Habitat restoration
Cellulose plus C4 grass steers prairie soil microbes
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Adding cellulose and heat-tolerant Andropogon gerardii shifted restored prairie soils toward higher fungal biomass and slower-growing bacteria that may retain carbon.
Key findings
Cellulose raised fungal:bacterial lipid ratios (18:2ω6,9c and 18:1ω9c up; Gram-positive lipids down) regardless of plant mix. Plant richness had few microbial effects. Coupling cellulose with heat/drought-tolerant grasses selected higher fungal biomass and oligotroph-leaning bacteria.
Methodology
Agricultural soil in 72 pots received remnant-prairie inoculum and/or cellulose, planted with one vs three prairie species, then grown 62 days at ambient or +4°C; lipids, enzymes, 16S, and soil C were measured.
Limitations
A 62-day pot study cannot prove long-term field carbon sequestration; watering prevented drought so warming×moisture interactions were muted.
How this study connects
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