Stabilization mechanisms of organic matter in four temperate soils: Development and application of a conceptual model

Based on recent findings in the literature, we developed a process‐oriented conceptual model that integrates all three process groups of organic matter (OM) stabilization in soils namely (1) selective preservation of recalcitrant compounds, (2) spatial inaccessibility to decomposer organisms, and (3) interactions of OM with minerals and metal ions. The model concept relates the diverse stabilization mechanisms to active, intermediate, and passive pools. The formation of the passive pool is regarded as hierarchical structured co‐action of various processes that are active under specific pedogenetic conditions. To evaluate the model, we used data of pool sizes and turnover times of soil OM fractions from horizons of two acid forest and two agricultural soils. Selective preservation of recalcitrant compounds is relevant in the active pool and particularly in soil horizons with high C contents. Biogenic aggregation preserves OM in the intermediate pool and is limited to topsoil horizons. Spatial inaccessibility due to the occlusion of OM in clay microstructures and due to the formation of hydrophobic surfaces stabilizes OM in the passive pool. If present, charcoal contributes to the passive pool mainly in topsoil horizons. The importance of organo‐mineral interactions for OM stabilization in the passive pool is well‐known and increases with soil depth. Hydrophobicity is particularly relevant in acid soils and in soils with considerable inputs of charcoal. We conclude that the stabilization potentials of soils are site‐ and horizon‐specific. Furthermore, management affects key stabilization mechanisms. Tillage increases the importance of organo‐mineral interactions for OM stabilization, and in Ap horizons with high microbial activity and C turnover, organo‐mineral interactions can contribute to OM stabilization in the intermediate pool. The application of our model showed that we need a better understanding of processes causing spatial inaccessibility of OM to decomposers in the passive pool.     

Soil microbial and nutrient dynamics in a wet Arctic sedge meadow in late winter and early spring

Microbial activity is known to continue during the winter months in cold alpine and Arctic soils often resulting in high microbial biomass. Complex soil nutrient dynamics characterize the transition when soil temperatures approach and exceed 0 °C in spring. At the time of this transition in alphine soils microbial biomass declines dramatically together with soil pools of available nutrients. This pattern of change characterizes alpine soils at the winter-spring transition but whether a similar pattern occurs in Arctic soils, which are colder, is unclear. In this study amounts of microbial biomass and the availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) for microbial and plant growth in wet peaty soils of an Arctic sedge meadow have been determined across the winter-spring boundary. The objective was to determine the likely causes of the decline in microbial biomass in relation to temperature change and nutrient availability. The pattern of soil temperature at depths of 5-15 cm can be divided into three phases: below −10 °C in late winter, from −7 to 0 °C for 7 weeks during a period of freeze-thaw cycles and above 0 °C in early spring. Peak microbial biomass and nutrient availability occurred early in the freeze-thaw phase. Subsequently, a steady decrease in inorganic N occurred, so that when soil temperatures rose above 0 °C, pools of inorganic nutrients in soils were very low. In contrast, amounts of microbial C and soluble organic C and N remained high until the end of the period of freeze-thaw cycles, when a sudden collapse occurred in soluble organic C and N and in phosphatase activity, followed by a crash in microbial biomass just prior to soil temperatures rising consistently above 0 °C. Following this, there was no large pulse of available nutrients, implying that competition for nutrients from roots results in the collapse of the microbial pool.     

Assessing turnover of microbial biomass phosphorus: Combination of an isotopic dilution method with a mass balance model

Microbial biomass phosphorus (P) can play an important role in P cycling and availability to plants by acting as a source (remineralization) or sink (immobilization) of phosphate ions (iP). To assess the role of the microbial P pools, both the dynamics (i.e. the turnover) and the size of the microbial P pools were studied in forest soils. Combining an isotopic dilution method with a modelling approach, we showed the existence of two pools of microbial P with different dynamics and therefore of different importance in soil P availability and cycling. In particular, we showed that the largest pool of microbial P (80%) had a fast turnover (nine days). Microbial P increased with an increase in soil organic matter and represented up to 53% of total P in contrasting forest soils. By combining these results with the turnover times of microbial P obtained in the modelling study, we evaluated that 8.5-17.3 kg P ha⁻¹ of microbial P could turn over in a few days. This suggests that microbial biomass P is a potentially significant source of available iP, and that micro-organisms can play a major role in P cycling in the forest studied here. However, microbial biomass can also be in competition with the trees since most of the remineralized P could be immobilized again in the microbial turnover.     

Microbial processes controlling P availability in forest spodosols as affected by soil depth and soil properties

Because carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration is rising, increases in plant biomass and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems are expected. However, phosphorus (P) unavailability may disable any potential enhanced growth of plants in forest ecosystems. In response to P scarcity under elevated CO₂, trees may mine deeper the soil to take up more nutrients. In this scope, the ability of deep horizons of forest soils to supply available P to the trees has to be evaluated. The main objective of the present study was to quantify the relative contribution of topsoil horizons and deep horizons to P availability through processes governed by the activity of soil micro-organisms. Since soil properties vary with soil depth, one can therefore assume that the role of microbial processes governing P availability differs between soil layers. More specifically, our initial hypothesis was that deeper soil horizons could substantially contribute to total plant available P in forested ecosystems and that such contribution of deep horizons differs among sites (due to contrasting soil properties). To test this hypothesis, we quantified microbial P and mineralization of P in ‘dead’ soil organic matter to a depth of 120 cm in forest soils contrasting in soil organic matter, soil moisture and aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) oxides. We also quantified microbiological activity and acid phosphomonoesterase activity. Results showed that the role of microbial processes generally decreases with increasing soil depth. However, the relative contribution of surface (litter and 0–30 cm) and deep (30–120 cm) soil layers to the stocks of available P through microbial processes (51–62 kg P ha^?1) are affected by several soil properties, and the contribution of deep soil layers to these stocks vary between sites (from 29 to 59%). This shows that subsoils should be taken into account when studying the microbial processes governing P availability in forest ecosystems. For the studied soils, microbial P and mineralization of P in ‘dead’ soil organic matter particularly depended on soil organic matter content, soil moisture and, to a minor extent, Al oxides. High Al oxide contents in some sites or in deep soil layers probably result in the stabilization of soil organic compounds thus reducing microbiological activity and mineralization rates. The mineralization process in the litter also appeared to be P-limited and depended on the C:P ratio of soil organic matter. Thus, this study highlighted the effects of soil depth and soil properties on the microbial processes governing P availability in the forest spodosols.     

Ecosystem partitioning of N-glycine after long-term climate and nutrient manipulations, plant clipping and addition of labile carbon in a subarctic heath tundra

Low temperatures and high soil moisture restrict cycling of organic matter in arctic soils, but also substrate quality, i.e. labile carbon (C) availability, exerts control on microbial activity. Plant exudation of labile C may facilitate microbial growth and enhance microbial immobilization of nitrogen (N). Here, we studied ¹⁵N label incorporation into microbes, plants and soil N pools after both long-term (12 years) climate manipulation and nutrient addition, plant clipping and a pulse-addition of labile C to the soil, in order to gain information on interactions among soil N and C pools, microorganisms and plants. There were few effects of long-term warming and fertilization on soil and plant pools. However, fertilization increased soil and plant N pools and increased pool dilution of the added ¹⁵N label. In all treatments, microbes immobilized a major part of the added ¹⁵N shortly after label addition. However, plants exerted control on the soil inorganic N concentrations and recovery of total dissolved ¹⁵N (TD¹⁵N), and likewise the microbes reduced these soil pools, but only when fed with labile C. Soil microbes in clipped plots were primarily C limited, and the findings of reduced N availability, both in the presence of plants and with the combined treatment of plant clipping and addition of sugar, suggest that the plant control of soil N pools was not solely due to plant uptake of soil N, but also partially caused by plants feeding labile C to the soil microbes, which enhanced their immobilization power. Hence, the cycling of N in subarctic heath tundra is strongly influenced by alternating release and immobilization by microorganisms, which on the other hand seems to be less affected by long-term warming than by addition or removal of sources of labile C.     

Shifting microbial community structure across a marine terrace grassland chronosequence, Santa Cruz, California

Changes in the biomass and structure of soil microbial communities have the potential to impact ecosystems via interactions with plants and weathering minerals. Previous studies of forested long-term (1000s - 100,000s of years) chronosequences suggest that surface microbial communities change with soil age. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of long-term soil microbial community dynamics, especially for non-forested ecosystems and in subsurface soil horizons. We investigated soil chemistry, aboveground plant productivity, and soil microbial communities across a grassland chronosequence (65,000-226,000 yrs old) located near Santa Cruz, CA. Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) initially increased to a maximum and then decreased for the older soils. We used polar lipid fatty acids (PLFA) to investigate microbial communities including both surface (<0.1 m) and subsurface (≥0.2 m) soil horizons. PLFAs characteristic of Gram-positive bacteria and actinobacteria increased as a fraction of the microbial community with depth while the fungal fraction decreased relative to the surface. Differences among microbial communities from each chronosequence soil were found primarily in the subsurface where older subsurface soils had smaller microbial community biomass, a higher proportion of fungi, and a different community structure than the younger subsurface soil. Subsurface microbial community shifts in biomass and community structure correlated with, and were likely driven by, decreasing soil P availability and Ca concentrations, respectively. Trends in soil chemistry as a function of soil age led to the separation of the biological (≤1 m depth) and geochemical (>1 m) cycles in the old, slowly eroding landscape we investigated, indicating that this separation, commonly observed in tropical and subtropical ecosystems, can also occur in temperate climates. This study is the first to investigate subsurface microbial communities in a long-term chronosequence. Our results highlight connections between soil chemistry and both the aboveground and belowground parts of an ecosystem.     

Influence of <Superscript>15</Superscript>N-labeled ammonium sulfate and straw on nitrogen retention and supply in different fertility soils

Microbial immobilization/mineralization and mineral fixation/release of ammonium are important for N retention and supply. However, the rates of such processes vary among different fertility soils and fertilization management practices. Three long-term different fertilized soils were used to simulate a range in soil fertility level and incubated with different N amendments for 144 days. The dynamics of ¹⁵N derived from ammonium sulfate (AS) or straw in different soil N pools and the ammonium sulfate-N or straw-N retention and supply were studied. In the absence of straw, the amount of ammonium sulfate-N present as fixed ammonium was 1.1–3.5-fold higher than that present as soil microbial biomass N (SMBN), although ammonium sulfate-derived SMBN and its mineralization increased by increasing soil fertility level. Straw addition significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the relative importance of the SMBN pool on ammonium sulfate-N retention and supply compared with the fixed ammonium-N pool, and the former exceeded the latter in higher fertility soils. Regardless of soil fertility levels, straw addition significantly blocked the release of ammonium sulfate-N from the fixed ammonium-N pool. The SMBN pool was more important in straw-N retention and supply than the fixed ammonium-N pool, confirming that straw-N cycling depended more on biotic processes. The percentage of mineralized ammonium sulfate-N or straw-N from SMBN was higher than that released from fixed ammonium, indicating the higher availability of SMBN. Generally, the mineral fixation/release of ammonium was the main process for mineral fertilizer N retention and supply in the low fertility soil with or without straw addition, whereas microbial immobilization/mineralization became the main process in the high fertility soil with straw addition. Our results gave insights on the ammonium sulfate-N or straw-N retention and supply in different fertility soils, providing suggestions for optimizing straw management and synchronizing N supply with crop demand.     

The use of biological methods to determine the microbiological activity of soils under cultivation

Summary In Ap horizons of typical arable soils under cereals in Northwest Germany, biological activity was estimated by measuring microbial activity. Twelve soils on local farms and six soils on a research farm were analysed. Microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity were compared with the biological availability of P, an index describing the relationship among several P fractions that has been used in ecological agriculture. The correlation between the microbial biomass and dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity was strong but the correlation between the biological availability of P and the enzyme activities was weak. In contrast, in the farm fields, there was a significant correlation between the microbial biomass and the biological availability of P. The correlation between the biological availability of P and pH was highly significant (r=0.65–0.93^***). Explanations for these correlations are discussed and proposals for further investigations are made. (1) Is the pH effect a direct chemical one or an indirect biological one? (2) Which soil organisms affect the biological availability of P in contrast to the microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity? (3) Is the method suitable for the investigation of all arable soils?     

The effect of warming on the vulnerability of subducted organic carbon in arctic soils

Arctic permafrost soils contain large stocks of organic carbon (OC). Extensive cryogenic processes in these soils cause subduction of a significant part of OC-rich topsoil down into mineral soil through the process of cryoturbation. Currently, one-fourth of total permafrost OC is stored in subducted organic horizons. Predicted climate change is believed to reduce the amount of OC in permafrost soils as rising temperatures will increase decomposition of OC by soil microorganisms. To estimate the sensitivity of OC decomposition to soil temperature and oxygen levels we performed a 4-month incubation experiment in which we manipulated temperature (4–20 °C) and oxygen level of topsoil organic, subducted organic and mineral soil horizons. Carbon loss (C_LOSS) was monitored and its potential biotic and abiotic drivers, including concentrations of available nutrients, microbial activity, biomass and stoichiometry, and extracellular oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme pools, were measured. We found that independently of the incubation temperature, C_LOSS from subducted organic and mineral soil horizons was one to two orders of magnitude lower than in the organic topsoil horizon, both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This corresponds to the microbial biomass being lower by one to two orders of magnitude. We argue that enzymatic degradation of autochthonous subducted OC does not provide sufficient amounts of carbon and nutrients to sustain greater microbial biomass. The resident microbial biomass relies on allochthonous fluxes of nutrients, enzymes and carbon from the OC-rich topsoil. This results in a “negative priming effect”, which protects autochthonous subducted OC from decomposition at present. The vulnerability of subducted organic carbon in cryoturbated arctic soils under future climate conditions will largely depend on the amount of allochthonous carbon and nutrient fluxes from the topsoil.     

Stabilization of dissolved organic matter by sorption to the mineral soil

The main process by which dissolved organic matter (DOM) is retained in forest soils is likely to be sorption in the mineral horizons that adds to stabilized organic matter (OM) pools. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of degradation of sorbed OM and to investigate changes in its composition during degradation. DOM of different origins was sorbed to a subsoil and incubated for 1 year. We quantified mineralized C by frequent CO₂ measurements in the headspace of the incubation vessels and calculated mean residence times by a double exponential model. Mineralization of C of the corresponding DOM in solution was used as a control to estimate the extent of DOM stabilization by sorption. Changes in the composition of sorbed OM during the incubation were studied by spectroscopic (UV, fluorescence) and isotope (¹³C, ¹⁴C) measurements after hot-water extraction of OM.The fraction of sorbed organic C mineralized during the incubation was only one-third to one-sixth of that mineralized in solution. The mean residence time of the most stable OM sample was estimated to increase from 28 years in solution to 91 years after sorption. For highly degradable DOM samples, the portion of stable C calculated by a double exponential model nearly doubled upon sorption. With less degradable DOM the stability increased by only 20% after sorption. Therefore, the increase in stability due to sorption is large for labile DOM high in carbohydrates and relatively small for stable DOM high in aromatic and complex molecules. Nevertheless, in terms of stability the rank order of OM types after sorption was the same as in solution. Furthermore, the extent of sorption of recalcitrant compounds was much larger than sorption of labile compounds. Thus, sorptive stabilization of this stable DOM sample was four times larger than for the labile ones. We conclude that stabilization of OM by sorption depends on the intrinsic stability of organic compounds sorbed. We propose that the main stabilization processes are selective sorption of intrinsically stable compounds and strong chemical bonds to the mineral soil and/or a physical inaccessibility of OM to microorganisms. The UV, fluorescence and ¹³C measurements indicated that aromatic and complex compounds, probably derived from lignin, were preferentially stabilized by sorption of DOM. The ¹³C and ¹⁴C data showed that degradation of the indigenous OM in the mineral soil decreased after sorption of DOM. We estimated DOM sorption stabilizes about 24 Mg C ha⁻¹ highlighting the importance of sorption for accumulation and preservation of OM in soil.     

Effects of heating and autoclaving on sorption and desorption of phosphorus in some forest soils

A number of biological and chemical processes may affect soil phosphorus availability when forest fires occur, partly as a result of heating. We describe here a laboratory experiment to study the effects of soil heating on changes in sorption and desorption of P. Autoclaving was also included as an additional treatment of moist heating under pressure. Five forest soils (two Podzols, one Arenosol, one Luvisol and one Alisol) were heated to 60°C, 120°C and 250°C or autoclaved for 30 min. They were repeatedly extracted with Bray I and analysed for inorganic and organic P fractions. The desorbed P data were fitted to an asymptotic exponential equation to obtain the desorption rate and capacity parameters. Podzol and Arenosol soils showed a quick P desorption after heating, while Luvisol and Alisol soils showed a slow desorption rate. The immediate increase in available P that occurred after heating or autoclaving originated mostly from solubilisation of microbial metabolites and soil organic components. Autoclaving decreased P sorption capacity in all soils, but the effects of heating on P sorption differed among soils. Except for one of the soils, the low P-fixing soils (Podzol and Arenosol) showed a decrease in P sorption when heated to high temperatures, whereas the high P-fixing soils (Luvisol and Alisol) showed little changes after heating. Fire intensity and soil characteristics are important factors determining short-term and long-term soil P dynamics.     

Competitive sorption of microbial metabolites on an iron oxide mineral

A large fraction of soil organic matter (SOM) is composed of small molecules of microbial origin. However, the biotic and abiotic cycling of these nutrients is poorly understood and is a critical component of the global carbon cycle. Although there are many factors controlling the accessibility of SOM to microbes, sorption to mineral surfaces is among the most significant. Here, we investigated the competitive sorption of a complex pool of microbial metabolites on ferrihydrite, an iron oxide mineral, using a lysate prepared from a soil bacterium, Pseudomonas stutzeri RCH2. After a 24-h incubation with a range of mineral concentrations, more than half of the metabolites showed significant decreases in solution concentration. Phosphate-containing metabolites showed the greatest degree of sorption followed by dicarboxylates and metabolites containing both nitrogen and an aromatic moiety. Similar trends were observed when comparing sorption of metabolites with an equimolar metabolite mixture rather than a bacterial lysate. Interestingly, ectoine, lysine, two disaccharides and uracil were found not to sorb and may be more bioavailable in iron oxide-rich soils. Additionally, the highest-sorbing metabolites were examined for their ability to mobilize mineral-sorbed phosphate. All phosphate-containing metabolites tested and glutathione released phosphate from the mineral surface within 30 min of metabolite addition. These findings of preferential sorption behavior within a complex pool of microbial metabolites may provide insight into the cycling of SOM and specific nutrient availability. Finally, the release of highly-sorptive metabolites may be an underexplored mechanism utilized by microbial communities to gain access to limited environmental nutrients.     

The mineralization rate of black soil carbon in the deep layers of Japanese volcanic ash soil may be easily accelerated by labile carbon supply

ABSTRACT

The stability of black soil carbon in the deep layers of Japanese volcanic ash soil (i.e., buried A horizons) is often explained by its unique chemical (molecular structure) and physical (associated with short-range-order minerals) recalcitrance. However, the stability of black soil C in buried A horizons may be changed by labile C supply for soil microbes. Here, we hypothesized that the mineralization of black soil C in buried A horizons of Japanese volcanic ash soil could be easily accelerated by a supply of labile C (i.e., a priming effect; PE). To test our hypothesis, we investigated the direction and magnitude of the PE with a buried A horizon in Japan using ¹³C-labeled glucose (2.188 atom %) in a short-term (21 days) incubation study. We also investigated the effect of mineral nitrogen (N), which could contribute to microbial activity in this incubation study. We found that a positive PE occurred by glucose supply with (182%) or without (181%) mineral N input over the 21-day incubation, and its values were very similar to the PE ratios previously reported in other deep soils. The estimated mean residence time (MRT) of black soil C considering PE was clearly accelerated by glucose supply, regardless of mineral N input, compared with the initial soil MRT. These results strongly support our hypothesis that the mineralization rate of black soil C in buried A horizons is easily accelerated by a labile C supply, and it also demonstrates important implications for the effects of global warming on buried A horizons (e.g., increased root exudation, fine root biomass supply, and N deposition) in Japanese volcanic ash soils.     

Characterization of soil heavy metal pools in paddy fields in Taiwan: chemical extraction and solid-solution partitioning

Background, aim, and scope  Ongoing industrialization has resulted in an accumulation of metals like Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb in paddy fields across Southeast Asia. Risks of metals in soils depend on soil properties and the availability of metals in soil. At present, however, limited information is available on how to measure or predict the directly available fraction of metals in paddy soils. Here, the distribution of Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb in 19 paddy fields among the total, reactive, and directly available pools was measured using recently developed concepts for aerated soils. Solid-solution partitioning models have been derived to predict the directly available metal pool. Such models are proven to be useful for risk assessment and to derive soil quality standards for aerated soils. Material and methods  Soil samples (0–25 cm) were taken from 19 paddy fields from five different communities in Taiwan in 2005 and 2006. Each field was subdivided into 60 to 108 plots resulting in a database of approximately 3,200 individual soil samples. Total (Aqua Regia (AR)), reactive (0.43 M HNO₃, 0.1 M HCl, and 0.05 M EDTA), and directly available metal pools (0.01 M CaCl₂) were determined. Solid-solution partitioning models were derived by multiple linear regressions using an extended Freundlich equation using the reactive metal pool, pH, and the cation exchange capacity (CEC). The influence of Zn on metal partitioning and differences between both sampling events (May/November) were evaluated. Results  Total metals contents range from background levels to levels in excess of current soil quality standards for arable land. Between 3% (Cr) and 30% (Cd) of all samples exceed present soil quality standards based on extraction with AR. Total metal levels decreased with an increasing distance from the irrigation water inlet. The reactive metal pool relative to the total metal content is increased in the order Cr << Ni = Zn < Pb < Cu < Cd and ranged from less than 10% for Cr to more than 70% for Cd. Despite frequent redox cycles, Cd, Pb, and Cu appear to remain rather reactive. The methods to determine the reactive metal pool in soils yield comparable results, although the 0.43 M HNO₃ extraction is slightly stronger than HCl and EDTA. The close correlation between these methods suggests that they release similar fractions from soils, probably those reversibly sorbed to soil organic matter (SOM) and clay. The average directly available pool ranged from less than 1% for Cu, Pb, and Cr to 10% for Ni, Zn, and Cd when compared to the reactive metal pool. For Cd, Ni, Zn, and to a lesser extent for Cu and Pb, solid-solution partitioning models were able to explain up to 93% (Cd) of the observed variation in the directly available metal pool. CaCl₂ extractable Zn increased the directly available pool for Ni, Cd, and Cu but not that of Pb and Cr. In the polluted soils, the directly available pool was higher in November compared to that in May. Differences in temperature, rainfall, and changes in soil properties such as pH are likely to contribute to the differences observed within the year. The solid-solution partitioning model failed to explain the variation in the directly available Cr pool, probably because Cr is present in precipitates rather than being adsorbed onto SOM and clay. Despite obvious differences in parent material, source of pollution, climate, and land use, solid-solution partitioning of Cd in paddy fields studied here was similar to that in soils from Belgium and the Netherlands. Discussion  To assess risks of metals in soils, both analytical procedures as well as models are needed. The three methods tested here to determine the reactive metal pool are highly correlated and either of these can be used. The directly available pool was predicted most accurately by the 0.43 M HNO₃ method. The similarity of metal partitioning in paddy soils compared to well-drained soils suggests that changing redox conditions in paddy fields have a limited effect on the geochemical behavior of metals like Cd, Ni, and Zn. Small but significant differences in the directly available metal pool during the year suggest that redox cycles as well as differences in rainfall and temperature affect the size of the directly available metal pool. The large observed spatial heterogeneity of contaminant levels requires ample attention in the setup of soil monitoring programs. Conclusions  The directly available pool (0.01 M CaCl₂) of Cd, Zn, and Ni in paddy fields can be described well by an extended Freundlich model. For Cu and Pb, more information on dissolved organic carbon is needed to obtain a more accurate estimate of the directly available pool. Recommendations and perspectives  Soil testing protocols and models used in risk assessment consider the availability of pollutants rather than the total metal content. Results from extensive testing indicate that approaches developed for nontropical regions can be applied in paddy fields as well for metals like Cd, Ni, and Zn. This study shows that the chemical behavior under drained conditions in paddy fields is comparable to that observed in soils across the European Union, which allows regions with large scale soil pollution including Taiwan to apply such concepts to derive meaningful experimental protocols and models to assess risks of metals in soils.     

Using perlite as a substrate carrier for measuring microbial available phosphorus by respiration kinetics in soils

The release of CO₂ by soil microorganisms after the addition of nitrogen and glucose in excess and calibration additions of phosphorus has successfully been used to assess microbial available P, assuming the native soil P pool is then limiting respiration. However, in P-fixing soils and soils with high P content, carbon can be exhausted before the available soil P pool. It is not possible to simply increase the amount of glucose as then the glucose concentration would be lethal for microorganisms. A modified method was tested where soil is mixed with perlite. It was hypothesised that perlite, having a high water holding capacity, would dilute the concentration of glucose, while maintaining the bioavailability of added nutrients, thus avoiding carbon limitation. Factorial combinations of amount of soil and perlite (both adjusted to −25 kPa water potential) were tested to examine if perlite as such had any effect on the respiration. Five tropical soil samples with a sharp gradient in P availability and one N-limited compost material were used. The method successfully reduced the risk of carbon limitation. Microbial indices, such as basal respiration, substrate-induced respiration and maximum P-limited respiration, were directly proportional to the amount of soil in the experiments but unrelated to the amount of perlite, showing that perlite did not affect microbial measurements.     

Assessing the organic phosphorus status of an Oxisol under tropical pastures following native savanna using 31P NMR spectroscopy

³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, P fractionation, and a P sorption experiment were used to follow the changes in P in the A horizons (0–10 cm) of acid savanna soils, Colombia, after little P fertilization and 15 years' continuous growth of a grass (Brachiaria decumbens) and a grass/legume (B. decumbens+Pueraria phaseoloides) pasture. Ready P supply as analyzed by Bray P was low under native savanna (1.3 mg kg^-1 soil) and responded moderately on pasture establishment. Concurrently, the affinity of the soil for inorganic P declined slightly after pasture establishment. ³¹P NMR spectroscopy revealed that P associated with humic acids was dominated by monoester P followed by diester P. Smaller proportions were observed for phosphonates, teichoic acid P, orthophosphate, and pyrophosphate. P associated with fulvic acids had lower proportions of diester P and higher contents of orthophosphate. Under native savanna the reserves of labile organic P species (phosphonates and diester P including teichoic acid P) associated with humic and fulvic acids were 12.4 and 1.1 kg ha^-1, respectively, and increased to 18.1 and 1.8 kg ha^-1 under grass pasture, and to 19.5 and 2.3 kg ha^-1 under grass/legume pasture. These data emphasize the importance of labile organic P species in the P supply for plants in improved tropical pastures, and further indicate that humic acid P in particular responds to land-use changes within a relatively short time-scale. Earthworm casts were highly abundant in the B. decumbens+P. phaseoloides plot and were enriched in labile organic P species. We conclude that earthworm activity improves the P supply in soil under tropical pastures by creating an easily available organic P pool.Dedicated to Professor J.C.G. Ottow on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

The regulatory role of soil in the functioning of undisturbed biogeocenoses of the southern taiga

The results of complex investigations concerning the specific features of undisturbed southern taiga biogeocenoses’ functioning were summarized for the biogeocenoses at the Central Forest State Biosphere Nature Reserve (Tver oblast). In the soils of the different topographic elements, the water and temperature regimes and the pools of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the litter and mineral horizons were studied, as well as the rate of the falloff and litter decomposition in field and laboratory tests, the microbial biomass pool and structure, the abundance and diversity of the soil mesofauna, and the microbial transformation of the nitrogen compounds. In the biogeocenoses investigated, the transformation of carbon and nitrogen compounds is shown to be controlled by the biochemical composition of the falloff and the structure of the soil biota, which, in turn, are determined by the specific features of the water regime and the acid-base soil properties.     

Soil respiration characteristics of tropical soils from agricultural and forestry land-uses at Wondo Genet (Ethiopia) in response to C, N and P amendments

In most parts of tropical Africa, conversion of forests into agricultural lands is often accompanied by drastic changes in soil properties. However, little study has been done to examine changes in biological properties of soils from different land-uses in response to addition of C and nutrients. We conducted this study with the aim of investigating nutrient limitations for microbial activity in soils from agricultural (farm) and forest land-uses at Wondo Genet (Ethiopia) after amendment with C and limiting nutrients. We measured CO₂ respiration rates from the soils incubated in the laboratory before and after addition of glucose-C together with N and/or P in excess and/or limiting amounts. Based on the respiration kinetics, we determined the basal respiration (BR), substrate-induced respiration (SIR), specific-microbial growth rate (μ), respiration maxima (R_max), % of glucose-C respired, and microbially available N and P in the soils. We found that N was more limiting than P for the micro-biota in the soils considered, suggesting the presence of ample amounts of indigenous P that could be extracted by the micro-biota, if provided with C. Addition of P resulted in a respiration pattern with two peaks, presumably reflecting different N pools being available over time. The SIR, Respiration maxima, μ and microbially available P were higher in soils from the farm, while %C respired was higher in the forest, suggesting increased C costs for micro-biota to be able to utilize nutrients that are strongly bound to organic-matter or clay minerals. Depending on land-use, about 49-69% of added glucose-C was respired during two and a half weeks time, but differences between N or P additions were not significant. The correlation between soil physical and chemical properties and respiration parameters, however, depended on whether N or P was limiting. We concluded that examining the soil respiration kinetics could provide vital information on nutritional status of micro-organisms under different land-uses and on potential availability of nutrients to plants.     

Temporal variability in plant and soil nitrogen pools in a high-Arctic ecosystem

This study determined temporal variability in N pools, both aboveground and belowground, across two contrasting plant communities in high-Arctic Spitsbergen, Svalbard (78°N). We measured N pools in plant material, soil microbial biomass and soil organic matter in moist (Alopecurus borealis dominated) and dry (Dryas octopetala dominated) meadow communities at four times during the growing season. We found that plant, microbial and dissolved inorganic and organic N pools were subject to significant, but surprisingly low, temporal variation that was controlled primarily by changes in temperature and moisture availability over the short growing season. This temporal variability is much less than that experienced in other seasonally cold ecosystems such as alpine tundra where strong seasonal partitioning of N occurs between plant and soil microbial pools. While only a small proportion of the total ecosystem N, the microbial biomass represented the single largest of the dynamic N pools in both moist and dry meadow communities (3.4% and 4.6% of the total ecosystem N pool, respectively). This points to the importance of soil microbial community dynamics for N cycling in high-Arctic ecosystems. Microbial N was strongly and positively related to soil temperature in the dry meadow, but this relationship did not hold true in the wet meadow where other factors such as wetter soil conditions might constrain biological activity. Vascular live belowground plant parts represented the single largest plant N pool in both dry and moist meadow, constituting an average of 1.6% of the total N pool in both systems; this value did not vary across the growing season or between plant communities. Overall, our data illustrate a surprisingly low growing season variability in labile N pools in high-Arctic ecosystems, which we propose is controlled primarily by temperature and moisture.     

Microbial community abundance and structure are determinants of soil organic matter mineralisation in the presence of labile carbon

Altered rates of native soil organic matter (SOM) mineralisation in the presence of labile C substrate (‘priming’), is increasingly recognised as central to the coupling of plant and soil-biological productivity and potentially as a key process mediating the C-balance of soils. However, the mechanisms and controls of SOM-priming are not well understood. In this study we manipulated microbial biomass size and composition (chloroform fumigation) and mineral nutrient availability to investigate controls of SOM-priming. Effects of applied substrate (¹³C-glucose) on mineralisation of native SOM were quantified by isotopic partitioning of soil respiration. In addition, the respective contributions of SOM-C and substrate-derived C to microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were quantified to account for pool-substitution effects (‘apparent priming’). Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of the soils were determined to establish treatment effects on microbial community structure, while the ¹³C-enrichment of PLFA biomarkers was used to establish pathways of substrate-derived C-flux through the microbial communities. The results indicated that glucose additions increased SOM-mineralisation in all treatments (positive priming). The magnitude of priming was reduced in fumigated soils, concurrent with reduced substrate-derived C-flux through putative SOM-mineralising organisms (fungi and actinomycetes). Nutrient additions reduced the magnitude of positive priming in non-fumigated soils, but did not affect the distribution of substrate-derived C in microbial communities. The results support the view that microbial community composition is a determinant of SOM-mineralisation, with evidence that utilisation of labile substrate by fungal and actinomycete (but not Gram-negative) populations promotes positive SOM-priming.