1. Introduction
Microbial community structure could play a role in the ability of
communities to realize different functions but also to resist
environmental disturbance (Torsvik and Øvreås, 2002). In the
context of global change, microbial community structure could be
modified and therefore impact ecosystem functioning. Soil
moisture is one of the major factors influencing microbial
community structure (Brockett et al., 2012) and the shift of
microbial community structure is suspected to contribute to
important pulses in net mineralisation during the rewetting of dry
soils (Borken and Matzner, 2009). But where some authors have
suggested that periods of soil water restriction and wetting of dry