The effect of soil type on phosphorus sorption capacity and desorption dynamics in Irish grassland soils

Abstract. The phosphorus (P) sorption and desorption dynamics of eleven major agricultural grassland soil types in Ireland were examined using laboratory techniques, so that soils vulnerable to P loss might be identified. Desorption of P from soil using the iron-oxide paper strip test (Pfeo), water extractable P (Pw) and calcium chloride extractable P (Pcacl₂) depended on soil P status in all soils. However, soil types with high organic matter levels (OM), namely peat soils (%OM >30), had lower Pfeo and Pw but higher Pcacl₂ values compared to mineral soils at similar soil test P levels. Phosphorus sorption capacity remaining (PSCr) was measured using a single addition of P to soils and used to calculate total P sorption capacities (PSCt) and degree of P saturation (DPS). Phosphorus sorption capacities correlated negatively with % OM in soils indicating that OM may inhibit P sorption from solution to soil. High organic matter soils exhibited low P sorption capacities and poor P reserves (total P, oxalate extractable P) compared to mineral soils. Low P sorption capacities (PSCt) in peat soils were attributed to OM, which blocked or eliminated sorption sites with organic acids, therefore, P remained in the soil solution phase (Pcacl₂). In this work, peat and high organic matter soils exhibited P sorption and desorption characteristics which suggest that these soils may not be suitable for heavy applications of manure or fertilizer P owing to their low capacities for P sorption and storage.     

有机质对红壤烤烟氮素累积分配特征的影响

利用15N示踪技术,研究了有机质含量对红壤烤烟氮累积分配特征的影响。结果表明,随着土壤有机质含量增加,烤烟氮素累积时期延长,且累积量增加。烤烟后期吸收的氮素,在低有机质含量红壤上来自土壤供氮,中有机质含量来自肥料供氮,高有机质含量来自肥料供氮与土壤供氮。烤烟吸收总氮量中29.07%~40.26%来自肥料供氮,59.74% ~70.93%来自土壤供氮,表明烤烟吸收氮素大部分来自土壤供氮。氮素在烟株不同部位分配量表现为:烟叶烟茎烟根;烟叶各部位中的分配量为:在低有机质含量的红壤,下、中、上3个部位分配量相等,中有机质含量和高有机质含量上则为上部叶中部叶下部叶。有机质含量对下部叶氮素分配量影响不大,其它部位均表现为有机质含量越高,氮素分配量越大。烤烟不同部位中肥料氮比例表现为下部叶中部叶烟根烟茎上部叶,土壤氮比例表现为上部叶烟茎烟根中部叶下部叶;并且土壤有机含量越高,各部位中土壤氮的比例越高,肥料氮的比例越低,上部叶受土壤供氮影响最大。红壤上烤烟氮肥利用率在25.42%~30.61%之间,低有机质含量土壤氮肥利用率较低,中、高有机质含量利用率相对较高。在施肥过程中,低有机质红壤上应在N 90 kg/hm2基础上适当增加氮肥施用量,中等有机质含量上保持不变,高有机质含量上应适当降低氮肥用量。     

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractions and water‐stable aggregation as affected by cropping and grassland reclamation in an arid sub‐alpine soil

This paper investigates effects of cropping abandonment and perennial grass growing on soil organic C and N pools and aggregate stability, by comparing soils under native grassland, crop cultivation, perennial grass growing and cropping abandonment, in degraded cropland at a sub‐alpine site in north‐western China. The pools of total and particulate organic C (115 and 37 Mg ha⁻¹) in the 0–30 cm soil layer of native grassland were reduced by 31 and 54% after 30 years of crop cultivation. After 4 years of conversion from cropland to perennial grass growing total and particulate organic C pools were increased by 29 and 56%, whereas 4 year cropping abandonment increased particulate organic C by 36%. Rapid increases in total and particulate N were also found in perennial grass growing and cropping abandonment soils. The native grassland soil and soils of cropping abandonment and perennial grass growing had higher carbohydrate C concentrations in the 0–10 cm layer than the cropped soil. The rapid recovery of particulate organic fraction and carbohydrates in the re‐vegetated soils were probably due to higher plant biomass inputs and lower organic matter decomposition compared with those in the cropped soil. Aggregate stability of the 0–30 cm soil layer was significantly decreased by crop cultivation but showed a good recovery after 4 year re‐vegetations. This study suggests that reduction of soil organic matter and aggregate stability under crop cultivation may be remedied by cropping abandonment or perennial grass growing. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plant species richness leaves a legacy of enhanced root litter-induced decomposition in soil

Increasing plant species richness generally enhances plant biomass production, which may enhance accumulation of carbon (C) in soil. However, the net change in soil C also depends on the effect of plant diversity on C loss through decomposition of organic matter. Plant diversity can affect organic matter decomposition via changes in litter species diversity and composition, and via alteration of abiotic and/or biotic attributes of the soil (soil legacy effect). Previous studies examined the two effects on decomposition rates separately, and do therefore not elucidate the relative importance of the two effects, and their potential interaction. Here we separated the effects of litter mixing and litter identity from the soil legacy effect by conducting a factorial laboratory experiment where two fresh single root litters and their mixture were mixed with soils previously cultivated with single plant species or mixtures of two or four species. We found no evidence for litter-mixing effects. In contrast, root litter-induced CO₂ production was greater in soils from high diversity plots than in soils from monocultures, regardless of the type of root litter added. Soil microbial PLFA biomass and composition at the onset of the experiment was unaffected by plant species richness, whereas soil potential nitrogen (N) mineralization rate increased with plant species richness. Our results indicate that the soil legacy effect may be explained by changes in soil N availability. There was no effect of plant species richness on decomposition of a recalcitrant substrate (compost). This suggests that the soil legacy effect predominantly acted on the decomposition of labile organic matter. We thus demonstrated that plant species richness enhances root litter-induced soil respiration via a soil legacy effect but not via a litter-mixing effect. This implies that the positive impacts of species richness on soil C sequestration may be weakened by accelerated organic matter decomposition.     

Microbial communities of a native perennial bunchgrass do not respond consistently across a gradient of land-use intensification

To test if native perennial bunchgrasses cultivate the same microbial community composition across a gradient in land-use intensification, soils were sampled in fall, winter and spring in areas under bunchgrasses (‘plant’) and in bare soils (‘removal’) in which plots were cleared of living plants adjacent to native perennial bunchgrasses (Nassella pulchra). The gradient in land-use intensification was represented by a relict perennial grassland, a restored perennial grassland, and a perennial grass agriculture site on the same soil type. An exotic annual grassland site was also included because perennial bunchgrasses often exist within a matrix of annual grasses in California. Differences in soil resource pools between ‘plant’ and ‘removal’ soils were observed mainly in the relict perennial grassland and perennial grass agriculture site. Seasonal responses occurred in all sites. Microbial biomass carbon (C) and dissolved organic C were greater under perennial bunchgrasses in the relict perennial grassland and perennial grass agriculture site when comparing treatment means of ‘plant’ vs. ‘removal’ soil. In general, soil moisture, microbial respiration, and nitrate decreased from fall to spring in ‘plant’ and ‘removal’ soils, while soil ammonium and net mineralizable nitrogen (N) increased only in ‘plant’ soils. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles from all sites showed that land-use history limits the similarity of microbial community composition as do soil C and N dynamics among sites. When PLFA profiles from individual sites were analyzed by CCA, different microbial PLFA markers were associated with N. pulchra in each site, indicating that the same plant species does not retain a unique microbial fingerprint across the gradient of land-use intensification.     

Soil feedback on plant growth in a sub-arctic grassland as a result of repeated defoliation

In the long term, defoliation of plants can be hypothesized to decrease plant carbon supply to soil decomposers and thus decrease decomposer abundance and nutrient mineralization in the soil. To test whether defoliation creates changes in soil that can feedback to plant growth, we collected soil from sub-arctic grassland plots that had been either defoliated or non-defoliated for three years and followed the growth of different plant species combinations in these soils in greenhouse conditions. Plant N acquisition and plant growth were lower in the soil collected from the defoliated field plots than in the soil collected from the non-defoliated plots. This response did not depend on the species composition or richness of the tested plant community. In the field, defoliation decreased net nitrogen mineralization. Despite the negative effect of decreased nutrient mineralization rate on plant growth and N accumulation in the greenhouse test, the aboveground abundance of most plant species was not affected by defoliation in the field. This indicates that plants in these sub-arctic grasslands can at least temporarily overcome defoliation-induced decrease in soil nutrient availability. To our knowledge, our results are the first direct evidence that defoliation can induce changes in the soil that negatively feedback to plant growth and N accumulation. This finding indicates that, especially in arctic and sub-arctic grasslands where nutrient mineralization rates are inherently low, soil feedbacks can have an important role in the outcome of herbivore–plant interactions.     

Cutin and suberin biomarkers as tracers for the turnover of shoot and root derived organic matter along a chronosequence of Ecuadorian pasture soils

Forest‐to‐pasture conversion has been reported to increase soil organic matter (SOM) in mineral topsoils in the tropical mountain rainforest region of south Ecuador, with subsequent decreases following pasture abandonment. Until now the mechanisms behind these changes have not been fully understood. To elucidate their varied preservation patterns, we analysed root‐ and shoot‐derived organic matter and assessed their contribution to the formation of SOM in topsoils (0–5 cm) on a chronosequence of pastures (Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.); C₄) established after slash and burn of the natural forest (diverse C₃ plant species) and an abandoned pasture site invaded by bracken fern (Pteridium arachnoideum (Kaulf.) Maxon.; C₃). Cutin and suberin biomarkers of the two plant species (grass and bracken) and of forest litter were identified after saponification and their contribution to SOM was studied by compound‐specific stable carbon isotope analyses. Our results showed specific root and shoot biomarkers for the two plant species and for forest litter, which often did not correspond to the classification of root‐versus shoot‐specific monomers reported in the literature. This illustrates the importance of direct biomarker determination rather than using results from studies with different plants. Shoot‐ as well as root‐derived OM of forest and grass origin contributed to the stable SOM pool with decadal turnover times. Forest‐derived monomers contributed more to the stable SOM pool compared with grass‐derived monomers. ω‐hydroxy carboxylic acids and α,ω‐alkanedioic acids of forest origin may have been stabilized in these tropical soils by bonding to soil minerals. Rapid degradation of grass‐derived lipids from the same compound classes suggests a saturation of the mineral binding capacity. In pasture soils, the accumulation of SOM was mainly driven by large inputs of root OM. The accumulated SOM during pasture use is, however, lost rapidly after abandonment.     

广西喀斯特地区植被演替对土壤质量的影响

以植被演替空间序列代替时间序列的方法,在野外选取广西喀斯特地区4个主要植物群落演替阶段即草地、灌草地、灌丛、乔林的典型样地,对土壤物理、化学和生物学性状进行了比较研究,以探讨植被演替对土壤质量的影响。结果表明：不同的植被演替导致了土壤物理、化学和生物学性质的显著差异。随演替的正向进行,土壤综合肥力指标值（Q I）呈增长趋势,其土壤质量综合指数分别为：草地（0.09）、灌草地（0.16）、灌丛（0.61）、乔林（0.89）。自然植被的正向演替是提高土壤质量的有效途径。导致草地和灌草地土壤质量相对较低的主要因素是植物生产力较低,土壤养分积累较少,土壤有机质等养分含量较低,土壤微生物数量较少,土壤酶活较低。土壤微生物数量结合土壤酶是反映土壤生物学活性和土壤质量的较好指标。     

广西喀斯特地区植被演替对土壤质量的影响

以植被演替空间序列代替时间序列的方法,在野外选取广西喀斯特地区4个主要植物群落演替阶段即草地、灌草地、灌丛、乔林的典型样地,对土壤物理、化学和生物学性状进行了比较研究,以探讨植被演替对土壤质量的影响。结果表明:不同的植被演替导致了土壤物理、化学和生物学性质的显著差异。随演替的正向进行,土壤综合肥力指标值(Q I)呈增长趋势,其土壤质量综合指数分别为:草地(0.09)、灌草地(0.16)、灌丛(0.61)、乔林(0.89)。自然植被的正向演替是提高土壤质量的有效途径。导致草地和灌草地土壤质量相对较低的主要因素是植物生产力较低,土壤养分积累较少,土壤有机质等养分含量较低,土壤微生物数量较少,土壤酶活较低。土壤微生物数量结合土壤酶是反映土壤生物学活性和土壤质量的较好指标。     

Changes in soil organic matter and net nitrogen mineralization in heathland soils,after removal,addition or replacement of litter from Erica tetralix or Molinia caerulea

Summary The effects of different litter input rates and of different types of litter on soil organic matter accumulation and net N mineralization were investigated in plant communities dominated by Erica tetralix L. or Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench. Plots in which the litter on the soil had repeatedly been removed were compared with plots in the same plant community in which litter had been added to the soil. In another treatment, litter was removed and replaced by litter from the other plant community. Net N mineralization was measured in situ after 5 years. Less soil organic matter and soil N was found in plots in which litter had been removed, compared with control plots, or plots to which litter had been added, but these differences were significant for the Erica sp. soils only. Plots in which litter had been replaced and control plots did not differ significantly in the amount of soil organic matter. However, in both plant communities, the differences agreed with the faster decomposition rate of Molinia sp. litter compared with Erica sp. litter. The gravimetric soil moisture content was correlated positively with the amount of soil organic matter, both in the Erica sp. soils and the Molinia sp. soils. Net N mineralization rates (g N m^-2) differed significantly between treatments for Erica sp. soils but no for Molinia sp. soils. For Erica sp. soils, net N mineralization rates increased with increasing amounts of soil organic matter and soil N. Replacing the litter with Molinia sp. litter (which differs in chemical composition) had no clear additional effect on the net N mineralization rate.     

Microbial growth rate measurements reveal that land-use abandonment promotes a fungal dominance of SOM decomposition in grazed Mediterranean ecosystems

The present study investigated the effects of land-use abandonment on the soil decomposer community of two grazed Mediterranean ecosystems (an annual grassland with scattered holm oaks and a low-density shrubland). To test the influence of grazing abandonment, a set of plots within each site were fenced and kept undisturbed during 4–5 years, during which above-ground plant community structure was monitored. After that, soil samples were collected from grazed and abandoned plots corresponding to the three different soil conditions: away from (“grass”) and below tree canopies (“oak”) within the annual grassland, and from the shrubland (“shrub”). Soil samples were split into two different layers (0–5 and 5–15 cm) and then analyzed for saprotrophic fungal (acetate into ergosterol incorporation) and bacterial (leucine incorporation) growth rates. Ergosterol content (as a fungal biomass estimator) and a standard set of soil chemistry variables were also measured. After 5 years of grazing exclusion, saprotrophic fungal growth rate clearly increased in both grass and oak surface layers whereas bacterial growth rate was not altered. This translated into significantly higher fungal-to-bacterial (F/B) growth rate ratios within the ungrazed plots. Similar trends were observed for the shrub soils after 4 years of exclusion. On the contrary, abandonment of grazing had negligible effects on the ergosterol content, as well as on the soil chemical variables (soil organic carbon, total N, C/N ratio, and pH), in all the three soil conditions assessed. These results indicated a shift toward a more fungal-dominated decomposer activity in soils following cessation of grazing and highlighted the sensitivity of the microbial growth rate parameters to changes associated with land use. Moreover, there were evidences of a faster fungal biomass turnover in the ungrazed plots, which would reflect an accelerated, though not bigger, fungal channel in soil organic matter mineralization.     

Soil organic matter transformations induced by Hieracium pilosella L. in tussock grassland of New Zealand

 To study the effect of Hieracium pilosella L. invasion on the transformations of soil organic matter of New Zealand tussock grassland soils (Ustochrepts), plant material and soils underneath Hieracium, the surrounding halo, and the adjacent herbfield (depleted tussock grassland) were examined for their chemical composition. An attempt was made to reveal possible changes in chemical composition of the soil organic matter induced by H. pilosella invasion. Small differences were detected by solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in the composition of the plant and soil materials from these zones. Most of the differences in soil organic matter occurred due to differences in the amount and quality of plant-residue inputs. Comparable amounts of phenolic C were detected in the solid-state ¹³C NMR spectra of H. pilosella and herbfield vegetation, while alkaline CuO oxidation yielded considerable lower lignin oxidation products for H. pilosella. A slightly higher proportion of these compounds in H. pilosella soil revealed an accumulation and a low degradation rate of lignin compounds under H. pilosella. The HCl hydrolysis and solid-state ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopy showed similar chemical compositions of the N fractions of the three different soils. The absence of ¹⁵N NMR signal intensity assignable to aniline derivatives or aromatic heterocyclic N indicates that the condensation of phenolic compounds with N groups plays a minor role in N sequestration in these soils. Received: 6 September 1999     

Effect of organic amendment on amount and chemical characteristics of humic acids in upland field soils

To assess the effect of continuous organic material (OM) application on soil humic acids, the amount and chemical characteristics of humic acids in various types of soils (n = 10) were compared between plots treated with farmyard manure (FYM) or rice straw compost (RSC) plus chemical fertilizer (CF) and plots treated with CF alone. The degree of humification (degree of darkening), molecular size distribution and ¹³C cross polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of humic acids from CF‐treated soils showed wide variation among the soils. Humic acid content was generally larger in OM + CF soils than in corresponding CF soils, and the stable C isotopic ratio suggested partial replacement of indigenous humic acids with OM‐derived ones even where no apparent increase in humic acid content was observed. The rate of OM application and the indigenous humic acid content were related positively and negatively, respectively, to the apparent accumulation rate of humic acids among soils. The degree of humification of humic acids was generally smaller in OM + CF soils than in CF soils. Humic acids extracted from FYM and RSC exhibited chemical characteristics typical of humic acids having a smaller degree of humification, which suggested the contribution of OM‐derived humic acids to the differences between OM + CF and CF soil humic acids, such as larger average molecular sizes and smaller and larger proportions of aromatic C and O‐alkyl C, respectively, relative to total C in the OM + CF soil humic acids. Little change was observed in the chemical characteristics of humic acids when the degree of humification of indigenous humic acids was small. The effect of OM application on the chemical characteristics of humic acids was most conspicuous in soils containing humic acids having an intermediate degree of humification, possibly resulting from the combination of accelerated degradation of indigenous humic acids and the accumulation of OM‐derived humic acids.     

Composition of organic matter in a subtropical Acrisol as influenced by land use, cropping and N fertilization, assessed by CPMAS 13C NMR spectroscopy

We know much about the influence of management on stocks of organic matter in subtropical soils, yet little about the influence on the chemical composition. We therefore studied by CPMAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy the composition of the above-ground plant tissue, of the organic matter of the whole soil and of silt- and clay-size fractions of the topsoil and subsoil of a subtropical Acrisol under grass and arable crops. Soil samples were collected from three no-till cropping systems (bare soil; oats−maize; pigeon pea + maize), each receiving 0 and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, in a long-term field experiment. Soil under the original native grass was also sampled. The kind of arable crops and grass affected the composition of the particulate organic matter. There were no differences in the composition of the organic matter in silt- and clay-size fractions, or of the whole soil, among the arable systems. Changes were observed between land use: the soil of the grassland had larger alkyl and smaller aromatic C contents than did the arable soil. The small size fractions contain microbial products, and we think that the compositional difference in silt- and clay-size fractions between grassland and the arable land was induced by changes in the soil's microbial community and therefore in the quality of its biochemical products. The application of N did not affect the composition of the above-ground plant tissue nor of the particulate organic matter and silt-size fractions, but it did increase the alkyl C content in the clay-size fraction. In the subsoil, the silt-size fraction of all treatments contained large contents of aromatic C. Microscopic investigation confirmed that this derived from particles of charred material. The composition of organic matter in this soil is affected by land use, but not by variations in the arable crops grown.     

Testing the Rothamsted Carbon Model against data from long-term experiments on upland soils in Thailand

We tested the Rothamsted Carbon Model (RothC) against three long‐term (27–28 years) experimental sites on Thai upland soils in order to see how this widely used ‘temperate’ soil carbon turnover model performed in a typical farming region in the tropics. We were able to verify – over a much longer period than had been examined in previous studies – that RothC performs well in a tropical region in plots used for continuous cropping experiments of maize and cassava without organic matter application. However, the model overestimated soil organic carbon (SOC) in some plots to which large amounts of organic matter (rice straw or cassava stalks) were applied. This overestimate could not be attributed to errors in estimating either the amount of C input to the soil or the ratio of decomposable plant materials to resistant plant materials entering the soil. Among many factors affecting SOC dynamics (e.g. weather conditions, soil characteristics, etc.), which are different in tropical regions from temperate regions, we conclude that the activity of soil fauna might be a major factor which makes the performance of RothC worse where much organic matter was applied. We suggest that care should be taken when applying RothC to tropical soils with large amounts of added organic matter.     

Effects of Ant Mounds on the Plant and Soil Microbial Community in an Alpine Meadow of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Ants are important soil engineers, affecting the structure and function of ecosystems. To address the impacts of ants (Camponotus herculeanus ) on the properties of an alpine meadow ecosystem of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, we investigated the effects of ant mounds on plant biomass, soil physicochemical properties, microbial diversity, and functions. We found that the total biomass of plant community was significantly greater in ant mound periphery. Plant species richness in ant mounds was reduced compared with that of control plots without ant mounds. Significant changes in physicochemical properties of soil were also observed. Soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, total potassium, and available potassium increased in ant mound soil due to the excavation activities by ants as well as the accumulation of organic matter and other nutrients during mound construction. For example, roots/soil contents (g/g) and soil moisture in ant mound soils were lower than those in controls. Microbial community composition and microbial biomass were clearly changed in ant mound soils. BIOLOG analysis further indicated that the functional diversity of the microbial community of ant mound soil increased and differed from that of controls. This study indicates that ant‐induced modification of soil properties indirectly influences plant biomass and species composition, and ant mounds have different microbial communities from those of control soil. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Limitations of xylanase assays in plant material and organic-matter-rich soils

The potential activity of enzymes involved in carbon cycling in soil is often determined by an enzyme assay described by Schinner & Von Mersi (1990) and Schinner et al. (1996) . This method measures the amount of reducing sugars produced in a sample with ample substrate added, after subtraction of a control without any substrate addition. Theoretically, there might be a problem with the control treatment when measuring organic material, as plant material itself contains considerable amounts of polymers that release reducing sugars. This paper addresses the effect of naturally occurring substrates on xylanase activity when working with plant materials and soils with a large organic matter content. We tested the Schinner method for measurement of xylanase activity on five plant roots and 18 grassland soils and compared the results with measurements of β-xylosidase activity on substrate containing fluorescent compounds (4-methylumbelliferone, MUF). The results strongly indicated problems associated with the control in the Schinner method for plant root materials with a large substrate-to-enzymes ratio and large bioavailability, causing the difference between substrate saturated sample and control to become marginal, at times even negative. In the grassland soils, we did not observe negative activities, but no correlation was found between the xylanase and β-xylosidase activity. A better correlation was found when no controls were subtracted from the xylanase activity. We therefore recommend using MUF substrates when measuring enzyme activities on plant materials and soils with large organic matter contents.     

动物粪液中可溶性磷在土壤中的吸附和迁移特性研究

农田土壤施用动物粪肥引入了大量的可溶性有机物、有机磷和无机磷,了解这些可溶性物质在土壤中的相对移动性及它们之间的相互作用有助于指导农田养分管理。本研究从粪液中分离获得含水溶性无机磷、有机磷和有机物（碳）的溶液,选择了具不同质地和有机质含量的4个土壤（含高量有机质的黄筋泥、含低量有机质的黄筋泥、淡涂泥和清水沙）,应用等温吸附和土柱模拟淋洗方法研究了可溶性有机碳、无机磷和有机磷共存条件下,粪液中可溶性有机态磷和无机态磷在土壤中的吸附和迁移特性。吸附试验表明,可溶性有机物（碳）的存在大大降低了土壤对有机态磷和无机态磷的吸附,表明施用液态有机肥比施用化肥具有更大的磷流失风险。供试土壤对无机态磷的吸附强度高于有机态磷,但对二者的吸附量大小为:黄筋泥>淡涂泥>清水沙;并与粘粒含量、氧化铁含量呈正相关。有机质较高的土壤对有机磷的吸附明显低于有机质低的土壤。淋洗试验表明,在供试土壤中,这3种可溶性物质在土壤中吸持(包括生物吸持)的顺序为:可溶性无机磷>可溶性有机碳>可溶性有机磷;有机态磷比无机态磷更易在土壤中迁移。     

生草改善果园土壤肥力和苹果树体营养的效果

  【目的】  果园生草在促进树体生长发育、改善土壤理化环境和土壤肥力等方面起着重要作用，本研究旨在解决我国果园普遍存在的立地条件差和土壤改良困难、有机质含量少且缺乏补充途径等问题，为果业可持续发展提供重要的技术支撑。  【方法】  以美国引进的格兰马草 (Bouteloua gracilis)、粗燕麦草 (Sporobolus asper)、小须芒草 (Schizachyrium scoparium)、宠禾草 (Eragrostis trichodes)、弯叶画眉草 (Eragrostis curvula)、柳枝稷 (Panicum virgatum) 和加拿大滨麦 (Elymus canadensis) 为试验材料，以清耕和白三叶草 (Trifolium pratense) 为对照，于2017年春季在山东省泰安市马庄镇实验基地一年生苹果幼树行间进行生草试验，研究不同生草处理在连续两年内对果树生长发育和果园土壤环境的影响。  【结果】  1) 8种处理草的生物学性状各不相同，其中弯叶画眉草的高度和叶片宽度、密度、盖度、地上和地下生物量表现最佳。2) 7个生草处理对改善土壤环境都具有显著效果，6、7月份，弯叶画眉草处理的土壤温度下降幅度最大，生草一年较清耕分别下降了23.62%和27.45%；6、7、8月份，小须芒草处理两年的土壤pH最低，较同月清耕处理分别降低了6.83%、7.07%、7.19%；弯叶画眉草处理两年的土壤孔隙度增幅最大，较清耕处理分别增加了6.76%、8.35%、9.09%；3) 果园生草提高了土壤中微生物的数量，且随着生草时间的延长提高效果越明显。生草两年的弯叶画眉草处理土壤中的真菌和放线菌数量最多；生草两年的粗燕麦草处理土壤中的细菌数量最多；宠禾草处理两年的细菌OTU数量最大，为5323个，比清耕处理高7.93%。4) 不同生草处理均显著改善了果园的土壤养分。弯叶画眉草处理的土壤有机质含量最高，且生草两年比生草当年的有机质含量提高了23.53%；不同生草处理后土壤中的有效铁、有效锰、有效铜、有效锌的含量较清耕处理均有显著提高。5) 不同生草处理的果树叶片矿质元素含量较清耕有显著差异，显著降低了叶片氮元素的含量，显著提高了叶片磷、钾、镁、铁、铜、锌等元素的含量。  【结论】  果园内不同生草处理对苹果幼树树体、土壤环境和土壤养分产生重要影响，可不同程度地改善幼树的叶片矿质元素含量，降低土壤温度和pH，提高土壤孔隙度、土壤有机质和土壤微生物数量，果园生草处理是有利于改良果园园土和树体的方法，可推动我国果业可持续发展。     

Dynamics of soil organic carbon and nitrogen associated with physically separated fractions in a grassland-cultivation sequence in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

This study is aimed at quantifying organic carbon (C) and total nitrogen (N) dynamics associated with physically separated soil fractions in a grassland-cultivation sequence in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Concentrations of organic C and N of soil, free and occluded particulate organic matter (OM), and aggregate- and mineral-associated OM in different land uses are increased in the following order: 50 years cultivation < 12 years cultivation ≤ native grassland. The prolonged cropping of up to 50 years markedly affected the concentrations of free and occluded particulate OM and mineral-associated OM. After wet-sieving, 43% of native grassland soil mass was found in >1−10 mm water-stable aggregates that stored 40% of bulk soil organic C and N; only 16% and 7% of soil mass containing 16% and 7% of bulk soil organic C and N was >1−10 mm water-stable aggregates of soils cultivated for 12 years and 50 years, respectively. This indicated that losses of soil organic C and N following cultivation of native grassland would be largely related to disruption of >1–10 mm size aggregates and exposure of intra-aggregate OM to microbial attack. Organic C and N concentrations of soil aggregates were similar among aggregate size fractions (>0.05−10 mm) within each land use, suggesting that soil aggregation process of these soils did not follow the hierarchy model. The increase of the C-to-N ratio of free and occluded particulate fractions in the cultivated soils compared to the grassland soil indicated a greater loss of N than C.