Lunch seminar "Terrestrial bioenergetics – A new approach for evaluating microbial metabolism in soils”

Abstract

Soil microorganisms and their activity play a central role in carbon and nutrient cycling, but the importance of microbial diversity in ecosystem functioning is still debated. Based on basal and substrate-induced respiration approaches, there is a general consensus that the diversity of microbial metabolic processes is poorly related to overall soil function such as e.g. carbon sequestration, soil fertility. This is due to the inherent functional redundancy that exists within many microbial communities. We recently devised a novel thermodynamically based approach for gaining improved comprehension of microbial community function using microbial energetics in terrestrial ecosystems. Pertinent to this, we propose the nominal oxidation state of carbon as a universal metric of the availability of energy in organic substrate for microbial metabolism. By taking an energetic view of soil microbial metabolism, we may improve (i) our prediction of microbial feedback mechanisms and ecosystem responses to climate change, and (ii) further our understanding of the link between microbial community composition and soil functioning. In this lunch seminar, I will provide an overview on new insights gained by using a terrestrial bioenergetics approach.