Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41964077›Full record

ArticleMicrobiome2026

Reduced legacy precipitation decreases microbial community growth efficiency and alters soil organic carbon in a California grassland.

Linnea K Hernandez, Nicole DiDonato, Ljiljana Pasa-Tolic, Peter F Chuckran, Mary K Firestone, Ella T Sieradzki, Mengting Maggie Yuan, Katerina Estera-Molina, Jeffrey Kimbrel, Paul Dijkstra and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Microbiome, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Linnea K HernandezPhysical and Life Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA. hernandez163@llnl.gov.
Nicole DiDonatoEnvironmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), Earth and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
Ljiljana Pasa-TolicEnvironmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), Earth and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
Peter F ChuckranDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Mary K FirestoneDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Ella T SieradzkiDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Mengting Maggie YuanDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Katerina Estera-MolinaPhysical and Life Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
Jeffrey KimbrelPhysical and Life Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
Paul DijkstraCenter for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
Jillian F BanfieldDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Jennifer Pett-RidgePhysical and Life Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
Steven J BlazewiczPhysical and Life Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA. blazewicz1@llnl.gov.

Funding

U.S. DOE Biological and Environmental Research Award DE-SC0020163U.S. DOE Biological and Environmental Research Award SCW1589U.S. DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research Genomic Science Program SCW1632
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChanges in global patterns can leave a lasting legacy in semiarid grasslands by reshaping microbial growth dynamics and carbon cycling during the first wet-up in the autumn-a period known for intense microbial activity and significant carbon emissions. To study the lasting impacts of decreased winter rain, we implemented two precipitation regimes (100% vs. 50% mean annual precipitation) in California Mediterranean-climate grassland field plots. After the dry season, soils were rewetted in the laboratory with H

resultsWe found that reduced winter precipitation imposed a strong legacy effect on microbial turnover; despite maintaining similar respiration rates, microbial growth declined by ~1 order of magnitude, yielding decreased community growth efficiency (CGE = new biomass growth/respiration), and microbial mortality declined by ~2 orders of magnitude. Soil organic carbon also shifted from lipid-like, amino-sugar-like, and protein-like compounds (indicative of microbial necromass) to more oxidized lignin-like and tannin-like compounds (indicative of decomposing plant-derived compounds). Meta-omics revealed distinct metabolic strategies linked to CGE. At high-CGE, microbes appeared to consume more energetically favorable N-rich necromass (released via high microbial turnover); this allowed for increased amino acids and peptidoglycan biosynthesis and greater aromatic compound degradation, fueling further energy production and growth efficiency. At low CGE, communities had elevated carbohydrate metabolism and lipid turnover, consistent with increased investment in plant detritus degradation and membrane repair and maintenance rather than growth.

conclusionsTogether, our findings demonstrate that reduced winter rainfall decreases microbial turnover following rewetting without a concurrent reduction in CO

Indexed as

BacteriaCarbonGrasslandMicrobiotaRainSoilSoil MicrobiologyCaliforniaCarbon CycleCarbon DioxideMetagenomeRNA, Ribosomal, 16SSeasonsCarbonCarbon DioxideRNA, Ribosomal, 16SSoil16S gene amplicon sequencingCommunity growth efficiency (CGE)FTICR-MSMediterranean grassland soilsMetatranscriptomicsMicrobial turnoverMulti-omicsPrecipitation legacy effectsQuantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP)Soil organic carbon dynamics

Identifiers

PMID41964077
PMCPMC13188737

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.