Stoichiometric features of C,N, and P in soil and litter of Tamarix cones and their relationship with environmental factors in the Taklimakan Desert,China

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The main objectives of this study were to explore the soil and litter carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) stoichiometric features in the Tamarix cones...     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

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.     

Mineral control of carbon pools in a volcanic soil horizon

The aim of this study was to characterize carbon sequestration by mineralogical control at the scale of a volcanic soil horizon. We adapted the classical density fractionation procedure and focused on the heavy fractions (> 1.9), which we divided into eight organomineral fractions. We characterized them simultaneously through non-destructive mineralogical analyses (XRD and NMR of Al and Si) and organic carbon analyses. The results showed that the largest proportion (82.6%) of organic matter in the horizon was associated with minerals in organomineral complexes. Imogolite type materials bound 6-fold more OM than anorthoclase, and 3.5-fold more OM than iron oxides. In addition, we observed a degree of polymerization of imogolite type materials that was midway between that of allophane and Al in Al-humus complexes. In conclusion, the results of this density fractionation combined with a mineralogical approach suggested that OM in the heavy fractions could be divided into several pools depending on the nature of the minerals.     

鸡公山国家级自然保护区散孔材、环孔材树种木质部结构和功能的关系

  目的  木质部解剖结构是植物水力功能和水分利用策略的基础。散孔材和环孔材的导管分布和形态存在显著差异,对2种材性树种木质部解剖结构和水力功能的关系进行比较,有助于理解不同材性树种的水分适应机制。  方法  选取河南省信阳市鸡公山自然保护区中的3个散孔材树种(枫香Liquidambar formosana、旱柳Salix matsudana、深山含笑Michelia maudiae)和3个环孔材树种(槲树Quercus dentata、楝Melia azedarach、野核桃Juglans cathayensis),研究2种材性树种的枝水力功能(比导率和栓塞抗性)和解剖结构的关系。  结果  3个环孔材树种比导率更大,3个散孔材树种栓塞抗性更强;在物种水平上,只有散孔材树种深山含笑比导率和栓塞抗性呈显著负相关(P＜0.05),存在水力效率-安全权衡。3种散孔材树种相较于3种环孔材树种具有更大的导管密度、导管壁厚度跨度比和更小的导管直径、导管壁厚度。  结论  环孔材树种倾向于通过增大导管直径显著提高其输水效率,从而避免水势下降、降低潜在栓塞风险。散孔材树种木质部结构中的导管壁厚度和导管壁厚度跨度比对植物水分传输功能具有重要影响。图5表1参32     

Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Typical Plants and Soil Profiles in Yanqi Basin of Northwest China

Carbon and nitrogen are the most important elements in the terrestrial ecosystem. Studying carbon and nitrogen distributions in plant and soil is important for our understanding of the ecosystem dynamics and carbon cycle on arid lands. A study was conducted in a typical arid area, the Yanqi Basin, Northwest China. Carbon and nitrogen distributions in plant tissues and soil profiles were determined at 21 sites with typical native plants and crops. Our results indicated that carbon content was similar between crops and native plants, and the average carbon contents in aboveground （42.4%） and belowground （42.8%） tissues were almost the same. Average nitrogen contents in crops were nearly the same （~0.7%） in aboveground and belowground tissues whereas mean nitrogen content was approximately 100% higher in aboveground （2.2%） than in belowground （1.2%） tissues for native species. Soil organic carbon （SOC） and total nitrogen （TN） in cropland （9.4 and 0.9 g kg^-1） were significantly higher than those in native land （6.2 and 0.7 g kg^-1）. Multiple regression analyses indicated that carbon content in belowground tissue and nitrogen content in aboveground tissue were key factors connecting plant and soil in native land. However, there was no significant relationship for carbon or nitrogen between soil and crop, which might reflect human disturbance, such as plowing and applications of various organic materials.     

重金属超富集植物龙葵对镉响应的蛋白组学分析

龙葵是典型的重金属超富集植物,但是我们对其重金属耐受和超富集的分子机理仍不完全清楚。为了从蛋白组学层面探究重金属超富集植物龙葵如何响应金属镉,本研究采用双向电泳和MALDI-TOF MS分析方法,鉴定了重金属超富集植物龙葵叶片和根中Cd胁迫下差异表达的蛋白。双向电泳在根和叶片中分别至少得到927和1 025个蛋白点,其中Cd胁迫下差异表达的蛋白点在根中有45个,叶片中有57个。采用MALDITOF MS分析,在根和叶片中分别鉴定了9个和12个蛋白点,分别代表了9个和6个差异表达的蛋白。生物信息学分析表明,这些蛋白涉及到激素合成、防御响应、能量代谢和细胞结构等。这些结果为进一步揭示重金属超富集植物龙葵响应Cd胁迫的分子调节机制,以及为通过现代生物技术手段进行重金属污染的植物修复提供了理论依据。     

The influence of livestock dung on the abundance of exotic and native earthworms in a grassland in south-eastern Australia

It is well known that organic matter in the form of dung is utilised as a food source by some earthworms, but little has been reported on the preferences of earthworms for different types of dung in agricultural settings. An experiment was carried out in spring in south-eastern Australia to evaluate the effect that dung from different livestock has on the abundance of earthworms in a grassland environment. We were particularly interested to compare the responses of native Australian earthworms (Megascolecidae) with those of exotic earthworms (Lumbricidae and Acanthodrilidae). The attractiveness of dung from sheep, cattle and horses was measured by determining the abundance and biomass of the resident earthworm species under each dung type at varying times after adding the dung to the soil surface (0, 10, 20 and 30 days). The earthworm population consisted of three exotic species, Apporrectodea trapezoides, Microscolex dubius and M. phosphoreus, and two native species, Spenceriella macleayi and S. bywongensis. Both the number of days that the dung was available to earthworms and the type of dung influenced the numbers and biomass of the earthworms found beneath the dung pats. Significant interactions existed between time and dung type when all adult earthworms were considered as one group and also when adults were split into individual species. The various species responded differently to the dung, but horse dung was generally the more preferred dung type. The significance of these results is discussed in terms of the management of dung in an Australian pastoral context.     

Soil organic matter fractions as early indicators for carbon stock changes under different land-use?

With respect to carbon sequestration in soil, attempts have been made to identify soil organic matter (SOM) fractions that respond more rapidly to changes in land-use than bulk SOM, which could thus serve as early indicators for the overall stock change. We used a combination of physical fractionation (size and density separation) and chemical characterisation (C-to-N ratios, CuO lignin signature, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy) to identify sensitive SOM fractions in an agricultural system with sandy dystric cambisols in Bavaria, Germany, 7 years after a land-use change. Land-use types included long-term arable land and grassland, and conversion from one system to the other. Soil carbon and nitrogen contents in 0–3 cm increased from 14 to 39 mg organic carbon g⁻¹ soil, and from 1.7 to 3.9 mg nitrogen g⁻¹ soil in the following order: permanent arable, conversion grassland to arable, conversion arable to grassland, and permanent grassland. Wet sieving and ultrasonic dispersion with 22 J ml⁻¹ released <5% and 60% to 80%, respectively, of the amount of particles >20 μm relative to complete dispersion. The most sensitive fraction, with respect to land-use, was SOM in the fraction >20 μm not released after sequential wet sieving and ultrasonic dispersion. In contrast, the proportion of free light (wet sieving, density <1.8 g cm⁻³) and occluded light (ultrasonic dispersion with 22 J ml⁻¹, <1.8 g cm⁻³) particulate organic matter (POM) showed no clear response to land-use. The structural composition of POM indicated its vegetation origin with a selective enrichment of lignin and a loss of O-alkyl C relative to its plant precursors. Decomposition of the occluded light POM was only slightly advanced relative to the free light POM. In mineral fractions <20 μm, SOM was significantly more transformed than in the coarse fractions, as shown by NMR spectroscopy; however, it revealed no specific land-use pattern. An exception to this was the proportion of O-alkyl C in the clay fraction, which increased with SOC content. Ratios of alkyl to O-alkyl C in mineral fractions <20 μm differentiated samples gave a better differentiation of samples than the C-to-N ratios. We conclude that neither free nor occluded light POM are appropriate early indicators for changes in land-use at the investigated sites; however, total SOM, its distribution with depth, and SOM allocated in stable aggregates >20 μm were more sensitive.     

准噶尔盆地南缘降水脉冲量级分布及其变化规律

对干旱区降水脉冲发生规律的分析,将为理解荒漠生态系统结构与功能提供新的视野。选择准噶尔盆地南缘的温泉、精河、乌苏、蔡家湖、奇台和巴里坤6个气象站近50多年的逐日降水资料,分析不同量级降水脉冲对年总降水频次和降水量的贡献以及变化规律。结果表明：小降水脉冲（≤5 mm）占到全年总降水频次87.5%,而大降水脉冲（>10 mm）只占到了4.3%。然而,小降水脉冲对年降水量的贡献为47.5%,大降水脉冲却贡献26.6%。近50多年来,准噶尔盆地南缘的年降水量有显著增加,但是,年降水频次的变化却不显著。这可以归结为小脉冲呈下降趋势,而大脉冲则显著增加。总之,近50多年来,准噶尔盆地南缘的降水脉冲在放大。