Nitrogen fixation by biological soil crusts and heterotrophic bacteria in an intact Mojave Desert ecosystem with elevated CO2 and added soil carbon

Fixation of N by biological soil crusts and free-living heterotrophic soil microbes provides a significant proportion of ecosystem N in arid lands. To gain a better understanding of how elevated CO2 may affect N2-fixation in aridland ecosystems, we measured C2H2 reduction as a proxy for nitrogenase activity in biological soil crusts for 2 yr, and in soils either with or without dextrose-C additions for 1 yr, in an intact Mojave Desert ecosystem exposed to elevated CO2. We also measured crust and soil δ15N and total N to assess changes in N sources, and δ13C of crusts to determine a functional shift in crust species, with elevated CO2. The mean rate of C2H2 reduction by biological soil crusts was 76.9±5.6 μmol C2H4 m−2 h−1. There was no significant CO2 effect, but crusts from plant interspaces showed high variability in nitrogenase activity with elevated CO2. Additions of dextrose-C had a positive effect on rates of C2H2 reduction in soil. There was no elevated CO2 effect on soil nitrogenase activity. Plant cover affected soil response to C addition, with the largest response in plant interspaces. The mean rate of C2H2 reduction in soils either with or without C additions were 8.5±3.6 μmol C2H4 m−2 h−1 and 4.8±2.1 μmol m−2 h−1, respectively. Crust and soil δ15N and δ13C values were not affected by CO2 treatment, but did show an effect of cover type. Crust and soil samples in plant interspaces had the lowest values for both measurements. Analysis of soil and crust [N] and δ15N data with the Rayleigh distillation model suggests that any plant community changes with elevated CO2 and concomitant changes in litter composition likely will overwhelm any physiological changes in N2-fixation.