DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hhmgqnkhv
title: Dataset for: Relative contribution of high and low elevation soil microbes and nematodes to ecosystem functioning

description: Ecosystem productivity is largely dependent on soil nutrient cycling
 which, in turn, is driven by decomposition rates governed by
 locally-adapted belowground microbial and invertebrate communities. How
 climate change will impact soil biota and the correlated ecosystem
 functioning, however, remains largely an open question. To address this
 challenge, we first characterized the functional identity of soil
 microbial and nematode communities originated from the foothills or in the
 sub-alpine soils of the Alps, and then, using a full-factorial reciprocal
 transplant common garden experiment at two elevations, we asked whether
 soil biota from low elevation were more prone in generating nutrient
 cycling than high elevation soil biota. Specifically, we separately
 transplanted soil microbial and nematode to community from low and high
 elevation in their home or opposite elevation in pots added with a common
 plant community.  We found evidence for ecotypic and functional
 differentiation of the microbial and nematode communities growing in. We
 also observed a decrease in microbial diversity and activity at high
 elevation, and additionally, through nematodes’ functional
 characterization, we found increased fungal-dominated energy channels at
 high elevation. Moreover, while we found little effect of soil
 biodiversity change based on elevation of origin on plant productivity,
 soils inoculated with microbes originating from low elevation respired
 more than those originating at high elevation. This observation correlates
 well with the observed faster carbon degradation rates by the
 low-elevation microbial communities. Climate change can reshuffle soil
 invertebrate communities depending on organism-specific variation in range
 expansion, ultimately affecting soil fertility and vegetation
 productivity.
description: To measure ecotypic differentiation, and the relative
 contribution of soil microbes and nematodes from low and high elevations
 on soil productivity and respiration, we performed a full-factorial soil
 biota reciprocal transplant experiment in the Swiss Prealps. The soils and
 soil organisms were collected across three elevation transects, belonging
 to three different bioclimatic regions of Switzerland; the Vaud transect
 in the Northern Alps, the Valais transect in the Western Alps, and the
 Ticino transect in the Southern Alps, and at both low and high elevation
 ranging from 440m above sea level (asl) up to 1850m asl. Soil microbes and
 nematodes were extracted from high and low elevation soils, and
 reciprocally re-inoculated on soils from both elevations at the same
 transect location. The treatments consisted in inoculating about 1.5 L of
 the collected, autoclaved (2 cycles of autoclave at 121 °C) soils with
 high- or low-elevation soil biota (nematodes or microorganisms,
 separately). Soils were sieved at 2 cm prior autoclaving. The soil biota
 was added to the soils belonging to the same transects. All the
 soil-filled pots were then divided equally in two batches and placed at
 both common garden sites (N = 4 replicates * 2 common garden sites * 2
 soil biota treatments * 2 elevations of origin for soil biota * 2
 elevations of origin for the soils * 3 transects = 192 pots).
description: Each data set in ".xls" format is composed of two tabs,
 the first tab contains the data, and the second tab called
 "metadata" includes the details and legends of the data
 tab. The available data sets are as follows:
 Explanation of experimental design with inoculum
 & soil details, see
 "<em>ReciprocalTranspl.Inoculum_data.xls</em>" Fungi data, see "<em>Fungal_Merged_taxa_aboundance_ITS.xls</em>"  Bacterial data, see "<em>Bacterial_Merged_taxa_aboundance_ITS</em>"  Microbial community analysis, see "<em>MicrobialCommunityAnalysis_EcoPlates_data.xls</em>" Plant community data, see "<em>ReciprocalTransplant_Plant_data.xls</em>" Nematode community analysis, see "<em>Nematode_NIJA_data.xls</em>" Soil physicochemical propreties, see "S<em>oilProperites_data.xls</em>" If any questions, contact the corresponding authors