Dynamics of microbial communities involved in carbon and nitrogen turnover during paddy soil evolution in relation to different soil types

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Schloter
• Subject Area: Soil Sciences
• Term: from 2008 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 55047603

The aim of the project is to investigate the microbial communities involved in the degradation of polymers like cellulose or proteins in paddy soils. Therefore different paddy soils across south Asia should be studied and microbial communities involved in cellulose degradation and protein mineralization should be compared to upland soils from the same regions to describe biogeographical pattern of these functional communities typical for paddy soils. In addition the development of typical microbial communities involved in cellulose and protein degradation in paddy soils should be studied in a greenhouse experiment using a) upland soils and b) tidal wetland soils with no history in paddy cultivation as starting material. These two types of soil should be used for paddy cultivation and the development of typical functional community profiles as well as typical turnover rates should be studied using stable isotope labelled litter material. This project will help to link carbon and nitrogen profiles typical for paddy soils with their architects, microbes involved in the corresponding turnover processes.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 995: Biogeochemistry of Paddy Soil Evolution
• International Connection: China, Indonesia
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Zhihong Cao; Dian Fiantis, Ph.D.; Sri Rahayu Utami, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Ganlin Zang