Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

2017/09/22 by Tessa Camenzind, Stephan Hättenschwiler, Kathleen K. Treseder +2 · 466 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Chemistry · Environmental Science · #Agroforestry #Biogeochemical cycle #Biogeochemistry #Biology #Biomass (ecology) #Biome #Chemistry #Ecology #Ecosystem #Environmental science #Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies #Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology #Nutrient #Nutrient cycle #Phosphorus #Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics #Terrestrial ecosystem #Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests #Tropics

paper · doi:10.1002/ecm.1279

published in Ecological Monographs 88(1), 4-21 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2017/09/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Abstract Soil fungi and bacteria are the key players in the transformation and processing of carbon and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems, yet controls on their abundance and activity are not well understood. Based on stoichiometric principles, soil microbial processes are expected to be limited by mineral nutrients, which are particularly scarce in often highly weathered tropical forest soils. Such limitation is directly relevant for the fate of soil carbon and global element cycles, but its extent and nature have never been assessed systematically across the tropical biome. Here, we address the relative importance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients in limiting soil microbial biomass and process rates in tropical forests. We conducted an in‐depth literature review and a meta‐analysis of the available nutrient addition experiments in tropical forests worldwide. Our synthesis showed predominant and general phosphorus limitation of a variety of microbial processes across tropical forests, and additional nitrogen limitation in tropical montane forests. The apparent widespread microbial phosphorus limitation needs to be accounted for in the understanding and prediction of biogeochemical cycles in tropical forests and their future functioning. Other mineral nutrients or carbon may modify the importance of phosphorus, but more experimental studies are urgently needed.

Citations

• MICROBIAL NITROGEN LIMITATION INCREASES DECOMPOSITION

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