The consequences of niche and physiological differentiation of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidisers for nitrous oxide emissions

verfasst von

Linda Hink, Cécile Gubry-Rangin, Graeme W Nicol, James I Prosser

Abstract

High and low rates of ammonium supply are believed to favour ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), respectively. Although their contrasting affinities for ammonium are suggested to account for these differences, the influence of ammonia concentration on AOA and AOB has not been tested under environmental conditions. In addition, while both AOB and AOA contribute to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil, N2O yields (N2O-N produced per NO2--N generated from ammonia oxidation) of AOA are lower, suggesting lower emissions when AOA dominate ammonia oxidation. This study tested the hypothesis that ammonium supplied continuously at low rates is preferentially oxidised by AOA, with lower N2O yield than expected for AOB-dominated processes. Soil microcosms were supplied with water, urea or a slow release, urea-based fertiliser and 1-octyne (inhibiting only AOB) was applied to distinguish AOA and AOB activity and associated N2O production. Low ammonium supply, from mineralisation of organic matter, or of the fertiliser, led to growth, ammonia oxidation and N2O production by AOA only, with low N2O yield. High ammonium supply, from free urea within the fertiliser or after urea addition, led to growth of both groups, but AOB-dominated ammonia oxidation was associated with twofold greater N2O yield than that dominated by AOA. This study therefore demonstrates growth of both AOA and AOB at high ammonium concentration, confirms AOA dominance during low ammonium supply and suggests that slow release or organic fertilisers potentially mitigate N2O emissions through differences in niche specialisation and N2O production mechanisms in AOA and AOB.

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Aberdeen
École Centrale de Lyon

Typ

Artikel

Journal

The ISME journal

Band

12

Seiten

1084-1093

Anzahl der Seiten

10

ISSN

1751-7362

Publikationsdatum

04.2018

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Ökologie, Evolution, Verhaltenswissenschaften und Systematik, Mikrobiologie

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 2 – Kein Hunger

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-017-0025-5 (Zugang: Offen)