The microbial destruction of chitin,pectin, and cellulose in soils

The most intensive degradation of polysaccharides takes place upon low and moderate temperatures in typical chernozems and gray forest soils and upon high temperatures in brown desert-steppe soils. This regularity is related to the structure of soil microbial complexes. The soil water content exerts a more pronounced effect on chitin decomposition in comparison with cellulose and pectin decomposition. The most favorable conditions for pectin decomposition by microbes are created at the water content close to the field capacity. Model experiments indicate that the range of moisture, upon which the transformation of chitin by microbes is most active, is wider in clay and loamy soils than in sandy soils. Direct study of microorganisms in the investigated soils under microscope has shown that actinomycetes, bacteria, and fungi participate in the transformation of polysaccharides. The role of actinomycetes in chitin decomposition increases in parallel with the rise in the soil water content and temperature. The role of fungi in pectin decomposition becomes higher under higher moistening and lower temperatures. The use of the FISH method makes it possible to reveal differences in the structure and number of metabolically active representatives of Bacteria and Archaea chitinolytic and pectinolytic prokaryotic complexes in the investigated soils under the impact of different ecological factors.     

Response of the chitinolytic microbial community to chitin amendments of dune soils

 The dynamics of culturable chitin-degrading microorganisms were studied during a 16-week incubation of chitin-amended coastal dune soils that differed in acidity. Soil samples were incubated at normal (5% w/w) and high (15% w/w) moisture levels. More than half of the added chitin was decomposed within 4 weeks of incubation in most soils. This rapid degradation was most likely due to fast-growing chitinolytic fungi (mainly Mortierella spp. and Fusarium spp.) at both moisture levels, as dense hyphal networks of these fungi were observed during the first 4 weeks of incubation. Chitin N mineralization was inhibited by cycloheximide, and fast-growing fungal isolates were capable of rapid chitin decomposition in sterile sand, further suggesting that these fungi play an important role in initial chitin degradation. The strong increase in fast-growing fungi in chitin-amended dune soils was only detected by direct observation. Plate counts and microscopic quantification of stained hyphae failed to reveal such an increase. During the first part of the incubation, numbers of unicellular chitinolytic bacteria also increased, but their contribution to chitin degradation was indicated to be of minor importance. During prolonged incubation, colony forming units (CFU) of chitinolytic streptomycetes and/or slow-growing fungi increased strongly in several soils, especially at the 5% moisture level. Hence, the general trend observed was a succession from fast-growing fungi and unicellular bacteria to actinomycetes and slow-growing fungi. Yet, the composition of chitinolytic CFU over time differed strongly between chitin-amended dune soils, and also between the two moisture levels. These differences could not be attributed to pH, organic matter or initial microbial composition. The possible consequence of such unpredictable variation in microbial community composition for the use of chitin-amendments as a biocontrol measure is discussed. Received: 10 March 1998     

Specificity of soil hydrolytically microbial complex under different moisture conditions

It has been established that soil moisture has a significant impact on the activity of chitinolytic microbial processes, rather than pectinolytic processes. The degradation of polysaccharides with an increase in soil moisture in microbial complex markedly increases the role of prokaryotic microorganisms, especially actinomycetes. For the first time, using the FISH method, the amount of detected phylogenetic composition of a metabolically active hydrolytic complex of humus horizons of grey forest and gley and weakly podzolic soil and humus has been estimated depending on the humidity. At optimum moisture, phylogenetic groups Actinobacteria and Firmicutes dominated in the chitinolytic process. An increase in the proportion of proteobacteria is observed with an increase in humidity. The role of gamma- and alphaproteobacteria and actino-bacteria is heightened with the drying of soil in the hydrolytic complex. A quantitative estimate of the rate of degradation of polysaccharides (pectin and chitin) in different types of soils at different levels of moisture is given. The dependence of the phylogenetic composition of an active microbial hydrolytic complex of humus horizons of grey forest and gley, weakly podzolic soils and humus on humidity is revealed.     

Methane production and growth of microorganisms under different moisture conditions in soils with added chitin and without it

The limits of soil moisture providing the possibility of methane production and growth of microorganisms in soils with added chitin and without it were determined. Samples of gray forest, soddy-podzolic, gley taiga, chestnut, and chernozemic soils were studied. It was found that methane emission increases significantly under a high soil moisture content in the presence of chitin. The increase of the soil moisture up to the maximum water-holding capacity enhanced the emission of methane by two-six times. The dynamics of the methane emission from the soils in the course of microbial successions initiated by the addition of chitin or by the soil moistening to different levels were studied by the gas-chromatographic method. The population density and biomass of fungal, bacterial, and actinomycetic complexes under different moister levels were studied by the method of luminescent microscopy. It was determined that many microorganisms participate in the transformation of chitin in the soil under conditions of oxygen deficiency (upon the increased moisture content). Prokaryotes dominated by actinomycetes were the group that increased its biomass most actively (the biomass doubling took place).     

Autolysis of chlamydospores of Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae in chitin and laminarin amended soils

Lysis of chlamydospores of Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae is enhanced both in chitin and in laminarin amended soils. In soil amended with both chitin and laminarin, lysis of chlamydospores resembles that in control soil. Addition of chitin and laminarin to soil stimulates the growth of both bacteria and actinomycetes. In soils amended with chitin and with both chitin and laminarin, a chitinolytic microflora is stimulated. Penetration of chlamydospore cells by soil microorganisms has not been observed using the electron microscope. The mechanism of lysis of chlamydospores in soil is discussed.     

Fluctuations in the population density of Gram-negative bacteria in a chernozem in the course of a succession initiated by moistening and chitin and cellulose introduction

The role has been studied of Gram-negative bacteria in the destruction of polymers widely spread in soils: chitin and cellulose. The introduction of chitin had no positive effect on the population density of Gram-negative bacteria, but it advanced the date of their appearance: the maximum population density of Gram-negative bacteria was recorded not on the 7th?C15th day as in the control but much earlier, on the 3rd?C7th day of the experiment. Consequently, the introduction of chitin as an additional source of nutrition promoted revealing of the Gram-negative bacteria already at the early stages of the succession. In the course of the succession, when the fungal mycelium begins to die off, the actinomycetic mycelium increases in length, i.e., Gram-negative bacteria are replaced at this stage with Gram-positive ones, the leading role among which belongs to actinomycetes. The growth rate of Gram-negative bacteria is higher than that of actinomycetes, so they start chitin utilization at the early stages of the succession, whereas actinomycetes dominate at the late stages. The population density of Gram-negative bacteria was lower under the anaerobic conditions as compared with that in the aerobic ones. The population density of Gram-negative bacteria in the lower layer of the A horizon and in the B horizon was slightly higher only in the case of the chitin introduction. When cellulose was introduced into the soil under aerobic conditions, the population density of Gram-negative bacteria in all the layers of the A horizon was maximal from the 14th to the 22nd day of the experiment. Cellulose was utilized in the soil mostly by fungi, and this was suggested by the increase of the length of the fungal mycelium. Simultaneously, an increase in the length of the actinomycetal mycelium was observed, as these organisms also perform cellulose hydrolysis in soils. The Gram-negative bacteria began to develop at the stage of the fungal mycelium destruction, which indirectly confirmed the chitinolytic activity of these bacteria.     

Guidelines for safe trafficking and cultivation, and resistance–density–moisture relations of three disturbed soils from Alberta

The Atterberg limits and the Proctor compaction test are used by engineers for classifying soils and for predicting stability of building foundations. Field capacity and wilting point (agronomic limits) are used to indicate available water for plant uptake. Few studies have related the engineering criteria to the agronomic ones with regard to compaction hazard for soils. This study investigated the relationships between Atterberg limits, agronomic limits and the critical moisture content (moisture content at Proctor maximum density) for three disturbed soils (sandy loam and clay loam soils from a reclaimed Highvale mine site, and a silt loam soil from a grazing site at Lacombe) of different textures. Relationships between bulk density, moisture content and penetration resistance for these soils were also investigated. For the sandy loam and loam soils, the field capacity was close to the critical moisture content but lower than the plastic limit. Therefore, cultivation of these two soils at moisture contents close to field capacity should be avoided since maximum densification occurs at these moisture contents. Overall, the critical moisture content or field capacity would be a better guide for trafficking of sandy loam and loam textured soils than the Atterberg limits. For the clay loam, field capacity was within the plastic range. Thus trafficking this soil at field capacity would cause severe compaction. In conclusion, either field capacity or plastic limit, whichever is less, can be used as a guide to avoid trafficking at this moisture content and beyond. For the sandy loam and loam soils penetration resistance significantly increased only with increased bulk density (P≤0.05). For the clay loam soil, penetration resistance was positively related to bulk density and negatively related to moisture content.     

城市土壤压实对土壤水分特征的影响——以南京市为例

通过对南京市不同土地利用下的土壤容重、孔隙度和土壤水分特征曲线的测定，研究了压实对土壤水分特征参数的影响。结果表明城市土壤存在严重的压实退化现象，土壤容重和孔隙度能够很好地反映土壤的压实程度。随着压实程度的增加，土壤的田间持水量增加，萎蔫点含水量增加，而土壤的最大有效水含量却明显减少。所以，压实土壤对水分的调节能力下降，使其上生长的植物更不容易获得水分供应。     

温室菜园土壤氮矿化和微生物群落对水分的响应

Soil drying and wetting impose significant influences on soil nitrogen (N) dynamics and microbial communities. However, effects of drying-wetting cycles, while common in vegetable soils, especially under greenhouse conditions, have not been well studied. In this study, two greenhouse vegetable soils, which were collected from Xinji (XJ) and Hangzhou (HZ), China, were maintained at 30% and 75% water-holding capacity (WHC), or five cycles of 75% WHC followed by a 7-day dry-down to 30% WHC (DW). Soil inorganic N content increased during incubation. Net N mineralization (Nmin), microbial activity, and microbial biomass were significantly higher in the DW treatment than in the 30% and 75% WHC treatments. The higher water content (75% WHC) treatment had higher Nmin, microbial activity, and microbial biomass than the lower water content treatment (30% WHC). Multivariate analyses of community-level physiological profile (CLPP) and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) data indicated that soil moisture regime had a significant effect on soil microbial community substrate utilization pattern and microbial community composition. The significant positive correlation between Nmin and microbial substrate utilization or PLFAs suggested that soil N mineralization had a close relationship with microbial community.     

Responses of Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Community Composition to Moisture Regimes in Paddy Soils Under Long-Term Fertilization Practices

The effects of fertilization on activity and composition of soil microbial community depend on nutrient and water availability;however,the combination of these factors on the response of microorganisms was seldom studied.This study investigated the responses of soil microbial community and enzyme activities to changes in moisture along a gradient of soil fertility formed within a long-term(24 years)field experiment.Soils(0–20 cm)were sampled from the plots under four fertilizer treatments:i)unfertilized control(CK),ii)organic manure(M),iii)nitrogen,phosphorus,and potassium fertilizers(NPK),and iv)NPK plus M(NPK+M).The soils were incubated at three moisture levels:constant submergence,five submerging-draining cycles(S-D cycles),and constant moisture content at 40%water-holding capacity(low moisture).Compared with CK,fertilization increased soil organic carbon(SOC) by 30.1%–36.3%,total N by 27.3%–38.4%,available N by 35.9%–56.4%,available P by 61.4%–440.9%,and total P by 28.6%–102.9%.Soil fertility buffered the negative effects of moisture on enzyme activities and microbial community composition.Enzyme activities decreased in response to submergence and S-D cycles versus low moisture.Compared with low moisture,S-D cycles increased total phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs)and actinomycete,fungal,and bacterial PLFAs.The increased level of PLFAs in the unfertilized soil after five S-D cycles was greater than that in the fertilized soil.Variations in soil microbial properties responding to moisture separated CK from the long-term fertilization treatments.The coefficients of variation of microbial properties were negatively correlated with SOC,total P,and available N.Soils with higher fertility maintained the original microbial properties more stable in response to changes in moisture compared to low-fertility soil.     

Microbial destruction of chitin in different soils

Chitinolytic prokaryotic and eukaryotic complexes were studied in the course of succession initiated by an introduction of chitin and moistening of the soil. An increase in the number and biomass of chitinolytic microorganisms and stronger carbon dioxide emission were observed in the experimental variants with chitin as compared with the control without chitin. The increase was recorded for the prokaryotes (actinomycetes and bacteria) and not due to the eukaryotes in the course of the succession initiated by chitin. It was first found that the chitinolytic actinomycetal complex in an ordinary chernozem has a specific taxonomic structure. The representatives of the Streptosporangium genus were the dominating actinomycetes in the chitinolytic complex.     

城市“土壤水库”库容的萎缩及其环境效应

"土壤水库"具有容纳和调节水分的功能,不仅能供给植物生长所需的水分,而且具有防洪减灾的作用。城市土壤的水分储蓄和调节功能对于城市生态环境具有非常重要的作用。城市化造成了大量的封闭地表,使得土壤的功能几乎完全丧失。本文以南京市为例,选择不同压实程度的土壤,根据其饱和含水量、田间持水量和萎蔫点含水量计算土壤的总库容、有效库容、滞洪库容和死库容。结果表明,随着城市土壤压实程度的增加,土壤水库的总库容、有效库容和滞洪库容萎缩也越严重,而死库容却明显增加。城市土壤普遍存在压实现象,使城市土壤疏导和容纳水分的能力减弱,城市里出现瞬时洪涝的几率增加,强度加大。因此,良好的城市环境需要有更多的绿地和良好的土壤条件。     

钙结石含量对土壤水分蒸发影响的模拟试验

通过在土柱中人工模拟黄土高原北部含钙结石土壤,在土壤总水分一致的情况下研究了钙结石含量对土壤水分蒸发过程的影响,以期为黄土高原特定土壤类型中土壤水平衡的计算和模拟提供试验依据。研究结果表明：不同钙结石质量分数（钙结石质量/（钙结石质量+土壤质量））的土壤水分累积蒸发在最初的7 d内差别不大,随后表现出一定的差异;试验期间不同处理的蒸发率差异很小。土壤水分蒸发量随钙结石质量分数的增加而降低,当钙结石质量分数为0.5时,土壤水分蒸发降低8 mm,占到土壤总水分的10%。土壤水分蒸发与钙结石含量之间的负相关关系与钙结石含量增加所导致的土壤含水率降低有关。钙结石对土壤水分蒸发的作用效果与钙结石吸水性、钙结石含量以及水分在钙结石和土壤之间的分配有关。     

中国几种主要土壤的持水性质

土壤的持水性是指土壤吸持水分的能力。在对植物的有效范围内,土壤所吸持的水分是由土壤孔隙的毛管引力和土壤颗粒的分子引力所引起的,这两种力现在统称为土壤吸力,或基质吸力,它相当于土壤总水势中的基质势。     

Simple and Rapid Laboratory Method for Rewetting Dry Soil for Incubations

Soil microbial activity is greatly affected by soil water content. Determining the appropriate moisture content to rewet soils that have been dried in preparation for laboratory incubations to determine microbial activity can be laborious and time-consuming. The most common methods used achieve sufficient moisture content for peak microbial respiration are gravimetric water content, soil matric potential, or percentage of water-filled pore space (WFPS). Alternatively, a fast, simple, and accurate way to ensure that a given soil receives the appropriate amount of water for peak soil microbial respiration is to rely on natural capillary action for rewetting the dry soil. The capillary method is related to the gravimetric method for water uptake and has a strong correlation with WFPS. A microbial respiration test was conducted to compare rewetting methods. The 24-h carbon dioxide (CO₂) / carbon (C) results were very similar and strongly correlated using the gravimetric method and the capillary method for rewetting dried soil.     

混交林地土壤物理性质与微生物数量及酶活性的研究

研究了枫香×樟树、楠木×尖叶杜英、木周木×海南红豆、格木×海南红豆、火力楠×阴香、枫香×米老排×降香黄檀、樟树×马占相思混交林林地的土壤物理性质与微生物数量及酶活性。各林地的容重、毛管孔隙、非毛管孔隙、自然含水量、毛管持水量的不同引起其保水性和通气性的差异。细菌是土壤微生物总量的主要组成者。各混交林地的细菌、真菌和放线菌的数量差异大。各混交林地的脲酶、过氧化氢酶和纤维素分解酶活性有一定的差异。放线菌与容重呈显著正相关,而与总孔隙呈显著负相关。脲酶与自然含水量、毛管持水量、毛管孔隙呈显著或极显著正相关。     

土壤垂向分层和均匀处理下水分差异的数值探讨

在现有众多的陆面过程模型中,对土壤水分的定量描述一般是假设垂向分布均匀,取表层土壤质地来表示整个垂向土壤质地。垂向分层和均匀处理下的土壤水分是存在差异的,这种差异有多大目前少有研究。设置3组不同饱和导水率组合的层状土壤代表不同区域的非均匀土壤,取3组层状土壤的上层土壤代表整个均匀土壤,通过建立一维土壤水分运动模型分析这种差异,同时分析饱和导水率、饱和含水量、残余含水率、孔隙大小分布参数和形状参数对层状土壤和均匀土壤的渗透量和储水量差异的敏感性,探讨垂向层状和均匀处理下土壤水分运动的差异。研究结果表明:1)建立的一维土壤水分运动模型模拟的土壤水分剖面与Yeh解析解和室内五水转化试验的土壤水分剖面一致,表明模型无论是考虑还是不考虑根系吸水都具有可靠性。2)采用垂向均匀方式处理,上下层饱和导水率相差越大的层状土壤,各水文变量的差异越大。当层状土壤上下层饱和导水率相差1.5倍时,层状土壤和均匀土壤的水分分布差别小于0.05 cm~3×cm~(-3);而当层状土壤上下层饱和导水率相差达3.3倍时,层状土壤和均匀土壤的水分分布差别达0.15 cm~3×cm~(-3),渗漏量相差20 cm以上,储水量相差5 cm左右。3)相对于层状土壤下层,均匀土壤下层的持水能力更差,水流速度更快,导致下层水分分布减小,渗漏量增加,储水量减小。4)形状参数n对渗透量的敏感性最强,土壤孔隙大小分布参数对储水量的敏感性最强,形状参数n其次。在实际应用中,如果一个区域的土壤上下层饱和导水率相差较大,那么垂向均匀处理可能会导致很大的误差,和实际土壤的水分分布相差很大,这会严重影响土壤水分的准确估计,在实际处理中需要认真考虑。     

Soil moisture and the rates of biodegradation of diallate and triallate

Degradation experiments were combined with biomass measurements and adsorption tests to determine how soil moisture content influences the rates of degradation of ⁴¹C-labelled diallate and triallate. In soils treated with 1 μg^?1 herbicide and incubated at constant temperature and moisture, degradation rates were regulated by two variables: the quantity of microbial biomass in the soil; and the quantity of herbicide dissolved in the soil solution. The quantity of biomass was influenced by soil water content and the duration of incubation. The amounts of herbicide in solution were determined by the amount of water present and the total quantity of herbicide in the soil. In all soil samples, the rates of degradation increased with increasing water content but decreased with prolonged incubation. The factors responsible for decrease with time were the loss of biomass during incubation and the decline in herbicide concentration in the soils as degradation proceeded.     

Soil Biology Changes as a Consequence of Organic Amendments Subjected to a Severe Drought

Effect of severe drought events in combination with organic amendments (municipal solid waste, MSW, sheep manure, SM, and cow manure, CM) on soil dehydrogenase, urease, β‐glucosidase and phosphatase activities and microbial community by analyzing phospholipid fatty acids was studied under controlled laboratory conditions for one year. Two levels of irrigation were used: (1) watered soils, where the soils were maintained at 60% of their water holding capacity through the experiment, and (2) non‐watered soils, without irrigation through the experiment. The severe drought conditions negatively affected the soil enzymatic activities and total bacterial and fungal PLFA concentrations. The application of organic amendments to the soil subjected to severe drought increased soil water retention and encouraged the growth and activity of soil microbial populations. However, the chemical composition of the organic matter applied to the soil also strongly influenced soil moisture. In non‐watered soils and compared with the unamended soil, the dehydrogenase activity was 71 · 3%, 60 · 9% and 38 · 6% higher in the soil with SM, CM and MSW, respectively. Urease activity was 60 · 6%, 51 · 5% and 37% higher in the soil with SM, CM and MSW, respectively. β‐glucosidase and phosphatase activities had a similar trend. Water retention was higher when the organic wastes applied to the soils had a higher content of humic acids than fulvic acid contents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄泛平原不同质地土壤的持水特性

用压力膜法对黄泛平原不同质地潮土的持水特性进行了研究.结果指出,土壤的持水性、孔径分布和水容量都与土壤质地有密切关系.在高吸力情况下,土壤的持水性随土壤质地变粘而增强.土壤孔径分布与土壤质地的关系是:重力水孔隙随土壤质地变粘而减小;迟效水孔隙和无效水孔隙随质地变粘而增加;而易效水孔隙偏粘的土壤有减小的趋势.土壤水容量也受土壤质地的影响,重力水水容量随质地变粘而增加,易效水水容量是壤土高于砂性土和粘性大,而迟效水水容量则是轻粘土高于其它质地的土壤.