Biotic Interactions in Soil are Underestimated Drivers of Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency

Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE)—the balance between microbial growth and respiration—strongly impacts microbial mediated soil carbon storage and is sensitive to many well-studied abiotic environmental factors. However, surprisingly, little work has examined how biotic interactions in soil may impact CUE. Here, we review the theoretical and empirical lines of evidence exploring how biotic interactions affect CUE through the lens of life history strategies. Fundamentally, the CUE of a microbial population is constrained by population density and carrying capacity, which, when reached, causes species to grow more quickly and less efficiently. When microbes engage in interspecific competition, they accelerate growth rates to acquire limited resources and release secondary chemicals toxic to competitors. Such processes are not anabolic and thus constrain CUE. In turn, antagonists may activate one of a number of stress responses that also do not involve biomass production, potentially further reducing CUE. In contrast, facilitation can increase CUE by expanding species realized niches, mitigating environmental stress and reducing production costs of extracellular enzymes. Microbial interactions at higher trophic levels also influence CUE. For instance, predation on microbes can positively or negatively impact CUE by changing microbial density and the outcomes of interspecific competition. Finally, we discuss how plants select for more or less efficient microbes under different contexts. In short, this review demonstrates the potential for biotic interactions to be a strong regulator of microbial CUE and additionally provides a blueprint for future research to address key knowledge gaps of ecological and applied importance for carbon sequestration.