Data from: Microbial carbon use efficiency and soil organic carbon stocks across an elevational gradient in the Peruvian Andes
Data files
Dec 18, 2023 version files 31.37 KB
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data_repository_Martin2023.xlsx
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README.md
Abstract
Soils of mountain ecosystems are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change, while the ecosystem services they produce are significant and currently at risk. High altitude soils contain high C stocks, but due to difficult access to sites these areas are understudied. Moreover, how the C and N cycling is changing in response to climate change in these ecosystems, is still unclear. Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and its dependency on the environmental constraints along the altitudinal gradients is one important unknown factor. Here we present results from an altitudinal gradient study (3500 to 4500 m a.s.l.) from a Polylepis forest in the Peruvian Andes. We measured the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and microbial metabolic CUE by 13C glucose tracing and microbial resource use efficiency (CUEC:N) based on enzyme activity measurements. We expected to find an increase in SOC stock, microbial nutrient limitations, and lower CUE with elevation. SOC stocks depended on soil development and followed a unimodal curve that peaks at 4000 m in two of the three studied valleys. Neither 13CUE nor CUEC:N changed significantly with altitude. Soil C:N ratio, β-glucosidase, chitinase, and phosphatase enzyme activities increased with elevation, but peroxidase activity decreased with elevation. We suggest that more labile organic matter left at high elevation could compensate for the increasing nutrient limitation at high elevation, resulting in no noticeable change in CUE with elevation.
README: Microbial carbon use efficiency and soil organic carbon stocks across an elevational gradient in the Peruvian Andes
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h70rxwdqs
General information:
Data are related to the manuscript “Microbial carbon use efficiency and soil organic carbon stocks across an elevational gradient in the Peruvian Andes”
By Angela Martin Vivanco, Outi-Maaria Sietiö, Nele Meyer, Kevin Zowe Mganga, Subin Kalu, Sylwia Adamczyk, Susan Celis Huayllasco, Julio Alegre Orihuela and Kristiina Karhu.
Corresponding authors:
Angela Martin Vivanco (angela.martinvivanco@helsinki.fi)
Kristiina Karhu (kristiina.karhu@helsinki.fi)
The methods are described in detail in the paper.
The dataset contains 1 Excel file with the data of the following soil parameters (concentrations of different elements, enzyme activities, and respiration are given per g of dry soil):
ID: ID Code of each point. This indicates the Valley Name (e.g. U: Ulta, P: Paron, L: llanganuco ); the elevation (#1 is 4500 and #5 is 3500 m); plot number (R: 1,2,3). e.g: U1R1 = Ulta valley at 4500 m 1st plot
ELEVATION: meters above sea level (m a.s.l.)
UTM_EAST: UTM easting coordinate
UTM_NORTH: UTM northing coordinate
Valley: Valley name
Depth: Soil organic layer depth in centimeters (cm)
TC: Total carbon content (%)
TN: Total nitrogen content (%)
TP: Total phosphorus content (%)
pH: pH (1v:5v) soil volume: water volume
Bulk.density: Bulk density (Mg m-3)
Water.content: Water content (g H2O g-1 soil)
Aluminium: Total content of aluminium (mg g-1 soil)
Calcium: Total content of calcium (mg g-1 soil)
soil_Temp: Soil temperature (°C)
chitinase: Chitinase (n mol enzyme activity g-1 soil h-1)
beta.glucosidase: Beta-glucosidase (n mol enzyme activity g-1 soil h-1)
cellobiosidase: Cellobiosidase (n mol enzyme activity g-1 soil h-1)
beta.xylosidase: Beta-xylosidase (n mol enzyme activity g-1 soil h-1)
phosphatase: Phosphatase (n mol enzyme activity g-1 soil h-1)
peroxidase: Peroxidase activity (n mol DOPA g-1 soil h-1)
phenoloxidase: Phenoloxidase activity (n mol DOPA g-1 soil h-1)
DOC: Dissolved organic C (mg C g-1 soil)
DTN: Dissolved Total N (mg N g-1 soil)
Cmic: Microbial biomass carbon content (mg C g-1 soil)
Nmic: Microbial biomass nitrogen content (mg N g-1 soil)
SOMresp: Respiration from soil organic matter (µg C g-1 soil)
Nmin: mineral nitrogen, i.e. sum of NO3-N and NH4-N (mg N g-1 soil)
GROW.13.CUE: C allocated for growth (µg C g-1 soil)
RESP.13.CUE: C used for respiration (µg C g-1 soil) 13CUE: microbial 13C glucose carbon use efficiency
TERC:N: Threshold elemental ratio C:N
CUEC:N: Stoichiometric CUE