%0 Journal Article
%T Genetic variation in tree leaf chemistry predicts the abundance and activity of autotrophic soil microorganisms
%A Jennifer A. Schweitzer
%A Karen L. Adair
%A Liza M. Holeski
%A Paul C. Selmants
%A Richard L. Lindroth
%A Stephen C. Hart
%A Thomas G. Whitham
%J Ecosphere - Wiley Online Library
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2795
%X Genetic variation in the chemistry of plant leaves can have ecosystemİ\level consequences. Here, we address the hypothesis that genetic variation in foliar condensed tannins along a Populus hybridization gradient influences soil ammonia oxidizers, a group of autotrophic microorganisms that perform the first step of nitrification and are not dependent on carbon derived from plant photosynthesis. Evidence that genetically based plant traits influence the abundance and activity of autotrophic soil microbes would greatly expand the concept of extended plant phenotypes. We found that increasing foliar condensed tannin concentration reduced rates of soil nitrification potential by ~75%, reduced the abundance of ammoniaİ\oxidizing archaea by ~66%, but had no effect on ammoniaİ\oxidizing bacteria. Other indices that often drive nitrification rates, including soil total nitrogen, foliar nitrogen, and soil pH, were not significant predictors of either the activity or the abundance of ammonia oxidizers, suggesting genetic variation in foliar condensed tannins may be the dominant regulating factor. These results demonstrate the condensed tannin phenotypes of two different tree species and their naturally occurring hybrids have extended effects on a key ecosystem process and provide evidence for indirect genetic linkages among autotrophs across at least two domains of life. There is growing evidence that intraİ\ and interİ\specific genetic differences in plant chemistry can affect the structure and function of aboveİ\ and belowground microbial communities (Silfver et al. 2007, Bailey et al. 2009, Madritch and Lindroth 2011, Lamit et al. 2015). For example, genotypic differences in foliar condensed tannins (CTs) exert a strong influence on both the composition of microbial communities (Schweitzer et al. 2008a, 2011) and the key ecosystem processes they perform, including rates of leaf litter decomposition and nitrogen (N) mineralization in terrestrial (Schweitzer et al. 2004, Madritch et al. 2006) and aquatic ecosystems (Compson et al. 2018). This evidence supports the idea that genetic variation in plants can have farİ\reaching consequences on diverse biological communities (Whitham et al. 2012, Crutsinger 2016, Des Roches et al. 2018), yet the effects have thus far been restricted to heterotrophic organisms such as herbivores and decomposers that are directly dependent on carbon fixed by plants through photosynthesis. Soil ammonia oxidizers are autotrophic microorganisms that perform the first and rateİ\limiting step in nitrification, the conversion of ammonia (NH3) to
%U https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.2795