Do long-lived ants affect soil microbial communities?

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that desert ant species that build nests that remain viable at a particular point in space for more than a decade produce soil conditions that enhance microbial biomass and functional diversity. We studied the effects of a seed-harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, and two generalist ant species, Aphaenogaster cockerelli and Myrmecocystus depilis, on soil microbial communities. Microbial biomass was higher in P. rugosus-modified soils than in reference soils when soil water content was higher than 3%. Microbial biomass was either higher in reference soils or exhibited no difference in reference soils and nest-modified soils of A. cockerelli and M. depilis. There were differences in microbial functional diversity and microbial community level physiological profiles (MicroResp method) between ant-nest-modified and reference soils of the three ant species on some sampling dates. Temporal patterns of soil microbial communities associated with the ant species resulted from differences in soil moisture, density, and species composition of the annual plant communities associated with the ant nests and in reference areas. Differences in annual plant communities associated with ant nests and surrounding areas resulted in different chemical inputs into the soil organic-matter pools. This study shows that generalizations about the effects of long-lived ant nests on soil biota in arid regions must consider feeding behaviors of the ant species and temporal patterns of rainfall.     

Interaction of microbial β-glucuronidase with vegetable pectins

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of vegetable carbohydrates on the activity of microbial β-glucuronidase (βG) and the adsorption of the enzyme on carbohydrates. This study used pectin-protein complexes (PPCs) with molecular weights of 300 kDa isolated under conditions simulating a gastric environment from cabbage (HCl-PPCC and HCl+pepsin-PPCCP) and sweet pepper (PPCP and PPCPP). As a sample for comparison, microcrystalline cellulose was used. The activity of βG from Escherichia coli was determined spectrophotometrically by the formation of the colored product from the breakdown of phenolphthalein-β-D-glucuronide. Adsorption of βG on biopolymers was studied by the retention of the enzyme on the membrane of a concentrator with a pore diameter of 300 kDa and by native PAGE. PPCCP and PPCC were established to increase the activity of βG by 50 and 100%, respectively. Cellulose had a weak effect, whereas pepper PPC had no effect. All studied carbohydrates adsorb on βG. The maximum βG adsorption (15%) was observed with PPCC, whereas PPCCP absorbed 5% of the enzyme. Pepper PPCs and cellulose adsorbed up to 10% of the enzyme. There was a positive correlation between the increase of βG activity in the presence of carbohydrates and enzyme adsorption on the polymers (r=0.80; P<0.01). The activity of the enzyme in the gel after electrophoresis of the PPCC+βG mixture was inversely proportional to the concentration of PPCC in the mixture. A model explaining the effects of cabbage PPCs on the excretion of estrogens is proposed.     

Impact of soil fumigation practices on soil nematodes and microbial biomass

This study was designed to understand the impact of methyl bromide (MB) (CHaBr) and its alternatives on both free-living and root-knot nematodes in the soil. A randomized complete block experiment with six treatments and 4 replicates (each replicate in a separate greenhouse) was established in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, China. In addition to MB and untreated control (CK) treatments there were four alternative soil fumigation practices including MB virtually impermeable films (VIF), metam sodium (MS), MS VIF and soil solarization combined with selected biological control agents (SS BCA). Two tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) cultivars, cv. Maofen-802 from the Xian Institute of Vegetable Science, China, and cv. AF179 Brillante from the Israeli Hazera Quality Seeds, were selected as test crops. The results indicated that Rhabditidae was the most dominant population with percentage abundance as high as 85% of the total number of identified free-living nematodes, followed by that of Cephalobidae. Methyl bromide and its alternatives except for the non-chemical SS BCA treatment controlled the target pest, root-knot nematodes. Also, the impact of the three chemical alternatives on free-living nematode number and functional group abundance was similar to the impact associated with a typical methyl bromide application. Chemical fumigation practices, especially that with MB, significantly reduced the number of nematodes in the soil and simultaneously significantly reduced the number of nematode genera thereby reducing nematode diversity. All the four soil chemical fumigation activities decreased soil microbial biomass and had an obvious initial impact on microorganism biomass. Furthermore, both plant-parasitic and fungivore nematodes were positively correlated with soil microbial biomass.     

Difficult-to-culture bacteria in the rhizosphere:The underexplored signature microbial groups

Microorganisms represent a substantial portion of the earth’s biodiversity and biomass, and the plant rhizosphere is an innate reservoir teeming with heterogeneous microbes predominated by bacterial communities. Rhizospheric microbial diversity (genetic, phenotypic, and metabolic) has been extensively studied to understand the key ecological roles played by the microbial members, including plant growth promotion. The application of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has revolutionized the discovery of novel bacterial groups that have remained undetected by traditional cultivation-based approaches. Such technological advancements have opened new vistas in our current understanding of predominant but concealed and missed bacterial diversity referred to as difficult-to-culture bacterial lineages, especially the predominant phyla Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia,Planctomycetes, and Gemmatimonadetes. Regardless of their ubiquity and prevalence, little is known about their ecophysiology because of the non-availability of culturable members. More recently, there has been increased interest in understanding the cosmopolitan distribution and diversity of the difficult-to-culture bacteria, focusing on their role in driving complex plant-microbial interactions and mobilizing nutrients in soil and their potential as sources of novel bioactive metabolites. As an initial step, we review the distribution and significance of such bacterial phyla in soil, their ecophysiological roles, and their hidden plant growth promoting potential. The ability to select and deploy plant probiotic bacteria from the difficult-to-culture fraction of the bacterial community might open new avenues for improving crop health.     

Do nitrogen isotope patterns reflect microbial colonization of soil organic matter fractions?

Different theories have been brought forward to explain the commonly observed δ¹⁵N enrichment with depth in soil profiles, including the discrimination against ¹⁵N during N decomposition and the buildup of ¹⁵N-enriched microbial residues. A combination of soil organic matter (SOM) size and density fractionations, ¹⁵N determinations, and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses was conducted on soils from a pristine N-limited Nothofagus forest in southern Chile. The purpose of this study was to investigate which SOM fractions mostly reflect the ¹⁵N-enrichment pattern and to link ¹⁵N SOM enrichment with microbial community composition. Nitrogen-15 enrichments were greater for the microaggregate (<150 μm) than for the macroaggregate (>150 μm) size fraction, with Rayleigh isotope enrichment factors averaging −8.5‰ and −3.7‰, respectively. The macro-organic matter density fractions (>150 μm) showed intermediate enrichment factors of −5.1‰ and −7.3‰ for the light (<1.37 g cm⁻³) and heavy (>1.37 g cm⁻³) fraction, respectively. The abundance of fungal and bacterial PLFAs was significantly higher in the microaggregate compared to the macroaggregate size fraction, but their relative abundance did not change between aggregate size fractions. Our data link differential ¹⁵N enrichment of SOM fractions to “total” microbial abundance and, as such, corroborates existing theories of microbial-induced ¹⁵N enrichment. Isotopic fractionation during microbial N decomposition processes alone could not explain the large ¹⁵N enrichment in the microaggregate size fraction (−8.5‰) and the heavy density fraction (−7.3‰). We therefore suggest that microbial turnover and accretion of ¹⁵N-enriched microbial (especially fungal) compounds was an additional driver for ¹⁵N enrichment of this soil profile.     

Do organic inputs alter resistance and resilience of soil microbial community to drying?

Grassland ecosystems in south-eastern Australia are important for dairy and livestock farming. Their productivity relies heavily on water availability, as well as the ecosystem services provided by soil microbial communities including carbon and nutrient cycling. Management practices such as compost application are being encouraged as a means to improve both soil water holding capacity and fertility, thereby buffering against the impacts of increasing climate variability. Such buffering consists of two complementary processes: resistance, which measures the ability of an ecosystem to maintain community structure and function during a period of stress (such as drying); and resilience, which measures the ability of an ecosystem to recover community structure and function post-stress. We investigated the effects of compost on the resistance and resilience of the grassland soil ecosystem under drying and drying with rewetting events, in a terrestrial model ecosystem. Overall, compost addition led to an increase in soil moisture, greater plant available P and higher plant δ¹⁵N. Soil C:nutrient ratios, mineral N content (NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻) and soil microbial PLFA composition were similar between amended and unamended soils. Rainfall treatment led to differences in soil moisture, plant above-ground and below-ground biomass, plant δ¹⁵N, soil mineral N content (NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻) and microbial biomass C, N and P composition but had no effects on soil C:nutrient ratios, plant available P and soil microbial PLFA composition. There was little interaction between rainfall and compost. Generally, the soil microbial community was resistant and resilient to fluctuations in rainfall regardless of compost amendment. However, these properties of the soil microbial community were translated to resilience and not resistance in soil functions. Overall, the results below-ground showed much greater response to rainfall than compost amendment. Water was the key factor shaping the soil microbial community, and nutrients were not strong co-limiting factors. Future projections of increasing rainfall variability will have important below-ground functional consequences in the grassland, including altered nutrient cycling.     

Does variability in litter quality determine soil microbial respiration in an Amazonian rainforest?

Tree species-rich tropical rainforests are characterized by a highly variable quality of leaf litter input to the soil at small spatial scales. This diverse plant litter is a major source of energy and nutrients for soil microorganisms, particularly in rainforests developed on old and nutrient-impoverished soils. Here we tested the hypothesis that the variability in leaf litter quality produced by a highly diverse tree community determines the spatial variability of the microbial respiration process in the underlying soil. We analyzed a total of 225 litter-soil pairs from an undisturbed Amazonian rainforest in French Guiana using a hierarchical sampling design. The microbial respiration process was assessed using substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and compared to a wide range of quality parameters of the associated litter layer (litter nutrients, carbon forms, stoichiometry, litter mass and pH). The results show that the variability of both litter quality and SIR rates was more important at large than at small scales. SIR rates varied between 1.1 and 4.0 μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and were significantly correlated with litter layer quality (up to 50% of the variability explained by the best mixed linear model). Total litter P content was the individual most important factor explaining the observed spatial variation in soil SIR, with higher rates associated to high litter P. SIR rates also correlated positively with total litter N content and with increasing proportions of labile C compounds. However, contrary to our expectation, SIR rates were not related to litter stoichiometry. These data suggest that in the studied Amazonian rainforest, tree canopy composition is an important driver of the microbial respiration process via leaf litter fall, resulting in potentially strong plant-soil feedbacks.     

Soil microbial biomass and its activity estimated by kinetic respiration analysis – Statistical guidelines

The use of kinetic respiration analysis to determine soil microbial biomass its active part and maximum specific growth rate has recently increased. With this method, the increase in soil respiration rate initiated by application of carbon growth substrate, e.g. glucose, and mineral nutrients is used to estimate parameters describing microbial growth in soil. This study refines the method by developing statistical guidelines for the data analysis and processing. The kinetic respiration analysis assumes that microbial growth is not limited by substrate and energy. That is why it is critically important to identify the time period corresponding to the unlimited growth. In this work, we studied how the unlimited growth phase can be identified in less subjective ways by examining 121 datasets of respiration time series of 44 different soil samples taken from field plots. Deflection of the respiratory curve from the exponential pattern indicates growth limitation. Subjective selection of the part of respiratory curve which fits to the exponential pattern resulted in a 30% bias in specific microbial growth rates. We propose rules that are based on inspecting the patterns in a series of plots of residuals of fitted respiration rate. By comparing those rules with a set of statistical criteria we find that the weighted-coefficient of determination (r²) can be used to objectively constrain the unlimited growth phase in those cases where double-limitation does not occur. Furthermore, we discuss how the uncertainty of estimated microbial parameters is influenced by a) measurement uncertainty, b) biased measurement at the beginning of the experiment, and c) the number and timing of respiration measurements. We recommend checking plots of fits and residuals as well as reporting uncertainty bounds together with the estimated microbial parameters. A free statistical package is provided to easily deal with those aspects.     

Changes in nutrient pools,microbial biomass and microbial activity in soils after transit through the gut of three endogeic earthworm species of the genus Postandrilus Qui and Bouché, 1998

Purpose

Endogeic earthworms play a significant role in biogeochemical cycles due to the large amount of soil they ingest, and because after transit through their guts, casts usually show differences in nutrient contents and microbial populations with bulk soil. Here, we studied how three endogeic earthworm species, Postandrilus majorcanus, Postandrilus sapkarevi and Postandrilus palmensis, inhabiting soils in Majorca island (Balearic Islands, W Mediterranean), modify nutrient pools and microbial communities of soil.

Materials and methods

To do this, we analysed C, N and P pools, microbial biomass (phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA) and microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, FDA) in paired samples of bulk soil and fresh casts.

Results and discussion

The mineral and organic N contents were generally enhanced in casts produced by all three earthworm species. However, inorganic P and organic C contents were only higher in P. sapkarevi (32 %, only P) and P. majorcanus casts (100 % for both soil nutrient pools) than in bulk soil. Bacterial and fungal biomass were only higher than in bulk soil in P. majorcanus casts (65 and 100 %, respectively), but without effects on microbial activity, that was lower in P. palmensis casts (26 %). Earthworm gut transit strongly influenced the soil microbial community structure, resulting in differences between casts and soils.

Conclusions

The increased nutrient mineralization (6-, 1.3- and 1.4-fold for N, C and P, respectively) in casts produced by these earthworm species is of particular importance because of the amount of casts released and the seasonal variations in earthworm activity, which may favour plant growth.     

Root zone microbial populations, urease activities, and purification efficiency for a constructed wetland

In order to investigate the effects of microorganisms and their urease activities in macrophytic root zones on pollutant removal, four small-scale plots (SSPs) of vertical/reverse-vertical flow wetlands were set up to determine: a) the relationship between the abundance of microorganisms in the root zones and water purification efficiency; and b) the relationship between urease activities in the root zones and pollutant removal in a constructed wetland system. Total numbers of the microbial population (bacteria, fungi, and actinomyces) along with urease activities in the macrophytic root zones were determined. In addition, the relationships between microbial populations and urease activities as well as the wastewater purification efficiencies of total phosphorus (TP), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), biochemical oxygen demand in 5 days (BOD₅), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were also analyzed. The results showed that there was a highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.9772, P < 0.01) between the number of bacteria in the root zones and BOD₅ removal efficiency and a significant negative correlation (r = -0.9092, P < 0.05) between the number of fungi and the removal efficiency of TKN. Meanwhile, there was a significant positive correlation (r = 0.8830, P < 0.05) between urease activities in the root zones and the removal efficiency of TKN. Thus, during wastewater treatment in a constructed wetland system, microorganism and urease activities in the root zones were very important factors.     

Effect of moist‐incubation and microbial inhibition on changes in DTPA‐extractable Mn

Abstract

Effect of incubation and microbial inhibition at field capacity level on changes in DTPA‐extractable Mn in acidic, neutral, and alkaline soils was examined. Incubation decreased and microbial inhibition increased the level of Mn in soils with high pH (>5.7) and high microbial activity. The change was apparently partially associated with microbes since the level of Mn did not change in soils with low microbial activity and/or low pH.     

Edge effects and trampling in boreal urban forest fragments – impacts on the soil microbial community

Fragmentation of forest ecosystems increases the proportion of edge habitat and is accompanied by a change in plant species composition. The recreational use of urban forests leads to decreased vegetation cover and the formation of paths, and thus, to fragmentation at small scales. We studied the impacts of forest and path edge effects on the soil microbial community structure (by using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method) and microbial activity (measured as basal respiration) in 34 mesic boreal urban forest fragments in Finland. We sampled the humus layer 1) from the forest edge into the interior (0–80 m), and 2) at different distances from paths. Microbial community structure was only slightly affected by the forest edge but differences were found between distances of 0–10 m and over 50 m from the edge. These changes correlated with changes in soil pH. Although changes in the microbial community structure were not pronounced, microbial biomass and activity were 30–45% lower at the first 20 m into the forest fragments, due to a low moisture content of the humus near the edge. The decreased microbial activity detected at forest edges implies decreased litter decomposition rates, and thus, a change in ecosystem nutrient cycling. The microbial community structure differed between paths and surrounding areas and correlated with changes in soil pH. Paths also supported approximately 25–30% higher microbial biomass with a transition zone of at least 1 m from the path edge. Path associated disturbances (mainly alterations in vegetation and soil pH) were reflected in the soil microbial community structure up to 1.5 m from the paths.     

Soil organic phosphorus and microbial community composition as affected by 26 years of different management strategies

Agricultural management can affect soil organic matter chemistry and microbial community structure, but the relationship between the two is not well understood. We investigated the effect of crop rotation, tillage and stubble management on forms of soil phosphorus (P) as determined by solution ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microbial community composition using fatty acid methyl ester analysis in a long-term field experiment (26 years) on a Chromic Luvisol in New South Wales, Australia. An increase in soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the beginning of the experiment was found in a rotation of wheat and subterranean clover with direct drill and mulching, while stubble burning in wheat–lupin and wheat–wheat rotations led to soil organic matter losses. Microbial biomass was highest in the treatment with maximum organic matter contents. The same soil P forms were detected in all samples, but in different amounts. Changes in organic P occurred mainly in the monoester region, with an increase or decrease in peaks that were present also in the sample taken before the beginning of the experiment in 1979. The microbial community composition differed between the five treatments and was affected primarily by crop rotations and to a lesser degree by tillage. A linkage between soil P forms and signature fatty acids was tentatively established, but needs to be verified in further studies.     

Are humic substances soil microbial residues or unique synthesized compounds?A perspective on their distinctiveness

Humic substances(HS),which are defined as a series of highly acidic,relatively high-molecular-weight,and yellow to black colored substances formed during the decay and transformation of plant and microbial remains,ubiquitously occur in nature.Humic substances represent the largest stable organic carbon pool in terrestrial environments and are the central characteristic of the soil.However,the validity of the HS concept and the justification of their extraction procedure have been recently debated.Here,we argue that the traditional humic paradigm is still relevant.Humic substances are distinctive and complex because the extracted HS formed during the humification are chemically distinct from their precursors and are heterogeneous among soils.By reviewing the concept,formation pathways,and stabilization of HS,we propose that the key question facing soil scientists is whether HS are soil microbial residues or unique synthesized compounds.Without revealing the distinctiveness of HS,it is impossible to address this question,as the structure,composition,and reactivity of HS are still poorly known owing to the heterogeneity and geographical variability of HS and the limits of the currently available analytical techniques.In our view,the distinctiveness of HS is fundamental to the soil,and thus further studies should be focused on revealing the distinctiveness of HS and explaining why HS hold this distinctiveness.     

Soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in a reclaimed coastal soil chronosequence under rice–barley cropping

Purpose

A field experiment with a reclamation chronosequence under rice?Cbarley cropping was conducted to investigate soil enzyme activities and microbiology in a coastal saline soil. The aim of this study was to test whether changes in enzyme activity and microbial community structure are directly impacted by changes in soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and organic carbon (SOC) due to reclamation.

Materials and methods

The research area is located in south-eastern China. Four experimental sites were reclaimed in 1976, 1984, 1996, and 2006, respectively, and each site was divided into three plots, each of which was 22?m?×?10?m. Each year, the plots were planted with rice (cv Xiushui) in summer and barley (cv Yanmai) in winter. Soil pH and EC were determined in an aqueous suspension with a 1:5 ratio of soil and water. Soil organic carbon content was measured by dichromate oxidation with heating. Measured soil enzyme activities included catalase, urease, and protease. Soil microbial community structures were assessed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

Results and discussion

Reclamation under rice?Cbarley cropping reduced EC and pH, but increased SOC, the activities of catalase, urease and protease, and the cell numbers of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi, resulting in an increase in the bacterial community diversity. The enzyme activities and bacterial community diversity were significantly positively correlated with SOC, and negatively correlated with pH and EC. Five bacterial groups related to Gaetbulibacter, Sporosarcina, Flavobacterium, Aequorivita, and Gillisia, which have been associated with saline waters, did not appear in the soils that had been reclaimed prior to 1996.

Conclusions

Results of this field study suggest that soil properties which affect microbial activity such as EC, pH, and SOC significantly influence the activities of catalase, urease, and protease, and microbial community composition. More than 10?years after reclamation under rice?Cbarley cropping, EC had decreased and bacteria typically found in marine and saline environments had disappeared from the soil.     

Effects of soil compaction and water‐filled pore space on soil microbial activity and N losses

Abstract

Soil compaction is a significant production problem for agriculture because of its negative impact on plant growth, which in many cases has been attributed to changes in soil N transformations. A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of soil compaction and water‐filled pore space on soil microbial activity and N losses. A hydraulic soil compaction device was used to evenly compress a Norfolk loamy sand (fine‐loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudults) soil into 50 mm diameter by 127 mm long cores. A factorial arrangement of three bulk density levels (1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 Mg/m³) and four water‐filled pore space levels (60, 65, 70, 75%) was used. Fertilizer application of 168 kg N/ha was made as 1.0 atom % ¹⁵N as NH₄NO₃. Soil cores were incubated at 25°C for 21 d. Microbial activity decreased with both increasing water‐filled pore space and soil bulk density as measured by CO₂‐C entrapment. Nitrogen loss increased with increasing bulk density from 92.8 to 334.4 g N/m³ soil at 60% water‐filled pore space, for 1.4 and 1.8 Mg/m³, respectively. These data indicate that N loss and soil microbial activity depends not only on the pore space occupied by water, but also on structure and size of soil pores which are altered by compaction.     

Sediment characteristics and microbial mats in a marine mangrove,Manche-à-eau lagoon (Guadeloupe)

Purpose

Marine mangrove sediments in the Manche-à-Eau lagoon (Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea) harbor locally extensive, white microbial mats. These mats cover the surface of reduced sediments near the roots of red mangrove trees, Rhizophora mangle, and are mainly composed of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria belonging to the Beggiatoaceae family, with some filamentous cyanobacteria. The goal of this study was to investigate the possible influence of sediment characteristics on the presence of these microbial mats.

Materials and methods

Four push cores were collected in April 2013, two from zones with microbial mats and two from zones without mats. Sediment characteristics (grain-size distribution, mineralogy, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents, atomic TOC/TN ratios, and organic matter (OM) δ¹³C values) were compared for all four cores.

Results and discussion

Significant differences were observed between sediments below microbial mats and those without mats. Sediments with microbial mats contained greater amounts of clay, and higher TOC, TN, and TOC/TN ratios, with lower total carbonate content and δ¹³C values. The higher clay content most likely results from lower fluid flow velocity near to mangrove roots, while higher TOC/TN ratios and lower δ¹³C values indicate higher inputs of OM from mangrove trees. These results are consistent with the fact that microbial mats were observed near the roots of mangrove trees, which trap OM from terrestrial vegetation and fine sediments.

Conclusions

The grain-size distribution of sediment particles, the total carbonate content, and the δ¹³C values are the main parameters discriminating between zones with microbial mats and those without mats. Variations in total carbonate content, which is mainly of biogenic origin, result from conditions that are more favorable for benthic organisms in zones without microbial mats. Variations of the TOC/TN ratios are controlled by the presence of a non-negligible amount of inorganic nitrogen bound to surface clay mineral particles and/or by microbial processes.

     

Effects of flue gas desulfurization gypsum by-products on microbial biomass and community structure in alkaline–saline soils

Purpose

For an alkaline?Csaline region in Northwest China, we examined the responses of soil microbial communities to flue gas desulfurization gypsum by-products (FGDB), a new ameliorant for alkaline?Csaline soils. In 2009 and 2010, we collected soils from 0?C20?cm and 20?C40?cm depths along an experimental FGDB gradient (0, 0.74, 1.49, 2.25, and 3.00?kg FGDB m^?2).

Materials and methods

As a measure of microbial community composition and biomass, we analyzed phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). We used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to measure abundance of bacterial 16?S rRNA copy numbers. Additionally, physicochemical soil parameters were measured by common laboratory methods.

Results and discussion

Microbial community composition differed along the FGDB gradient; however, the microbial parameters did not follow a linear response. We found that, in 2009, total PLFA concentrations, and concentrations of total bacterial and Gram-negative bacterial PLFAs were slightly higher at intermediate FGDB concentrations. In 2010, total PLFA concentrations, and concentrations of total bacterial, Gram-positive bacterial, Gram-negative bacterial, and fungal PLFAs as well as the fungal:bacterial PLFA ratio were highest at 1.49?kg FGDB m^?2 and 3.00?kg FGDB m^?2. PLFA concentrations often differed between 2009 and 2010; however, the patterns varied across the gradient and across microbial groups. For both years, PLFA concentrations were generally higher at 0?C20?cm depth than at 20?C40?cm depth. Similar results were obtained for the 16?S rRNA copy numbers of bacteria at 0?C20?cm depth. FGDB addition resulted in an increase in soil Ca²⁺ and NO ₃ ^? ?CN and a decrease in pH and electrical conductivity (EC). Shifts in PLFA-based microbial community composition and biomass could partly be explained by pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen (TN), soil moisture, EC, inorganic nitrogen, C/N, and Ca²⁺. Indirect effects via shifts in abiotic soil properties, therefore, seem to be an important pathway through which FGDB affect soil microbial communities.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that addition of FGDB leads to significant changes in soil physicochemical and microbial parameters. As such, addition of FGDB can have large impacts on the functioning of soil ecosystems, such as carbon and nitrogen cycling processes.