-ranging well-characterized effects on terrestrial ecosystem functions. In contrast, influences of other elements, sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), hereafter, ‘micronutrients’, are poorly understood. To determine micronutrients, their interactions soil carbon (C) cycling, we conducted a full factorial experiment where treatments consisted fertilizing experimental plots Na, Ca, K (each manipulated individually) macronutrients (N + P added together). Each year the measured aboveground plant biomass sampled soils to quantify mineralizable C pools active microbial biomass. further explore micronutrient microbial-mediated in final assessed cycle functions using catabolic profiling technique quantified multiple additional pools: particulate (POM-C), mineral-associated (MAOM-C), total (TC). Macronutrients P) affected nearly all variables – when N was added, increased, profiles were altered, C, POM-C, TC increased. Micronutrients also had cycling that generally smaller than Ca addition reduced relative increased POM-C pools. Further, altered profiles, but only added. Our study reveals several micronutrients specifically, may influence size by influencing communities.