Litter microbial responses to climate change: How do inland or coastal context and litter type matter across the Mediterranean?

Warmer and drier climates are expected in the Mediterranean basin which is considered as a climate-change hotspot. Here we used climate contrasts across to mimic change effects on litter microbial communities. Litterbags of monospecific (Pinus halepensis Pistacia lentiscus) binary mixtures (Pinus/Pistacia, 50/50) were transferred contrasted between France Algeria (from sub-humid semi-arid climate). We tested effect type (species identity, litter-mixing) environmental context (coast/inland) responses more constraining conditions. After 12-months field incubation, chemical properties (C/N solid-state 13C NMR) markers (active biomass (MB), basal respiration (BR), bacterial catabolic genetic structures (BIOLOG T-RFLP) characterized. transfer, different from those both French Algerian control depended type: stronger modifications observed inland context, except for communities lentiscus (weak variations). However, MB BR decreased response transfer this type. On other hand, either or coastal Pinus did not vary reflecting performance sustaining limiting C losses through respiration. Here, mixture mitigate stress neither nor context: lower detected after whereas was accompanied by higher an increase CO2 release weaker amount biomass. This study shows that with also context.