Warming stimulates cellulose decomposition by recruiting phylogenetically diverse but functionally similar microorganisms

Cellulose is the most abundant component of plant litter, which is critical for terrestrial carbon cycling. Nonetheless, it remains unknown how climate changes affect cellulose-decomposing microorganisms. Here, we carried out a multi-year litterbag experiment to examine cellulose decomposition undergoing +3°C warming in an Oklahoma tallgrass prairie, USA. GeoChip 5.0M was employed to detect microbial functional genes. Samples were collected under control and warming treatment from 2016 to 2018 in an Oklahoma tallgrass prairie, USA, each treatment has 4 replicates.