Succession of plant and soil microbial communities with restoration of abandoned land in the Loess Plateau, China

Purpose

There have been a number of studies on the succession of vegetation; however, the succession of soil microbes and the collaborative relationships between microbes and vegetation during land restoration remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to characterize soil microbial succession and to explore the collaborative mechanisms between microbes and vegetation during the restoration of abandoned land through quantitative ecology methods.

Materials and methods

The present research was carried out in the succession of a 5-year abandoned land and its conversion to Hippophae rhamnoides shrubs, Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation, and a naturally regenerated forest (mixed forest). Soil bacterial, archaeal and fungal characteristics were tested by real-time quantitative PCR assays and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism. The richness, diversity, and evenness indices were employed to analyze plant and microbial communities’ structure. The stability of plant and microbial communities was tested using Spearman’s rank correlation. The relationships between the regeneration scenarios and environmental factors were determined through canonical correspondence analysis.

Results and discussion

The aboveground biomass was significantly different among the sites. Soil bacterial, archaeal, and fungal rRNA gene abundances did not increase significantly with increasing soil organic carbon content. There were higher correlation coefficients between plant and total microbial communities on the richness, diversity, and evenness indices and ratios of positive to negative association compared to ones between plant and individual bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Soil bulk density, clay, pH, and litter were the primary significant environmental factors affecting the structure of plant and microbial communities. The positive relationships between plant and soil bacteria, fungi, and total microbe communities, as well as the negative relationships between plant and archaea, were demonstrated.

Conclusions

The results suggested that plants promote the growth of soil bacteria and fungi during the process of community succession on a small scale; however, plants inhibit the growth of soil archaea.     

Responses of soil microbial communities and functions associated with organic carbon mineralization to nitrogen addition in a Tibetan grassland

Alpine grasslands with a high soil organic carbon(SOC)storage on the Tibetan Plateau are experiencing rapid climate warming and anthropogenic nitrogen(N)deposition;this is expected to substantially increase the soil N availability,which may impact carbon(C)cycling.However,little is known regarding how N enrichment influences soil microbial communities and functions relative to C cycling in this region.We conducted a 4-year field experiment on an alpine grassland to evaluate the effects of four different rates of N addition(0,25,50,and 100 kg N ha^-1 year^-1)on the abundance and community structure(phospholipid fatty acids,PLFAs)of microbes,enzyme activities,and community level physiological profiles(CLPP)in soil.We found that N addition increased the microbial biomass C(MBC)and N(MBN),along with an increased abundance of bacterial PLFAs,especially Gram-negative bacterial PLFAs,with a decreasing ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria.The N addition also stimulated the growth of fungi,especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,reducing the ratio of fungi to bacteria.Microbial functional diversity and activity of enzymes involved in C cycling(β-1,4-glucosidase and phenol oxidase)and N cycling(β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and leucine aminopeptidase)increased after N addition,resulting in a loss of SOC.A meta-analysis showed that the soil C/N ratio was a key factor in the response of oxidase activity to N amendment,suggesting that the responses of soil microbial functions,which are linked to C turnover relative to N input,primarily depended upon the soil C/N ratio.Overall,our findings highlight that N addition has a positive influence on microbial communities and their associated functions,which may reduce soil C storage in alpine grasslands under global change scenarios.     

Shifts in microbial diversity through land use intensity as drivers of carbon mineralization in soil

Land use practices alter the biomass and structure of soil microbial communities. However, the impact of land management intensity on soil microbial diversity (i.e. richness and evenness) and consequences for functioning is still poorly understood. Here, we addressed this question by coupling molecular characterization of microbial diversity with measurements of carbon (C) mineralization in soils obtained from three locations across Europe, each representing a gradient of land management intensity under different soil and environmental conditions. Bacterial and fungal diversity were characterized by high throughput sequencing of ribosomal genes. Carbon cycling activities (i.e., mineralization of autochthonous soil organic matter, mineralization of allochthonous plant residues) were measured by quantifying ¹²C- and ¹³C-CO₂ release after soils had been amended, or not, with ¹³C-labelled wheat residues. Variation partitioning analysis was used to rank biological and physicochemical soil parameters according to their relative contribution to these activities. Across all three locations, microbial diversity was greatest at intermediate levels of land use intensity, indicating that optimal management of soil microbial diversity might not be achieved under the least intensive agriculture. Microbial richness was the best predictor of the C-cycling activities, with bacterial and fungal richness explaining 32.2 and 17% of the intensity of autochthonous soil organic matter mineralization; and fungal richness explaining 77% of the intensity of wheat residues mineralization. Altogether, our results provide evidence that there is scope for improvement in soil management to enhance microbial biodiversity and optimize C transformations mediated by microbial communities in soil.     

Soil- and enantiomer-specific metabolism of amino acids and their peptides by Antarctic soil microorganisms

Most nitrogen (N) enters many Arctic and Antarctic soil ecosystems as protein. Soils in these polar environments frequently contain large stocks of proteinaceous organic matter, which has decomposed slowly due to low temperatures. In addition to proteins, considerable quantities of d-amino acids and their peptides enter soil from bacteria and lengthy residence times can lead to racemisation of l-amino acids in stored proteins. It has been predicted that climate warming in polar environments will lead to increased rates of soil organic N turnover (i.e. amino acids and peptides of both enantiomers). However, our understanding of organic N breakdown in these soils is very limited. To address this, we tested the influence of chain length and enantiomeric composition on the rate of breakdown of amino acids and peptides in three contrasting tundra soils formed under the grass, moss or lichen-dominated primary producer communities of Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands. Both d- and l-enantiomers of the amino acid monomer were rapidly mineralized to CO₂ at rates in line with those found for l-amino acids in many other terrestrial ecosystems. In all three soils, l-peptides were decomposed faster than their amino acid monomer, suggesting a different route of microbial assimilation and catabolism. d-peptides followed the same mineralization pattern as l-peptides in the two contrasting soils under grass and lichens, but underwent relatively slow decomposition in the soil underneath moss, which was similar to the soil under the grass. We conclude that the decomposition of peptides of l-amino acids may be widely conserved amongst soil microorganisms, whereas the decomposition of peptides of d-amino acids may be altered by subtle differences between soils. We further conclude that intense competition exists in soil microbial communities for the capture of both peptides and amino acids produced from protein breakdown.     

Spatial analysis reveals differences in soil microbial community interactions between adjacent coniferous forest and clearcut ecosystems

Knowledge of how forest management influences soil microbial community interactions is necessary for complete understanding of forest ecology. In this study, soil microbial communities, vegetation characteristics and soil physical and chemical properties were examined across a rectangular 4.57 × 36.58 m sample grid spanning adjacent coniferous forest and clearcut areas. Based on analysis of soil extracted phospholipid fatty acids, total microbial biomass, fungi and Gram-negative bacteria were found to be significantly reduced in soil of the clearcut area relative to the forest. Concurrent with changes in microbial communities, soil macroaggregate stability was reduced in the clearcut area, while no significant differences in soil pH and organic matter content were found. Variography indicated that the range at which spatial autocorrelation between samples was evident (patch size) was greater for all microbial groups analyzed in the clearcut area. Overall, less spatial structure could be resolved in the forest. Variance decomposition using principal coordinates of neighbor matrices spatial variables indicated that soil aggregate stability and vegetation characteristics accounted for significant microbial community spatial variation in analyses that included the entire plot. When clearcut and forest areas were analyzed separately, different environmental variables (pH in the forest area and soil organic matter in the clearcut) were found to account for variation in soil microbial communities, but little of this variation could be ascribed to spatial interactions. Most microbial variation explained by different components of microbial communities occurred at spatial scales other than those analyzed. Fungi accounted for over 50% of the variation in bacteria of the forest area but less than 11% in the clearcut. Conversely, AMF accounted for significant variation in clearcut area, but not forest, bacteria. These results indicate broadly disparate controls on soil microbial community composition in the two systems. We present multiple lines of evidence pointing toward shifts in fungi functional groups as a salient mechanism responsible for qualitative, quantitative and spatial distribution differences in soil microbial communities.     

Independent roles of ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic communities in soil organic matter decomposition

The relative roles of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and saprotrophic communities in controlling the decomposition of soil organic matter remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that ECM community structure and activity influences the breakdown of nutrient-rich biopolymers in soils, while saprotrophic communities primarily regulate the breakdown of carbon-rich biopolymers. To test this hypothesis, we used high-throughput techniques to measure ECM and saprotrophic community structure, soil resource availability, and extracellular enzyme activity in whole soils and on ECM root tips in a coastal pine forest. We found that ECM and saprotroph richness did not show spatial structure and did not co-vary with any soil resource. However, species richness of ECM fungi explained variation in the activity of enzymes targeting recalcitrant N sources (protease and peroxidase) in bulk soil. Activity of carbohydrate- and organic P- targeting enzymes (e.g. cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, α-glucosidase, hemicellulases, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase) was correlated with saprotroph community structure and soil resource abundance (total soil C, N, and moisture), both of which varied along the soil profile. These observations suggest independent roles of ECM fungi and saprotrophic fungi in the cycling of N-rich, C-rich, and P-rich molecules through soil organic matter. Enzymatic activity on ECM root tips taken from the same soil cores used for bulk enzyme analysis did not correlate with the activity of any enzyme measured in the bulk soil, suggesting that ECM contributions to larger-scale soil C and nutrient cycling may occur primarily via extramatrical hyphae outside the rhizosphere.     

Soil structural responses to alterations in soil microbiota induced by the dilution method and mycorrhizal fungal inoculation

This investigation examines the effect of manipulating soil microbial community composition and species richness on the development of soil structure over a seven month period in planted (with or without mycorrhizal fungi) and in unplanted macrocosms. The dilution method effectively resulted in soil communities with consistently contrasting levels of species (TRF) richness. In particular, the 10^?6 dilution of field soil resulted in less rich communities in bare unplanted soil than did the 10^?1 soil dilution. However, this was not the case in planted soils where root activity was a powerful influence on species richness. After seven months, principal components analysis (PCA) separated bacterial community composition primarily on planting regime; planted mycorrhizal, planted non-mycorrhizal and bare soil treatments all contained different bacterial community compositions. A consistent finding in planted and unplanted soils was that aggregate stability was positively correlated with small pore sizes. Mycorrhizal colonisation decreased plant biomass and also resulted in reduced soil bacterial species richness, lower percentage organic matter and smaller pore sizes relative to planted but non-mycorrhizal soils. However, soil aggregate stability and water repellency were increased in these (mycorrhizal) soils probably due to AMF hyphal activities including enmeshment and/or glomalin production. In contrast, bacterial TRF richness was positively correlated with aggregate stability in the bare and non-mycorrhizal planted soils. Soil organic carbon was an important factor in all treatments, but in the bare soil where there was no additional input of labile C from roots, the percentage C could be directly related to fungal TRF richness. The less species rich bare soil contained more organic C than the more species rich bare soil. This suggests a degree of redundancy with regard to mineralisation of organic matter when additional, more utilisable C sources are unavailable. Understanding the effects of microbial diversity on functional parameters is important for advancing sustainable soil management techniques, but it is clear that soil is a dynamic ecosystem.     

Humus structure during a spruce forest rotation: quantitative changes and relationship to soil biota

Temporal dynamics of edaphic communities affect numerous processes in forests and also strongly influence the soil's organic matter status. We have linked long-term changes in the formation of organic matter (using humus micromorphological analyses) to changes in the soil's community structure during a spruce forest cycle on acid soil. The study was carried out at four sites of different age-classes in the Tharandter forest, Germany. The composition of the deeper humus layers (OH, A) was stable. Herbaceous litter, recent spruce litter, fragmented spruce litter, decomposed litter and faeces and fungi, which contributed to the organic layer (OL and OH horizon), significantly changed during the forestry cycle, especially with the shift from the early stage to intermediate stages. Parallel changes of the faunal assemblage of the soil showed quantitative relations between major stages of the forest development, humus dynamics and soil community composition. The herbaceous litter was correlated with surface-dwelling Collembola and microbial properties with faeces and fungi. Our results suggest that the long-term stability of deep organic layers provides a refuge for decomposers and detritivores that allows a rapid response to both adverse and favourable conditions, taking place in OL and OF layers. Furthermore, the opening of the canopy in mature stands allows the decomposers to adapt to changes in resource input long before the collapse of the forest.     

Microbial community structure varies in different soil zones of a potato field

Analyses of phosholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and phospholipid etherlipids (PLEL) revealed differences in size and structure of microbial communities in the three soil zones of a potato field: ridge (RS), uncompacted interrow (IS), and tractor‐compacted interrow soil (CS). The quantity of phosholipid biomarker concentrations (= microbial biomass) showed large differences among different zones, when lipid contents were related to fresh soil volume instead of soil dry matter. Compaction of interrow soil caused an increase in bacterial and eukaryotic biomass, expressed as total PLFA concentration, as well as an increase in total archaeal biomass, expressed as total PLEL concentration and caused a decrease in the fungi‐to‐bacteria ratio. Due to the higher waterfilled pore space (an indirect measure for reduced O₂ availability) in CS, a more pronounced anaerobic microbial community was estimated than in IS, which serves as an explanation for the elevated N₂O fluxes in this soil zone. Apart from the effect of O₂ availability, microbial communities, especially populations of aerobic bacteria, ascinomycetes, fungi, algae, protozoa, and aerobic archaea responded to organic matter composition in the individual zones. Only in RS PLEL derived cyclic isoprenoids were found, which presumably indicate root‐colonizing archaea. Following principal component analyses of specific biomarker profiles, the assumed substrate effect had the strongest influence on the differences in microbial community structure between the three soil zones.     

半干旱区湿地植物群落α多样性分析——以宁夏盐池为例

 以宁夏盐池四儿滩湿地为例,以重要值为基础数据,采用丰富度指数、综合多样性指数、均匀度指数对湿地生态系统α多样性沿湿地—干草原梯度变化及样线间的差异进行对比分析,同时进行相关环境因子探讨。结果表明:同一样线内,受土壤含水量、全盐含量和土壤养分等因子影响,多样性指数与丰富度指数、均匀度指数变化趋势一致,交错带最大,其次是旱生带,最小为湿生带。由于受人为活动及地形地貌影响程度的不同,样线间植物α多样性差异较大。南样线的丰富度指数最大,其次为西北样线,西样线最小;多样性指数与均匀度指数变化趋势一致,西北样线最大,西样线次之,南样线最小。     

不同基肥对黄瓜根际土壤微生物群落多样性的影响

分别以RAPD分子生物学方法和BIOLOG生理学方法,研究了不同基肥对黄瓜根际土壤微生物群落DNA序列多样性和群落功能多样性的影响。结果表明,在本试验条件下,基肥为75000 kg/hm2有机肥处理和75000 kg/hm2有机肥加300 kg/hm2复合肥处理最好;基肥为600 kg/hm2复合肥处理而使土壤微生物群落DNA序列丰富度指数和多样性指数显著下降,与对照的DNA序列相似系数最低;有机肥处理有利于土壤微生物群落DNA序列多样性、均匀度和黄瓜产量的提高。此外,不同基肥处理改变了土壤微生物对单一碳源的利用能力。     

沙漠腹地人工绿地土壤微生物变异与土壤环境因子关系的研究

通过野外采样与室内分析,研究了不同定植年限下塔里木沙漠公路防护林人工绿地土壤微生物的变异规律及其与土壤物理和化学因子间的关系。结果表明:随林龄的增加,土壤微生物数量明显增加,土壤养分含量有所提高,土壤肥力状况明显改善;在土壤微生物的区系组成中,细菌为优势种,占微生物总数的80%以上,放线菌次之,而真菌最少,不到微生物总数的0.1%;土壤微生物数量受土壤环境因子的影响,其中土壤容重、总孔隙度、含水量、有机质和全氮、全磷、全钾及速效氮、速效磷、速效钾含量与细菌、放线菌和真菌的数量均存在极显著相关关系;防护林建设后土壤颗粒逐渐细化。说明防护林的定植促进了咸水灌溉条件下风沙土的发育,土壤质量提高,利于植物的生长,塔里木沙漠公路防护林防风固沙效益明显。     

温度和秸秆质量调节与秸秆分解相关的微生物磷脂脂肪酸（PLFA）组成

Variations in temperature and moisture play an important role in soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. However, relationships between changes in microbial community composition induced by increasing temperature and SOM decomposition are still unclear. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of temperature and moisture levels on soil respiration and microbial communities involved in straw decomposition and elucidate the impact of microbial communities on straw mass loss. A 120-d litterbag experiment was conducted using wheat and maize straw at three levels of soil moisture (40%, 70%, and 90% of water-holding capacity) and temperature (15, 25, and 35°C). The microbial communities were then assessed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. With the exception of fungal PLFAs in maize straw at day 120, the PLFAs indicative of Gram-negative bacteria and fungi decreased with increasing temperatures. Temperature and straw C/N ratio significantly affected the microbial PLFA composition at the early stage, while soil microbial biomass carbon (C) had a stronger effect than straw C/N ratio at the later stage. Soil moisture levels exhibited no significant effect on microbial PLFA composition. Total PLFAs significantly influenced straw mass loss at the early stage of decomposition, but not at the later stage. In addition, the ratio of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial PLFAs was negatively correlated with the straw mass loss. These results indicated that shifts in microbial PLFA composition induced by temperature, straw quality, and microbial C sources could lead to changes in straw decomposition.     

Soil bacterial and fungal communities along a soil chronosequence assessed by fatty acid profiling

Microbial communities are important components of terrestrial ecosystems. The importance of their diversity and functions for natural systems is well recognized. However, a better understanding of successional changes of microbial communities over long time scales is still required. In this work, the size and composition of microbial communities in soils of a deglaciation chronosequence at the Damma glacier forefield were studied by fatty acid profiling. Soil fatty acid concentrations clearly increased with soil age. The abundances of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), bacteria and other soil fungi, however, were more affected by abiotic soil parameters like carbon content and pH than by soil age. Analysis of ratios of the different microbial groups (AMF, fungi, bacteria) along the soil chronosequence indicated that: i) the ratios of AMF to bacteria and AMF to fungi decreased with soil age; and ii) the ratio of fungi to bacteria remained unchanged along the soil chronosequence. These two pieces of evidence suggest that the evolution of this ecosystem proceeds at an uneven pace over time and that the role of AMF is less important in older, more organic and acidified soils than in mineral soils. In contrast to other studies, no successional replacement of bacteria with fungi in more acidified and organic soil was observed.     

Soil microbial communities and extracellular enzyme activity in the New Jersey Pinelands

We have much to learn about the roles of various groups of soil microorganisms in the decomposition of soil organic matter. Any changes in the type or amount of organic matter entering the soil, due to increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and elevated carbon dioxide, could directly affect soil microbial community structure or the decompositional functions performed by the various microbial groups. We experimentally altered soil microbial communities using a factorial combination of trenching and in-growth bags crossed with fertilization treatments consisting of two forms of inorganic N and three N-containing organic molecules of increasing molecular weight and complexity. We tested three hypotheses: (1) Different components of soil microbial communities change in different ways following the application of fertilization treatments; (2) soil fungi decrease with increased inorganic N but increase following the application of organic molecules; and (3) activity of the extracellular enzymes peroxidase and phenol oxidase, which are important in lignin degradation, decrease following the addition of inorganic N. We found that the abundance of soil microbes and their composition (measured by lipid analysis) was significantly altered following the addition of glutamic acid, but not with inorganic N or more complex N-containing organic molecules. Lipids indicative of ectomycorrhizal fungi experienced the greatest increase in abundance. Extracellular enzyme activity, in contrast, changed very little and did not parallel changes in the structure of the soil microbial community that resulted from the isolation treatments. We conclude that small additions of N-containing organic compounds can cause changes in the structure of the soil microbial community but that community changes do not necessarily have an impact on extracellular enzyme activity.     

不同施肥制度对稻田土壤微生物的影响研究

湖南省进行了18年土壤肥力与施肥效益监测的长期定位试验,就3个定位点不同施肥制度对稻田土壤微生物的影响进行了研究。结果表明,长期施肥土壤的有机质含量与细菌总数及放线菌总数之间无直接相关,土壤有机质含量的高低并不能作为评价土壤微生物多少的指标;真菌数量可反映土壤的肥力水平,土壤真菌数量可用来评价不同施肥制度的效果。施用30%有机肥和习惯施肥处理的氮素养分和硝化细菌数量较多,硝化细菌数量与有机质含量也无相关;长期施用大量有机肥(60%)的土壤反硝化细菌数量高于其它施肥处理,这可能与长期使用大量有机肥后土壤氧化还原电位降低有关。硫化细菌和反硫化细菌数量与土壤有机质含量无直接相关性,施肥可影响土壤硫素的供应。施用单质氮肥多的土壤,氨化细菌数量较多,而有机肥施用量高的土壤,氨化细菌数量较少。无肥区的土壤微生物活度最低,60%有机肥处理的土壤微生物活度最高。土壤有机质含量高,土壤微生物活度也高,两者呈正相关。保持农业土壤的健康要从多方面来进行联合调控,而不是单纯的采用某一农业技术来进行。     

‘Decomposer’ Basidiomycota in Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems

Current knowledge concerning ‘decomposer’ Basidiomycota in Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems is based on two sources: (a) collections and surveys of basidiomata, which have resulted in high-quality catalogues of species, although much of the species’ distribution and ecology are tentative and (b) isolations from soils and plant litter which typically result in a “low incidence of basidiomycetes” [Dowding, P., Widden, P., 1974. Some relations between fungi and their environment in tundra regions. In: Holding, A.J., Heal, O.W., MacLean Jr., S.F., Flanagan, P.W. (Eds.), Soil Organisms and Decomposition in Tundra. Tundra Biome Steering Committee, Stockholm, Sweden, pp. 123–150], probably because of selectivity in isolation methods. In the few molecular studies carried out in Arctic and Antarctic soils to date, basidiomycetes, particularly yeasts, have been found. These techniques should give better estimates of the order of magnitude of fungal species richness in Arctic and Antarctic soils, although caution should be used concerning primer choice and amplification conditions. From collections in Arctic regions, species of basidiomycetes appear to be circumpolar in distribution with restricted endemism. Using culture-independent methods, it should be possible to test whether selected Arctic or Antarctic species are truly cosmopolitan, circumpolar, endemic, or are cryptic phylogenetic species.Particularly in Arctic ecosystems, potential ‘decomposer’ fungi in soils and roots may be from phylogenetically diverse taxa, and currently it is unclear whether ‘decomposer’ basidiomycetes are the fungi undertaking the majority of organic matter decomposition in Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. For example, in some recent studies, wood decomposition in cold Arctic and Antarctic sites appears to proceed via ‘soft rot’ by anamorphic ascomycetes (e.g. Cadophora species), rather than by ‘white rot’ or ‘brown rot’ basidiomycete species. Additionally, it appears basidiomycetes and ascomycetes as ericoid and ectomycorrhizal fungi have the potential to be involved directly in decomposition.Given that profound changes are likely to occur in patterns of vegetation (Arctic and Antarctic) and size of soil carbon (C) pools (particularly in the Arctic) by the end of this century, it is necessary to know more about which species of ‘decomposer’ basidiomycetes are present and to try to define their potentially pivotal roles in ecosystem C (and N) cycling. One solution to characterise further the identity and roles of these fungi in a logical way, is to standardise methods of detection and ‘function’ at networks of sites, including along latitudinal gradients. Results of functional tests should be related to community structure, at least for ‘key’ species.     

吉兰泰盐湖周边不同沙化程度植被群落与土壤养分特征研究

选取吉兰泰盐湖周边4种不同程度的沙化土壤,对其植被群落特征与土壤养分含量进行测定,分析不同沙化程度植被群落特征、土壤养分含量垂直分布特征以及植被群落与土壤养分含量之间的相关性。结果表明:(1)随着沙化程度的加剧,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数与Margalef丰富度指数均不断下降,植被群落结构趋于简单化;(2)随着沙化程度的加剧,土壤有机质与速效养分含量总体呈降低趋势;(3)土壤有机质、速效磷、速效钾均与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数呈显著正相关;碱解氮与Margalef丰富度指数呈显著正相关。对不同沙化程度植被群落特征和土壤养分的研究为吉兰泰盐湖区天然植被恢复与重建及盐湖保产、高产提供科学依据。     

Organic matter quality of a forest soil subjected to repeated drying and different re‐wetting intensities

Extended drought periods followed by heavy rainfall may increase in many regions of the Earth, but the consequences for the quality of soil organic matter and soil microbial communities are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of repeated drying and re‐wetting on microbial communities and the quality of particulate and dissolved organic matter in a Haplic Podzol from a Norway spruce stand. After air‐drying, undisturbed soil columns were re‐wetted at different intensities (8, 20 and 50 mm per day) and time intervals, so that all treatments received the same amount of water per cycle (100 mm). After the third cycle, SOM pools of the treatments were compared with those of non‐dried control columns. Lignin phenols were not systematically affected in the O horizons by the treatments whereas fewer lignin phenols were found in the A horizon of the 20‐ and 50‐mm treatments. Microbial biomass and the ratio of fungi to bacteria were generally not altered, suggesting that most soil microorganisms were well adapted to drying and re‐wetting in this soil. However, gram‐positive bacteria and actinomycetes were reduced whereas gram‐negative bacteria and protozoa were stimulated by the treatments. The increase in the (cy 17: 0 + cy 19: 0)/(16:1ω7c + 18:1ω7c) ratio indicates physiological or nutritional stress for the bacterial communities in the O, A and B horizons with increasing re‐wetting intensity. Drying and re‐wetting reduced the amount of hydrolysable plant and microbial sugars in all soil horizons. However, CO₂ and dissolved organic carbon fluxes could not explain these losses. We postulate that drying and re‐wetting triggered chemical alterations of hydrolysable sugar molecules in organic and mineral soil horizons.     

Micro-scale distribution of microorganisms and microbial enzyme activities in a soil with long-term organic amendment

Microbial ecology is the key to understanding the function of biodiversity for organic matter cycling in the soil. We have investigated the impacts of farmyard manure added over 120 years on organic matter content, enzyme activities, total microbial biomass and structure of microbial populations in several particle‐size fractions of a Luvic Phaeozem a few kilometres northeast of Halle, Germany. We compared two treatments: no fertilization (control) and 12 t farmyard manure (FYM) ha^?1 year^?1 since 1878. The fine fractions contained most C and N, microbial biomass, total amount of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and greatest invertase activity. Xylanase activity as well as fungal biomass increased only gradually with diminishing particle size, whereas the relative abundance of fungi decreased with diminishing particle size. The least diversity of the soil microbial community, indicated by the smallest Shannon index based on the abundance and amount of different PLFAs and small number of terminal restriction fragments (T‐RFs) of 16S rRNA genes, was in the sand fractions. The results supported the hypothesis that this microhabitat is colonized by a less complex bacterial community than the silt and clay fractions. Addition of FYM had enhanced the amount of organic matter, total microbial biomass, and xylanase and invertase activity, and induced a shift of the microbial community towards a more bacteria‐dominated community in the coarse sand fraction. Microbial communities in finer fractions were less affected by addition of FYM.