Effect of reduced tillage on weeds and soil organisms in winter wheat and summer maize cropping on Humic Andosols in Central Japan

Although reduced tillage (RT) may preserve soil biota and improve the productivity and sustainability of arable lands in temperate regions, the extension of RT is limited by difficulties in controlling weeds. We studied the effect of RT without herbicide application on weed communities and soil biota in a 1-year 2-crop rotation system with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) on Andosols in Japan. RT of the surface 3 cm and conventional moldboard plowing (CT) were conducted before seeding twice per year. For the first 3 years, from autumn 1997 to spring 2000, one field was managed with RT and another with CT. For the second 3 years, from autumn 2000 to spring 2003, RT and CT were conducted in two replicated plots in each field. Weed communities and soil biota were studied in the last 2 years. Dominant weed species in winter wheat cropping were Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in 2002 and common vetch (Vicia angustifolia L.) in 2003, and their biomass was high where RT or CT was continuously conducted. Switching of tillage methods, from RT to CT or vice versa, reduced the biomass of winter weeds. In summer maize cropping, several annual and perennial weed species tended to increase under RT in the second 3 years. However, redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), the most dominant weed in 2002 and 2003, responded to tillage inconsistently and its biomass was not always increased by RT. Species diversity of winter weeds was decreased by CT conducted in the first 3 years, and that of summer weeds was decreased by CT conducted in the second 3 years. The seedbank in the 0–10-cm soil layer under recent RT was large (7200–16 300 seeds m⁻²) compared with that under CT (2900–7300 seeds m⁻²). The microbial substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and the population densities of nematodes and mites were higher under RT in the second 3 years and were not affected by previous tillage practices. Both were highly correlated with soil total nitrogen. The positive effect of RT on these soil organisms was primarily attributable to the accumulation of organic matter in soil, but not to plant cover as a result of incomplete weed control by RT. Occasional adoption of RT in current CT systems may be effective at enriching soil organisms with little risk of weed infestation.     

Do plant species encourage soil biota that specialise in the rapid decomposition of their litter?

Plants are often nutrient limited and soil organisms are important in mediating nutrient availability to plants. Thus, there may be a selective advantage to plants that alter the soil community in ways that enhance the decomposition of their litter and, hence, their ability to access nutrients. We incubated litter from three tree species (Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus and Picea sitchensis) in the presence of biota extracted from soil beneath a stand of each species to test the hypothesis that litter decomposes fastest in the presence of biota derived from soil where that species is locally abundant. We found that respiration rate, a measure of decomposer activity and carbon mineralisation, was affected by litter type and source of soil biota, whereas, mass loss was only affected by litter type. However, litter from each tree species did not decompose faster in the presence of indigenous soil biota. These findings, therefore, provide no support for the notion that woodland plants encourage the development of soil communities that rapidly decompose their litter.     

施用生物炭对农田生态系统影响的研究进展

从施用生物炭对土壤理化性状、土壤生物、土壤碳截留、作物产量、温室气体排放的影响等方面,总结分析了施用生物炭对农田生态系统的影响。结果表明,施用生物炭能够改善土壤理化特性和微生物生境,提高养分利用率,但对作物的增产效应具有一定的不确定性。生物炭的稳定性对增加农田土壤碳截留有重要作用,其降解过程目前尚不清楚。添加生物炭影响土壤有机质分解即激发效应,但激发效应的方向和幅度的变异较大。在影响温室气体排放方面,施用生物炭能有效减少N2O排放,但对CO2和CH4的减排效应具有较大的不确定性,生物炭的性质、施用量、土壤类型和肥力状况等因素是导致这些不确定性的主要原因,今后应综合考虑以上因素开展长期定位试验,客观评价生物炭对农田生态系统功能的影响和作用。     

Introduced slugs and indigenous caterpillars as facilitators of carbon and nutrient mineralisation on a sub-Antarctic island

Indigenous soil macroinvertebrates (moth larvae, weevil larvae, earthworms) are cardinal agents of nutrient release from litter on sub-Antarctic Marion Island (47°S, 38°′E). Their populations are threatened through predation by introduced house mice, which do not prey on an introduced slug Deroceras panormitanum. A microcosm study was carried out to explore whether slugs affect rates of carbon and inorganic nutrient mineralisation from plant litter differently to an indigenous caterpillar (larva of a flightless moth Pringelophaga marioni). Caterpillars stimulated N, Ca, Mg and K mineralisation from plant litter two to five times more than slugs did, whereas the two invertebrate types stimulated C and P mineralisation to the same degree. Consequently, ratios of C:N and N:P released from the litter were different for slugs and caterpillars. Such differences might affect peat nutrient quality and ultimately the peat accumulation-decomposition balance, an important driver of ecological succession. This suggests that slugs cannot simply replace caterpillars without consequences for ecosystem structure and functioning on the island.     

Dominant sources of dietary carbon and nitrogen for shrimp reared in extensive rice-shrimp ponds

Stable isotope analysis was used to determine the sources of dietary nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) for shrimp during the rearing phase in extensive rice‐shrimp ponds in My Xuyen and Gia Rai districts, Vietnam. Farm‐made feed was added as a food source in shrimp ponds in My Xuyen district, and based on stable isotope analyses, was generally a poor dietary source. The commercial formulated feed used in Gia Rai also appeared to contribute little directly to the nutritional needs of the shrimp. In contrast, the natural biota in all ponds appeared to contribute substantially. In particular, biota from beam trawls and benthic organic matter were the most likely sources of nutrition in My Xuyen ponds, while benthic organic matter was the main source in Gia Rai ponds. δ¹⁵N ratios in the natural biota in My Xuyen farms decreased over the growing season, suggesting increased N fixation in the case of the benthic organic matter reaching values as low as 1‰. This suggests N‐limitation in the ponds and that natural biota become increasingly dependent on N fixed by algae and/or other microorganisms. There is the potential to promote the growth of the plankton and hence, the other natural biota, by the judicious addition of fertilizer.     

Rhizosphere microbiomes can regulate plant drought tolerance

Beneficial root-associated rhizospheric microbes play a key role in maintaining host plant growth and can potentially allow drought-resilient crop production. The complex interaction of root-associated microbes mainly depends on soil type, plant genotype, and soil moisture. However, drought is the most devastating environmental stress that strongly reduces soil biota and can restrict plant growth and yield. In this review, we discussed our mechanistic understanding of drought and microbial response traits. Additionally, we highlighted the role of beneficial microbes and plant-derived metabolites in alleviating drought stress and improving crop growth. We proposed that future research might focus on evaluating the dynamics of root-beneficial microbes under field drought conditions. The integrative use of ecology, microbial, and molecular approaches may serve as a promising strategy to produce more drought-resilient and sustainable crops.     

桂西南青龙山自然保护区鸟类多样性和区系分析

2009-2010年和2013年对广西西南部青龙山自然保护区的鸟类多样性和区系进行了调查。共记录鸟类13目44科206种,包括留鸟139种,夏候鸟27种,冬候鸟33种,旅鸟7种。其中,国家Ⅱ级重点保护野生鸟类有24种,主要由隼形目猛禽构成;列入IUCN名录的有2种,分别是濒危物种黄胸鹀和易危物种弄岗穗鹛。北红尾鸲青藏亚种为广西的新亚种纪录。青龙山G-F指数为0.84,物种多样性丰富。保护区的区系特点表现为典型的华南区成分,而且北热带属性明显。丰富的鸟类多样性以及作为目前已知的特有鸟种弄岗穗鹛的3个分布区之一,保护区的自然保护和科研建设应进一步重视和加强。     

The impacts of individual plant species on rhizosphere microbial communities in soils of different fertility

To investigate the effects of individual plant species on microbial community properties in soils of differing fertility, a microcosm experiment was carried out using plant species representative of the dominant flora in semi-fertile temperate grasslands of northern England. Soil microbial biomass and activity were found to be significantly greater in the more fertile, agriculturally improved soil than in the less productive unimproved meadow soil. Differences in microbial community structure were also evident between the two soils, with fungal abundance being greater in the unimproved soil type. Individual plant species effects significantly differed between the two soils. Holcus lanatus and Anthoxanthum odoratum stimulated microbial biomass in the improved soil type, but negatively affected this measure in the unimproved soil. In both soil types, herb species generally had negative effects on microbial biomass. Patterns for microbial activity were less consistent, but as with microbial biomass, A. odoratum and H. lanatus promoted respiration, whereas the herbs negatively affected this measure. All plant species grown in the improved soil increased the abundance of fatty acids synthesised by bacteria (bacterial phospholipid fatty acid analysis) relative to bare soil, but they negatively impacted on this group of fatty acids in unimproved soil. Similarly, the abundance of the fungal fatty acid 18:26 was increased by all plants in the more fertile improved soil only, albeit non-significantly. Our data indicate that effects of plant species on microbial properties differ markedly in soils of differing fertility, making general predictions about how individual plants impact on soil properties difficult to make.     

杭州西溪湿地大型底栖动物群落特征及与环境因子的关系

为揭示现阶段西溪湿地大型底栖动物群落现状及其对湿地生态保护工程的响应,于2009年8月至2010年5月对西溪湿地在3个不同时期建设的区域(Ⅰ区、Ⅱ区和Ⅲ区)中的大型底栖动物进行季度调查.共记录大型底栖动物3门8纲15科45种.霍甫水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri)、多毛管水蚓(Aulodrilus pluriseta)和梨形环棱螺(Bellamya purificata)是现阶段西溪湿地大型底栖动物的优势种.最早建设的Ⅰ区的环节动物密度在各季节均低于建设较晚的Ⅱ区和Ⅲ区,而软体动物的密度和生物量的变化趋势则相反;Ⅰ区大型底栖动物的总密度虽然与Ⅱ区和Ⅲ区没有明显差异,但总生物量、物种数、Margalef物种丰富度指数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数均显著上升.上述结果表明,西溪湿地生态保护工程早期建设区域的底栖动物多样性趋于增加,水生生态系统环境质量得以改善.ANOSIM分析显示,西溪湿地不同区域或季节间大型底栖动物群落结构均存在显著差异,且这些差异的主要贡献物种为多毛管水蚓(Aulodrilus pluriseta)和梨形环棱螺(Bellamya purificata),表明这两个优势物种对西溪湿地底栖环境变化反应敏感,可作为湿地环境评价的指示物种.BIO-ENV分析表明,水温是影响春季和夏季大型底栖动物群落结构的主要环境因子,水深是影响秋季和冬季大型底栖动物群落的主要因子,同时底泥总磷含量对解释大型底栖动物生物量和群落结构具有一定作用.