@article{fdi:010072345,
  title = {{C}ontrasting effects of grasses and trees on microbial {N}-cycling in an {A}frican humid savanna},
  author = {{S}rikanthasamy, {T}. and {L}eloup, {J}. and {N}'{D}ri, {A}. {B}. and {B}arot, {S}{\'e}bastien and {G}ervaix, {J}. and {K}one, {A}. {W}. and {K}offi, {K}. {F}. and {L}e {R}oux, {X}. and {R}aynaud, {X}. and {L}ata, {J}. {C}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}frican humid savannas are highly productive ecosystems, despite very low soil fertility, where grasses and trees coexist. {E}arlier results showed that some perennial grass species are capable of biological nitrification inhibition ({BNI}) while trees likely influence differently on nitrogen cycling. {H}ere we assessed the impact of the dominant grass and tree species of the {L}amto savanna ({I}vory {C}oast) on soil nitrifying and denitrifying enzyme activities ({NEA} and {DEA}, respectively) and on the abundances of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers ({AOA} and {AOB}, respectively) and nitrite reducers. {T}his is one of the first studies linking nitrifying and denitrifying activities and the abundances of the involved groups of microorganisms in savanna soils. {NEA} was 72-times lower under grasses than under trees while {AOA} and {AOB} abundances were 34- and 3-times lower. {T}his strongly suggests that all dominant grasses inhibit nitrification while trees stimulate nitrification, and that archaea are probably more involved in nitrification than bacteria in this savanna. {W}hile nitrite reducer abundances were similar between locations and dominated by nir{S} genes, {DEA} was 9-times lower under grasses than trees, which is likely explained by {BNI} decreasing nitrate availability under grasses. {T}he nir{S} dominance could be due to the ferruginous characteristics of these soils as nir{S} and nir{K} genes require different metallic co-enzymes ({F}e or {C}u). {O}ur results show that the coexistence of grasses and trees in this savanna creates a strong heterogeneity in soil nitrogen cycling that must be considered to understand savanna dynamics and functioning. {T}hese results will have to be taken into account to predict the feedbacks between climate changes, nitrogen cycling and tree/grass dynamics at a time when savannas face worldwide threats.},
  keywords = {{N}itrification ; {D}enitrification ; {T}ropical savanna ; {P}erennial grasses ; {T}rees ; {B}iological nitrification inhibition ({BNI}) ; {COTE} {D}'{IVOIRE} ; {LAMTO} ; {ZONE} {HUMIDE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}oil {B}iology and {B}iochemistry},
  volume = {117},
  numero = {},
  pages = {153--163},
  ISSN = {0038-0717},
  year = {2018},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.11.016},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010072345},
}