Experimental snowpack reduction alters organic matter and net N mineralization potential of soil macroaggregates in a northern hardwood forest

Climate change is predicted to reduce or delay annual wintertime snow pack formation in the forests of the northeastern US. Any delay in snowpack formation could increase soil freezing in winter and, thereby, alter soil characteristics and processes. We examined the hypothesis that delayed snowpack would disrupt soil structure and change organic matter bioavailability in an experimental snow removal study at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), NH, USA. Pairs of reference and snow removal treatment plots were studied in four different sites at HBEF. Snow was removed from November–January of two winters, inducing soil freezing throughout both winters. Size class distribution and organic matter concentration and content of aggregates, and carbon and nitrogen mineralization potential of size fractions were quantified for surface mineral soils in the spring of both years immediately after snowmelt. In the first year of sampling, the only significant effect of snow removal was an increase in the smallest (<53 μm) size fraction of mineral soil. In the second year, snow removal increased organic matter concentrations of macroaggregate (250–2,000 μm) and microaggregate (53–250 μm) size fractions. This change corresponded to an increase in net N mineralization potential and the ratio of N to C mineralized in the macroaggregate fraction, but there were no effects of snow removal on C mineralization. We propose that soil freezing increases the movement of organic matter from organic to mineral soil horizons and increases the N content of mineralizable substrates in mineral soil following years with delayed snowpack formation.     

Soil development along primary succession sequences on moraines of Hailuogou Glacier,Gongga Mountain,Sichuan, China

Soil properties related to soil development were measured in six profiles over approximately 180 years of soil development on recessional moraines of the Hailuogou Glacier, Sichuan of southwestern China. It is hypothesized that soil development is strictly time-dependent. Field and laboratory work indicate that as soil develops from initially coarse gravel outwash, the properties undergo a progressive physical and chemical change such that there is a considerable profile differentiation between the youngest and the oldest soils. The pH is also highly stratified; it decreases with time from 8.5 to 4.2 in the upper mineral soil and increases with depth in all profiles. Accumulation of soil organic C and N increases with time but the rates of accumulation become slower with time. Within the investigated timespan, soil C and N accumulated to a considerable level of 3.5 and 0.6 kg/m² respectively, with mean annual rates of 28 g/m² for carbon and 3.5 g/m² for nitrogen. The rapid accumulation of organic C and N accelerates the processes of soil formation, but the content of organic C and N did not reach a steady-state during the observed timespan. The accumulation of soil organic matter results in increased acid production and in the chemical weathering of minerals that promote formation and translocation of the clay fraction and leaching of carbonate; it is also directly responsible for development of soil properties such as cation exchange capacity (CEC), and bulk density.     

Use of pyrolysis/GC–MS combined with thermal analysis to monitor C and N changes in soil organic matter from a Mediterranean fire affected forest

In Mediterranean ecosystems, forest fires are a common phenomenon. They involve the transformation of vegetation and litter, leaving charred residues and so influencing the carbon cycle by changing (a) the amounts of soil organic matter and (b) the proportions within it of pools with differing stability. In addition to affecting C cycles, fires also affect the amounts of N within soil organic matter, and its availability.     

江西红壤地区农田生态系统大气氮沉降通量的研究

2004年12月至2005年11月在江西鹰潭中国科学院红壤生态实验站进行了为期1a的大气氮沉降的外场观测试验。本文对观测得到的数据资料进行分析,定量给出了农田生态系统大气氮化物浓度和氮沉降通量。结果表明,鹰潭地区农田下垫面大气中NH3、NOx和ON(有机氮)的平均浓度分别为24.6、3.54、7.2μgm-3。气溶胶中铵盐、硝酸盐、ON的平均浓度分别为4.16、4.64、0.92μgm-3。降水中NH4+离子、NO3-离子、ON的平均浓度分别为0.89、0.73、0.26mgL-1。全年大气氮沉降总量为N6.26gm-2,其中干沉降为N3.19gm-2,占总沉降量的51%;湿沉降为N3.07gm-2,占总沉降量的49%。无机氮沉降为N5.47gm-2,占总沉降量的87.4%;有机氮沉降为N0.79gm-2,占总沉降量的12.6%。与草地、森林、湖泊等其他下垫面相比,江西红壤地区农田下垫面大气氮沉降量相对较大,对农田生态系统氮素平衡将产生重要影响。     

不同供氮水平对玉米秸秆降解初期碳素矿化及微生物量的影响

采用室内恒温(25℃)培养方法研究了不同无机态氮供应水平(0、30、60、80、100Nmgkg-1土)对玉米秸秆降解初期的影响。试验结果表明:碳素的矿化量随着添加无机氮源数量的增加而增加,其中两个高氮添加量(80、100mgkg-1)处理的碳素矿化量要高于不加氮源和两个低氮添加量处理(30、60mgkg-1)。不同氮量添加条件下微生物量碳的变化呈相同趋势。利用土壤呼吸和微生物量碳计算而得的微生物代谢商在低量氮素处理条件下高于较高量氮源添加处理,表明高量氮素添加可提高微生物对秸秆碳素的利用效率。以上结果说明:对C/N比较大的玉米秸秆而言,土壤中无机氮素的供给对残体碳素的初始矿化有明显的影响,相对较低的氮源供给量不能满足微生物快速生长代谢对氮素的需求,使秸秆降解过程受到一定程度的抑制,不利于土壤氮素截获。因此在大田条件下,秸秆还田时要考虑氮素的供应问题,根据实际需要确定秸秆还田时间及肥料氮素施用水平。     

土壤Nmin在南疆棉花氮肥推荐中的应用研究

结合6个施氮水平下土壤Nmin速测值分析了土壤Nmin与施肥量和棉花产量关系,对应用土壤Nmin进行棉花氮肥推荐进行了研究。分析结果表明:土壤Nmin与棉花产量和施氮量均呈正相关关系,与土壤深度呈负相关关系;其中0~20cm土层土壤与施氮量和棉花产量相关性最强,可以很好的表征土壤初始供氮能力,因而可以利用它作为棉花氮肥推荐的指标。在考虑土壤初始供氮能力下,供试棉花品种达到最高产量时的最佳施肥量为226kghm-2,此时0~20cm土层土壤Nmin临界值为为20mgkg-1,并结合最佳施肥量和0~20cm土层土壤Nmin临界值计算出了棉花苗期、蕾期、花铃期的氮肥追施量。     

河西走廊灌漠土不同肥力水平下制种玉米氮素适宜用量的研究

在河西走廊的灌漠土上,制种玉米产量随N素用量的增加而增加,但单位N素的增产效果则随N素用量的增加而递减。经回归统计分析,在肥力水平高的暗灌漠土上,玉米N素经济效益最佳施肥量为124.81kghm-2,最佳施肥量时的理论产量为9.65thm-2;在肥力水平中等的灰灌漠土上,玉米N素经济效益最佳施肥量为93.52kghm-2,最佳施肥量时的理论产量为7.30thm-2;在肥力水平低的盐化灌漠土上,玉米N素经济效益最佳施肥量为80.52kghm-2,最佳施肥量时的理论产量为5.90thm-2。     

作物残体去向与利用及对土壤氮素转化的影响

近年来,作物残体还田受到了很大的关注,一方面它可以改进土壤氮素的动态变化,减少硝态氮淋失;另一方面可作为提高耕地土壤作为潜在氮储库的一种手段。作物残体是碳、氮的重要源和库,因此还田后会影响土壤中的氮素循环。本文综述了作物残体还田后对土壤氮素转化的影响及残体氮素的利用与去向问题。具体阐述了以下几个方面内容:作物残体的降解过程及影响因素,残体氮素的利用率及去向问题,以及作物残体对土壤无机氮库、有机氮库、微生物特征的影响。     

富水条件下不同供氮水平对小麦光合作用与空气温湿度关系的影响

对田间环境土壤富水条件下不同供氮处理小麦光合速率、蒸腾速率、叶片水分利用率和气孔导度的分析测定表明,增施氮肥有助于扩大高光合速率分布的空气温湿度范围,显著抑制高温低湿对叶片蒸腾的促进作用,提高叶片水分利用率,提高叶温。土壤富水条件下,合适的施氮量应在90～180kg hm-2之间。     

Foraging strategies of the external mycelium of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus intraradices and Scutellospora calospora

The responsiveness of the external mycelium of Glomus intraradices and Scutellospora calospora was tested in a multiple-choice experimental system in which mycelium encountered patches amended with nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P), either alone or in combination with a host plant. We hypothesised that only AMF mycelium with sufficient supply of photosynthate from an actively growing host would respond to the amendments provided. Mycelium was allowed to grow either 11 or 21 weeks before we analysed hyphal proliferation in amended patches introduced in mesh bags that were not reached by roots but by foraging mycelium only. Hyphal length, the AMF signature fatty acid 16:1w5, and root colonisation in new host plant seedlings were used to measure AMF growth and resource allocation in the patches. Mycelium from both fungal strains was able to colonise new host roots and sand in all patches but S. calospora was overall more responsive to the amendments than G. intraradices. G. intraradices grew equally into all patches, including the unamended control, whereas S. calospora produced significantly more hyphal length in the patch containing a host plant than in the rest of the patches. Both strains showed lower hyphal growth at the second harvest and mycelium of G. intraradices lost almost entirely its capacity to develop new mycelium in all choices presented. Lipid measurements showed this fungus did not use storage lipids to exploit the patches. S. calospora mycelium had reduced growth and colonisation ability but still showed some growth in the patches at the second harvest. A reduction in the content of NLFA 16:1w5 from the first to the second harvest suggested that S. calospora mycelium likely used storage lipids to sustain proliferation in the patches. The results indicated that S. calospora was more active and used more resources for foraging than G. intraradices and that external mycelium foraging was maintained mainly with recently acquired plant carbon (C). This supported in general our hypothesis but showed as well that the two AMF strains had different strategies and resource allocation to forage. The overall low response of both AMF to the choices presented suggested that the responsiveness of mycelium searching freely in the substrate is lower than that observed in experimental systems in which the amendments have been placed in close contact with actively growing mycelium fronts in close vicinity with host roots.