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Short Term Effects of Ozone on the Plant‐Rhizosphere‐Bulk Soil System of Young Beech Trees
Author(s) -
Schloter M.,
Winkler J. B.,
Aneja M.,
Koch N.,
Fleischmann F.,
Pritsch K.,
Heller W.,
Stich S.,
Grams T. E. E.,
Göttlein A.,
Matyssek R.,
Munch J. C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1055/s-2005-872987
Subject(s) - rhizosphere , fumigation , biology , beech , bulk soil , lysimeter , microbial population biology , photosynthesis , ozone , agronomy , botany , soil water , ecology , chemistry , bacteria , genetics , organic chemistry
Plant growth largely depends on microbial community structure and function in the rhizosphere. In turn, microbial communities in the rhizosphere rely on carbohydrates provided by the host plant. This paper presents the first study on ozone effects in the plant‐rhizosphere‐bulk soil system of 4‐year‐old beech trees using outdoor lysimeters as a research platform. The lysimeters were filled with homogenized soil from the corresponding horizons of a forest site, thus minimizing field heterogeneity. Four lysimeters were treated with ambient ozone (1 × O 3 ) and four with double ambient ozone concentrations (2 × O 3 ; restricted to 150 ppb). In contrast to senescence, which was almost unaffected by ozone treatment, both the photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) and leaf gas exchange were reduced (11 ‐ 45 %) under the elevated O 3 regime. However, due to large variation between the plants, no statistically significant O 3 effect was found. Even though the amount of primary metabolites, such as sugar and starch, was not influenced by elevated O 3 concentrations, the reduced photosynthetic performance was reflected in leaf biochemistry in the form of a reduction in soluble phenolic metabolites. The rhizosphere microbial community also responded to the O 3 treatment. Both community structure and function were affected, with a tendency towards a lower diversity and a significant reduction in the potential nutrient turnover. In contrast, litter degradation was unaffected by the fumigation, indicating that in situ microbial functionality of the bulk soil did not change.