Glomalin-related soil protein responses to elevated CO2 and nitrogen addition in a subtropical forest: Potential consequences for soil carbon accumulation

According to the economy theory, plants should preferentially allocate photosynthate to acquire below-ground resources under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (eCO₂) but decrease below-ground C allocation when nitrogen (N) is sufficient for plant growth. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) represent a critical mechanism of below-ground nutrient acquisition for plants. The dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could therefore reflect the response of plant C allocation under eCO₂ and N addition. We examined the responses of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) to eCO₂ (approximately 700 μmol mol⁻¹ CO₂) and/or N addition (100 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ as NH₄NO₃) in a modeled subtropical forest to better understand its potential influence on soil C storage. We hypothesized that GRSP would increase under eCO₂ and decrease under N addition. Furthermore, the positive effects of eCO₂ on GRSP would be offset by extra N addition, and GRSP would remain unchanged under combined eCO₂ and N addition. Our results showed that the mean concentrations of easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) and total GRSP (T-GRSP) were 0.35 ± 0.05 and 0.72 ± 0.13 mg C cm⁻³, respectively, which accounted for 2.76 ± 0.53% and 5.67 ± 0.92% of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased T-GRSP by 35.02% but decreased EE-GRSP by 5.09% in the top 10 cm soil layer. The opposite responses of T-GRSP and EE-GRSP to eCO₂ might result from an unchanged photosynthate investment to AMF with possible changes in their decomposition rates. The effect of N on GRSP was contrary to our hypothesis, i.e., there was a 1.72%–48.49% increase in T-GRSP and a slightly increase in EE-GRSP. Both EE-GRSP and T-GRSP concentrations increased under the combination of eCO₂ and N addition, which was inconsistent with our hypothesis. The significant increase of EE-GRSP under the combination of eCO₂ and N addition was partly caused by more rapid plant growth and reduced microbial diversity, and the marginal increase of T-GRSP indicated that the interaction between eCO₂ and N addition offset their independent effects. In addition, the relatively higher accumulation ratios of GRSP (22.6 ± 13.6%) compared with SOC (15.9 ± 9.4%) indicated that more rapid GRSP deposition in the soil might accelerate SOC accumulation under eCO₂ and N addition. Our results will improve the understanding of the functioning of GRSP in soil C sequestration under global environmental change scenarios.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi and glomalin-related soil protein drive the distributions of carbon and nitrogen in a large scale

Purpose

Arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi (AM-like fungi) are crucial for ecosystem functioning and soil organic matter (SOM) is an indicator of soil quality. However, the spatial distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi, glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and SOM in a large scale is still unclear. The objectives of this study were to investigate the spatial distribution of SOM, arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi and GRSP, and reveal the potential relationship among them in a large scale across China.

Materials and methods

Soil samples (different in vegetation type, climate, and soil variables) were collected from 26 sites in a large scale across China. The soil properties including pH, total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and SOM were determined. Quantitative PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA gene was conducted to evaluate the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi. The contents of easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP), difficultly extractable GRSP (DE-GRSP), and total GRSP (T-GRSP) were measured.

Results and discussion

Arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi abundance was significantly affected by the vegetation type and dramatically correlated with the soil TN and mean annual precipitation (MAP). EE-GRSP and DE-GRSP were more associated with the TC and TN content, respectively. The abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi significantly but weakly correlated with the T-GRSP and EE-GRSP. The SOM content positively correlated with the DE-GRSP and T-GRSP. Those results suggested that the arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi are a larger contributor to regulating the content of GRSP, which is an important indicator of the soil organic carbon pool.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal-like fungi abundance has a greater contribution to driving the distribution of soil C and N in a large scale by affecting the content of glomalin-related soil protein.

     

南京典型利用方式土壤中球囊霉素含量及剖面分布特征

采用Brad-ford染色法研究了南京市5种典型利用方式土壤不同土层中(0~10、10~20、20~40 cm)球囊霉素的含量。结果表明:土壤中总球囊霉素含量为1.96~3.12 mg/g,占土壤有机碳的12.5%~29.0%,所占比例随土壤有机碳含量的增加而降低。林地和草地土壤中球囊霉素和有机碳的含量均高于3种耕作土壤(水稻田、茶园土和菜园土)。随着土层深度(0~40 cm)的增加,5种不同利用方式土壤中总球囊霉素和有机碳的含量均减小;与其他土层相比,0~10 cm土层总球囊霉素和有机碳含量均最大。耕作土壤中易提取球囊霉素更易于向总球囊霉素转化。发现5种土地利用方式下土壤中总球囊霉素含量与土壤有机碳含量极显著正相关,与土壤p H显著负相关;易提取球囊霉素与土壤有机碳含量极显著负相关。总球囊霉素和易提取球囊霉素可作为评价土壤丛枝菌根真菌活性和土壤质量的重要指标。     

Decreased glomalin-related soil protein with nitrogen deposition in a 3-year-old Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation

Purpose

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) is an essential component of soil organic C for maintaining soil quality and structure and plays a critical role in soil carbon (C) sequestration. However, how GRSP changes under nitrogen (N) deposition remains poorly understood.

Materials and methods

We assessed total GRSP (T-GRSP) and easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) under a control (no N input), low N addition (LN, 40 kg N ha^?1 year^?1), and high N addition (HN, 80 kg N ha^?1 year^?1) treatments in 2015 and 2016 in a Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation in the subtropical China. We also analyzed soil properties contents and explored the stoichiometric ratios of soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) with GRSPs.

Results

Compared to the control, both T-GRSP and EE-GRSP were significantly reduced under the HN treatment, but had no significant difference under the LN treatment. The ratio of T-GRSP and EE-GRSP was reduced by the N addition. Soil organic C (SOC) and dissolved organic C (DOC) were significantly affected by N addition treatments. The ratios of GRSP-C to SOC and of EEGRSP-C to SOC ranged from 6.29 to 16.07% and 1.34 to 3.52%, respectively. T-GRSP and EE-GRSP were positively correlated with SOC/TN ratio, but negatively correlated with soil TN/TP and SOC/TP ratios.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that the GRSP reductions under N deposition in soil are mediated by soil C, N, and P stoichiometry, and particularly, the reduction of EE-GRSP by DOC. This study improved our mechanistic understanding of dynamics of GRSPs under increasing N enrichment in subtropical plantation ecosystems.

     

晋西黄土区典型人工植被对土壤球囊霉素和团聚体稳定性的影响

[目的]阐明晋西黄土区典型人工植被类型对球囊霉素相关土壤蛋白(GRSP)和团聚体稳定性的影响,以及两者之间的关系,为黄土高原地区人工植被建设与管理提供科学依据。[方法]选取晋西三川河流域4种典型人工植被(苜蓿、刺槐、侧柏和核桃),以农地为对照,分析0—100cm土层中GRSP组分、有机碳(SOC)和团聚体稳定性指标在不同植被类型下的分布差异及其相关性。[结果]不同植被类型下易球囊霉素(EE-GRSP)、总球囊霉素(T-GRSP)以及两者的比值在0—30cm土层存在显著差异,均以核桃地最高,而苜蓿地较低。不同植被下EE-GRSP/SOC和T-GRSP/SOC均随着土层深度增加而增加,分别为1.78～6.77,4.07～19.11。与农地相比,侧柏和苜蓿地分别增加了39.67%,36.62%的EE-GRSP/SOC以及39.25%和46.70%的T-GRSP/SOC,而核桃分别减少了31.07%和36.93%。平均重量直径与T-GRSP和SOC呈显著正相关关系,而与EE-GRSP/SOC呈显著负相关关系(p0.05)。[结论]不同人工植被对表层土壤GRSP的组分有明显影响,土壤团聚体稳定性不仅与GRSP的组分有关,也与其对SOC的贡献有重要关系。     

Losses of glomalin-related soil protein under prolonged arable cropping: A chronosequence study in sandy soils of the South African Highveld

Residues of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may be important for agroecosystem functioning due to their ability to promote soil aggregation, especially in coarse textured soils with little biomass input and low capacity to conserve soil organic matter (SOM). Our aim was to assess the fate of AMF residues with prolonged arable cropping in coarse textured soils in a subtropical savannah assuming that glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), especially the MAb32B11-immunoreactive fraction, mainly constitutes material of AMF origin. In three agroecosystems on the South African Highveld, surface soils were sampled. The former grassland soils had a history of up to 98 yr of cropping. We measured four GRSP fractions: Bradford-reactive soil protein (BRSP) and immunoreactive soil protein (IRSP), and easily extractable fractions of both. The primary grassland sites exhibited generally low contents of SOM and low GRSP contents. Prolonged arable land use of former grassland soils reduced the content of GRSP further. The decline could be described with a mono-exponential function with rate constants ranging from 0.04 to 0.41 yr⁻¹. Depending on the GRSP fraction, steady-state conditions were reached after 11-92 yr on a level of 39-69% of the initial contents. We conclude that even though GRSP fractions had the same hypothesized origin, they comprised pools with different stability or replacement rate. Easily extractable IRSP was lost most rapidly. In contrast to carbon, nitrogen and microbial residue dynamics, GRSP contents were not reduced below a certain steady-state level, despite potentially negative management effects on AMF, such as tillage, inclusion of fallows into crop rotation and fertilization with inorganic phosphorus. The steady-state GRSP contents coincided with low, but steady agroecosystem yields under the given cropping management.     

Glomalin-related soil protein and water relations in mycorrhizal citrus (Citrus tangerina) during soil water deficit

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), a glycoprotein of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) secreted into soil, governs the aggregate stability, but the role of GRSP in soil and plant water is sparsely studied. The 24-week-old red tangerine (Citrus tangerina) inoculated with Glomus etunicatum and G. mosseae were subjected to a soil drying for 12 days as soil water deficit (SWD). Length of SWD significantly reduced mycorrhizal colonization, soil hyphal length, and leaf and soil water potential (Ψ), but increased total GRSP (T-GRSP), easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP), and proportion of water-stable aggregates (WSAs) in >0.25 mm size, irrespective of AMF source. The AMF-inoculated seedlings showed significantly higher T-GRSP, EE-GRSP, and leaf/soil Ψ than non-AMF seedlings during SWD. A significantly positive correlation was observed for mycorrhizal colonization versus leaf or soil Ψ, and hyphal length versus leaf Ψ, suggesting that root intra- and extra-radical hyphae participated in water transport. Interestingly, in GRSP fractions, only T-GRSP was significantly positively correlated with 0.25–1 and >0.25 mm WSA and negatively with leaf and soil Ψ. These results revealed a strong glue function of T-GRSP (not EE-GRSP and hyphae) to alter the proportional distribution of WSA size, thereby aiding toward prevention of soil water loss for improving soil–plant water relations.     

Fluorescence detection of aluminum in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal structures and glomalin using confocal laser scanning microscopy

Arbuscular mycorrhizal spores and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) isolated from acid soils were analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for Al detection. Mycorrhizal structures of Glomus intraradices produced under in vitro conditions as well as spores and GRSP from neutral and Cu-polluted soils were used as contrasting criteria. Spores and GRSP from soils with 7 and 70% Al saturation showed autofluorescence which increased especially at the highest soil Al level and when Al³⁺ solution was added. G. intraradices spores showed fluorescence only when exogenous Al³⁺ was added. On the contrary, spores and GRSP from neutral and Cu-polluted soils showed little or no significant fluorescence. This fluorescence shown by fungal structures and GRSP when subjected to high Al (of endogenous or exogenous origin) suggest a high capacity for Al immobilization, which could be an effective way to reduce Al activity and phytotoxicity in acid soils.     

Minimal direct contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to DOC leaching in grassland through losses of glomalin-related soil protein

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have multiple influences on ecosystem C cycling, but most research has focused on ecosystem C gains. We explore here the possibility of direct contributions of AMF to ecosystem C losses, namely via leaching of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). We tested the hypothesis that GRSP, an operationally defined SOM pool to which AMF contribute (especially as evidenced with monoclonal antibody MAb32B11-based detection), is mobile in soils and can be lost in leachate. For two New Zealand soils, we showed that only insignificant amounts of GRSP were lost: a maximum of 0.03% of MAb32B11-immunoreactive GRSP present in soils was lost during the week-long experiment, representing a minute fraction of total leachate dissolved organic carbon (0.06%). Our data showed that this pathway of C loss may be relatively unimportant in many soils. However, other indirect contributions of AMF to soil C losses remain yet to be explored.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi contribute to C and N enrichment of soil organic matter in forest soils

Increasing evidence suggests that accretion of microbial turnover products is an important driver for isotopic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) enrichment of soil organic matter (SOM). However, the exact contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to soil isotopic patterns remains unknown. In this study, we compared ¹³C and ¹⁵N patterns of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), which includes a main fraction derived from AMF, litter, and bulk soil in four temperate rainforests. GRSP was an abundant C and N pool in these forest soils, showing significant ¹³C and ¹⁵N enrichment relative to litter and bulk soil. Hence, cumulative accumulation of recalcitrant AMF turnover products in the soil profile likely contributes to ¹³C and ¹⁵N enrichment in forest soils. Further research on the relationship between GRSP and AMF should clarify the exact extent of this process.     

Plant invasion of native grassland on serpentine soils has no major effects upon selected physical and biological properties

Plant invasions alter soil microbial community composition; this study examined whether invasion-induced changes in the soil microbial community were reflected in soil aggregation, an ecosystem property strongly influenced by microorganisms. Soil aggregation is regulated by many biological factors including roots, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal hyphae, and microbially-derived carbon compounds. We measured root biomass, fungal-derived glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), and aggregate mean weight diameter in serpentine soils dominated by an invasive plant (Aegilops triuncialis (goatgrass) or Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle)), or by native plants (Lasthenia californica and Plantago erecta, or Hemizonia congesta). Root biomass tended to increase in invaded soils. GRSP concentrations were lower in goatgrass-dominated soils than native soils. In contrast, starthistle dominated soil contained a higher amount of one fraction of GRSP, easily extractable immunoreactive soil protein (EE-IRSP) and a lower amount of another GRSP fraction, easily extractible Bradford reactive soil protein (EE-BRSP). Soil aggregation increased with goatgrass invasion, but did not increase with starthistle invasion. In highly aggregated serpentine soils, small increases in soil aggregation accompanying plant invasion were not related to changes in GRSP and likely have limited ecological significance.     

Exogenous easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein improves drought tolerance of trifoliate orange

Mycorrhiza-released glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) influences rhizosphere properties, but it is not clear whether exogenous GRSP enhances drought tolerance of plants. In this work, easily extracted GRSP (EE-GRSP) was isolated from Satsuma mandarin soil, and half-strength EE-GRSP (0.007 mg protein mL^?1) was weekly applied into rhizosphere of potted trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) exposed to well watered (WW) and drought stress (DS). After four months, EE-GRSP-treated seedlings exhibited significantly higher plant growth (plant height, leaf number and fresh weight) and root growth-related parameters (lateral root numbers and root morphology) than non-EE-GRSP-treated seedlings under both WW and DS conditions. Exogenous EE-GRSP generally significantly increased leaf water potential, net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO₂ concentration, while dramatically decreased leaf temperature, regardless of soil water status. The seedlings treated with exogenous EE-GRSP observed significantly higher activities of leaf Fe-SOD and root Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Fe-SOD than untreated control under DS. Leaf abscisic acid, indole-acetic acid and methyl jasmonate concentrations were significantly higher in EE-GRSP-treated seedlings than untreated control under DS. This work firstly reported that exogenous application of EE-GRSP improved drought tolerance of trifoliate orange, thereby, offering a strong possibility in favour of EE-GRSP to be used as a plant growth regulator.     

Fluorescence detection of aluminum in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal structures and glomalin using confocal laser scanning microscopy

Arbuscular mycorrhizal spores and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) isolated from acid soils were analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for Al detection. Mycorrhizal structures of Glomus intraradices produced under in vitro conditions as well as spores and GRSP from neutral and Cu-polluted soils were used as contrasting criteria. Spores and GRSP from soils with 7 and 70% Al saturation showed autofluorescence which increased especially at the highest soil Al level and when Al³⁺ solution was added. G.intraradices spores showed fluorescence only when exogenous Al³⁺ was added. On the contrary, spores and GRSP from neutral and Cu-polluted soils showed little or no significant fluorescence. This fluorescence shown by fungal structures and GRSP when subjected to high Al (of endogenous or exogenous origin) suggest a high capacity for Al immobilization, which could be an effective way to reduce Al activity and phytotoxicity in acid soils.     

Chemical characteristics of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) extracted from soils of varying organic matter content

Glomalin is described in the literature as a N-linked glycoprotein and the putative gene product of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Since the link between glomalin and various protein fractions in soil is not yet clearly defined, glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) more appropriately describes glomalin's existence in natural organic matter (NOM). The objective of this study was to examine the chemical characteristics of GRSP present in several mineral and organic soils of varying organic carbon content. GRSP was isolated using high temperature sodium citrate extraction followed by either trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or hydrochloric acid (HCl) precipitation. GRSP was characterized by quantitative solid-state ¹³C DPMAS NMR, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and the Bradford assay for protein content. GRSP accounted for 25% and 52% of total C in the mineral soils and organic soil, respectively. Molar C/N and H/C ratios reveal that GRSP has less nitrogen than bovine serum albumin (BSA), and that GRSP extracted from the Pahokee peat soil possessed a more unsaturated, and thus aromatic character relative to the mineral soil GRSP, respectively. GRSP's high aromatic (42-49%) and carboxyl (24-30%) carbon contents and low aliphatic (4-11%) and carbohydrate-type carbon contents (4-16%) suggests that GRSP does not resemble a typical glycoprotein. In fact, the NMR spectra of GRSP closely resemble that of humic acid. GRSP extracted from mineral and organic soils possessed the same NMR fingerprint regardless of the precipitation method used (i.e., either TCA or HCl). It is likely that the current GRSP extraction methods, because of their similarity to the method used to extract humic acid, are coextracting both materials.     

Characterization of glomalin as a hyphal wall component of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) produce a protein, glomalin, quantified operationally in soils as glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). GRSP concentrations in soil can range as high as several mg g⁻¹ soil, and GRSP is highly positively correlated with aggregate water stability. Given that AMF are obligate biotrophs (i.e. depending on host cells for their C supply), it is difficult to explain why apparently large amounts of glomalin would be produced and secreted actively into the soil, since the carbon could not be directly recaptured by the mycelium (and benefits to the AMF via increased soil structure would be diffuse and indirect). This apparent contradiction could be resolved by learning more about the pathway of delivery of glomalin into soil; namely, does this occur via secretion, or is glomalin tightly bound in the fungal walls and only released after hyphae are being degraded by the soil microbial community? In order to address this question, we grew the AMF Glomus intraradices in in vitro cultures and studied the release of glomalin from the mycelium and the accumulation of glomalin in the culture medium. Numerous protein-solubilizing treatments to release glomalin from the fungal mycelium were unsuccessful (including detergents, acid, base, solvents, and chaotropic agents), and the degree of harshness required to release the compound (autoclaving, enzymatic digestion) is consistent with the hypothesis that glomalin is tightly bound in hyphal and spore walls. Further, about 80% of glomalin (by weight) produced by the fungus was contained in hyphae and spores compared to that released into the culture medium, strongly suggesting that glomalin arrives mainly in soil via release from hyphae, and not primarily through secretion. These results point research on functions of glomalin and GRSP in a new direction, focusing on the contributions this protein makes to the living mycelium, rather than its role once it is released into the soil.     

Changes in soil aggregation and glomalin-related soil protein content as affected by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are key organisms of the soil/plant system, influencing soil fertility and plant nutrition, and contributing to soil aggregation and soil structure stability by the combined action of extraradical hyphae and of an insoluble, hydrophobic proteinaceous substance named glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). Since the GRSP extraction procedures have recently revealed problems related to co-extracting substances, the relationship between GRSP and AM fungi still remains to be verified. In this work the hypothesis that GRSP concentration is positively correlated with the occurrence of AM fungi was tested by using Medicago sativa plants inoculated with different isolates of Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices in a microcosm experiment. Our results show that (i) mycorrhizal establishment produced an increase in GRSP concentration - compared to initial values - in contrast with non-mycorrhizal plants, which did not produce any change; (ii) aggregate stability, evaluated as mean weight diameter (MWD) of macroaggregates of 1-2 mm diameter, was significantly higher in mycorrhizal soils compared to non-mycorrhizal soil; (iii) GRSP concentration and soil aggregate stability were positively correlated with mycorrhizal root volume and weakly correlated with total root volume; (iv) MWD values of soil aggregates were positively correlated with values of total hyphal length and hyphal density of the AM fungi utilized.The different ability of AM fungal isolates to affect GRSP concentration and to form extensive and dense mycelial networks, which may directly affect soil aggregates stability by hyphal enmeshment of soil particles, suggests the possibility of selecting the most efficient isolates to be utilized for soil quality improvement and land restoration programs.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizas improve plant growth and soil structure in trifoliate orange under salt stress

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a biostimulant enhance salt tolerance in plants, while the informations regarding AMF-induced changes in soil structure are only available to a limited degree. In this study, trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings were inoculated with Diversispora versiformis under 100 mM NaCl for 85 days. The salt stress considerably inhibited mycorrhizal colonization by 26%, compared with non-salt stress. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, shoot biomass, and root biomass, length, surface area, and volume in comparison to non-mycorrhizal inoculation under salt stress or non-salt stress. Mycorrhization induced significantly higher production of easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EE-GRSP), and total glomalin-related soil protein (T-GRSP), higher percentage of water-stable aggregates (WSAs) in 0.25–0.50, 0.50–1.00, and 1.00–2.00 mm size, and lower in 2.00–4.00 mm size, regardless of non-salt stress or salt stress. Mycorrhizal soils represented higher aggregate stability (in terms of mean weight diameter) under salt and non-salt stress, which was related with root colonization, root surface area, root volume, EE-GRSP, and T-GRSP. The better soil structure by mycorrhization provided higher leaf water potential under salt stress. It suggests that mycorrhizas had a positive contribution to improve plant growth and soil structure, thereby enhancing salt tolerance.     

Washing agents from sewage sludge: efficiency of Cd removal from highly contaminated soils and effect on soil organic balance

Purpose

To compare Cd removal from different soils with three washing agents recovered from sewage sludge (dissolved organic matter (DOM), soluble humic-like substances (HLS), soluble humic substances (SHS)). Also, to investigate how washing with these agents changes soil organic-matter composition (OM).

Materials and methods

Sandy clay loam (S1) and clay (S2) highly contaminated with Cd (300 mg kg^?1) were washed with DOM, HLS, or SHS solutions at various pHs, and with various washing times and washing modes (single or double). Cd distribution and OM composition were determined (including content of humic substances (HS), fulvic fraction (FF), labile humic acids (L-HA), and stable humic acids (S-HA)).

Results and discussion

Cd removal proceeded with pseudo-second-order kinetics. Equilibrium was reached in 30 min (S1) and 60 min (S2). DOM, HLS, and SHS removed 75–82% of Cd from S1, and 80–87% from S2. The most mobile fraction of Cd was removed after one wash. S2 retained more OM, including HS, than S1. Although washing did not change the HA/FF ratio in most variants, washing with DOM and HLS increased the percentage of L-HA in both soils. Washing with SHS increased S-HA content in both soils, but the percent content of S-HA was similar to that in the unwashed soil.

Conclusions

DOM, HLS, and SHS derived from sewage sludge can effectively remediate clay and sandy clay soils highly contaminated with Cd. Washing with an SHS solution can increase the content of the most stable carbon forms (HA), which is beneficial for carbon sequestration in remediated soils.

     

接种菌根真菌影响青菜中铅镉的累积和迁移

Heavy metal(HM) contamination in soils is an environmental issue worldwide that threatens the quality and safety of crops and human health. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the growth, mycorrhizal colonization, and Pb and Cd accumulation of pakchoi(Brassica chinensis L. cv. Suzhou) in response to inoculation with three arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi(AMF), Funneliformis mosseae, Glomus versiforme, and Rhizophagus intraradices, aimed at exploring how AMF inoculation affected safe crop production by altering plant-soil interaction. The symbiotic relationship was well established between pakchoi and three AMF inocula even under Pb or Cd stress, where the colonization rates in the roots ranged from 24.5% to 38.5%. Compared with the non-inoculated plants, the shoot biomass of the inoculated plants increased by 8.7%–22.1% and 9.2%–24.3% in Pb and Cd addition treatments, respectively. Both glomalin-related soil protein(GRSP) and polyphosphate concentrations reduced as Pb or Cd concentration increased. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation significantly enhanced total absorbed Pb and Cd(except for a few samples) and increased the distribution ratio(root/shoot) in pakchoi at each Pb or Cd addition level. However, the three inocula significantly decreased Pb concentration in pakchoi shoots by 20.6%–67.5% in Pb addition treatments, and significantly reduced Cd concentration in the shoots of pakchoi in the Cd addition treatments(14.3%–54.1%), compared to the non-inoculated plants.Concentrations of Pb and Cd in the shoots of inoculated pakchois were all below the allowable limits of Chinese Food Safety Standard.The translocation factor of Pb or Cd increased significantly with increasing Pb or Cd addition levels, while there was no significant difference among the three AMF inocula at each metal addition level. Meanwhile, compared with the non-inoculated plants, AMF inocula significantly increased soil p H, electrical conductivity, and Pb or Cd concentrations in soil organic matter in the soils at the highest Pb or Cd dose after harvest of pakchoi, whereas the proportion of bioavailable Pb or Cd fraction declined in the AMF inoculated soil. Our study provided the first evidence that AM fungi colonized the roots of pakchoi and indicated the potential application of AMF in the safe production of vegetables in Pb or Cd contaminated soils.