Jiri Barta

University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice · Department of Ecosystem Biology (KBE)

The physical and chemical changes that accompany permafrost thaw directly influence the microbial communities that mediate the decomposition of formerly frozen organic matter, leading to uncertainty in permafrost-climate feedbacks. Although changes to microbial metabolism and community structure are documented following thaw, the generality of post...

Permafrost‐affected soils in the northern circumpolar region store more than 1,000 Pg soil organic carbon (OC), and are strongly vulnerable to climatic warming. However, the extent to which changing soil environmental conditions with permafrost thaw affects different compounds of soil organic matter (OM) is poorly understood. Here, we assessed the...

Foliar endophytic bacteria and fungi are increasingly being recognized as important drivers of plant host phenotype – affecting a wide range of eco‐physiological processes. However, we are still lacking fundamental ecosystem‐level knowledge about the structure, function, and inter‐species interactions in endophytic assemblages associated with plant...

In peatlands, decomposition of organic matter is limited by harsh environmental conditions and low decomposability of the plant material. Shifting vegetation composition from Sphagnum towards vascular plants is expected in response to climate change, which will lead to increased root exudate flux to the soil and stimulation of microbial growth and...

Permafrost-affected soil stores a significant amount of organic carbon. Identifying the biological constraints of soil organic matter transformation, e.g., the interaction of major soil microbial soil organic matter decomposers, is crucial for predicting carbon vulnerability in permafrost-affected soil. Fungi are important players in the decomposit...

Stand-replacing disturbances are a key element of the Norway spruce (Picea abies) forest life cycle. While the effect of a natural disturbance regime on forest physiognomy, spatial structure and pedocomplexity was well described in the literature, its impact on the microbiome, a crucial soil component that mediates nutrient cycling and stand produc...

BACKGROUND Thermophilic waste air biofiltration was developed to overcome the often observed drop in pollutant removal efficiency caused by classical reactor overheating above the mesophilic temperature range. To date, only a few studies have been reported on thermophilic biofiltration of airborne hydrophobic pollutants. In this work, a bubble colu...

Substantial amounts of topsoil organic matter (OM) in Arctic Cryosols have been translocated by the process of cryoturbation into deeper soil horizons (cryoOM), reducing its decomposition. Recent Arctic warming deepens the Cryosols´ active layer, making more topsoil and cryoOM carbon accessible for microbial transformation. To quantify bacteria, ar...

Despite the low availability of nitrogen (N), the highly productive macrophyte Hydrilla verticillata (L.) is a successful invader of the littoral zones at lake Atitlán, Guatemala, with profound implications for lake ecology. To help answer the question of how Hydrilla , accompanied by the filamentous green alga Cladophora Kützing (Ulvophyceae), sus...

Anthropogenically enhanced atmospheric sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition has acidified and eutrophied forest ecosystems worldwide. However, both S and N mechanisms have an impact on microbial communities, and the consequences for microbially driven soil functioning differ. We conducted a two-forest stand (Norway spruce and European beech) fiel...

Peatland rewetting is a widely used restoration technique, yet the recovery of anaerobic processes is poorly characterized. Microbes involved in anaerobic processes, especially methanogens, could reflect the stabilization of anaerobic conditions, vegetation succession and overall restoration success. We investigated the effect of long-term drainage...

Chronic nitrogen (N) deposition from anthropogenic emissions alter N cycling of forests in Europe and in other impacted areas. It disrupts plant/microbe interactions in originally N-poor systems, based on a symbiosis of plants with ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM). ECM fungi that are capable of efficient nutrient mining from complex organics and their l...

The large stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) in soils and deposits of the northern permafrost region are sensitive to global warming and permafrost thawing. The potential release of this carbon (C) as greenhouse gases to the atmosphere does not only depend on the total quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) affected by warming and thawing, but it a...

Ingestion of nanoparticles (NPs) with antimicrobial properties may disrupt the balance of intestinal microbiota. To investigate the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs on intestinal flora, common carp Cyprinus carpio were fed a commercial feed containing 500 mg kg⁻¹ ZnO NPs for 6 weeks and compared to a control group receiving a similar feed-only regim...

Peatland vegetation is composed mostly of mosses, graminoids and ericoid shrubs, and these have a distinct impact on peat biogeochemistry. We studied variation in soil microbial communities related to natural peatland microhabitats dominated by Sphagnum, cotton-grass and blueberry. We hypothesized that such microhabitats will be occupied by structu...

The large stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) in soils and deposits of the northern permafrost region are sensitive to global warming and permafrost thawing. The potential release of this carbon (C) as greenhouse gases to the atmosphere does not only depend on the total quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) affected by warming and thawing, but also...

Following publication of the original article [1], the author reported an error in Fig. 3.

Background Utricularia are rootless aquatic carnivorous plants which have recently attracted the attention of researchers due to the peculiarities of their miniaturized genomes. Here, we focus on a novel aspect of Utricularia ecophysiology—the interactions with and within the complex communities of microorganisms colonizing their traps and external...

Microbial N2‐fixation helps to sustain carbon accumulation in pristine peatlands and to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Recent work in minerotrophic fens has provided evidence that this energetically costly process is not completely downregulated at sites with higher availability of reactive nitrogen (Nr). We suggest that biological N2‐fixation als...

In most terrestrial ecosystems, plant growth is limited by nitrogen and phosphorus. Adding either nutrient to soil usually affects primary production, but their effects can be positive or negative. Here we provide a general stoichiometric framework for interpreting these contrasting effects. First, we identify nitrogen and phosphorus limitations on...

PAS contains more than 1307 Pg of organic carbon (C) which represents about half of the global soil C. Substantial amount of this C (ca. 400 Gt) is stored in buried pockets of organic matter (cryoOM) by the process of cryoturbation. But current warming condition has changed the control of microbes on organic matter decomposition in these organic po...

Significant source of C (ca. 400 Gt) is buried in deep soil pedons in the arctic soil, because of the cryogenic processes. Warming of tundra will leads to the deepening of seasonally freezing-thawing active layer, making these buried soil C vulnerable for microbial transformation. To identify the structure of microbial communities and their functio...

Climate change in Arctic ecosystems fosters permafrost thaw and makes massive amounts of ancient soil organic carbon (OC) available to microbial breakdown. However, fractions of the organic matter (OM) may be protected from rapid decomposition by their association with minerals. Little is known about the effects of mineral‐organic associations (MOA...

A survey of the ecological variability within 52 populations of Schoenoplectus californicus (C.A. Mey.) Soják across its distributional range revealed that it is commonly found in nitrogen (N) limited areas, but rarely in phosphorus limited soils. We explored the hypothesis that S. californicus supplements its nitrogen demand by bacterial N2-fixati...

Increased reactive nitrogen (N) loadings to terrestrial ecosystems are believed to have positive effects on ecosystem carbon (C) sequestration. Global "hot spots" of N deposition are often associated with currently or formerly high deposition of sulphur (S); C fluxes in these regions might therefore not be responding solely to N loading, and could...

Peatlands are large repositories of carbon (C).Sphagnum mosses play a key role in C sequestration,whereas the presence of vascular plants is generallythought to stimulate peat decomposition. Recentstudies stress the importance of plant species for peatquality and soil microbial activity. Thus, learningabout specific plant–microbe–soi l relations and...

The occurrence of dark fixation of CO2 by heterotrophic microorganisms in soil is generally accepted, but its importance for microbial metabolism and soil organic carbon (C) sequestration is unknown, especially under C limiting conditions. To fill this knowledge gap, we measured dark 13CO2 incorporation into soil organic matter and conducted a 13C-...

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.

Arctic plant productivity is often limited by low soil N availability. This has been attributed to slow breakdown of N-containing polymers in litter and soil organic matter (SOM) into smaller, available units, and to shallow plant rooting constrained by permafrost and high soil moisture. Using ¹⁵N pool dilution assays, we here quantified gross amin...

This chapter reviews current advances regarding plant-microbe interactions in aquatic Utricularia. New findings on the composition and function of trap commensals, based mainly on the advances in molecular methods, are presented in the context of the ecological role of Utricularia-associated microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa colo...

Our growing awareness of the microbial world’s importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about mi...

Permafrost soils preserve huge amounts of organic carbon (OC) prone to decomposition under changing climatic conditions. However, knowledge on the composition of soil organic matter (OM) and its transformation and vulnerability to decomposition in these soils is scarce. We determined neutral sugars and lignin-derived phenols, released by trifluoroa...

All higher eukaryotes live in a relationship with diverse microorganisms which colonize their bodily surfaces; plants are no exception. However, we still lack a satisfactory understanding of how these loosely associated microbiomes with immense diversity and functional potential interact with their hosts or how these interactions shape processes wi...

Nitrogen leaching owing to elevated acid deposition remains the main ecosystem threat worldwide. We aimed to contribute to the understanding of the highly variable nitrate losses observed in Europe after acid deposition retreat. Our study proceeded in adjacent beech and spruce forests undergoing acidification recovery and differing in nitrate leach...

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) are a fundamental component of boreal forests promoting tree growth and participating in soil nutrient cycling. Increased nitrogen (N) input is known to largely influence ECM communities but their potential recovery is not well understood. Therefore, we studied the effects of long-term N-fertilisation on ECM communities,...

Use of two previously isolated and described thermophilic bacteria Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus BGSC W98A1 and Aeribacillus pallidus in bubble column reactor for biological treatment of waste hot air was tested. The development of inoculum composition was carried out using the method of the goaldirected adaptation depending on final application b...

The Archaeorhizomycetes are recently discovered fungi with poorly resolved ecology. Even their abundance in soil fungal communities is currently disputed. Here we applied a PCR-independent, RNA-based metatranscriptomic approach to determine their abundance among fungi in eleven different soils across Europe. Using small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA...

We compared two adjacent mature forest ecosystem types (spruce vs. beech) to unravel the fate of assimilated carbon (C) and the cycling of organic and inorganic nitrogen (N) without the risk of the confounding influences of climatic and site differences when comparing different sites. The stock of C in biomass was higher (258 t·ha −1) in the older...

Forests are recognized as spatially heterogeneous ecosystems. However, knowledge of the small-scale spatial variation in microbial abundance, community composition and activity is limited. Here, we aimed to describe the heterogeneity of environmental properties, namely vegetation, soil chemical composition, fungal and bacterial abundance and commun...

Arctic peatlands store large stocks of organic carbon which are vulnerable to the climate change but their fate is uncertain. There is increasing evidence that a part of it will be lost as a result of faster microbial mineralization. We studied the vulnerability of 3500 – 5900 years-old bare peat uplifted from permafrost layers by cryogenic process...

Arctic ecosystems are warming rapidly, which is expected to promote soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. In addition to the direct warming effect, decomposition can also be indirectly stimulated via increased plant productivity and plant-soil C allocation, and this so called “priming effect” might significantly alter the ecosystem C balance. In...

Arctic ecosystems are warming rapidly, which is expected to promote soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. In addition to the direct warming effect, decomposition can also be indirectly stimulated via increased plant productivity and plant-soil C allocation, and this so called "priming effect" might significantly alter the ecosystem C balance. In...

Forests are recognised as spatially heterogeneous ecosystems. However, knowledge of the small-scale spatial variation in microbial abundance, community composition and activity is limited. Here, we aimed to describe the heterogeneity of environmental properties, namely vegetation, soil chemical composition, fungal and bacterial abundance and commun...

The species of Utricularia attract attention not only owing to their carnivorous lifestyle, but also due to an elevated substitution rate and a dynamic evolution of genome size leading to its dramatic reduction. To better understand the evolutionary dynamics of genome size and content as well as the great physiological plasticity in this mostly aqu...

Arctic permafrost soils contain large stocks of organic carbon (OC). Extensive cryogenic processes in these soils cause subduction of a significant part of OC-rich topsoil down into mineral soil through the process of cryoturbation. Currently, one-fourth of total permafrost OC is stored in subducted organic horizons. Predicted climate change is bel...

In permafrost soils, the temperature regime and the resulting cryogenic processes are important determinants of the storage of organic carbon (OC) and its small-scale spatial variability. For cryoturbated soils, there is a lack of research assessing pedon-scale heterogeneity in OC stocks and the transformation of functionally different organic matt...

Permafrost degradation may cause strong feedbacks of arctic ecosystems to global warming, but this will depend on if, and to what extent, organic matter (OM) is protected against biodegradation by mechanisms other than freezing and anoxia. Here, we report on the amount, chemical composition and bioavailability of particulate (POM) and mineral-assoc...

In permafrost soils, the temperature regime and the resulting cryogenic processes are decisive for the storage of organic carbon (OC) and its small-scale spatial variability. For cryoturbated soils there is a lack in the assessment of pedon-scale heterogeneity in OC stocks and the transformation of functionally different organic matter (OM) fractio...

Measurements of nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) along vertical porewater profiles are instrumental in localizing sources and sinks of nitrous oxide (N2O) in wetland ecosystems. We present the first N2O concentration and isotope data for porewaters of ombrotrophic, mountain-top bogs. Our two study sites, situated in the Czech Republic at elevations h...