The temperature dependence of microbial community respiration is amplified by changes in species interactions
García, FC; Clegg, T; O'Neill, DB; et al.Warfield, R; Pawar, S; Yvon-Durocher, G
Date: 2 February 2023
Article
Journal
Nature Microbiology
Publisher
Nature Research
Publisher DOI
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Abstract
Respiratory release of CO2 by microorganisms is one of the main components
of the global carbon cycle. However, there are large uncertainties regarding
the effects of climate warming on the respiration of microbial communities,
owing to a lack of mechanistic, empirically tested theory that incorporates
dynamic species interactions. ...
Respiratory release of CO2 by microorganisms is one of the main components
of the global carbon cycle. However, there are large uncertainties regarding
the effects of climate warming on the respiration of microbial communities,
owing to a lack of mechanistic, empirically tested theory that incorporates
dynamic species interactions. We present a general mathematical model
which predicts that thermal sensitivity of microbial community respiration
increases as species interactions change from competition to facilitation
(for example, commensalism, cooperation and mutualism). This is because
facilitation disproportionately increases positive feedback between the
thermal sensitivities of species-level metabolic and biomass accumulation
rates at warmer temperatures. We experimentally validate our model
predictions in a community of eight bacterial taxa and show that a shift
from competition to facilitation, after a month of co-adaptation, caused
a 60% increase in the thermal sensitivity of respiration relative to de novo
communities that had not co-adapted. Therefore, we propose that rapid
changes in species interactions can substantially change the temperature
dependence of microbial community respiration, which should be
accounted for in future climate–carbon cycle models.
Ecology and Conservation
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
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