Ecosystem age determines the microbial community response to warming in coastal marsh soils

Coastal marshes are important carbon sinks because soil microbial activity is often low under flooded, oxygen-deficient conditions. Global warming may alter soil microbial communities in these ecosystems and thereby affect their carbon balance, yet experimental evidence remains limited. We investigated microbial community responses to experimental warming in coastal marsh soils from two Baltic sites differing in ecosystem age and plant community composition. Marsh sods were exposed to active aboveground and soil warming in a mesocosm facility for two consecutive growing seasons. After 1.5 years, microbial community composition shifted significantly under warming, with pronounced changes in the older ecosystem but little response in the younger one. Carbon acquiring exo-enzyme activity also showed site-specific warming effects. Our findings suggest that warming responses of soil microbial communities are not universal but depend on local factors such as successional stage, vegetation, and soil resource availability.