Root exudate effects on the bacterial communities, CO2 evolution, nitrogen transformations and ATP content of rhizosphere and bulk soils

The ATP content, soil respiration, bacterial community composition, and gross N mineralization and immobilization rates were monitored under laboratory condition at 25 °C for 28 d in a model system where low molecular weight root exudates (glucose and oxalic acid) were released by a filter placed on the surface of a forest soil also treated with 15N, so as to simulate rhizosphere conditions. Periodically, the soil was sampled from two layers, 0–2 and 6–14 mm below the filter's surface, which were indicated as rhizosphere and bulk soils, respectively. The isotope dilution technique was used to determine the effect of these low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWOCs) on gross N mineralization and immobilization rates. From 0 to 3 d both glucose and oxalic acid amended soils showed a rapid evolution of CO2, more pronunced in the latter treatment together with a decrease in the amount of mineral N of the rhizosphere soil, probably due to N immobilization. Nevertheless, these changes were accompanied by a very small increase in the net ATP content probably because the low C application rate stimulated microbial activity but microbial growth only slightly. A positive ‘priming effect’ probably developed in the oxalic acid amended soil but not in the glucose amended soil. Gross N mineralization and immobilization rates were only observed in the rhizosphere soil, probably due to the greater C and N concentrations and microbial activity, and were a little higher in both amended soils than in the control soil, only between 1 and 7 d. Both glucose and oxalic acid influenced the bacterial communities of the rhizosphere soil, as new bands in the DGGE profiles appeared at 3 and 7 d. Glucose induced lower changes in the bacterial community than oxalic acid, presumably because the former stimulated a larger proportion of soil microorganisms whereas the latter was decomposed by specialized microorganisms. Peaks of net daily soil respiration and net ATP content and the appearence of new dominant bacterial populations were shifted in time, probably because there was less ATP synthesis and DGGE patterns changed after complete substrate mineralization.