Reciprocal transfer of carbon and nitrogen by decomposer fungi at the soil-litter interface

We have investigated whether decomposer fungi translocate litter-derived C into the underlying soil while simultaneously translocating soil-derived inorganic N up into the litter layer. We also located and quantified where the translocated C is deposited within the soil aggregate structure. When ¹³C-labeled wheat straw was decomposed on the surface of soil amended with ¹⁵N-labeled inorganic N, we found that C and N were reciprocally transferred by fungi, with a significant quantity (121-151 μg C g⁻¹ whole soil) of litter-derived C being deposited into newly formed macroaggregates (>250 μm sized aggregates). Fungal inhibition reduced fungal biomass and the bidirectional C and N flux by approximately 50%. The amount of litter-derived C found in macroaggregates was positively correlated with litter-associated fungal biomass. This fungal-mediated litter-to-soil C transfer, which to our knowledge has not been demonstrated before for saprophytic fungi, may represent an important mechanism by which litter C enters the soil and becomes stabilized as soil organic matter within the macroaggregate structure.     

Low levels of nitrogen addition stimulate decomposition by boreal forest fungi

Climate warming and associated increases in nutrient mineralization may increase the availability of soil nitrogen (N) in high latitude ecosystems, such as boreal forests. These changes in N availability could feed back to affect the decomposition of litter and organic matter by soil microbes. Since fungi are important decomposers in boreal forest ecosystems, we conducted a 69-day incubation study to examine N constraints on fungal decomposition of organic substrates common in boreal ecosystems, including cellulose, lignin, spruce wood, spruce needle litter, and moss litter. We added 0, 20, or 200 μg N to vials containing 200 mg substrate in factorial combination with five fungal species isolated from boreal soil, including an Ascomycete, a Zygomycete, and three Basidiomycetes. We hypothesized that N addition would increase CO₂ mineralization from the substrates, particularly those with low N concentrations. In addition we predicted that Basidiomycetes would be more effective decomposers than the other fungi, but would respond weakly or negatively to N additions. In support of the first hypothesis, cumulative CO₂ mineralization increased from 635 ± 117 to 806 + 108 μg C across all fungal species and substrates in response to 20 μg added N; however, there was no significant increase at the highest level of N addition. The positive effect of N addition was only significant on cellulose and wood substrates which contained very little N. We also observed clear differences in the substrate preferences of the fungal species. The Zygomycete mineralized little CO₂ from any of the substrates, while the Basidiomycetes mineralized all of the substrates except spruce needles. However, the Ascomycete (Penicillium) was surprisingly efficient at mineralizing spruce wood and was the only species that substantially mineralized spruce litter. The activities of β-glucosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase were strongly correlated with cumulative respiration (r = 0.78 and 0.74, respectively), and Penicillium was particularly effective at producing these enzymes. On moss litter, the different fungal species produced enzymes that targeted different chemical components. Overall, our results suggest that fungal species specialize on different organic substrates, and only respond to N addition on low N substrates, such as wood. Furthermore, the response to N addition is non-linear, with the greatest substrate mineralization at intermediate N levels.     

外源氮素和凋落物添加对温带森林土壤氨基糖转化特征的影响

   温带森林土壤氨基糖的转化特征对外源氮素和凋落物加入的响应研究,对于温带森林土壤氮素管理和缓解氮沉降所带来的负面影响具有重要的意义。   采用室内恒温恒湿模拟培养的方法,研究了外源氮素和凋落物添加条件下温带森林土壤有机层中 3 种微生物来源的氨基糖含量的变化特征,并利用真菌和细菌来源氨基糖的比值（氨基葡萄糖/胞壁酸）,分析了外源物质添加条件下真菌和细菌残留物对土壤氮素转化和积累的相对贡献。   温带森林有机层土壤中不同微生物来源氨基糖对外源物质加入的响应不同。单施氮素以及氮素与凋落物同时添加均有利于细菌残留物胞壁酸的积累,但是单施氮素添加对真菌残留物氨基葡萄糖含量的积累没有影响,且氮素与凋落物同时添加不利于氨基葡萄糖含量的积累。氨基半乳糖对外源物质添加的响应较小。真菌残留物的稳定性高于细菌残留物,氮素与凋落同时加入时不利于土壤微生物残留物的稳定性。此外,土壤中真菌和细菌来源氨基糖的比值受到外源物质加入的影响,单施氮素以及氮素与凋落物添加降低了氨基葡萄糖/胞壁酸比值（分别降低28.3%和30.5%）,两种外源物质加入时细菌残留物对氮素转化的相对贡献大于真菌残留物。   外源氮素和凋落物加入改变了温带森林有机层土壤微生物残留物的转化过程。     

新疆棉花长期连作对土壤真菌群落结构组成的影响

土传性真菌病害给新疆连作棉花造成巨大损失,为了解新疆地区棉花在长期连作过程中土壤真菌群落结构演替与作物产量的增减及病虫害的发作规律。本文利用18S r RNA-PCR-DGGE法对比研究了新疆石河子棉区分别连作0 a(未开垦土壤)、1 a、3 a、5 a、10 a、15 a和20 a棉田0~40 cm范围内4个不同深度土壤中真菌群落组成的变化规律。结果表明,相同深度的土壤样品中真菌群落结构随着连作年限的延长Shannon-Weiner多样性指数、丰富度指数和均匀度指数都表现为不同程度下降后又增加并达到新的稳定状态,其中11~20 cm深度的样品下降最多、最快。聚类分析结果表明,相同深度的土壤样品随连作年限延长也表现出快速变化后并达到新的稳定状态,其中不同深度样品中真菌群落受影响最大的连作年限不同。主成分分析显示,连作年限对真菌群落结构形成直接影响,但随着连作年限延长,样品中真菌群落结构的变化趋缓,甚至有恢复迹象。部分DGGE条带回收、测序并比对后发现,100%的序列信息都属于未培养真菌。整体上连作棉田真菌群落结构变化及演替规律与棉花连作有很强的关联性。     

A comparison of trenched plot techniques for partitioning soil respiration

Partitioning the soil surface CO₂ flux (R_S) flux is an important step in understanding ecosystem-level carbon cycling, given that R_S is poorly constrained and its source components may have different sensitivities to climate change. Trenched plots are an inexpensive but labor-intensive method of separating the R_S flux into its root (autotrophic) and soil (heterotrophic) components. This study tested if various methods of plant suppression in trenched plots affected R_S fluxes, quantified the R_S response to soil temperature and moisture changes, and estimated the heterotrophic contribution to R_S. It was performed in a boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) plantation, using a randomized complete block design, during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Trenched plots had significantly lower R_S than control plots, with differences appearing ∼100 days after trenching; spatial variability doubled immediately after trenching but then declined throughout the experiment. Most trenching treatments had significantly lower (by ∼0.5 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹) R_S than the controls, and there was no significant difference in R_S among the various trenching treatments. Soil temperature at 2 cm explained more R_S variability than did 10-cm temperature or soil moisture. Temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) declined in the control plots from ∼2.6 (at 5 °C) to ∼1.6 (at 15 °C); trenched plots values were higher, from 3.1 at 5 °C to 1.9 at 15 °C. We estimated R_S for the study period to be 241 ± 40 g C m⁻², with live roots contributing 64% of R_S after accounting for fine root decay, and 293 g C m⁻² for the entire year. These findings suggest that laborious hand weeding of trenched plot vegetation may be replaced by other methods, facilitating future studies of this large and poorly-understood carbon flux.     

Net fluxes of CO2, but not N2O or CH4, are affected following agronomic-scale additions of urea to prairie and arable soils

While experimental addition of nitrogen (N) tends to enhance soil fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), it is not known if lower and agronomic-scale additions of urea-N applied also enhance trace gas fluxes, particularly for semi-arid agricultural lands in the northern plains. We aimed to test if this were true at agronomic rates [low (11 kg N ha⁻¹), moderate (56 kg N ha⁻¹), and high (112 kg N ha⁻¹)] for central North Dakota arable and prairie soils using intact soil cores to minimize disturbance and simulate field conditions. Additions of urea to cores incubated at 21 °C and 57% water-filled pore space enhanced fluxes of CO₂ but not CH₄ and N₂O. At low, moderate, and high urea-N, CO₂ fluxes were significantly greater than control but not fluxes of CH₄ and N₂O. The increases in CO₂ emission with rate of urea-N application indicate that agronomic-scale N inputs may stimulate microbial carbon cycling in these soils, and that the contribution of CO₂ to net greenhouse gas source strength following fertilization of semi-arid agroecosystems may at times be greater than contributions by N₂O and CH₄.     

Does variability in litter quality determine soil microbial respiration in an Amazonian rainforest?

Tree species-rich tropical rainforests are characterized by a highly variable quality of leaf litter input to the soil at small spatial scales. This diverse plant litter is a major source of energy and nutrients for soil microorganisms, particularly in rainforests developed on old and nutrient-impoverished soils. Here we tested the hypothesis that the variability in leaf litter quality produced by a highly diverse tree community determines the spatial variability of the microbial respiration process in the underlying soil. We analyzed a total of 225 litter-soil pairs from an undisturbed Amazonian rainforest in French Guiana using a hierarchical sampling design. The microbial respiration process was assessed using substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and compared to a wide range of quality parameters of the associated litter layer (litter nutrients, carbon forms, stoichiometry, litter mass and pH). The results show that the variability of both litter quality and SIR rates was more important at large than at small scales. SIR rates varied between 1.1 and 4.0 μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and were significantly correlated with litter layer quality (up to 50% of the variability explained by the best mixed linear model). Total litter P content was the individual most important factor explaining the observed spatial variation in soil SIR, with higher rates associated to high litter P. SIR rates also correlated positively with total litter N content and with increasing proportions of labile C compounds. However, contrary to our expectation, SIR rates were not related to litter stoichiometry. These data suggest that in the studied Amazonian rainforest, tree canopy composition is an important driver of the microbial respiration process via leaf litter fall, resulting in potentially strong plant-soil feedbacks.     

Soil amino acid composition across a boreal forest successional sequence

Soil amino acids are important sources of organic nitrogen for plant nutrition, yet few studies have examined which amino acids are most prevalent in the soil. In this study, we examined the composition, concentration, and seasonal patterns of soil amino acids across a primary successional sequence encompassing a natural gradient of plant productivity and soil physicochemical characteristics. Soil was collected from five stages (willow, alder, balsam poplar, white spruce, and black spruce) of the floodplain successional sequence on the Tanana River in interior Alaska. Water-extractable amino acid composition and concentration were determined by HPLC. Irrespective of successional stage, the amino acid pool was dominated by glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, asparagine, alanine, and histidine. These six amino acids accounted for approximately 80% of the total amino acid pool. Amino acid concentrations were an order of magnitude higher in coniferous-dominated late successional stages than in early deciduous-dominated stages. The composition and concentration of amino acids were generally constant throughout the growing season. The similar amino acid composition across the successional sequence suggests that amino acids originate from a common source or through similar biochemical processes. These results demonstrate that amino acids are important components of the biogeochemical diversity of nitrogen forms in boreal forests.     

Elevated enzyme activities in soils under the invasive nitrogen-fixing tree Falcataria moluccana

Like other N-fixing invasive species in Hawaii, Falcataria moluccana dramatically alters forest structure, litterfall quality and quantity, and nutrient dynamics. We hypothesized that these biogeochemical changes would also affect the soil microbial community and the extracellular enzymes responsible for carbon and nutrient mineralization. Across three sites differing in substrate texture and age (50-300 years old), we measured soil enzyme activities and microbial community parameters in native-dominated and Falcataria-invaded plots. Falcataria invasion increased acid phosphatase (AP) activities to >90 μmol g⁻¹ soil h⁻¹ compared to 30-60 μmol g⁻¹ soil h⁻¹ in native-dominated stands. Extracellular enzymes that mineralize carbon and nitrogen also increased significantly under Falcataria on the younger substrates. By contrast, total microbial biomass and mycorrhizal abundance changed little with invasion or substrate. However, fungal:bacterial ratios declined dramatically with invasion, from 2.69 and 1.35 to <0.89 on the 50- and 200-year-old substrates, respectively. These results suggest that Falcataria invasion alters the composition and function of belowground soil communities in addition to forest structure and biogeochemistry. The increased activities of AP and other enzymes that we observed are consistent with a shift toward phosphorus limitation and rapid microbial processing of litterfall C and N following Falcataria invasion.     

Seasonal nitrification measurements with different species of forest litter applied to granite-sand-filled lysimeters in the field

Summary The biodegradation of litter from Festuca silvatica, Abies pectinata, Fagus silvatica, Calluna vulgaris, Picea abies associated with forest brown acid soils or with podzolic soils was studied in field lysimeters filled with granite sand. Analysis of the leachates collected during 2 years made it possible to determine NO _inf3 ^sup- , NH _inf4 ^sup+ , and soluble organic N production in order to investigate the specific influence of the different species of litter on the mineralization of organic N and the variations in nitrification. With Festuca silvatica (grass), active nitrification was observed after the addition of fresh litter in autumn (fall of leaves). Nitrification remained significant in winter, reached a maximum in spring until early summer, and then decreased after mineralization of the easily mineralizable organic N. Nitrification was the major N transformation process in this litter. The addition of fresh litter of Abies pectinata (fir), Fagus silvatica (beech), Calluna vulgaris (heather), and Picea abies (spruce) in autumn induced an inhibition of nitrification during winter and spring. With these litter species, nitrification started again by the end of spring and was at a maximum in summer and autumn until leaf fall. By comparison with Festuca, inhibition observed in winter and spring with the other litter species was definitely due to the chemical composition of the leaves. Simultaneously, a lower C mineralization of these plant material occured. These litter species, in particular Calluna and Picea released leachates containing significant amounts of soluble organic N that were only slightly decomposed. We conclude that NO _inf3 ^sup- production outside of the plant growth period can definitely be involved in soil acidification and weathering processes.     

Importance of Soil Organic Matter (SOM) for Biomass Production and Environment (a review)

The aim of sustainable agricultural land use is to reach high and rising crop yields and to minimise environmental pollution. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a key role in maintaining soil productivity and also in protection of environment. At least two SOM fractions can be distinguished, one being relatively inert, the other being decomposable. High yields are only attainable on an environmentally acceptable way in combination of organic and mineral fertilization. The ranges for the optimal content of the decomposable organic carbon is between 0.2 and 0.6% and that of nitrogen 0.02 and 0.06%. The hot water extractable carbon has proved to be an appropriate criterion for the characterisation of the decomposable carbon. When considering the current state of knowledge consistently, the use of mineral fertiliser has a positive effect on the environment and supports a considerable gain of energy by the cultivated crops. Too high humus content in soil can contribute to environmental pollution. Between organic carbon content and soil physical properties there is nearly functional relation.     

不同施肥方式下土壤氨氧化细菌的群落特征

为了研究长期定位施肥对棕壤中氨氧化细菌（ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,AOB）种群结构多样性和垂直分布特征的影响,本研究采用化学分析、荧光定量PCR（qPCR）和变性梯度凝胶电泳（PCR-DGGE）技术,针对沈阳农业大学试验区不同施肥方式（不施肥、低量无机氮肥、高量无机氮肥、无机氮肥与有机肥配施）下不同土壤深度（0~20 cm、20~40 cm、40~60 cm）的土壤理化性质、AOB丰度及种群多样性进行分析,比较不同施肥方式对土壤AOB种群的影响。结果显示,与不施肥相比,施肥会降低土壤pH,增加土壤铵态氮（70.5%~939.21%）和硝态氮（253.20%~625.48%）含量。随土壤深度增加,土壤pH升高,铵态氮和硝态氮含量除低量无机氮肥处理外,多呈降低趋势。土壤增施氮肥可提高AOB丰度,降低总细菌丰度。其中,0~20 cm土层中AOB丰度较高,且高量无机氮肥处理的AOB数量最高,为9.65×10⁵拷贝数·g^-1（干土）。DGGE图谱分析显示,不同处理下,AOB群落结构多样性指数存在明显差异（P<0.05）,各多样性指数均在表层（0~20 cm）最高,增施氮肥则显著降低AOB的多样性。聚类分析表明,4个施肥处理中,高量无机氮肥处理聚为一类,其他处理则因土壤深度不同而异;3个土壤深度中,除不施肥处理外,所有施肥处理均表现为0~20 cm、20~40 cm土层发生聚类,40~60 cm则明显与其他两层分开。冗余梯度分析（RDA）显示,硝态氮（P=0.027）是造成影响AOB群落结构差异的主要原因。上述研究结果表明,长期定位施肥土壤AOB的数量和群落结构多样性受施肥方式显著影响,并表现出明显的垂直分布特征。与无机氮肥相比,有机无机配施处理有助于改善土壤pH,维持不同土壤深度下AOB群落结构多样性。