Seasonal dynamics of soil microbial biomass C shows close correlation with environmental factors in natural Fagus crenata forests

Abstract

Soil microbial biomass (C_mic) is an important factor regulating a number of ecosystem processes. In this study, we investigated seasonal variations in soil microbial biomass in natural climax beech (Fagus crenata) forests in a typical cold-temperate mountain region of Japan. Four permanent tower sites along an altitudinal gradient were selected and soil samples were collected once every month during the growing season of 2007. Soil microbial biomass (by fumigation-extraction method) and soil properties were later measured in the laboratory, while environmental factors (soil temperature, soil moisture) were continuously recorded in the field. Our results indicated large seasonal variations (130.4 ~ 5558.0 µg g^?1) in soil microbial biomass in beech forests – a range that is much larger than previously reported. Statistically significant correlations are noted between soil properties with C_mic, but largely due to spatial linkages. On the other hand, the environmental factors of soil temperature and especially soil moisture largely control seasonal variations in C_mic. Furthermore, pH could be an important factor influencing seasonal change in C_mic at the 20–30 cm deep soil layer. The study suggests no direct correlation between plant eco-physiology and soil microbial biomass in seasonal courses of the forests.     

Response of the soil microbial biomass and nematode population to a wetting event in nitrogen-amended Negev desert plots

 Water and N availability are the major limiting factors of primary production in desert ecosystems, and the response of soil biota to these two factors is of great importance. We examined the immediate response of soil nematodes and the microbial biomass to a single pulse of water amendment in N-treated plots in the Israeli Negev desert. Plots were treated with 0, 50 and 100 kg NH₄NO₃ ha^–1 in December 1992, and at the end of the summer period (August 1993) the plots were exposed to a 15 mm water. Soil samples from the 0–10 cm layer were collected daily and analysed soil moisture, total soluble N, nematode populations and microbial biomass. Soil moisture increased to 8.5%, then gradually decreased to 2% during the 11 days of the study. Microbial biomass, soil respiration and metabolic quotient values did not exhibit any significant correlation with soil N levels. Free-living nematode population levels in the different plots were found to increase from a mean level of 45 500 to a mean level of 92 300 individuals m^–2. N treatment was found to affect the patterns of free-living nematode population dynamics. The results of this study demonstrated the importance of moisture availability levels and the ability to mobilize previous N inputs into available N which, occurring in pulses, can affect the microbial ecophysiological status, nematode population dynamics and the interrelationship between these two important components in the desert soil milieu. Received: 5 November 1998     

沙漠系统中豆类作物根际附近区域土壤微生物群落研究

The aim of the current study was to gain a better understanding of the changes in soil microbial biomass and basal respiration dynamics in the vicinity of the bean caper （Zygophyllura duraosura） perennial desert shrub and the inter-shrub sites. Microbial biomasses as well as basal respiration were found to be significantly greater in the soil samples taken beneath the Z. duraosura shrubs than from the inter-shrub sampling sites, with no differences between the two sampling layers （0-10 and 10-20 cm） throughout the study period. However, seasonal changes were observed due to autumn dew formation, which significantly affected microbial biomass and basal respiration in the upper-layer inter-shrub locations. The calculated metabolic coefficient （qCO2） revealed significant differences between the two sampling sites as well as between the two soil layers, elucidating the abiotic effect between the sites throughout the study period. The substrate availability index was found to significantly demonstrate the differences between the two sites, elucidating the significant contribution of Z. duraosura in food source availability and in moderating harsh abiotic components. The importance of basal microbial parameters and the derived indices as tools demonstrated the importance and need for basic knowledge in understanding plant-soil interactions determined by an unpredictable and harsh desert environment.     

东莞一个小型景观土壤有机碳含量及其分布

Soil organisms in terrestrial systems are unevenly distributed in time and space, and often aggregated. Spatiotemporal patchiness in the soil environment is thought to be crucial for the maintenance of soil biodiversity, providing diverse microhabitats tightly interweaving with resource partitioning. Determination of a ＂scale unit＂ to help understand ecological processes has become one of the important and most debatable problems in recent years. A fieldwork was carried out in the northern Negev Desert highland, Israel to determine the influence of fine-scale landscape patch moisture heterogeneity on biogeochemical variables and microbial activity linkage in a desert ecosystem. The results showed that the spatio-temporal patchiness of soil moisture to which we attribute influential properties, was found to become more heterogenic with the decrease in soil moisture availability （from 8.2 to 0.4 g kg^-1） toward the hot, dry seasons, with coefficient of variation （CV） change amounting to 66.9%. Spatio-temporal distribution of organic matter （OM） and total soluble nitrogen （TSN） was found to be relatively uniformly distributed throughout the wet seasons （winter and spring）, with increase of relatively high heterogeneity toward the dry seasons （from 0.25% to 2.17% for OM, and from 0 to 10.2 mg kg^-1 for TSN） with CV of 47.4% and 99.7% for OM and TSN, respectively. Different spatio-temporal landscape patterns were obtained for Ca （CV = 44.6%）, K （CV = 34.4%）, and Na （CV = 92%） ions throughout the study period. CO2 evolution （CV = 48.6%） was found to be of lower heterogeneity （varying between 2 and 39 g CO2-C g^-1 dry soil h^-1） in the moist seasons, e.g., winter and spring, with lower values of respiration coupled with high heterogeneity of Na^＋ and low levels of TSN and organic matter content, and with more homogeneity in the dry seasons （varying between 1 and 50 g CO2-C g^-1 dry soil h^-1）. Our results elucidate the heterogeneity and complexity of desert system habitats affecting soil biota activity.     

Response by soil nematode populations and the soil microbial biomass to a rain episode in the hot,dry Negev Desert

Since the amount, intensity, and frequency of rainfall in desert regions vary strongly over space and time, the response by soil biota to this variability is of great importance. We conducted a study in the Negev desert in order to examine the immediate response by the soil nematode populations and the microbial biomass to varying amounts of water applied in a single pulse. Soil samples from the 0–10-cm depth were collected from areas undergoing four different wetting treatments, comprising 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm of water, and from a non-irrigated control soil. There was a correlation between diurnal variations in nematode populations and the diurnal fluctuations in soil moisture. The greatest abundance of nematodes was found in the soil treated with 20 mm water (970 individuals 100 g^-1 dry soil) which was 2, 4, 5, and 14 times larger than that found in the soil treated with 15, 10, 5, and 0 mm of water, respectively. Bacterialfeeding and fungal-feeding nematodes accounted for approximately 95% of the total nematode population found in all treatments. The microbial biomass examined in the current study exhibited an immediate response to the wetting which was greater in soil treated with, 10, 15, and 20 mm of water compared with 0 and 5 mm. However, after 4 days (96 hours) the microbial biomass stabilized again at the basic level of the 0-mm control. However, our results indicated that the major trigger for changes in the nematode populations, and in the microbial biomass, was diurnal fluctuations in soil moisture, since peaks in nematode populations and in the microbial biomass were observed at various times of the day.     

Soil microbial metabolic profiles in two geomorphological units in a semistable sand-dune ecosystem

The playas and microbiotic crust-covered interdunes are two geomorphological units in the Hallamish sand-dune field, Israel. As a depositional unit, a lack of vegetation and microbiotic crusts, as well as high contents of fine particles and salinity, may lead to low microbial activity and functional diversity at the playa. The present study was initiated in order to illuminate the spatiotemporal changes in the activity, biomass and metabolic profiles of soil microbial communities at the two habitats. Soil samples were collected from the 0–50-cm depth at the playa and interdune during the wet and dry seasons of 2010. Soil moisture and organic-carbon contents recorded at the playa were 2- to above 10-fold higher than at the crust-covered interdune throughout the study period. Nevertheless, opposite trends were recorded for fungal and bacterial CFUs, as well as microbial basal respiration and biomass, in most soil depths at the playa compared to the crust-covered interdune. The total substrate utilization rates of soil microbial communities fluctuated between 4.9 and 6.4 and between 3.9 and 14.9 μg CO₂–C g^?1 dry soil h^?1 at the playa and interdune during the wet season, while 3-fold higher values were recorded at the two habitats during the dry season. The total substrate utilization rates, carbohydrates and carboxylic-acid utilization rates, and functional diversity of soil microbial communities at the playa, were lower than at the crust-covered interdune at most soil depths, while higher utilization rates of aromatic acid were recorded in at least three soil layers at the playa.     

半干旱区流沙固定初期不同植被类型的土壤湿度特征

利用科尔沁沙地奈曼生态网络研究站1983～1990年土壤水分定位观测数据,分析了不同类型植被土壤湿度的时间变化特征及其受降水的影响。结果表明:植被建立对沙地土壤湿度影响是显著的,与流动沙丘(多年平均土壤含水量3.56%,变异系数为0.074)相比,生长在沙丘顶和丘间低地的乔木树种小叶杨和樟子松,10～15年后平均土壤含水量分别为2.73%和3.08%,但在较短的时间尺度上变异较大,变异系数分别为0.127和0.347,下降最明显的是生长在沙丘顶部的灌木、半灌木,如小叶锦鸡儿和差巴嘎蒿 樟子松等植被区,平均土壤含水量均低于2.5%,变异系数分别为0.179和0.262。半干旱土壤湿度除了受植被影响外,降水也是主要控制因子。欠水年,土壤旱化现象严重,在固沙植被区,特别是沙丘顶部会出现暂时性土壤干层,并且不同类型植被区土壤湿度差异显著;丰水年,土壤水分好转,干层消失。     

放牧对荒漠草原土壤养分及微生物量的影响

[目的]探讨不同放牧强度对荒漠草原植被多样性、土壤理化性状、土壤养分及土壤微生物量的影响。[方法]以围封禁牧草地为对照,采用野外调查和室内分析的方法,对不同放牧强度下的草地土壤及植被展开调查。[结果]随放牧强度的增加,荒漠草原植被盖度、物种多样性、地上生物量、土壤养分和微生物量显著降低,土壤容重和pH值呈增加趋势,土壤电导率呈先增加后降低趋势,地下生物量则没有明显变化趋势;在植被作用下土壤养分和微生物量垂直方向表现递减规律并且在表层富集,"表聚性"较为明显;在放牧干扰下土壤全磷变异系数最高;放牧并没有改变荒漠草原土壤养分和微生物量的垂直分布特征;相关分析表明,放牧干扰下土壤微生物量与土壤养分之间具有较强的相关性,二者与土壤含水量也有较强的相关性。[结论]放牧强度对土壤全磷的空间变异影响较大,并且土壤微生物量对于放牧干扰的敏感性高于土壤养分全量;土壤养分和微生物量等地下生态系统各指标之间具有统一性。     

Soil respiration in a chihuahuan desert rangeland

Soil respiration of a desert soil was measured at the New Mexico State University Ranch in Southern New Mexico. Respiration rates were highest during late July and August after summer rains. Soil respiration data were used to estimate soil organic matter turnover which was 54 yr using summer data and 20 yr using both summer and winter data. The long turnover estimate for summer measurements resulted from temperatures above optimum in June and July. Diurnal soil respiration was also measured after a simulated 2.54 cm rain event. For both wetted and dry soils, temperature controlled the patterns of soil respiration with an optimum of near 41°C. Activation energy values decreased from 84.91 to 39.5 kJ mol^?1 when the soil was wetted. A light-dark container method was tested as a possible means of estimating algal uptake of CO₂, however, the method was not feasible for desert soils.     

The elevational patterns and key drivers of soil microbial communities strongly depend on soil layer and season

Knowledge about the elevational patterns of soil microbial biomass and communities can facilitate accurate prediction of the responses of soil biogeochemical processes to climate change. However, previous studies that have considered intra- and inter-annual variations have reported inconsistent results on the one hand, and they have paid little attention to the effect of soil layer on the other hand. We, therefore, conducted a 4-year in situ soil core incubation experiment along a 2431-m elevational gradient across the dry valley shrubland, valley-montane ecotone forest, subalpine coniferous forest, alpine coniferous forest, and alpine meadow in an ecologically fragile alpine-gorge region on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Soil microbial biomass and community composition in the organic and mineral layers were measured using the phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) method at five critical periods each year. Our results indicated that soil microbial biomass in the organic layer was the highest in the subalpine coniferous forest, followed by the alpine meadow, alpine coniferous forest, and valley-montane ecotone forest. In contrast, soil microbial biomass in the mineral layer was significantly higher in the alpine meadow than in the other sites. Soil microbial biomass exhibited differential seasonal fluctuations at different elevations, resulting in their elevational patterns being strongly intra-annual and inter-annual dependent. Our results revealed that elevation and seasonality significantly affected soil microbial communities. Seasonality had a more substantial effect than elevation on soil microbial communities during the first 3 years of incubation, whereas the relative importance of seasonal and elevational effects on microbial communities was reversed in the organic layer with incubation time. These results are mainly attributed to the magnitude and direction of effect of environmental variables on soil microbial biomass and communities vary with elevation, soil layer, and sampling time. Briefly, the elevational patterns and dominant factors of soil microbial biomass and communities have intense soil layer and temporal specificity, implying that differential responses of soil biochemical processes to climate change might be observed at different elevations.     

塔里木盆地北缘绿洲土壤化学计量特征

选择塔里木盆地北缘阿拉尔垦区灌漠土、棕漠土、盐土和风沙土四种土壤为研究对象,在分析土壤C、N、P化学计量特征基础上,利用排序方法中的冗余分析(Redundancy analysis,RDA)技术深入解析了土壤C、N、P含量及其化学计量比与其他理化因子的关系。结果表明:研究区土壤C、N、P含量整体水平不高,土壤C、N、P元素含量均值分别为2.97、0.27、0.64 mg g-1。由C、N、P含量的相关性分析可知C、N元素含量变化几乎同步,P元素含量变化滞后于二者。C∶N∶P为11∶1∶2.37,在四种土壤类型中N∶P、C∶P较C∶N变化范围大,土壤C、N、P计量比表明N是研究区主要的限制因素。冗余分析结果表明,土壤含水量是土壤C、N、P含量及其化学计量比变化的主要驱动因子,土壤含水量与土壤C、N元素含量和N∶P、C∶P呈现极显著正相关关系,土壤容重与土壤C、N元素含量和N∶P、C∶P呈现极显著负相关关系;土壤盐度对土壤C、N、P含量及其化学计量比的影响并未达到显著程度,可能是因为研究区土壤本身盐碱性差异不大。     

Short-term biochar effect on soil physicochemical and microbiological properties of a degraded alpine grassland

Soil remediation is an important part of the restoration process of degraded terrestrial ecosystems. Due to its unique properties, biochar is being used widely as an effective soil modifier in agricultural systems, but research is still rare on biochar application in grassland ecosystems, especially in degraded alpine grasslands. In this study, we conducted a plot experiment to investigate the effect of biochar application on soil physicochemical properties and microorganisms at the 0–20 cm soil depth of a degraded alpine grassland in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. The experiment consisted of four corn straw biochar application levels (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%, with the percentage representing the ratio of biochar weight to the dry weight of soil in the surface 20 cm soil layer). When the biochar addition increased from 0% to 2%, total nitrogen, total organic carbon and available phosphorus in the 0–10 cm soil layer increased by 41%, 55% and 45%, respectively, in the second year after biochar addition. Meanwhile, soil electrical conductivity decreased, and soil water content increased. Total microbial, fungal and bacterial biomasses in the 0–10 cm soil layer increased from 9.15 to 12.68, 0.91 to 1.34, and 3.85 to 4.55 μg g^-1, respectively. The relative biomasses of saprophytic fungi and methanotrophic bacteria decreased, while the relative biomasses of ectomycorrhizal fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased. These results indicate that biochar has a great potential in improving microbial activity and soil fertility in soil remediation of the degraded alpine grassland.     

Soil microbial activity along an arctic‐alpine altitudinal gradient from a seasonal perspective

The knowledge on dynamics of soil microbial activity and its correlation to climate and vegetation is still poor but essential for predicting climatic changes scenarios. Seasonal dynamics of soil microbial activity and cell counts were studied along an arctic‐alpine altitudinal gradient. The gradient comprised 12 ridges from 1000 to 1600 m altitude. Soil samples were collected during March, May, July and September 2005. The effect of temperature, snow depth and vegetation, all of which changed with altitude, on soil microbial activity and bacterial cell counts was analysed. The potential activities of phosphatase and chitinase were determined using fluorescent 4‐methylumbelliferyl labelled analogues. Total and live bacterial cell counts were determined by live‐dead‐staining. We detected marked differences in soil microbial variables along the altitudinal gradient, forming three major clusters: a low alpine belt, a middle alpine belt, and an intermediate transition zone. Our results demonstrated that more frequent occurrence of shrubs and bryophytes would also increase microbial activity. Furthermore, we detected a clear relation (R² = 0.6; P < 0.02) between high soil temperatures and greater soil microbial activity during summer. As higher temperatures are predicted to promote shrubs and higher humidity to promote bryophytes we expect microbial activity in dry heath tundra soils will increase with anticipated warmer, and in the case of Scandinavia, more humid climates. We did not find winter microbial activity to be less at snow‐free sites than at sites covered by snow up to depths of 30 cm; hence, possible future decreases in snow depth will not result in reduced winter microbial activity. We demonstrate that shrubs support winter microbial activity not only by trapping snow but also directly by increasing the amount of organic carbon.     

Addition of a clay subsoil to a sandy topsoil changes the response of microbial activity to drying and rewetting after residue addition – a model experiment

The effect of drying and rewetting (DRW) on C mineralization has been studied extensively but mostly in absence of freshly added residues. But in agricultural soils large amounts of residues can be present after harvest; therefore, the impact of DRW in soil after residue addition is of interest. Further, sandy soils may be ameliorated by adding clay‐rich subsoil which could change the response of microbes to DRW. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of DRW on microbial activity and growth in soils that were modified by mixing clay subsoil into sandy top soil and wheat residues were added. We conducted an incubation experiment by mixing finely ground wheat residue (20 g kg^–1) into top loamy sand soil with clay‐rich subsoil at 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% (w/w). At each clay addition rate, two moisture treatments were imposed: constantly moist control (CM) at 75% WHC or dry and rewet. Soil respiration was measured continuously, and microbial biomass C (MBC) was determined on day 5 (before drying), when the soil was dried, after 5 d dry, and 5 d after rewetting. In the constantly moist treatment, increasing addition rate of clay subsoil decreased cumulative respiration per g soil, but had no effect on cumulative respiration per g total organic C (TOC), indicating that the lower respiration with clay subsoil was due to the low TOC content of the sand‐clay mixes. Clay subsoil addition did not affect the MBC concentration per g TOC but reduced the concentration of K₂SO₄ extractable C per g TOC. In the DRW treatment, cumulative respiration per g TOC during the dry phase increased with increasing clay subsoil addition rate. Rewetting of dry soil caused a flush of respiration in all soils but cumulative respiration at the end of the experiment remained lower than in the constantly moist soils. Respiration rates after rewetting were higher than at the corresponding days in constantly moist soils only at clay subsoil addition rates of 20 to 40%. We conclude that in presence of residues, addition of clay subsoil to a sandy top soil improves microbial activity during the dry phase and upon rewetting but has little effect on microbial biomass.     

Land‐Use Type Effects on Soil Organic Carbon and Microbial Properties in a Semi‐arid Region of Northeast Brazil

Land‐use change is one of the most important anthropogenic environmental change drivers affecting the biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems. However, there is limited knowledge of the consequences for soil processes in many regions around the globe. The Brazilian semi‐arid ecosystem known as Caatinga has experienced the transformation from native forest into agricultural land, with heretofore unknown effects on soil processes and microbial properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of five land‐use changes (to maize and cowpea cropland, grape orchard, and cut and grazed pasture) on total organic C (TOC) and total N (TN) stocks and soil microbial properties of Ultisol from Caatinga. Soil samples (0–10 and 10–20 cm depth) were collected during the wet and dry periods. Split–split plot analysis of variance was used to test the effects of land use, soil depth, season and the interaction between land‐use and soil depth on soil microbial properties, TOC and TN stocks. Land‐use effects were more pronounced in the top soil layer than in the lower layer, while the pattern was less consistent in soil microbial properties. Land conversion from native forest to cropland may cause C losses from the soil, but conversion to pastures may even increase the potential of soils to function as C sinks. Grazed pastures showed not only high C and N stocks but also the highest soil microbial biomass and lowest respiratory quotients, all indications for elevated soil C sequestration. Thus, grazed pastures may represent a land‐use form with high ecosystem multifunctionality in Caatinga. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of harvester ant (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Messor</Emphasis> spp.) activity on soil properties and microbial communities in a Negev Desert ecosystem

Harvester ants (Messor spp.) function as an essential link between aboveground resources and below-ground biota such as the microbial community. We examined changes in soil microbial biomass and functional diversity resulting from harvester ant (Messor spp.) activity in the Negev Desert, Israel. Abiotic and biotic soil parameters were recorded during two seasons—wet and dry—also representing food availability periods for the ants (low and high seed availability, respectively). Soil samples were collected monthly from the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm soil layers: (1) near the nest entrance, (2) under chaff piles, and (3) at a 2-m radius from the nest entrance (control). Harvester ant activity increased the percentage of organic matter, total soluble nitrogen, and microbial activity in nest-modified soils in comparison to the control soils. Higher CO₂ evolution was recorded in the low-seed season in ant nest soils than in the control soils. During the high-seed season, higher carbon dioxide evolution was recorded only at the nest entrance locations. There were no differences in microbial biomass between the low- and high-seed seasons, but highest microbial biomass was found under chaff in low-seed season and in nest soils in high-seed season. Microbial functional diversity was higher in nest-modified soils than in the control soils. This study suggests that the effect of harvester ant nests on soil fertility is due to increased microbial biomass and microbial activity in ant nest-modified soils.     

Enzyme activities along a climatic transect in the Judean Desert

Soil enzymes have an important influence on nutrient cycling. We examined spatial and temporal patterns in dehydrogenase, arylsulfatase, alkaline and acid phosphatase activities, and their relationships with organic carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen at three sites in Israel representing different climatic regions: Mediterranean (humid), mildly arid and arid. The sites were selected along a climatic transect from the Judean Mountains in the west to the Dead Sea in the east of Israel. With increasing aridity, soil organic carbon, soil microbial biomass nitrogen, dehydrogenase, phosphatase and different pools of arylsulfatase activities decreased significantly. A sharp change in enzyme activities existed between 260- and 120-mm mean annual rainfall. The arylsulfatase activity of the microbial biomass in the 0–2- and 5–10-cm soil layers usually accounted for more than 50% of the total activity, and the fraction of total activity in the 0–2-cm soil layer of the arid sites was significantly greater than that of the humid site. Dehydrogenase and total and microbial biomass arylsulfatase activities were sensitive indicators of the climatic change along the transect. At the humid and mildly arid sites, the activities of dehydrogenase were less in the winter than in the summer and spring, whereas total and microbial biomass arylsulfatase activities were less in both summer and winter. At the arid site, lower values were observed in the summer at 0–2-cm soil depth. At all sites, lower alkaline phosphatase activities at 0–2 cm were observed in the summer, but there were no significant seasonal differences in acid phosphatase activities. These different seasonal patterns of enzyme activities are attributed to the enzyme source, and specific seasonal soil moisture and temperature conditions at the studied sites. The low dehydrogenase and microbial biomass arylsulfatase activities in the winter at the humid and mildly arid sites are explained by the cold and wet soil conditions, and the low enzyme activity in the summer at the arid site is attributed to the dry and hot soil conditions.     

Nitrous oxide dynamics during denitrification along a hydrological gradient of subtropical grasslands

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) dynamics during denitrification, including N₂O production and reduction, particularly as related to soil depth, are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the rates of N₂O production and reduction processes at various soil depths along a hydrological gradient in grazed subtropical grasslands. A batch incubation study was conducted on soils collected along a hydrological gradient representing isolated wetland (Center), transient edge (Edge) and pasture upland (Upland) in south-central Florida. Significantly different N₂O production and reduction rates between hydrological zones were observed for surface soils (0–10 cm) under ambient conditions, with average N₂O production rates of 0.368, 0.178 and 0.003 N₂O-N kg⁻¹ dry soil h⁻¹ for Center, Edge and Upland, respectively, and average N₂O reduction rates of 0.063, 0.132 and 0.002 N₂O-N kg⁻¹ dry soil h⁻¹. Nitrous oxide production and reduction in subsurface soils maintained low rates and showed small variations between depths and hydrological zones. Our results suggest that N₂O dynamics were affected by depth, mainly through labile organic carbon (C) and microbial biomass C, being influenced by hydrological zone primarily through soil NO₃^- content. The spatial distribution of N₂O fluxes from denitrification along the hydrological gradient is likely attributed to the differences in N₂O production and reduction in surface soils.     

Grassland conversion along a climate gradient in northwest China: Implications for soil carbon and nutrients

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and nutrient availability are key indicators of soil quality, and both can be influenced by land-use change. However, it is still unclear whether the impact of land-use change on SOC and nutrient stocks differs between ecoregions. Grasslands near the northeast border of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) occur across several ecoregions that have recently been subjected to substantial land-use change. Based on long-term land-use history, we conducted a field investigation comparing soil C and nutrient stocks between natural grassland (NGL) and three types of converted grassland (agricultural grassland, AGL; farmland, FL; and abandoned farmland, AFL) in three ecoregions along a climate gradient: alpine meadow, temperate steppe and temperate desert. Compared with NGL, soil C stocks in converted grasslands were 22%–30% lower in the alpine meadow, but 60–82% higher in the temperate steppe and 6%–76% higher in the temperate desert. Converted grasslands also contained higher stocks of available nitrogen and phosphorus than NGL in the temperate steppe and desert. Soils (0–40 cm) in NGL contained 14.8 ± 0.1 kg C m⁻² in alpine meadow, 6.7 ± 0.6 kg C m⁻² in temperate steppe and 1.7 ± 0.3 kg C m⁻² in temperate desert. Together, our results indicate that the responses of soil C and nutrients to grassland conversion differed between ecoregions. Thus, to optimize soil C sequestration rates and overall soil quality, we suggest that land-use policies in this area should take into account local environmental conditions.     

长期定位施肥对灰漠土农田土壤质量的影响

试验研究不同施肥方式下长期定位施肥对灰漠土农田土壤酶活性和土壤理化特性的影响结果表明:经过长期定位施肥试验,灰漠土土壤的生物活性(蛋白酶、脲酶、磷酸酶、蔗糖酶活性)与土壤基本肥力比试验前有所提高;不同施肥处理下土壤酶活性和土壤理化性质存在明显差异,N素和有机质含量是制约灰漠土土壤酶活性和影响作物产量的关键因子。