Is Available Carbon Limiting Microbial Respiration in the Rhizosphere?

It is widely known that the carbon availability in the rhizosphere is much higher than in the bulk soil. However, studies have failed to show whether microbial respiration in the rhizosphere is carbon-limited. Precise and timely measurements are lacking. We measured carbon availability index (basal respiration divided by substrate-induced respiration), and water soluble carbon in soils sampled at four spatial points (rhizoplane, rhizosphere, bulk soil and root-free soil) in the rhizosphere continuum in greenhouse and field experiments. Carbon availability index and water soluble carbon were inversely related to the relative distance from the root surface, with several times higher concentrations in the rhizoplane soils. Microbial respiration was not limited by available carbon in the rhizoplane and in the rhizosphere. Copyright