Ecological Archives E092-053-A5

Daniela F. Cusack, Whendee L. Silver, Margaret S. Torn, Sarah D. Burton, and Mary K. Firestone. 2011. Changes in microbial community characteristics and soil organic matter with nitrogen additions in two tropical forests. Ecology 92:621–632.

Appendix E (TABLE E1). Composition and isotopic signatures of microbial phospholipid fatty acids.

Group Lipid Composition (molar %) Lipid δ13C
  Lower Cont. Lower Fert. Upper Cont. Upper Fert. Lower Cont. Lower Fert. Upper Cont. Upper Fert.
Fungal AMF 12.2 ± 2.1 7.4 ± 1.9 10.7 ± 0.3 13.3 ± 5.9 -24.5 ± 4.7 -21.6 ± 1.9 -11.9 ± 7.2 -26.3 ± 5.7
Fungal Saprotrophic 8.9 ± 0.2 bc 7.8 ± 0.9 c 9.9 ± 0.8 b 12.1 ± 0.3 a -28.6 ± 4.9 -20.0 ± 7.7 -14.5 ± 6.0 -29.6 ± 6.1
Iso-branched G+ 25.1 ± 1.3 27.6 ± 1.5 23.5 ± 1.4 21.8 ± 2.8 -28.0 ± 2.5 -17.1 ± 5.6 -12.4 ± 5.5 -21.7 ± 7.4
Methyl branched 13.7 ± 1.2 10.5 ± 1.4 9.1 ± 1.2 13.5 ± 4.7 -26.4 ± 3.7 -15.8 ± 8.6 -8.7 ± 9.2 -22.2 ± 12.3
Mono-unsat. and cyclopropyl G- 12.5 ± 1.7 16.4 ± 1.8 15.1 ± 0.6 7.6 ± 5.1 -28.4 ± 5.0 -21.0 ± 5.9 -18.4 ± 4.8 -19.8 ± 15.4
General marker 16:0 11.3 ± 2.2 14.9 ± 1.9 13.5 ± 0.4 13.2 ± 6.9 -39.1 ± 1.1 -36.3 ± 0.7 -34.5 ± 1.6 -36.8 ± 2.9

Average molar percent and lipid δ13C are shown for major groups of indicator lipids and the 16:0 marker (mean ± one standard error, n = 3). Letters indicate significant differences using Fisher’s LSD means separation test (P < 0.05) for fungal saprotrophic molar %. For all other groups, there were no general differences across means, though there were trends in the fertilization effect when comparing paired plots at each site (see Results text).


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