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Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests
Author(s) -
Camenzind Tessa,
Hättenschwiler Stephan,
Treseder Kathleen K.,
Lehmann Anika,
Rillig Matthias C.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
ecological monographs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.254
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1557-7015
pISSN - 0012-9615
DOI - 10.1002/ecm.1279
Subject(s) - nutrient , environmental science , biome , biogeochemical cycle , ecosystem , phosphorus , ecology , nutrient cycle , biomass (ecology) , tropics , terrestrial ecosystem , biogeochemistry , biology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract Soil fungi and bacteria are the key players in the transformation and processing of carbon and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems, yet controls on their abundance and activity are not well understood. Based on stoichiometric principles, soil microbial processes are expected to be limited by mineral nutrients, which are particularly scarce in often highly weathered tropical forest soils. Such limitation is directly relevant for the fate of soil carbon and global element cycles, but its extent and nature have never been assessed systematically across the tropical biome. Here, we address the relative importance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients in limiting soil microbial biomass and process rates in tropical forests. We conducted an in‐depth literature review and a meta‐analysis of the available nutrient addition experiments in tropical forests worldwide. Our synthesis showed predominant and general phosphorus limitation of a variety of microbial processes across tropical forests, and additional nitrogen limitation in tropical montane forests. The apparent widespread microbial phosphorus limitation needs to be accounted for in the understanding and prediction of biogeochemical cycles in tropical forests and their future functioning. Other mineral nutrients or carbon may modify the importance of phosphorus, but more experimental studies are urgently needed.