无机氮和葡萄糖添加对土壤微生物生物量和活性的影响

以黄淮海平原潮土为研究对象,通过室内恒温恒湿培养方法,比较研究了土壤中纤维素是否存在时,外源无机氮和葡萄糖添加对土壤微生物生物量及其活性的影响变化。实验设8个处理,包括不加任何物质的对照(CK)、添加无机氮(N)、葡萄糖(G)、纤维素(C)处理及葡萄糖和无机氮同时添加(G+N)处理,以及在纤维素存在基础上添加无机氮(C+N)、葡萄糖(C+G)、葡萄糖和无机氮同时添加(C+G+N)处理。在33天培养时间内,分别在不同的时间间隔内测定了土壤CO2累积释放量、微生物生物量碳(Cmic)、及脱氢酶(DHD)、β-葡萄糖苷酶(GLU)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、碱性磷酸酶(APH)活性。结果表明,所有测定的微生物性质在CK与C处理间均没有显著性差异。与CK和C处理相比,其他所有处理的土壤CO2累积释放量均显著增加,其中C+G+N处理达最大值;G、G+N、C+G、C+G+N处理的土壤Cmic含量及DHD和APH活性显著提升,尤其在培养的前14天,而N和C+N处理则与CK处理相似,表示添加葡萄糖可显著增加上述处理生物活性水平,而添加无机氮则不能。添加无机氮和葡萄糖对GLU和CAT的影响不明显,大部分情况下它们在处理间没有表现出显著性差异。相关性分析表明,CO2释放速率始终与APH活性成显著正相关,但与Cmic和其他酶活性之间的相关关系则随着培养时间的不同而发生变化,这可能与不同培养时间的微生物组成或微生物利用底物的模式发生改变有关。聚类分析结果进一步表明,8个处理的土壤微生物活性水平可明显分成3组,其中活性水平最高的组只包含C+G+N处理,该结果提示在难分解纤维素存在时,无机氮和易利用有机碳的同时添加对提升土壤微生物活性的重要性。     

Changes in microbial community structure in soil as a result of different amounts of nitrogen fertilization

The changes in size, activity and structure of soil microbial community caused by N fertilization were studied in a laboratory incubation experiment. The rates of N fertiliser applied (KNO₃) were 0 (control), 100 and 2,000 μg N g⁻¹ soil. Despite no extra C sources added, a high percentage of N was immobilized. Whereas no significant increase of microbial C was revealed during incubation period, microbial growth kinetics as determined by the substrate-induced growth-response method demonstrated a significant decrease in the specific growth rate of microbial community in soil treated with 2,000 μg N g⁻¹ soil. Additionally, a shift in microbial community structure resulting in an increase in fungal biomarkers, mainly in the treatment with 2,000 μg N g⁻¹ soil was visible.     

Variations in microbial community composition through two soil depth profiles

Soil profiles are often many meters deep, but with the majority of studies in soil microbiology focusing exclusively on the soil surface, we know very little about the nature of the microbial communities inhabiting the deeper soil horizons. We used phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis to examine the vertical distribution of specific microbial groups and to identify the patterns of microbial abundance and community-level diversity within the soil profile. Samples were collected from the soil surface down to 2 m in depth from two unsaturated Mollisol profiles located near Santa Barbara, CA, USA. While the densities of microorganisms were generally one to two orders of magnitude lower in the deeper horizons of both profiles than at the soil surface, approximately 35% of the total quantity of microbial biomass found in the top 2 m of soil is found below a depth of 25 cm. Principal components analysis of the PLFA signatures indicates that the composition of the soil microbial communities changes significantly with soil depth. The differentiation of microbial communities within the two profiles coincides with an overall decline in microbial diversity. The number of individual PLFAs detected in soil samples decreased by about a third from the soil surface down to 2 m. The ratios of cyclopropyl/monoenoic precursors and total saturated/total monounsaturated fatty acids increased with soil depth, suggesting that the microbes inhabiting the deeper soil horizons are more carbon limited than surface-dwelling microbes. Using PLFAs as biomarkers, we show that Gram-positive bacteria and actinomycetes tended to increase in proportional abundance with increasing soil depth, while the abundances of Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and protozoa were highest at the soil surface and substantially lower in the subsurface. The vertical distribution of these specific microbial groups can largely be attributed to the decline in carbon availability with soil depth.     

Effects of Folsomia candida (Collembola) on the microbial biomass in a grassland soil

Summary The effects of the presence of Folsomia candida on substrate-induced respiration, CO₂-C evolution, bacterial count and NH ₄ ⁺ -N were investigated in a grassland soil. Differences in these parameters, with the exception of NH ₄ ⁺ , were correlated with the age of the collembolan Folsomia candida. In the presence of juvenile animals total CO₂-C evolution was enhanced, but substrate-induced respiration and the bacterial count were unchanged. In fumigated soil with imagos, substrate-induced respiration and the number of bacteria were increased, but total CO₂-C evolution was unaltered. Different food selection strategies between adults and juvenile animals may explain the results.     

Effect of phosphate rock, lime and cellulose on soil microbial biomass in acidic forest soil and its significance in carbon cycling

Phosphate rock (PR), limestone, coal combustion by-product (CCBP) high in Ca and high organic manures are potential amendments for increasing agricultural production in the acidic soils of the Appalachian region. The objective of this study was to examine effects of PR, CCBP and cellulose addition on soil microbial biomass in an acidic soil based on the measurement of soil microbial biomass P (P _mic) and on the mineralization of organic matter. Application of PR alone or in combination with CCBP increased P _mic. The P _mic was far less when the soil received PR in combination with limestone than with PR application alone or PR in combination with CCBP. Either CCBP or limestone application alone considerably decreased P _mic in the soil due to reduced P solubility. Cellulose addition alone did not increase P _mic, but P _mic was significantly increased when the soil was amended with cellulose in combination with PR. The decomposition of added cellulose was very slow in the soil without PR amendment. However, mineralization of both native organic matter and added cellulose was enhanced by PR application. Mineralization of organic matter was less when the soil was amended with PR in combination with high rates of CCBP (> 2.5%) because PR dissolution varied inversely with amount of CCBP addition. Overall, CCBP had no detrimental effect on soil microbial biomass at low application rates, although, like limestone, CCBP at a high rate may decrease P _mic in P-deficient soils through its influence on increased soil pH and decreased P bioavailability in the soil. Application of PR to an acidic soil considerably enhanced the microbial activity, thereby promoting the cycling of carbon and other nutrients. Received: 11 December 1995     

Immobilization and mineralization of nitrogen in a saline and alkaline soil during microbial use of sugarcane filter cake amended with glucose

A 42-day incubation was conducted to study the effect of glucose and ammonium addition adjusted to a C/N ratio of 12.5 on sugarcane filter cake decomposition and on the release of inorganic N from microbial residues formed initially. The CO₂ evolved increased in comparison with the non-amended control from 35% of the added C with pure +5 mg g⁻¹ soil filter cake amendment to 41% with +5 mg g⁻¹ soil filter cake +2.5 mg g⁻¹ soil glucose amendment to 48% with 5 mg g⁻¹ soil filter cake +5 mg g⁻¹ soil glucose amendment. The different amendments increased microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N within 6 h and such an increase persisted. The fungal cell-membrane component ergosterol initially showed a disproportionate increase in relation to microbial biomass C, which completely disappeared by the end of the incubation. The cellulase activity showed a 5-fold increase after filter cake addition, which was not further increased by the additional glucose amendment. The cellulase activity showed an exponential decline to values around 4% of the initial value in all treatments. The amount of inorganic N immobilized from day 0 to day 14 increased with increasing amount of C added, in contrast to the control treatment. After day 14, the immobilized N was re-mineralized at rates between 1.3 and 1.5 μg N g⁻¹ soil d⁻¹ in the treatments being more than twice as high as in the control treatment. This means that the re-mineralization rate is independent of the actual size of the microbial residues pool and also independent of the size of the soil microbial biomass.     

Experimental warming effects on the microbial community of a temperate mountain forest soil

Soil microbial communities mediate the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). The amount of carbon (C) that is respired leaves the soil as CO₂ (soil respiration) and causes one of the greatest fluxes in the global carbon cycle. How soil microbial communities will respond to global warming, however, is not well understood. To elucidate the effect of warming on the microbial community we analyzed soil from the soil warming experiment Achenkirch, Austria. Soil of a mature spruce forest was warmed by 4 °C during snow-free seasons since 2004. Repeated soil sampling from control and warmed plots took place from 2008 until 2010. We monitored microbial biomass C and nitrogen (N). Microbial community composition was assessed by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of ribosomal RNA genes. Microbial metabolic activity was estimated by soil respiration to biomass ratios and RNA to DNA ratios. Soil warming did not affect microbial biomass, nor did warming affect the abundances of most microbial groups. Warming significantly enhanced microbial metabolic activity in terms of soil respiration per amount of microbial biomass C. Microbial stress biomarkers were elevated in warmed plots. In summary, the 4 °C increase in soil temperature during the snow-free season had no influence on microbial community composition and biomass but strongly increased microbial metabolic activity and hence reduced carbon use efficiency.     

Characteristics of microbial biomass and soil organic matter in newly reclaimed wetland rice soils

Microbial biomass C, N, total organic C, N and mineralizable N were measured in newly reclaimed wetland sandy loam rice soil with a very low nutrient status. Microbial biomass C increased 5.4–10.4 times due to application of barnyard manure, but decreased drastically to 24–27% during rice cultivation. Organic C and N contents also decreased during cultivation, but to a lesser extent to 59–76%. At the tillering stage of the rice plant, microbial biomass N was highly correlated with mineralizable N (r=0.986).     

Impact of fire on fungal abundance and microbial efficiency in C assimilation and mineralisation in a Mediterranean maquis soil

The present study investigates the impact of fire (low and high severity) on soil fungal abundance and microbial efficiency in C assimilation and mineralisation in a Mediterranean maquis area of Southern Italy over 2 years after fire. In burned and control soils total and active fungal mycelium, microbial biomass C, percentage of microbial biomass C present as fungal C, metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and coefficient of endogenous mineralisation (CEM) were assayed together with several chemical properties of soil (i.e. pH and contents of organic C, total and mineral N, available K, Mg, Mn and water). Fire significantly decreased the fungal mycelium, whereas it stimulated microbial growth probably through the enhancement of bacterial growth because of the increase in organic C and nutrient contents in burned plots. This shift in microbial community composition might explain the observed reduction in soil microbial efficiency of C assimilation (high qCO₂) and the increase in C mineralisation rate (CEM) in the first 84 days after fire. Therefore, fire might increase CO₂ input to the atmosphere not only during combustion phase but also in the post-fire period.     

Effects of tree harvesting, forest floor removal, and compaction on soil microbial biomass, microbial respiration, and N availability in a boreal aspen forest in British Columbia

The effects of timber harvesting and the resultant soil disturbances (compaction and forest floor removal) on relative soil water content, microbial biomass C and N contents (C_mic and N_mic), microbial biomass C:N ratio (C_mic-to-N_mic), microbial respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO₂), and available N content in the forest floor and the uppermost mineral soil (0-3 cm) were assessed in a long-term soil productivity (LTSP) site and adjacent mature forest stands in northeastern British Columbia (Canada). A combination of principal component analysis and redundancy analysis was used to test the effects of stem-only harvest, whole tree harvest plus forest floor removal, and soil compaction on the studied variables. Those properties in the forest floor were not affected by timber harvesting or soil compaction. In the mineral soil, compaction increased soil total C and N contents, relative water content, and N_mic by 45%, 40%, 34% and 72%, respectively, and decreased C_mic-to-N_mic ratio by 29%. However, these parameters were not affected by stem only harvesting or whole tree harvesting plus forest floor removal, contrasting the reduction of white spruce and aspen growth following forest floor removal and soil compaction reported in an earlier study. Those results suggest that at the study site the short-term effects of timber harvesting, forest floor removal, and soil compaction are rather complex and that microbial populations might not be affected by the perturbations in the same way as trees, at least not in the short term.     

Influence of temperature on CO2 evolution,microbial biomass C and metabolic quotient during the decomposition of two humic forest horizons

The decomposition of the litter layer and the humic mineral horizon from a beech forest site was studied at temperatures of 5, 12, and 22°C for both substrates and additionally at 32°C for beech litter. Weight losses, basal and substrate-induced CO₂ production, and the extractable biomass C were monitored periodically during a 2-year incubation period. Weight losses and microbial activity were controlled by substrate quality and temperature. No significant differences were found between 5 and 12°C in decomposition, biomass C, and the metabolic quotient in the humic mineral horizon. The decay of beech litter and the humic mineral horizon was highest at 22°C but was faster in the litter material by a factor of 2.9 on average. In the glucose-amended samples, the relationship among the CO₂-C fluxes was 1:1:2:3 at temperatures of 5, 12, 22, and 32°C in the litter layer, and 1: 2: 2.4 at 5, 12, and 22°C in the A horizon, respectively. The microbial activity in the humic mineral horizon was only 2–11% of that in the litter layer. The level of biomass C remained constant over 1 year and no significant differences were obtained from the 12 and 22°C treatments in the litter layer.     

The adverse effects of soil salinization on the growth of Trifolium alexandrinum L. and associated microbial and biochemical properties in a soil from Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of increasing concentrations of salt solutions (including 0.12, 2, 6, and 10 dS m⁻¹) on the growth of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and related soil microbial activity, biomass and enzyme activities. Results showed that the dry weights of root and shoot decreased with an increase in the concentrations of salt solutions. Soil salinization depressed the microbiological activities including soil respiration and enzyme activities. Substrate-induced respiration was consistently lower in salinized soils, whereas microbial biomass C did not vary among salinity levels. Higher metabolic quotients (qCO₂) and unaffected microbial biomass C at high EC values may indicate that salinity is a stressful factor, inducing either a shift in the microbial community with less catabolic activity or reduced efficiency of substrate utilization. Acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities decreased with increasing soil salinity. We found significant, positive correlations between the activities of phosphatase enzymes and plant's root mass, suggesting that any decrease in the activities of the two enzymes could be attributed to the reduced root biomass under saline conditions.     

Adenylates as an estimate of microbial biomass C in different soil groups

Adenylate (i.e. adenosine tri- (ATP), di- (ADP) and monophosphates (AMP)) and microbial biomass C data were collected over a wide range of sites including forest floor layers and forest, grassland and arable soils. Microbial biomass C was measured by fumigation extraction and adenylates after alkaline Na₃PO₄/DMSO/EDTA extraction and HPLC detection. Our aims were (1) to test whether the sum of adenylates is a better estimate for microbial biomass than the determination of ATP, (2) to compare our conversion values with those proposed by others, and (3) to analyse whether soil properties or land use form affect the relationships between ATP, adenylates and microbial biomass C. A close relationship was found between microbial biomass C and ATP (r=0.96), but also with the sum of adenylates (r=0.96) within all appropriately conditioned soil samples (n=112). In the mineral soil (n=98), the geometric means of the ATP-to-microbial biomass C ratio and the adenylates-to-microbial biomass C ratio were 7.4 and 11.4 μmol g⁻¹, respectively. The mean ratios did not differ significantly between the different texture classes and land use forms. In the forest floor, the ATP-to-microbial biomass C ratio and the adenylates-to-microbial biomass C ratio were both roughly two-thirds of those of the mineral soil. The average adenylate energy charge (AEC) of all soil samples was 0.79 and showed a strong negative relationship with the soil pH (r=−0.69). However, the AEC is presumably only indirectly affected by the soil pH.     

Spatio-temporal variability of microbial abundance and community structure in the puddled layer of a paddy soil cultivated with wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The puddled layer of paddy soils represents a highly dynamic environment regarding the spatio-temporal variability of biogeochemical conditions. To study these effects on the abundance and community structure of microbial populations, a rhizotron experiment was conducted throughout an entire growing season of wetland rice. Soil samples were taken from selected areas of the puddled layer (bulk soil, oxidized layer, rhizosphere) at main plant developmental stages such as (i) the initial stage, (ii) tillering, (iii) panicle initiation, (iv) flowering, and (v) maturity. Cell numbers of archaea, bacteria, and selected phyla were assessed by catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). The structure and diversity of microbial communities was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) along with sequencing of selected bands. Following submergence of the paddy soil, shifts of bacterial community structure were observed in the oxidized layer and the rhizosphere. Members of the β-Proteobacteria became predominant in the rhizosphere at tillering stage and were affiliated with aerobic, iron-oxidizing bacteria of the genus Sideroxydans. Seasonal effects were mainly visible in the rhizosphere, as several phylogenetic subgroups including methanotrophic bacteria showed increased cell numbers at flowering stage. Cell numbers of methanogenic archaea were also highest at flowering stage (bulk soil, rhizosphere) and members of the Methanocellales were identified as predominant archaeal populations in areas of oxic and anoxic conditions. In contrast to bacteria, the communities of archaea in the puddled layer of the studied paddy soil were less influenced by spatio-temporal variations of biogeochemical conditions.     

Relationships between microbial biomass and dissipation of 2,4-D and dicamba in soil

A study was conducted to evaluate relationships between microbial biomass and the dissipation of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid) and dicamba (2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid) in soil. We hypothesized that the size of the microbial biomass should be a strong predictor of the pesticide degradation capacity of a particular soil. Soils with a high microbial biomass should have relatively high levels of general microbial activity and should support a diversity of degradation pathways. In this study, we quantified the degradation of 2,4-D and dicamba in a range of soils with different concentrations of microbial biomass. The herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba were added to similar soils collected from five different land use types (home lawn, cornfield, upland hardwood forest, wetland forest, and aquifer material) and incubated for 80 days under laboratory conditions. Herbicide residue and microbial biomass (C and N) analyses were performed 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 days following herbicide application. Microbial biomass-C and -N and soil organic matter content were positively correlated with dissipation of 2,4-D and dicamba. The results suggest that there are relationships between the size of the soil microbial biomass and the herbicide degradation capacity of an ecosystem. These relationships may be useful for developing approaches for evaluating and predicting the fate of pesticides in different ecosystems.     

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.     

Contrasting soil microbial responses to fertilizers and herbicides in a canola-barley rotation

The combination of high input costs and low commodity prices is forcing some farmers to consider reducing crop inputs like seed, fertilizer and herbicides. In a field trial in which different canola (Brassica napus L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) inputs were subtracted from a full package, or added to an empty package, we studied the effects of full or reduced fertilizer and herbicide inputs on soil microbiological characteristics at two sites from 2005 to 2008. The full package consisted of a high-yielding crop variety seeded at an optimum rate, with fertilizers and herbicides applied at recommended rates. The empty package consisted of a less expensive, low-yielding crop variety seeded at a low rate, with no fertilizer or herbicide applied. Between these two extremes were treatments in which fertilizers or herbicides were applied at 50% of recommended rates or not at all. Each treatment was repeated year after year in the same plot, i.e., treatment effects were cumulative. Fertilizer effects on soil microbial biomass C (MBC), β-glucosidase enzyme activity and bacterial functional diversity (based on community-level physiological profiles) were usually positive. Reduced fertilizer application rates reduced the beneficial fertilizer effects. Significant herbicide effects on soil microbiological properties occurred less often, were smaller in magnitude than fertilizer effects, and were mostly negative. Reduced herbicide rates reduced the deleterious herbicide effects. These significant fertilizer and herbicide effects were observed in canola more than barley, and mostly in the final year of the study, indicating the cumulative nature of treatment effects over time. Therefore, repeated applications of agricultural inputs like fertilizers and herbicides can have more significant effects on soil biology and biological processes than single applications indicate.     

外源腐解微生物的物种组合对土壤微生物群落结构及代谢活性的影响

本文采用饲料类芽孢杆菌(Paenibacillus pabuli,P)、深红紫链霉菌(Streptomyces violaceorubidus,S)和黄绿木霉(Trichoderma aureoviride,T),组合构建了3种单菌剂(P、S和T)、3种两菌种复合菌剂(PT、PS和ST)及1种3菌种复合菌剂(PST),并将之添加到红壤中,监测各菌剂添加后土壤总磷脂脂肪酸(PLFAs)量、特征微生物PLFAs百分含量、土壤呼吸速率及总代谢熵的变化,旨在探明外源腐解微生物的物种组合对土壤微生物群落结构和代谢活性的影响,进而为优化有机物分解菌剂种群配置提供参考。结果显示,添加单菌剂的P、S和T处理及添加两菌种复合菌剂的PT和PS处理,土壤微生物生物量显著增加,增幅17.2%~121.6%(P0.05)。添加外源腐解微生物后,各处理的土壤微生物群落的细菌百分含量基本稳定在79.6%~83.1%,真菌百分含量显著增加8.8%~50.6%;而放线菌百分含量除P和ST处理外,其他处理显著降低9.4%~69.8%。PLFAs数据的主成分分析表明,各外源菌剂处理与CK处理间的群落结构变异由小到大依次为:接种单菌剂的P、S和T处理,接种两菌种复合菌剂的PT、PS和ST处理,接种3菌种复合菌剂的PST处理。添加单菌剂的P、T处理以及添加两菌种复合菌剂的ST处理,在短期内影响了土壤微生物的对数生长,使土壤呼吸速率的峰值分别提高48.7%、53.7%和78.7%;且外源腐解微生物组合的物种数量越多,土壤微生物进入潜伏期所需的时间越长。从外源腐解微生物对土壤肥力的长期影响来看,两菌种复合菌剂ST的添加使土壤微生物代谢活性提高28.9%,因此该处理的土壤碳矿化量增加11.1%;添加单菌剂的S处理使土壤微生物代谢活性显著降低32.4%,因此该处理的土壤碳矿化量仅降低7.3%;而添加两菌种复合菌剂的PS处理和3菌种复合菌剂的PST处理,在保持代谢活性不变的情况下,其土壤碳矿化量也降低5.8%~8.7%,其原因有待进一步研究。综上所述,外源腐解微生物的添加会改变土壤微生物的群落结构及其生长轨迹,且随外源腐解微生物组合的物种数量增多这一干扰程度越大,而土壤微生物代谢活性与外源腐解微生物组合的物种数量无显著相关性。     

Effect of fungal to bacterial biomass ratio on the relationship between CO2 evolution and total soil microbial biomass

The relationship between the fungal: bacterial biomass ratio and the metabolic quotient (qCO₂) was studied in three different soils. In addition, the effect of the fungal: bacterial biomass ratio on the relationship between CO₂ evolution and the size of the soil microbial biomass was examined. Soil samples were collected from three experimental fields amended with various organic materials (Yatsugatake, Ibaraki, and Tochigi fields). The range of the fungal:bacterial biomass ratio in the Yatsugatake and Ibaraki fields was small (1.54–2.24 and 1.11–1.71, respectively), but it was large in the Tochigi field (1.18–3.75). We found a high negative correlation between this ratio and the metabolic quotient (qCO₂=2.10–0.361 (fungal:bacterial biomass ratio), R=–0.851, P<0.01) in the Tochigi field. Therefore, we suggest tha qCO₂ decreases with an increase in the fungal:bacterial biomass ratio, which may be due to a higher efficiency of substrate C use by fungal flora in comparison with bacterial flora. In the Yatsugatake and Ibaraki fields, there was a high positive correlation between CO₂ evolution and total microbial biomass. In contrast, no correlation was observed between these two parameters in the Tochigi field, probably reflecting the wide range of values for the fungal:bacterial biomass ratio. From the results obtained, we suggest that the fungal: bacterial biomass ratio is an important factor regulating the relationship between CO₂ evolution and the size of the microbial biomass.     

Availability of CO2 as a factor affecting the rate of nitrification in soil

A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to demonstrate that reduced availability of CO₂ in soil may be an important factor limiting nitrification. Soil samples were incubated at 30±2 °C for 20 days using vessels with or without the arrangement for trapping CO₂ in sodium hydroxide. This arrangement led to a decrease of ca. 96% in the CO₂ concentration of the headspace, with a range of 95.7-97.5 at different sampling intervals. In the absence of trapping arrangement, CO₂ concentration of the headspace varied from 580 to 859 ppm, i.e. 62-140% higher than that of the outside atmosphere (358 ppm). The nitrification process was significantly retarded under conditions of reduced CO₂ concentration; reduction varied from 8 to 62% at different incubation intervals. The results of the study led to the inference that decreased availability of CO₂ in closed vessels (with arrangement for trapping CO₂) will have a significant bearing on the process of nitrification and hence on the overall dynamics of N transformations.