Soil biological properties and carbon dynamics subsequent to organic amendments addition in sodic black soils

The field experiments on calcareous sodic Vertisols were conducted on farmer’s fields in Purna valley of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. The treatments comprised of different green manures (GMs); crop residues (CRs); gypsum. The chemical and biological properties after 2 years experiment showed that the application of gypsum recorded significant drop in pH and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) as compared to organic amendments. But later has outperformed with respect to biological activities viz., dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and microbial respiration and carbon sequestration by enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC), soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and labile carbon pool (POXC). Among the different organic amendments the application of dhaincha improved SMBC by 90%, microbial respiration by 104%, POXC by 59% and DHA by 265% as compare to control. High ESP of these soils showed negative relationship with microbial respiration and POXC (r = 0.48 and r = 0.43, p = < 0.05). While addition of biomass showed positive relationship with SMBC, microbial respiration, POXC and DHA (r = 0.93, r = 0.81, r = 0.83 and r = 0.91 p = < 0.01). The results of study showed green manuring in sodic black soil found to be alternative choice to gypsum, which besides gradual reclamation also enhance biological properties and carbon sequestration.     

Effects of greenhouse intensive cultivation and organic amendments on greenhouse gas emission according to a soil incubation study

Soil cultivation changes and usage of agricultural wastes can have profound impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from soil. In this study, the effects of soil cultivation and organic amendment on GHG emission were investigated using aerobic incubation. Surface soil (0–20 cm) from (1) rice–legume consecutive rotation (Rice) and (2) recently (<3 years) converted from rice field to plastic-covered intensive vegetable and flower production (VegC) were collected in Kunming, P.R. China. Rose (Rosa rugosa Thunb.) residues and cattle manure were applied at 5% by weight. Results indicated that N₂O and CO₂ fluxes were significantly influenced by soil cultivation, organic amendment, incubation time and their interaction (p <0.05). Applying cattle manure increased, while rose residue decreased, cumulative N₂O emissions from soil (84 days). Rose residue application significantly increased cumulative CO₂ emissions with peak values of 6371 (Rice) and 7481 mg kg^?1 (VegC), followed by cattle manure addition figure of 2265 (VegC) and 3581 mg kg^?1 (Rice). Both were significantly higher (p <0.05) than the un-amended Control at 709 (VegC) and 904 mg kg^?1 (Rice). Our study demonstrates that a low C/N ratio in cattle manure is better than a high C/N ratio in rose residue in regard to reducing the global warming potential of agricultural soil.     

Denitrification potential in a grassland subsoil: effect of carbon substrates

We examined the potential of a subsoil to denitrify nitrate under optimal anaerobic conditions in a laboratory-based incubation when supplied with a range of C substrates of increasing recalcitrance. Both topsoil and its associated subsoil were supplied with nitrate and either glucose, starch or cellulose. Microbial respiration and the evolution of N₂O and N₂ were measured. The subsoil supported low amounts of microbial activity and responded only to the glucose treatment; with less than one-fifth of the N₂O production measured in the top soil. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the denitrification potential of this particular subsoil is relatively low and that only simple carbohydrates could be utilised readily by the resident microorganisms.     

External impacts of soils as considered with the example of slovakia

Background, Aims and Scope  Being an integral part of nature, soil affects all main natural resources and is simultaneously affected by them. This is due to soil management practices (agriculture, forestry) and to the leaching and emission of soil substances. Soil affects mainly water resources and the open air. In this work, soil nitrate production as a possible cause for nitrate leaching and nitrogen emission from soil into the air was determined and generalized. CO₂ emissions from soil into the air were quantified as well. All data were generalized and evaluated. Methods  The data were obtained by analyzing samples taken from nine different soils in Slovakia during 3 years. Results and Discussion  Between 30 and 50 kg of nitrate nitrogen were produced in non-N-fertilized soils during the growing season. Application of fertilizer N yielded 50 to 90 kg N-NO₃-. About 111 thousand tons of N-NO₃ are produced yearly in all non-N-fertilized agricultural soils in Slovakia. On the average, about 10,061 thousand tons of C-CO₂ can be produced in the soil cover during the growing season (about 4.2 tons of C-CO₂ per ha). Recommendation and Outlook  Published data suggest that it is necessary to decrease soil nitrate production and to reduce CO₂ emissions from soils. The data also attest to a very high level of external effects of soil, including negative effects accelerated mainly by human activities.     

Impact of short-term organic amendments incorporation on soil structure and hydrology in semiarid agricultural lands

Soil structure plays an important role in edaphic conditions and the environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic amendment on soil structure and hydraulic properties. A corn field in a semiarid land was separately amended with sheep manure compost at five different rates (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 t/ha) and corn stover (6 t/ha) in combination with two decomposing agents. The soil structure of different amended soils was analyzed from the aggregate and pore domain perspectives. The internal pore structure of the soil was visualized through X-ray computed tomography and quantified using a pore-network model. Soil aggregate-size distribution and stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water-retention curves were measured by sampling or in situ. The gas permeability and diffusivity of different amended soils were simulated based on the extracted pore networks. The aggregate stability of the amended soils was improved compared with the control, that is, the mean weight diameter increased and the percentage of aggregate destruction decreased. The stability of soil aggregates varied non-monotonically with the application rate of compost and decreased after treatment with corn stover and decomposing agents. The pore-network parameters including air-filled porosity, pore radius, throat length, and coordinate number increased for the amended soils compared with the control. The mean pore size increased with increasing compost incorporation rate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of the compost-amended soils was higher than that of the control but varied quadratically with the application rate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil treated with corn stover and decomposing agents was clearly higher than that without the agent and the control. The greater gas diffusivity and air permeability indicate that soil aeration improved following the incorporation of organic amendments. The air permeability versus air-filled porosity relationship followed a power law, and the gas diffusivity versus air-filled porosity relationship was characterized by a generalized density-corrected model regardless of amendment. The findings of this study can help improve the understanding of soil structure and hydrological function to organic fertilizer incorporation and further monitor the quality of soil structure through the pore space perspective.     

Gaseous carbon emission in relation to soil carbon fractions and microbial diversities as affected by organic amendments in tropical rice soil

The interactive effects of moisture and organic amendments (farmyard manure (FYM), crop residue (CR) and green manure (GM) (Sesbania aculeata) on gaseous carbon (C) emission, soil labile C fractions, enzymatic activities and microbial diversity in tropical, flooded rice soil were investigated. The amendments were applied on equal C basis in two moisture regimes, that is, aerobic and submergence conditions. The CO₂ production was significantly higher by 22% in aerobic than in submergence condition; on the contrary, the CH₄ production was 27% higher under submergence condition. The labile C fractions were significantly higher in GM by 26% under aerobic and 30% under submergence conditions, respectively, than control (without any kind of fertilizer or amendments). Eubacterial diversity identified by PCR-DGGE method (polymerase chain reaction coupled with denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis) was higher under GM followed by FYM, CR, and control and it is pronounced in submerged condition. GM favored the labile C accumulation and biological activities under both submergence and aerobic conditions, which makes it most active for soil–plant interactions compared to other organic amendments. Considering environmental sustainability, the use of GM is the better adoptable option, which could enhance labile C pools, microbial diversities in soil and keep soil biologically more active.     

Carbon mineralization in subtropical alluvial arable soils amended with sugarcane bagasse and rice husk biochars

Subtropical recent alluvial soils are low in organic carbon (C). Thus, increasing organic C is a major challenge to sustain soil fertility. Biochar amendment could be an option as biochar is a C-rich pyrolyzed material, which is slowly decomposed in soil. We investigated C mineralization (CO₂-C evolution) in two types of soils (recent and old alluvial soils) amended with two feedstocks (sugarcane bagasse and rice husk) (1%, weight/weight), as well as their biochars and aged biochars under a controlled environment (25 ±2 ℃) over 85 d. For the recent alluvial soil (charland soil), the highest absolute cumulative CO₂-C evolution was observed in the sugarcane bagasse treatment (1 140 mg CO₂-C kg^-1 soil) followed by the rice husk treatment (1 090 mg CO₂-C kg^-1 soil); the lowest amount (150 mg CO₂-C kg^-1 soil) was observed in the aged rice husk biochar treatment. Similarly, for the old alluvial soil (farmland soil), the highest absolute cumulative CO₂-C evolution (1 290 mg CO₂-C kg^-1 soil) was observed in the sugarcane bagasse treatment and then in the rice husk treatment (1 270 mg CO₂-C kg^-1 soil); the lowest amount (200 mg CO₂-C kg^-1 soil) was in the aged rice husk biochar treatment. Aged sugarcane bagasse and rice husk biochar treatments reduced absolute cumulative CO₂-C evolution by 10% and 36%, respectively, compared with unamended recent alluvial soil, and by 10% and 18%, respectively, compared with unamended old alluvial soil. Both absolute and normalized C mineralization were similar between the sugarcane bagasse and rice husk treatments, between the biochar treatments, and between the aged biochar treatments. In both soils, the feedstock treatments resulted in the highest cumulative CO₂-C evolution, followed by the biochar treatments and then the aged biochar treatments. The absolute and normalized CO₂-C evolution and the mineralization rate constant of the stable C pool (K_s) were lower in the recent alluvial soil compared with those in the old alluvial soil. The biochars and aged biochars had a negative priming effect in both soils, but the effect was more prominent in the recent alluvial soil. These results would have good implications for improving organic matter content in organic C-poor alluvial soils.     

废水灌溉下有机物料对重度盐渍土养分及芦苇生长的影响

在山东滨州含盐量为16.7 g.kg 1的重度退化滨海盐碱湿地,研究了造纸废水灌溉条件下添加有机物料对盐渍土养分和芦苇生长的影响,以期为重度退化滨海盐碱湿地的生物修复提供依据。试验从春季开始进行,共设4种处理:翻耕对照(CK)、翻耕+废水灌溉(FF)、翻耕+废水灌溉+秸秆(FFJ)以及翻耕+废水灌溉+污泥(FFW),测定了不同处理下土壤养分、呼吸强度、含盐量及芦苇株高和生物量的变化。结果表明,与对照相比,各处理土壤有机质显著提高,10月末时FFJ、FFW和FF处理土壤有机质含量分别是对照的1.34倍、1.29倍和1.22倍;碱解氮和有效磷含量也高于对照,依次为FFW>FFJ>FF>CK;各处理土壤呼吸强度高于对照,其中FFJ处理显著高于对照,比试验初期提高96%;各处理表层土壤含盐量均出现不同程度降低,以FFJ和FFW降低幅度最大,分别比对照降低22.6%和16.3%;FFW、FFJ和FF处理的芦苇株高显著高于对照,8月末分别是对照的3.1倍、2.7倍和2.2倍;FFJ和FFW处理的芦苇生物量、根冠比和平均叶面积都显著高于对照,而FF处理与对照没有显著差异;FF处理芦苇株高、生物量与土壤有效氮含量相关最为显著,FFJ和FFW处理与土壤有机质含量相关性最为显著。结果表明,废水灌溉为重度盐渍化土壤提供了充足的水分,有机物料能有效提高土壤养分含量,解决了重度盐碱化土壤水分胁迫和养分胁迫的问题,促进芦苇生长,但秸秆和污泥两种有机物料之间没有显著差异。     

Location and chemical composition of stabilized organic carbon in topsoil and subsoil horizons of two acid forest soils

The ¹⁴C age of soil organic matter is known to increase with soil depth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the stabilization of carbon compounds in the entire soil profile using particle size fractionation to distinguish SOM pools with different turnover rates. Samples were taken from a Dystric Cambisol and a Haplic Podzol under forest, which are representative soil types under humid climate conditions. The conceptual approach included the analyses of particle size fractions of all mineral soil horizons for elemental composition and chemical structure of the organic matter by ¹³C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy. The contribution of phenols and hydroxyalkanoic acids, which represent recalcitrant plant litter compounds, was analyzed after CuO oxidation.In the Dystric Cambisol, the highest carbon concentration as well as the highest percentage of total organic carbon are found in the <6.3 μm fractions of the B and C horizons. In the Haplic Podzol, carbon distribution among the particle size fractions of the Bh and Bvs horizons is influenced by the adsorption of dissolved organic matter. A relationship between the carbon enrichment in fractions <6.3 μm and the ¹⁴C activity of the bulk soil indicates that stabilization of SOM occurs in fine particle size fractions of both soils. ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy shows that a high concentration of alkyl carbon is present in the fine particle size fractions of the B horizons of the Dystric Cambisol. Decreasing contribution of O-alkyl and aromatic carbon with particle size as well as soil depth indicates that these compounds are not stabilized in the Dystric Cambisol. These results are in accordance with data obtained by wet chemical analyses showing that cutin/suberin-derived hydroxyalkanoic acids are preserved in the fine particle size fractions of the B horizons. The organic matter composition in particle size fractions of the top- and subsoil horizons of the Haplic Podzol shows that this soil is acting like a chromatographic system preserving insoluble alkyl carbon in the fine particle size fractions of the A horizon. Small molecules, most probably organic acids, dominate in the fine particle size fractions of the C horizons, where they are stabilized in clay-sized fractions most likely due to the interaction with the mineral phase. The characterization of lignin-derived phenols indicated, in accordance with the NMR measurements, that these compounds are not stabilized in the mineral soil horizons.     

Effects of irrigation and plowing on soil carbon dioxide efflux in a poplar plantation chronosequence in northwest China

Soil respiration in forest plantations can be greatly affected by management practices. Irrigation is necessary for high productivity of poplar plantations in semi-arid northwest China. Moreover, plowing is essential for improving soil quality and reducing evaporation. In the present study, the influences of irrigation and plowing on soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux were investigated in poplar plantations in 2007 and 2008. The experiments included three stand age classes receiving three treatments: control, irrigation, and plowing. Mean soil respiration in irrigation treatment stands was 5.47, 4.86, and 4.43?µmol?m^?2?s^?1 in 3-, 8-, and 15-year-old stands, respectively, during the growing season. In contrast, mean soil respiration in control stands was 3.71, 3.83, and 3.98?µmol?m^?2?s^?1 in 3-, 8-, and 15-year-old stands, respectively. During the entire observation period, mean soil respiration in plowing treatment stands increased by 36.2% compared with that in the control stands. Mean soil respiration in irrigation treatment stands was significantly higher than that in the control stands; this was mainly because fine root growth and decomposer activities were greatly depressed by soil drought, since natural precipitation could not meet their water demands. The results also suggest that plowing management can greatly increase soil CO₂ emission by modifying soil structure. After plowing, soil bulk density decreased and soil aeration was greatly improved, leading to greater rates of oxidation and mineralization.     

Microbial biomass and activity indices after organic substrate addition to a selenium-contaminated soil

High concentrations of Se in soil might have negative effects on microorganisms. For this reason, the effect of organic substrate addition (glucose + maize straw) on Se volatilisation in relation to changes in microbial biomass and activity indices was investigated using an artificially Se-contaminated soil. Microbial biomass N was reduced on average by more than 50% after substrate addition, but adenylate energy charge (AEC) and metabolic quotient qCO₂ were both increased. The Se content decreased by nearly 30% only with the addition of the organic substrate at 25°C. No significant Se loss occurred without substrate at 25°C or with substrate at 5°C. In the two treatments with substrate addition, the substrate-derived CO₂ evolution was about 30% lower with Se addition than without. In contrast, Se had no effect on any of the other soil microbial indices analysed, i.e. microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), AEC, ATP-to-microbial biomass C, and qCO₂.     

Uncoupling of microbial CO2 production and release in frozen soil and its implications for field studies of arctic C cycling

Knowledge of seasonal trends and controls of soil CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere is important for simulating atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and for understanding and predicting the global carbon cycle. This is particularly the case for high arctic soils subject to extreme fluctuating environmental conditions. Based on field measurements of soil CO₂ efflux, temperature, water content, pore gas composition in soil and frozen cores as well as detailed temperature experiments performed in the laboratory, we evaluated seasonal controls of CO₂ effluxes from a well-drained tundra heath site in NE-Greenland. During the growing season, near-surface temperatures correlated well with observed CO₂ effluxes (r²>0.9). However, during intensive thawing of near-surface layers we observed up to 1.5-fold higher effluxes than expected due to temperature alone. These high rates were consistent with high CO₂ concentrations in frozen soil (>10% CO₂) and suggested a spring burst event during soil thawing and a corresponding trapping of produced CO₂ during winter. Laboratory experiments revealed that microbial soil respiration continued down to a least −18 °C and that up to 80% of the produced CO₂ was trapped in soil at temperatures between 0 and −9 °C. The trapping of CO₂ in frozen soil was positively correlated with soil moisture (r²=0.85) and led to an abrupt change of the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) observed for soil CO₂ release at 0 °C with Q₁₀ values below 0 °C being up to 100-fold higher than above 0 °C. The results of sub-zero CO₂ production allowed us to predict the microbial soil respiration throughout the year and to evaluate to what extent burst events during thawing can be explained by the release of CO₂ being produced and trapped during winter. Taking only the upper 20 cm of the soil into account, winter soil respiration accounted for about 40% of the annual soil respiration. At least 14% of the winter CO₂ production was trapped during the winter 2000-2001 and observed to be released upon thawing. Thus, the site-specific winter soil respiration is an important part of the annual C cycle and CO₂ trapping should be accounted for in future field and modelling studies of soil respiration dynamics in arctic ecosystems. In conclusion, we have discovered a soil moisture dependent uncoupling of CO₂ production and release in frozen soils with important implications for future field studies of Arctic C cycling.     

A call to investigate drivers of soil organic matter retention vs. mineralization in a high CO2 world

Understanding how elevated atmospheric CO₂ alters the formation and decomposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is important but challenging. If elevated CO₂ induces even small changes in rates of formation or decay of SOC, there could be substantial feedbacks on the atmosphere's concentration of CO₂. However, the long turnover times of many SOC pools - decades to centuries - make the detection of changes in the soil's pool size difficult. Long-term CO₂ enrichment experiments have offered unprecedented opportunities to explore these issues in intact ecosystems for more than a decade. Increased NPP with elevated CO₂ has prompted the hypothesis that SOC may increase at the same time that increased vegetation nitrogen (N) uptake and accumulation indicates probable declines in SON. Varying investigators thus have hypothesized that SOC will increase and SON will decline to explain increased NPP with elevated CO₂; researchers also invoke biogeochemical theory and stoichiometric constraints to argue for strong limitations on the co-occurrence of these phenomena. We call for researchers to investigate two broad research questions to elucidate the drivers of these processes. First, we ask how elevated CO₂ influences compound structure and stoichiometry of that proportion of NPP retained by soil profiles for relatively long time periods. We also call for investigations of the mechanisms underlying the decomposition of mineralizable organic matter with elevated CO₂. Specifically, we need to understand how elevated CO₂ influences microbial priming (driven by enhanced microbial energy needs associated with increases in biomass or activity) and microbial mining of N (driven by enhanced microbial N demand associated with greater vegetative N uptake), two processes that necessarily will be constrained by the stoichiometry of both substrates and microbial demands. Applying technologies such as nuclear magnetic resonance and the detection of biomarkers that reveal organic matter structure and origins, and studying microbial stoichiometric constraints, will dramatically improve our ability to predict future patterns of ecosystem C and N cycling.     

Nitrogen fixation by biological soil crusts and heterotrophic bacteria in an intact Mojave Desert ecosystem with elevated CO2 and added soil carbon

Fixation of N by biological soil crusts and free-living heterotrophic soil microbes provides a significant proportion of ecosystem N in arid lands. To gain a better understanding of how elevated CO₂ may affect N₂-fixation in aridland ecosystems, we measured C₂H₂ reduction as a proxy for nitrogenase activity in biological soil crusts for 2 yr, and in soils either with or without dextrose-C additions for 1 yr, in an intact Mojave Desert ecosystem exposed to elevated CO₂. We also measured crust and soil δ¹⁵N and total N to assess changes in N sources, and δ¹³C of crusts to determine a functional shift in crust species, with elevated CO₂. The mean rate of C₂H₂ reduction by biological soil crusts was 76.9±5.6 μmol C₂H₄ m⁻² h⁻¹. There was no significant CO₂ effect, but crusts from plant interspaces showed high variability in nitrogenase activity with elevated CO₂. Additions of dextrose-C had a positive effect on rates of C₂H₂ reduction in soil. There was no elevated CO₂ effect on soil nitrogenase activity. Plant cover affected soil response to C addition, with the largest response in plant interspaces. The mean rate of C₂H₂ reduction in soils either with or without C additions were 8.5±3.6 μmol C₂H₄ m⁻² h⁻¹ and 4.8±2.1 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. Crust and soil δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values were not affected by CO₂ treatment, but did show an effect of cover type. Crust and soil samples in plant interspaces had the lowest values for both measurements. Analysis of soil and crust [N] and δ¹⁵N data with the Rayleigh distillation model suggests that any plant community changes with elevated CO₂ and concomitant changes in litter composition likely will overwhelm any physiological changes in N₂-fixation.     

不同改良剂对滨海盐渍土土壤理化性质和小麦生长的影响

【目的】盐分胁迫是滨海盐渍土上粮食产量提高的主要障碍因子之一。研究不同功能性改良物料对消除和减轻这一障碍因子的作用,为改良盐渍化土壤和提高作物产量提供理论依据。【方法】以小麦品种‘青麦 6 号’为供试材料,在滨海盐渍土上进行田间试验,设置 7 个处理为空白对照（CK）、含钙物料的磷石膏（PG）和脱硫石膏（FGD）、调酸物料的硫酸亚铁（FS）、含碳材料的牛粪（M）以及含碳和调酸物料的腐植酸（HA）和糠醛渣（FRs）,分析比较不同改良剂对滨海盐渍化土壤理化性质以及对小麦生长发育的影响。【结果】施加改良剂降低了土壤表层 (0—20 cm) 的 pH 值,作为酸性材料的腐植酸、糠醛渣和硫酸亚铁效果明显,土壤的 pH 值较对照分别降低了 0.10、0.11 和 0.11;施改良剂降低了土壤的交换性钠离子含量和钠的吸附比 (sodium adsorption ratio, 简称 SAR),磷石膏和脱硫石膏提供充足的钙离子用于置换土壤中交换性钠离子,明显降低了不同土层中的交换性钠离子含量和 SAR 值,0—20 cm、20—40 cm 和 40—60 cm 土层中,磷石膏和脱硫石膏对土壤交换性钠离子含量和 SAR 值的降低效果明显,其中施加磷石膏分别较对照降低了 15.5% 和 18.3% (0—20 cm)、28.2% 和 28.6% (20—40 cm)、36.5% 和 36.5% (40—60 cm),施加脱硫石膏分别较对照降低了 24.9% 和 27.9% (0—20 cm)、27.6% 和 26.3% (20—40 cm)、24.5% 和 25.0% (40—60 cm);施加改良剂增加了小麦成熟期的穗数,其中磷石膏、脱硫石膏和糠醛渣改良效果显著,分别较对照增加 27.6%、24.5% 和 18.6%,并分别提高小麦的产量 26.7%、17.8% 和 17.8%。【结论】 酸性物料的糠醛渣、腐植酸和硫酸亚铁,可以明显降低土壤 pH 值和增加小麦苗期的茎蘖数量,综合考虑改良剂对土壤 pH、Na+ 含量、SAR 值和小麦群体数量的影响,含碳的调酸物料的糠醛渣效果较好;含钙物料的磷石膏和脱硫石膏,可以显著降低土壤 Na+ 含量以及 SAR 值,增加小麦成熟期穗数,提高小麦产量均具有显著的效果,磷石膏效果最佳。     

Changes in forest soil organic matter pools after a decade of elevated CO2 and O3

The impact of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) may be mitigated, in part, by enhanced rates of net primary production and greater C storage in plant biomass and soil organic matter (SOM). However, C sequestration in forest soils may be offset by other environmental changes such as increasing tropospheric ozone (O₃) or vary based on species-specific growth responses to elevated CO₂. To understand how projected increases in atmospheric CO₂ and O₃ alter SOM formation, we used physical fractionation to characterize soil C and N at the Rhinelander Free Air CO₂-O₃ Enrichment (FACE) experiment. Tracer amounts of ¹⁵NH₄⁺ were applied to the forest floor of Populus tremuloides, P. tremuloides-Betula papyrifera and P. tremuloides-Acer saccharum communities exposed to factorial CO₂ and O₃ treatments. The ¹⁵N tracer and strongly depleted ¹³C-CO₂ were traced into SOM fractions over four years. Over time, C and N increased in coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM) and decreased in mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) under elevated CO₂ relative to ambient CO₂. As main effects, neither CO₂ nor O₃ significantly altered ¹⁵N recovery in SOM. Elevated CO₂ significantly increased new C in all SOM fractions, and significantly decreased old C in fine POM (fPOM) and MAOM over the duration of our study. Overall, our observations indicate that elevated CO₂ has altered SOM cycling at this site to favor C and N accumulation in less stable pools, with more rapid turnover. Elevated O₃ had the opposite effect, significantly reducing cPOM N by 15% and significantly increasing the C:N ratio by 7%. Our results demonstrate that CO₂ can enhance SOM turnover, potentially limiting long-term C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems; plant community composition is an important determinant of the magnitude of this response.     

添加石灰氮和有机物进行太阳能加热对温室土壤根结线虫和黄瓜的影响

采用田间完全随机区组试验,研究了添加石灰氮和有机物进行太阳能加热对温室土壤中根结线虫的防治效果,以及对黄瓜植株营养生长和商品性状的影响.结果表明,土壤处理40 d后,根结线虫2龄幼虫数量下降57%～100%;幼虫减退率随不覆膜、单层膜和双层膜顺次增大,且砂壤土的减退率大于中壤土.处理后茬黄瓜的根结发病株率明显低于处理前茬.5月初,土壤处理对后茬中壤土和砂壤土中黄瓜根结发病率的防治效果均达90%,6月初中壤土为81.3%、砂壤土为66.7%,7月初中壤土为33.7%、砂壤土为5.8%.土壤处理对后茬黄瓜营养生长期末株高、地上50 cm处茎直径和节位数的影响小,但可明显提高结瓜盛期的商品瓜总重量和单瓜重量,提高幅度分别达33.3%～58.5%和7.6%～28.5%.因此,添加石灰氮和有机物进行太阳能加热可降低根结线虫幼虫数量、延迟根结发病期、降低发病率,同时可提高商品瓜总重量和单瓜重量;添加石灰氮和有机物进行太阳能加热对砂壤土根结发病率的防治效果低于中壤土.     

Plant root morphology and soil biological indicators under primary development of various swards

Plant nutrition conditions are limited in naturally acidic soil due to harmful hydrogen and aluminium ions. More favourable conditions for plant nutrition (soil liming) will affect root qualitative and quantitative parameters and influence ecosystem stability. Four legume–grass swards were cultivated. The swards were a combination of one species of legume and two species of grasses: Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L., Trifolium hybridum L., Medicago sativa L. (each of 50%) with Phleum pratense L. (35%) and Poa pratensis L. (15%). The aim of this study is to evaluate the root morphological and soil biological indicators of legume–grass swards under the first two years of development in soils with different pH levels.

Sward ecosystem development depends on the pH of the soil, sward species composition and soil biota. During the first year of sward development, soil pH had a significant influence on the morphology of root system. Sward‘s root mass and total root length was 2.4 and 2.2 times bigger in naturally acidic soil. This resulted in a change of biological parameters.

In the second year of sward development, soil pH had no significant influence on sward‘s root mass. However, under the impact of different soil pH, various sward‘s root systems were formed and the root C:N ratio had changed. It is observed that, regardless of the sward species composition and the year of development, at higher root C:N ratio soil microbial biomass was higher and CO₂ emissions were lower in swards in naturally acidic soils.

Regardless of soil pH, different types of clover–grass swards promoted organic carbon immobilization in microbial biomass and, at the same time, stabilized the sward ecosystem in the top soil layer (soil respiration in 0–10 and 10–20?cm layers was lower) more effectively than the alfalfa–grass sward.     

Determinants of annual fluxes of CO2 and N2O in long-term no-tillage and conventional tillage systems in northern France

The greenhouse gases CO₂ and N₂O emissions were quantified in a long-term experiment in northern France, in which no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) had been differentiated during 32 years in plots under a maize–wheat rotation. Continuous CO₂ and periodical N₂O soil emission measurements were performed during two periods: under maize cultivation (April 2003–July 2003) and during the fallow period after wheat harvest (August 2003–March 2004). In order to document the dynamics and importance of these emissions, soil organic C and mineral N, residue decomposition, soil potential for CO₂ emission and climatic data were measured. CO₂ emissions were significantly larger in NT on 53% and in CT on 6% of the days. From April to July 2003 and from November 2003 to March 2004, the cumulated CO₂ emissions did not differ significantly between CT and NT. However, the cumulated CO₂ emissions from August to November 2003 were considerably larger for NT than for CT. Over the entire 331 days of measurement, CT and NT emitted 3160 ± 269 and 4064 ± 138 kg CO₂-C ha⁻¹, respectively. The differences in CO₂ emissions in the two tillage systems resulted from the soil climatic conditions and the amounts and location of crop residues and SOM. A large proportion of the CO₂ emissions in NT over the entire measurement period was probably due to the decomposition of old weathered residues. NT tended to emit more N₂O than CT over the entire measurement period. However differences were statistically significant in only half of the cases due to important variability. N₂O emissions were generally less than 5 g N ha⁻¹ day⁻¹, except for a few dates where emission increased up to 21 g N ha⁻¹ day⁻¹. These N₂O fluxes represented 0.80 ± 0.15 and 1.32 ± 0.52 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for CT and NT, respectively. Depending on the periods, a large part of the N₂O emissions occurred was probably induced by nitrification, since soil conditions were not favorable for denitrification. Finally, for the period of measurement after 32 years of tillage treatments, the NT system emitted more greenhouses gases (CO₂ and N₂O) to the atmosphere on an annual basis than the CT system.     

Soil organic matter turnover as a function of the soil clay content: consequences for model applications

Based on a literature review including 201 surface soils from wet, mild, mid-latitude climates and 290 soils from the Lower Saxony soil monitoring programme (Germany), we investigated the relationship between soil clay content and soil organic matter turnover. The relationship was then used to evaluate the clay modifier for microbial decomposition in the organic matter module of the soil-plant-atmosphere model DAISY. A positive relationship was found between soil clay content and soil microbial biomass (SMB) C. Furthermore, a negative relationship was found between soil clay content and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) as an indicator of specific microbial activity. Both findings support the hypothesis of a clay dependent capacity of soils to protect microbial biomass. Under the differing conditions of practical agriculture and forestry, no or only very weak relationships were found between soil clay content and non-living soil organic matter C (humus C). It is concluded that the stabilising effect of clay is much stronger for SMB than for humus. This is in contrast to the DAISY clay modifier assuming the same negative relationship between soil clay content, on the one hand, and turnover of SMB and turnover of soil humus on the other. There is a positive relationship between SMB and microbial decomposition activity under steady-state conditions (microbial growth≈microbial death). The original concept of a biomass-independent simulation of organic matter turnover in the DAISY model must therefore be rejected. In addition to the original modifiers of organic matter turnover, a modifier based on the pool size of decomposing organisms is suggested. Priming effects can be simulated by applying this modifier. When using this approach, the original modifiers are related to specific microbial activity. The DAISY clay modifier is a useful approximation of the relationship between the metabolic quotient (qCO₂) as an indicator of specific microbial activity and soil clay content.