Abstract
Soil microorganisms in tropical forests can adapt to phosphorus (P)-poor conditions by changing the activity ratios of different types of phosphatases. We tested whether microorganisms in P-poor tropical forest soils increased the phosphomonoesterase (PME) to phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity ratio, because a one-step enzymatic reaction of monoester P degradation might be more adaptive for microbial P acquisition than a two-step reaction of diester P degradation. A continuous 10-year P addition experiment was performed in three tropical forests. The activities of PME and PDE, and their ratio in soil, were determined under the hypothesis that the P-fertilized plots where P shortage is relieved would have lower PME:PDE ratios than the unfertilized controls. We demonstrated that long-term P addition in tropical forest soil did not alter the PME:PDE ratio in primary and secondary forests, whereas P fertilization elevated the PME:PDE ratio in planted forest. These results were in contrast to previous results. The long-term, large-scale P fertilization in our study may have reduced litter- and/or throughfall-derived PDE, which negated the lowered PME:PDE ratio via exogenous P inputs.
Original language | English |
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Article number | rtac091 |
Journal | Journal of Plant Ecology |
Volume | 16 |
Issue | 3 |
Number of pages | 5 |
ISSN | 1752-9921 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2023 |
Keywords
- phosphodiesterase
- phosphomonoestarase
- phosphorus fertilization
- soil extracellular enzymes
- tropical forest