Priming effect and microbial carbon use efficiency in coastal saline soils: Responses to soil salinity and carbon availability

Abstract

Soil priming effect (PE) and microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) are key drivers of soil carbon (C) cycling, yet their regulatory mechanisms remain unclear in coastal saline soils with high salinity and limited organic C. In this study, ¹³C-labeled maize straw was used as a standardized exogenous organic material in a 180-day incubation experiment to trace microbial C transformation processes in coastal saline soils of the Bohai Rim, China. The effects of a salinity gradient (low, medium, high) on PE and microbial CUE were evaluated, and the influence of increased C availability via field straw return on these parameters was also examined in low- and medium-salinity soils. The study showed that soil salinity reduced microbial biomass C (MBC) and the activities of C-, nitrogen (N)-, and phosphorus (P)-transforming enzymes, resulting in a negative linear relationship between microbial CUE and salinity. Straw return further decreased MBC and extracellular enzyme activities in low-salinity soils, leading to a 22.25% decline in CUE, whereas no significant changes in MBC or CUE were observed in medium-salinity soils. The PE exhibited a non-linear, threshold-like response to salinity: under low-salinity conditions, PE was primarily controlled by SOC availability, whereas under high-salinity conditions, the physical protection of SOC was compromised, promoting C mineralization. In the short term (20 days), straw return significantly suppressed PE in low-salinity (by 37.24%) and medium-salinity (by 65.58%) soils, likely due to enhanced SOC physical protection (as indicated by a significant decrease in the labile organic C (LOC):SOC ratio) and total N (TN) accumulation following straw return. Overall, this study demonstrates that while salinity determines microbial C metabolism and PE, the effects of straw return are salinity-dependent, suggesting that organic matter management in coastal saline soils should consider both salinity conditions and straw application strategies to optimize C sequestration.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

soil carbon cycle / priming effect / microbial carbon use efficiency / salinization / carbon availability / substrate decomposition

Highlight

	● Soil salinity markedly reduces microbial carbon use efficiency in coastal soils.
	● The priming effect exhibits a non-linear, threshold-like response to increasing soil salinity.
	● Straw return increases carbon availability but fails to enhance microbial carbon use efficiency.
	● High salinity accelerates carbon loss from native soil organic carbon pools.

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