|
| Because microorganisms are sensitive to temperature, ongoing global warming is
predicted to influence microbial community structure and function.We used largescale
warming experiments established at two sites near the northern and southern
boundaries of US eastern deciduous forests to explore how microbial communities
and their function respond to warming at sites with differing climatic regimes. Soil
microbial community structure and function responded to warming at the southern
but not the northern site. However, changes in microbial community structure and
function at the southern site did not result in changes in cellulose decomposition
rates.While most global change models rest on the assumption that taxa will respond
similarly to warming across sites and their ranges, these results suggest that the
responses of microorganisms to warming may be mediated by differences across the
geographic boundaries of ecosystems. | |
|