Journal Article

Revealing the transfer pathways of cyanobacterial-fixed N into the boreal forest through the feather-moss microbiome

Wade, Stephen C., Jones, Davey L., DeLuca, Thomas H., Cutler, Nick A., Murphy, Daniel V., Chaput, Dominique L., Clode, Peta L., Arróniz-Crespo, María, Ostle, Nicholas, Souza-Egipsy, Virginia, Bougoure, Jeremy

2022

Overview

Biological N fixation in feather-mosses is one of the largest inputs of new nitrogen (N) to boreal forest ecosystems; however, revealing the fate of newly fixed N within the bryosphere (i.e. bryophytes and their associated organisms) remains uncertain. Herein, we combined N tracers, high resolution secondary ion mass-spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and a molecular survey of bacterial, fungal and diazotrophic communities, to determine the origin and transfer pathways of newly fixed N within feather-moss ( ) and its associated microbiome. NanoSIMS images reveal that newly fixed N , derived from cyanobacteria, is incorporated into moss tissues and associated bacteria, fungi and micro-algae. These images demonstrate that previous assumptions that newly fixed N is sequestered into moss tissue and only released by decomposition are not correct. We provide the first empirical evidence of new pathways for N fixed in feather-mosses to enter the boreal forest ecosystem (i.e. through its microbiome) and discuss the implications for wider ecosystem function.

• Publisher: Frontiers Media SA,Frontiers Media S.A
• Subject: Algae / biological N2 fixation / boreal forest / Boreal forests / Bryophyta / Bryophytes / Cyanobacteria / Ecological function / Ecosystems / Forest ecosystems / Microbiomes / moss microbiome / moss-cyanobacteria associations / Mosses / NanoSIMS / Nitrogen / nitrogen cycling / Nitrogen fixation / Nitrogenation / Physiology / Plant Science / Spectrometry / Taiga / Terrestrial ecosystems