Toxicity of lead pollution to the collembolan Folsomia candida in Ferri-Udic Cambosols

Toxic effect of lead(Pb) pollution on Collembola in soils has seldom been studied in depth, which is especially true for growth responses since the juveniles are very small and numerous. A single species test was conducted using the collembolan Folsomia candida as the indicator species, and soil Pb pollution(at Pb concentrations of 0, 300, 600, 1 200, 2 400, and 4 800 mg kg~(-1)) was simulated by mixing Pb(NO_3)_2 with a natural unpolluted soil. Adult survival, reproduction, body length, and body Pb concentration were determined. Adult survival and reproduction started to decrease at soil Pb concentrations of 1 200 and 600 mg kg~(-1), respectively. Lead concentrations in adult and juvenile bodies increased with increasing Pb concentration in soil. The percentage and individual abundances based on body length analysis showed that the larger adults(2.1–2.6 mm, P 0.01) were more sensitive to soil Pb concentration than the intermediate(1.9–2.1 mm, P 0.001) and smaller(1.7–1.9 mm, P 0.001) adults. Similarly, the larger juveniles(1.0–1.4 mm, P 0.001) were more sensitive to soil Pb concentration than the intermediate(0.6–1.0 mm, P 0.001) and smaller(0.3–0.6 mm, P 0.001) juveniles. For both adults or juveniles, the abundance and percentage of larger individuals declined significantly with increasing soil Pb concentration, suggesting that larger individuals were more sensitive to soil Pb pollution. Therefore, body length features, especially the percentage and abundance of larger individuals, would be potential bio-indicators of soil Pb pollution and possibly other types of soil pollution.     

Heavy Metals in Mycorrhizal Rhizospheres Contaminated By Zn–Pb Mining and Smelting Around Olkusz in Southern Poland

Soils in areas of mining and smelting of Pb–Zn ores in Southern Poland are strongly enriched in heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Fe, Cd, Tl, As). The highest concentrations of Zn (<55,506 mg kg^?1), Pb (<8,262 mg kg^?1), Cd (<220 mg kg^?1) and Tl (<67 mg kg^?1) are linked to the fine fractions of upper soil layers in sites contaminated by past exploitation and processing of ores. The high stress of metals, and the negative influence of acid waste drainage has limited the development of flora and fauna in these areas. The increasing ability of plants to grow is due to the positive symbiotic action of fungi and bacteria. The mycorrhizal communities were identified in rhizospheres rich in unstable Zn–Pb–Fe sulphides such as sphalerite, galena, pyrite and marcasite and carbonates of Zn (smithsonite) and Pb (cerussite). They occur in associations with sulphates, e.g., gypsum. In parts of fungi, secondary mineral phases containing Zn, Pb, Fe and Mn occur. Metal-bearing aggregates formed during symbiotic action between myccorhiza and bacteria connected with them. They enhance the binding of bio-available ions of Zn, Pb and Mn in the most unstable phases. Metal contents in the mycorrhizal parts of the rhizospheric soils were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Mineralogical investigations involved X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry.     

Soil faunal communities from mofette fields: Effects of high geogenic carbon dioxide concentration

Mofette fields, i.e. geogenic, cold CO₂-exhaling gas vents occurring naturally in regions of tectonic or volcanic disturbances provide an excellent opportunity to investigate long-term responses of the soil biota to increased CO₂ concentrations. The upper centimeters of mofette soils present a small-scale mosaic of different CO₂ and O₂ concentrations: From up to 100% CO₂ and 0% O₂ around local degassing vents to ambient soil atmosphere (<2% CO₂). The present field study investigated the influence of CO₂ on the community structure of Collembola as representatives of the air-filled fraction of the pore system and of Nematoda as inhabitants of soil water films.Canonical correspondence analyses revealed strong correlations between soil faunal communities and environmental measures, above all CO₂ concentration, organic matter content and plant coverage. An increase in CO₂ concentration was followed by a steady decline in collembolan and nematode species richness and collembolan densities, but below a threshold of 62% CO₂ had no significant effect on overall nematode densities. Collembolans developed viable populations at up to 20% CO₂, where some mofettophilous species had their highest densities and frequencies, but other more general species also occurred (66% of overall collembolan densities). Nematodes, on the other hand, maintained individual-rich populations at up to 62% CO₂, but above 20% CO₂ nematode communities consisted almost entirely (97.6%) of three mofettophilous species: one feeding on bacteria, one on fungi and one on plant roots. Likely a combination of active and passive life phases together with temporal and micro-scale changes in environmental conditions allows survival of few mofettophilous species under CO₂ conditions too extreme for most other species. The finding that mofettophilous species maintained denser populations in high CO₂ patches, with species optima between 3% and 40% CO₂, indicates that they even profit from CO₂ degassing, presumably via changes in food supply or due to the lack of competitors.     

The Zinc Adsorption Study by Using Orhaneli Fly Ash, Bentonite, and Molasses in Wastewater

To assess strategies for mitigating Pb and As transfer into leafy vegetables from contaminated garden soils, we conducted greenhouse experiments using two field-contaminated soils amended with materials expected to reduce metal phytoavailability. Lettuce and mustard greens grown on these soils were analyzed by ICP-MS, showing that some Pb and As transfer into the vegetables occurred from both soils tested, but plant Pb concentrations were highly variable among treatment replicates. Soil-to-plant transfer was more efficient for As than for Pb. Contamination of the leaves by soil particles probably accounted for most of the vegetable Pb, since plant Pb concentrations were correlated to plant tissue concentrations of the immobile soil elements Al and Fe. This correlation was not observed for vegetable As concentrations, evidence that most of the soil-to-plant transfer for this toxic metal occurred by root uptake and translocation into the above-ground tissues. A follow-up greenhouse experiment with lettuce on one of the two contaminated soils revealed a lower and less variable foliar Pb concentration than observed in the first experiment, with evidence of less soil particle contamination of the crop. This reduced transfer of Pb to the crop appeared to be a physical effect attributable to the greater biomass causing reduced overall exposure of the above-ground tissues to the soil surface. Attempts to reduce soil Pb and As solubility and plant uptake by amendment at practical rates with stabilizing materials, including composts, peat, Ca phosphate, gypsum, and Fe oxide, were generally unsuccessful. Only Fe oxide reduced soluble As in the soil, but this effect did not persist. Phosphate amendment rapidly increased soil As solubility but had no measurable effect on either soil Pb solubility or concentrations of Pb or As in the leafy vegetables. The ineffectiveness of these amendments in reducing Pb transfer into leafy vegetables is attributed in this study to the low initial Pb solubility of the studied soils and the fact that the primary mechanism of Pb transfer is physical contamination.     

Does forest type and vegetation patchiness influence horizontal distribution of soil Collembola in two neighbouring forest sites?

The influence of forest type and heterogeneity of understory vegetation on the horizontal distribution of soil living Collembola was studied in two neighbouring mountain forest sites—a 180-year old beech forest and a 70-year old natural spruce forest. Four homogenous patches with different understory vegetation were chosen within each forest site and sampled 12 times between 1997 and 1998. A total of 56 collembolan species were identified, 51 in the beech forest and 48 in the spruce site. Twenty-three species were rare—they were recorded with low constancy and density. Although both forest sites differed in soil type, humus form and soil chemical parameters, the species composition of their collembolan communities was quite similar (77% shared species). Nevertheless, soil collembolan communities of both forest sites were clearly delimited on both qualitative (presence–absence) and quantitative (in density of individual species) levels as well as in terms of total collembolan density. Mean collembolan density reached 26 650–44 030 ind/m² in the beech patches compared to 44 470–68 050 ind/m² found in the spruce patches. Considerably higher densities of several species in one forest site may indicate more suitable habitat. In spite of similar species composition and minor differences in qualitative parameters among different vegetation patches within one forest site, there was clear variation in density of individual species, particularly between patches with and without herb vegetation. This could reflect different microclimatic conditions, additional litter supply from herbs or indirect interactions of Collembola with their roots.     

季节性放牧和全年放牧对亚高山草地生态系统中土壤动物和微生物的影响

Grazing and over-grazing may drive changes in the diversity and functioning of below-ground meadow ecosystems.A field soil survey was conducted to compare microbial biomass carbon (Cmin) and soil fauna communities in the two main grassland management systems in subalpine regions of Yunnan Province,China:perennial grazing currently practiced due to increasing herd sizes and traditional seasonal grazing.A three-year exclosure experiment was then conducted to further compare the effects of different grazing practices,including treatments of no mowing,perennial grazing (NM + G),mowing followed by seasonal grazing (M + G),mowing and no grazing (M + NG),and no mowing or grazing (NM + NG).The comparative survey result revealed that Cmin and total density of soil fauna were significantly lower at a perennially grazed site than at a seasonally grazed site.The experiment results showed that in comparison to non-grazing treatments (M + NG and NM + NG),grazing (NM + G and M + G) reduced total fauna density (by 150 individuals m-2) and the number of taxonomic groups present (by 0.32 taxa m-2).Mowing decreased Cmin (by 0.31 mg g-1).Furthermore,the NM + G treatment (perennial grazing) had the lowest density of Collembola (16.24 individuals m-2),one of the two most common taxonomic groups,although other taxonomic groups responded differently to the treatments.Treatment effects on soil fauna were consistent with those on above-ground grasses,in which C:N ratios were greatly reduced by grazing,with this effect being the greatest for the NM + G treatment.In contrast,different grazing treatments had little effect on C:N ratio of soil.Furthermore,the traditional grazing method (mowing followed by seasonal grazing) may have less severe effects on some taxonomic groups than perennial grazing.Therefore,an appropriate management should aim to protect soil fauna and microbes in this area from over-grazing and against further degradation.     

The Isotopic Composition of Anthropogenic Pb in Soil Profiles of Northern Germany: Evidence for Pollutant Pb from a Continent-wide Mixing System

Seventy-five samples of six soil profiles from forests on different substrates plus one next to a motorway were analyzed for the variation of Pb concentration and isotopic composition with depth. A substantial fraction of the anthropogenic Pb (peak concentrations between 74 and 300 ppm) is still stored in the organic top soil, and seldom penetrates deeper than 20–30 cm. In (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb) vs. (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb)-diagrams the Pb in the uppermost layers of the profiles plots on an excellent correlation line (R = 0.99) indicating essentially a two-component mixing system. Values for the dust on Scottish plants, Norwegian and Swiss bogs as well as for aerosols collected over the North Atlantic (data from the literature) plot on the same correlation line showing that the Pb was deposited from a continent-wide mixing system with two apparent end members: The radiogenic one is similar to geogenic Pb and could consist of contributions from certain European ore deposits and from different soil components (e.g. silicates and Fe-oxides), power plants and cement factories. The less radiogenic component must contain or consist of Pb from Proterozoic or even Archaic ore deposits. However, the sources of this Pb remain somewhat elusive. In any case, this isotopic pattern is so consistent all over Europe that the correlation line may serve as a line of reference for quasi normal or European Standard Lead Pollution (ESLP). The gasoline derived Pb in the soils is swamped by Pb of other provenances.     

Plant removal disturbance and replant mitigation effects on the abundance and diversity of low-arctic soil biota

Due to the dependence of soil organisms on plant derived carbon, disturbances in plant cover are thought to be detrimental for the persistence of soil biota. In this work, we studied the disturbance effects of plant removal and soil mixing and the mitigation effects of replanting on soil biota in a low-arctic meadow ecosystem. We set up altogether six replicate blocks, each including three randomized treatment plots, at two distinct fells at Kilpisjärvi, northern Finland. Vegetation was removed in two thirds of the plots: one third was then kept barren (the plant-removal treatment), while the other third was replanted with a local herb Solidago virgaurea. The remaining plots of intact vegetation were used as treatment comparisons. The responses of soil microbes and fauna were examined six years later in the early and late growing season. The biomass of bacteria, non-mycorrhizal fungi and mycorrhizal fungi (estimated using PLFA markers) were on average 74%, 89% and 84% lower in the plant-removal and 64%, 74% and 71% lower in the Solidago replant plots than in the intact meadow. The positive effect of replanting was statistically significant for fungi, but not for bacteria. The PCA of relative PLFA concentrations further showed that the structure of the microbial community differed significantly among all three treatments. The abundance of nematodes and collembolans was on average 82 and 95% lower, but the total number of nematode genera and collembolan taxa only 27 and 7% lower in the plant-removal plots than in the intact meadow soil. Few disturbance effects on soil fauna were significantly mitigated by the Solidago replant (the plant parasitic nematodes being a notable exception) and in the case of the collembolans, the Solidago replant plots had even fewer animals than the plant-removal plots. The response of soil biota also varied with locality: the effects on fungivorous nematodes were found at one site only and the replant effects on the number and diversity of collembolan taxa varied with site. Our results suggest that despite drastic reductions in the abundance of soil biota, the majority of animal taxa can persist for years in disturbed arctic soils in the absence of vegetation. In contrast, the alleviating replant effects on the abundance of soil biota appear weak and may only partially reverse the negative effects of vegetation removal and soil disturbance.     

Field assessment of cadmium,lead and zinc contamination of soils and leaf vegetables under urban and peri-urban agriculture in northern Nigeria

Urban and peri-urban agriculture in dry semi-arid northern Nigeria relies on untreated wastewater for all-year irrigation and the production of vegetables for urban markets. Human and animal exposure to potentially toxic metals is attributed to the consumption of vegetables raised in metal-polluted soils. The objective of this study was to determine the bioavailability and soil–plant transfer of Cd, Pb and Zn to amaranthus (Amaranthus caudatus) and lettuce (Latuca sativa) raised in the garden fields and to assess their safety for human consumption. Ten farmers’ fields were selected per location for analysis of Cd, Pb and Zn in soils and vegetables. Whereas total concentrations of Cd and Zn were greater than the safe or permissible limits for agricultural soils, the Pb concentration was less than its maximum allowable concentration. However, the concentration of Pb and Cd in edible portions of amaranthus exceeded the safe limit for human consumption by 7–13 times, while lettuce exceeded the limit by 11–17 times. Cadmium was more rapidly transferred from soil through root to shoot than Zn > Pb. The plant tissue concentrations of the metals were not significantly correlated with the Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) and dilute CaCl₂-extractable concentrations of the metals in the soils. Furthermore, permissible limit of Pb established as standards for agricultural lands may not be suitable to ensure produce safety in Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in the city of Kano.     

Impact of inorganic nitrogen additions on microbes in biological soil crusts

Many studies have shown that changes in nitrogen (N) availability affect the diversity and composition of soil microbial community in a variety of terrestrial systems, but less is known about the responses of microbes specific to biological soil crusts (BSCs) to increasing N additions. After seven years of field experiment, the bacterial diversity in lichen-dominated crusts decreased linearly with increasing inorganic N additions (ambient N deposition; low N addition, 3.5 g N m⁻² y⁻¹; medium N addition, 7.0 g N m⁻² y⁻¹; high N addition, 14.0 g N m⁻² y⁻¹), whereas the fungal diversity exhibited a distinctive pattern, with the low N-added crust containing a higher diversity than the other crusts. Pyrosequencing data revealed that the bacterial community shifted to more Cyanobacteria with modest N additions (low N and medium N) and to more Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria and much less Cyanobacteria with excess N addition (high N). Our results suggest that soil pH, together with soil organic carbon (C), structures the bacterial communities with N additions. Among the fungal communities, the relative abundance of Ascomycota increased with modest N but decreased with excess N. However, increasing N additions favored Basidiomycota, which may be ascribed to increases in substrate availability with low lignin and high cellulose contents under elevated N conditions. Bacteria/fungi ratios were higher in the N-added samples than in the control, suggesting that the bacterial biomass tends to dominate over that of fungi in lichen-dominated crusts after N additions, which is especially evident in the excess N condition. Because bacteria and fungi are important components and important decomposers in BSCs, the alterations of the bacterial and fungal communities may have implications in the formation and persistence of BSCs and the cycling and storage of C in desert ecosystems.     

Investigation of heavy metal concentrations on urban soils,dust and vegetables nearby a former smelter site in Mortagne du Nord,Northern France

Environmental situations near former industrial sites like Mortagne du Nord (Northern France) in which the soil, dust and homegrown vegetables have been contaminated by heavy metals can represent a sanitary risk to the surrounding population. In order to evaluate the contamination level in different exposition media in this site, 26 urban topsoils, 17 dust and 38 vegetable samples were taken near the former zinc smelter site. All the observed levels on urban soil samples (except one) are over regional agricultural reference values for Cd and Pb. 45 % of the vegetable samples are over the European foodstuff limits and one dust sample taken in the school playground outdoor tarmac area exceeds the French limit in dust set up at 1,000 μg m^?2 for Pb. The Cd and Pb levels fluctuate depending on the use of the ground (kitchen garden, lawn, courtyard) and its location. The lack of simple correlations between the distance from the former smelter site and the Pb concentrations on sampled soils let us think that human activities contributed in the local urban contamination. In this context, who is now responsible for the soil contamination and the human exposure?     

Influence of disturbance and nitrogen addition on plant and soil animal diversity in grassland

Two key determinants of biological diversity that have been examined in aboveground and aquatic systems are productivity, or resource supply, and physical disturbance. In this study, we examined how these factors interact under field conditions to determine belowground diversity using microarthropods (mites and Collembola) as our test community. To do this, we established a field manipulation experiment consisting of crossed, continuous gradients of nitrogenous (N) fertilizer addition (up to 240 kg N ha^?1) and disturbance (imitated trampling by cattle) to produce a gradient of soil nutrient availability and disturbance. Due to the relatively short-term nature of our study (i.e. 2 years), we only detected minimal changes in plant diversity due to the experimental manipulations; in the longer term we would expect to detect changes in plant diversity that could potentially impact on soil fauna. However, disturbance reduced, and additions of N increased, aboveground biomass, reflecting the potential effects of these manipulations on resource availability for soil fauna. We found that disturbance strongly reduced the abundance, diversity, and species richness of oribatid mites and Collembola, but had little effect on predatory mites (Mesostigmata). In contrast, N addition, and therefore resource availability, had little effect on microarthropod community structure, but did increase mesostigmatan mite richness and collembolan abundance at high levels of disturbance. Oribatid community structure was mostly influenced by disturbance, whereas collembolan and mesostigmatan diversity were responsive to N addition, suggesting bottom-up control. That maximal species richness of microarthropod groups overall occurred in undisturbed plots, suggests that the microarthropod community was negatively affected by disturbance. We found no change in microarthropod species richness with high N additions, where plant productivity was greatest, indicating that soil biotic communities are unlikely to be strongly regulated by competition. We conclude that the diversity of soil animals is best explained as a combination of their many varied life history tactics, phenology and the heterogeneity of soils that enable so many species to co-exist.     

广州市蔬菜和菜地土壤砷含量及其健康风险研究

测定了广州市郊区菜地土壤(n=120)、菜地蔬菜(n=109)和市售蔬菜(n=237)中砷含量,结合广州居民蔬菜消费情况,分析了砷对广州居民的健康风险影响.结果表明:不同类型菜地土壤砷含量不同,为菜园土(12.94±9.78)mg/kg>水稻土(8.67±10.24)mg/kg>赤红壤(4.17±3.70)mg/kg,土壤质量主要属于二级标准以内;菜地蔬菜砷含量范围为ND～0.179 mg/kg,均值为(0.017±0.024)mg/kg;市售蔬菜砷含量范围为ND-0.314 mg/kg,含量变化为豆类(0.038±0.047)mg/kg)>根茎类(0.027±0.031)mg/kg>茄类(0.025±0.030)mg/kg>叶菜类(0.024±0.022)mg/kg>葱蒜类(0.019±0.025)mg/kg>瓜类(0.017±0.020)mg/kg,所有蔬菜均没有超过我国食品中砷的限量卫生标准(GB-4810-94).广州市居民从蔬菜中摄入的砷为0.045 mg/d,叶菜类和根茎类蔬菜是主要的贡献者.     

乙草胺对农田中小型土壤动物群落结构的影响

采用定点试验的方法,在哈尔滨市呼兰区选择典型农田生态系统进行试验,研究施用不同浓度乙草胺对农田中小型土壤动物群落组成、多样性及垂直分布的影响。本调查共获中小型土壤动物4 648只,隶属于2门4纲10目15个类群,其中甲螨亚目和中气门亚目为优势类群。研究结果表明,施用不同浓度的乙草胺对农田中小型土壤动物群落组成、多样性及垂直分布均产生一定影响。Sorenson相似性系数和Morisita-Hron相似性系数均表现为高浓度与中浓度差异高浓度与低浓度差异高浓度与对照差异,表明随乙草胺浓度的增加土壤动物的群落结构差异逐渐显著;除优势度指数外,其余多样性指数均表现为中浓度和低浓度样地与对照样地存在显著差异(P0.05),高浓度样地与对照样地间存在极显著差异(P0.001)。5月、7月和9月土壤动物的密度在0~5 cm土层中均表现为对照样地低浓度样地中浓度样地高浓度样地,而在其下部的各土层中土壤动物密度变化与乙草胺浓度变化无明显相关性。中小型土壤动物可以作为揭示施用乙草胺过程中土壤质量变化的生物学指标。其群落组成、多样性和垂直分布的变化表明,中小型土壤群落对乙草胺的不同施用浓度产生了响应,过高浓度乙草胺会对土壤生态系统产生干扰,对土壤环境造成威胁。     

Effects of soil fauna on leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from experimental systems simulating coniferous forest floor

Summary Long-term experiments (97–98 weeks) were carried out in macrocosm systems simulating the complexity of coniferous forest soil. The macrocosms were partially sterilized by freezing, thawing and drying, then re-inoculated with microbes alone or microbes + soil fauna. Removable microcosms containing birch litter, spruce litter, or humus were inserted into the substrate humus in the macrocosms. Two experiments used organic matter only, and in the third there was mineral soil below the humus. The macrocosms were incubated in climate chambers that simulated both summer and winter conditions. At 4- to 6-week intervals the substrates were irrigated for analyses of pH, total N, NH ₄ ⁺ –N, NO ₃ ^– –N, and PO ₄ ^3– –P in the leachates. At the end of each growing season a destructive sampling was performed, including analyses of KCl-extractable N and P.Leaching of NH ₄ ⁺ and PO ₄ ^3– from both the litter and the total systems was significantly enhanced by the soil fauna. There were also differences in mineralization of N and P between the refaunated systems, apparently due to divergent development of the faunal communities. In general, fauna affected KCl-extractable nutrients from the litter positively, although this effect was less evident than in the leaching water. In the humus and mineral soil the fauna significantly increased the release of N and P, especially in the later stages of the experiments. Soil pH was higher in the presence of fauna, but there was no difference in the pH of the leachates. Not only invertebrate-microbial interactions, but also mutual relationships among fauna were important in the nutrient dynamics.     

Short-term mesofauna responses to soil additions of corn stover biochar and the role of microbial biomass

Biochar additions have been suggested to influence soil microbial communities that, through a cascade effect, may also impact soil fauna. In turn, any direct biochar effects on fauna can influence microbial communities through grazing, physical fragmentation of organic debris (and biochar) and modifying soil structure. If biochar creates a favorable environment for soil microorganisms, it is also plausible for fauna to be attracted to such microbially enriched habitats. However, how soil fauna respond to biochar addition to soil and what are the main factors that drive their behavior has rarely been experimentally addressed. Therefore, the behavior of two mesofauna species was assessed as a result of corn stover biochar (slow pyrolysis at 600 °C) additions to a loamy temperate soil, after preincubation for 2, 17, 31 and 61 d, and related to variations in microbial biomass and activity. Microbial biomass increased by 5–56% and activity by 6–156% with increasing biochar rates for the different preincubation times. Over the incubation time, microbial biomass did not change or increased at most 15% with the different biochar rates, while in turn microbial activity decreased steadily (around 70–80% at day 61). Enchytraeids generally did not show avoidance or preference to biochar when provided with an alternative unamended soil, while collembolans often showed avoidance responses. However, collembolan avoidance to biochar decreased or disappeared in biochar mixtures with higher microbial biomass and water extractable NH₄-N content, agreeing with the plausible role of microorganisms to potentially attract soil fauna after biochar applications. Avoidance response was mainly explained by environmental preferences of the test species and not by any toxic effect of the biochar in this study. However, avoidance after the application of biochar may still need to be considered due to the potential negative impacts of individuals’ migration on soil ecosystem functioning.     

Influence of repeated prescribed burning on incorporation of C from cellulose by forest soil fungi as determined by RNA stable isotope probing

Repeated prescribed burning is frequently used as a forest management tool and can influence soil microbial diversity and activity. Soil fungi play key roles in carbon and nutrient cycling processes and soil fungal community structure has been shown to alter with increasing burning frequency. Such changes are accompanied by changes to soil carbon and nitrogen pools, however, we know little regarding how repeated prescribed burning alters functional diversity in soil fungal communities. We amended soil with ¹³C-cellulose and used RNA stable isotope probing to investigate the effect of biennial repeated prescribed burning over a 34-year period on cellulolytic soil fungi. Results indicated that repeated burning altered fungal community structure. Moreover, fungal community structure and diversity in ¹²C and ¹³C fractions from the unburned soil were not significantly different from each other, while those from the biennial burned soils differed from each other. The data indicate that fewer active fungi in the biennially burned soil incorporated ¹³C from the labelled cellulose and that repeated prescribed burning had a significant impact on the diversity of an important functional group of soil fungi (cellulolytic fungi) that are key drivers of forest soil decomposition and carbon cycling processes.     

Species abundance distribution of collembolan communities in forest soils polluted with heavy metals

The species frequency of collembolan communities along a gradient of heavy metal pollution in soil of pine forest soils was studied. Sampling plots were established in forests 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 68 and 148 km from the Miasteczko Śląskie zinc smelter. At each plot the plant associations, physicochemical characteristics of soil, and collembolan species composition and abundance were examined. The structure of collembolan communities was analyzed with regard to species distribution, testing geometric series, broken-stick, logarithmic series, log-normal and negative binomial distribution models. Most of the collembolan communities occurring both in contaminated and in uncontaminated soils had structure similar to a negative binomial distribution. In the samples from the oldest forest, the species frequencies could also be fitted to a log-normal distribution. The species frequency model was independent of the degree of soil pollution. Under the assumption of a negative binomial distribution of Collembola from soil samples, it is possible to estimate the theoretical number of collembolan species in the habitats studied. The difference between estimated and empirical numbers of species (the number of species not revealed in samples) was linearly correlated with metal concentrations in soil, indicating the elimination of a number of rare species from severely polluted forests.     

有机无机改良剂对滨海盐渍化土壤酶活性和土壤微生物量的影响

[目的]为解决滨海地区土壤盐分高和生态环境恶劣的问题,研究发酵园林废弃物与膨润土不同比例配合施用对滨海盐渍土的改良效果。[方法]通过滨海地区田间试验,采用单独施用68 kg/m~3发酵园林废弃物(T_1)、单独施用15 kg/m~3膨润土(T_2)和二者混合施用(T_3)的方法,分析不同处理组土壤酶活性、微生物量碳、氮的变化及其与土壤理化性质的相关关系。[结果]有机无机改良剂混施(T_3)在提高土壤酶活性和微生物量碳、氮方面具有更显著的效果。脲酶、蔗糖酶和脱氢酶分别为对照的10.1,9.0和4.5倍;土壤微生物量碳、氮分别比对照提高了24.8%和78.1%。此外,混施也可以显著改善土壤理化性质,使土壤盐分降低了62.7%,养分各项指标增幅为57.2%～101.4%。同有机改良剂处理相比,无机改良剂对土壤酶活和土壤微生物量的影响较小。速效钾与速效氮是影响土壤酶活性与微生物量的主要因子,而含盐量、容重则与土壤酶和微生物量呈负相关,具有抑制作用。[结论]发酵园林废弃物的加入对土壤酶活性和微生物量的增加起到了决定性的作用。最佳施用处理组为原土混合掺拌68 kg/m~3发酵园林废弃物和15 kg/m~3膨润土。     

三峡库区茶园坡面土壤水分空间分布特征及对降雨补给的响应

利用高频率(5 min)的土壤水分探针和自动气象站监测三峡库区典型茶园坡面与林地坡面的土壤水分变化过程及其对降雨的响应，明确了林地和茶园土壤水分变化的规律，揭示了土地利用方式和微地形对土壤水分和降雨储蓄的影响机制。结果表明：(1)在时间上，茶园和林地土壤含水率随降雨量的变化而改变，土壤含水率随土层深度呈现“W”型和“S”型变化。土壤含水率年内变异系数随着土层深度的增加而降低，表层土壤(10 cm)含水率为中等变异水平(10%相似文献