Concurrent increase in 15N and radiocarbon age in soil density fractions

Differences in the isotopic signature of organic matter between soil fractions are indicative of transformation and ageing processes. Here we show that with increasing microbial transformation measured by δ¹⁵N, there is a concomitant increase in carbon age as measured by ¹⁴C. The age of the soil's heavy fraction further increases with microbial utilization, indicating that stabilized OM ages yet continues to be reused.     

土壤微生物分子生态学研究方法

主要介绍了目前在土壤微生物生态学研究中的常用分子生物学方法,包括核酸探针杂交技术、基于PCR技术的研究方法、特异DNA片段的序列分析、DNA扩增片段梯度凝胶电泳检测技术等。     

Potential applications of soil microbial ecology and next-generation sequencing in criminal investigations

The complex relationships between the changes in microbial community profiles and postmortem interval (PMI) estimates have recently been discussed in the forensic literature. Edaphic, necrobiomic microorganisms at the cadaver-soil interface construct multi-species communities that change in richness and activity when the host body dies and begins to decompose. Characterization of these dynamic changes has been made possible by current advances in high throughput, next-generation platforms. The effectiveness of these metagenomic technologies is that they pride the foundations of a framework for identification of grave sites and the determination of postmortem timelines, or “microbial clocks.” The proposed clocks may help substantiate the estimation of PMI. Studies have demonstrated the differences between soils collected at grave sites and control soils which may be useful in identifying clandestine grave sites. In this review is the discussion of the recent and formative findings involving sequencing applications of soil microbial communities relating the differences in taxon richness and abundance patterns as molecular tools with broad and important applications in forensics.     

土壤宏基因组学研究方法与进展

土壤微生物驱动着土壤中的物质循环和养分转化。在土壤学的研究中,长期将土壤作为一个黑箱系统来对待,对其中的生物组成及其参与的生化过程知之甚少。土壤中绝大部分微生物目前尚难以分离培养,因此基于传统的培养方法对于认识土壤微生物群落组成和功能有其局限性。宏基因组学直接从环境样品中提取全部微生物的DNA,或通过测序探究环境中微生物的群落结构和功能(序列驱动),或构建宏基因组文库,筛选新的基因或生物活性物质(功能驱动),克服了传统培养方法的缺陷,极大地丰富了对土壤微生物多样性及其功能的认知。本文在综述土壤宏基因组学研究基本流程的基础上,重点介绍了日益重要的第二代测序平台在土壤宏基因组学研究中的应用及其产生的海量数据的分析处理方法,并简要探讨了宏基因组学在土壤微生物生态学中的应用。最后,作者建议在国家层面上展开相关土壤宏基因组学研究,调查微生物群落及其变化,为生物资源开发、农业生产和环境保护作出应有的贡献。     

Nitrogen pools and turnover in arable soils under different durations of organic farming: I: Pool sizes of total soil nitrogen,microbial biomass nitrogen,and potentially mineralizable nitrogen

Soil organic matter contents, soil microbial biomass, potentially mineralizable nitrogen (N) and soil pH values were investigated in the Ap horizons of 14 field plots at 3 sites which had been under organic farming over various periods. The objective was to test how these soil properties change with the duration of organic farming. Site effects were significant for pH values, microbial biomass C and N, and for potentially mineralizable N at 0—10 cm depth. The contents of total organic C, total soil N, and potentially mineralizable N tended to be higher in soils after 41 versus 3 years of organic farming, but the differences were not significant. Microbial biomass C and N contents were higher after 41 years than after 3 years of organic farming at 0—10 cm depth, and the pH values were increased at 10—27 cm depth. Nine years of organic farming were insufficient to affect soil microbial biomass significantly. Increased biomass N contents help improve N storage by soil micro‐organisms in soils under long‐term organic farming.     

生物有机肥对土壤微生物活性的影响

通过两次连续温室玉米盆栽试验,研究了施用具有调节微生物功能的生物有机肥对土壤微生物数量与活性的影响,并利用传统平板计数法与BIOLOGECO方法相结合研究生物有机肥对土壤微生物生态的影响。结果表明,与化肥相比,施用生物有机肥可显著提高土壤微生物中3大菌群的数量;AWCD值及微生物对不同碳底物利用水平的测定结果表明,施用生物有机肥可明显提高土壤微生物对碳源的利用率,尤其土壤中的羧酸、胺类和其他类碳源等。表明生物有机肥的施用能增加土壤微生物利用碳源能力,改善微生物营养条件,使微生物保持较高活性,提高土壤微生物多样性。     

Response of the sorption behavior of Cu,Cd, and Zn to different soil management

This study investigated the effect of different farming practices over long time periods on the sorption‐desorption behavior of Cu, Cd, and Zn in soils. Various amendments in a long‐term field experiment over 44 y altered the chemical and physical properties of the soil. Adsorption isotherms obtained from batch sorption experiments with Cu, Cd, and Zn were well described by Freundlich equations for adsorption and desorption. The data showed that Cu was adsorbed in high amounts, followed by Zn and Cd. In most treatments, Cd ions were more weakly sorbed than Cu or Zn. Generally, adsorption coefficients K_F increased among the investigated farming practices in the following order: sewage sludge ≤ fallow < inorganic fertilizer without N ≈ green manure < peat < Ca(NO₃)₂ < animal manure ≤ grassland/extensive pasture. The impact of different soil management on the sorption properties of agricultural soils for trace metals was quantified. Results demonstrated that the soil pH was the main factor controlling the behavior of heavy metals in soil altered through management. Furthermore, the constants K_F and n of isotherms obtained from the experiments significantly correlated with the amount of solid and water‐soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in the soils. Higher soil pH and higher contents of soil organic carbon led to higher adsorption. Carboxyl and carbonyl groups as well as WSOC significantly influenced the sorption behavior of heavy metals in soils with similar mineral soil constituents.     

土地质量评估与监测: 土壤科学面临的新挑战

Sustainable land management (SLM)is the key to harmonizing environmetal and ecolgical concerns of society with the economic realities of producing adequate food and fiber of high quality and ensuring a absi minimal quality of life.The aim of SLM is to maintain the integrity of the biophysical land resource base,but it can only be realized if land users understand the impacts of land management options on their lands but also on other off-site areas and can optimize the socioeconomic and environmetal benefits of their choice.To Facilitate this,the Contribution of soil suvery organizations would be through the assessment and monitoring of land quality.Land quality is a measure of the ability of land to perfor specific functions and is derived by an integration of soil survey information with other environmental,and if necessary,socioeconomic information.The desired reliability influences the operational scale of the assessment,Such an assessment would assist in:1) locating homologous areas for research sites or for transferring technologies;2) providing the geographic basis for systems analysis(e.g.modeling);3) serving as a basis for local,natinal and global resource assessment and monitoring;4) providing an ecosystem context for land use,assessments of temporal and spatial variability,and impact of human interventions;5)serving as a framework for more detailed assessment for all levels of interest;and 6) evaluating global issues such as food security,impacts of climate change,biodiversity montoring,and addressing desertification.Based on an evaluation of the progress made in soil resource inventories and considering the demands of the environment focused world,the paper considers the need for counteries to mount such a program.The authors believe that this is the next demand of soil science and that we can fulfill our soical contract by periodically providing such information on the state of a nation‘s land resource.     

The challenge for the soil science community to contribute to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by 193 Governments at the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2015 for achievement by 2030. These SDGs present a roadmap to a sustainable future and a challenge to the science community. To guide activities and check progress, targets and indicators have been and are still being defined. The soil science community has published documents that describe the primary importance of soil for SDGs addressing hunger, water quality, climate mitigation and biodiversity preservation, and secondary relevance of soil for addressing several other SDGs. Soil scientists only marginally participated in the SDG discussions and are currently only peripherally engaged in discussions on targets or indicators. Agreement on several soil‐related indicators has still not been achieved. Involvement of soil scientists in SDG‐based studies is desirable for both developing solutions and increasing the visibility of the soil profession. Inputs into policy decisions should be improved as SDG committee members are appointed by Governments. Possible contributions of soil science in defining indicators for the SDGs are explored in this paper. We advocate the pragmatic use of soil–water–atmosphere–plant simulation models and available soil surveys and soil databases where “representative” soil profiles for mapping units (genetically defined genoforms) are functionally expressed in terms of several phenoforms reflecting effects of different types of soil use and management that strongly affect functionality.     

不同有机物料培肥对渭北旱塬土壤微生物学特性及土壤肥力的影响

通过田间试验,研究了施用不同有机物料对渭北旱塬耕地土壤微生物学特性及土壤肥力的影响。结果表明,化肥与不同有机物料配合施用,土壤微生物学特性［微生物量碳（MBC）、微生物量氮（MBN）、脲酶、碱性磷酸酶］以及部分土壤养分状况（全氮、速效磷、速效钾、阳离子交换量）比单施化肥处理均得到进一步改善。化肥配施秸秆堆肥处理效果最明显,其中微生物量碳增加了41.96%,微生物量氮增加了54.55%,脲酶活性增加了19.71%,碱性磷酸酶活性增加了7.35%,速效磷增加了63.12%;而且土壤微生物量碳、氮与速效磷、阳离子交换量呈显著正相关,微生物商（qMB）、脲酶活性、碱性磷酸酶活性与全氮、速效氮、速效钾含量呈显著相关;同时SMBC、SMBN、qMB等与作物产量密切相关（相关系数分别为0.85,0.74,0.82）。因此,化肥配施秸秆堆肥处理在渭北旱地雨热条件下对于全面提升土壤质量具有重要的意义;同时该区域土壤中微生物量碳氮与土壤养分状况、作物产量具有很好的一致性,可以表征土壤肥力状况及生产力水平。     

Soil microbial biomass and activity: the effect of site characteristics in humid temperate forest ecosystems

Microbial biomass, respiratory activity, and in‐situ substrate decomposition were studied in soils from humid temperate forest ecosystems in SW Germany. The sites cover a wide range of abiotic soil and climatic properties. Microbial biomass and respiration were related to both soil dry mass in individual horizons and to the soil volume in the top 25 cm. Soil microbial properties covered the following ranges: soil microbial biomass: 20 µg C g^–1–8.3 mg C g^–1 and 14–249 g C m^–2, respectively; microbial C–to–total organic C ratio: 0.1%–3.6%; soil respiration: 109–963 mg CO₂‐C m^–2 h^–1; metabolic quotient (qCO₂): 1.4–14.7 mg C (g C_mic)^–1 h^–1; daily in‐situ substrate decomposition rate: 0.17%–2.3%. The main abiotic properties affecting concentrations of microbial biomass differed between forest‐floor/organic horizons and mineral horizons. Whereas microbial biomass decreased with increasing soil moisture and altitude in the forest‐floor/organic horizons, it increased with increasing N_tot content and pH value in the mineral horizons. Quantities of microbial biomass in forest soils appear to be mainly controlled by the quality of the soil organic matter (SOM), i.e., by its C : N ratio, the quantity of N_tot, the soil pH, and also showed an optimum relationship with increasing soil moisture conditions. The ratio of C_mic to C_org was a good indicator of SOM quality. The quality of the SOM (C : N ratio) and soil pH appear to be crucial for the incorporation of C into microbial tissue. The data and functional relations between microbial and abiotic variables from this study provide the basis for a valuation scheme for the function of soils to serve as a habitat for microorganisms.     

Effects of fallow or planting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and fertilizing P or fertilizing P and N practices on soil carbon and nitrogen in a low-organic-matter soil

Soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are important for maintaining soil fertility, and they are considerably affected by soil use and management. In the present study, we conducted an 8-year ?eld experiment on loessial dryland soil (Eum-Orthic Anthrosol, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)) in the southern Loess Plateau, China. We tested four soil management regimes—i.e., winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation with phosphorus (P) fertilization (WP), winter wheat cultivation with N and P fertilization (WNP), natural fallow (NF) and bare fallow (BF)—to evaluate their effects on soil C and N fractions. After 8 years, compared with the WNP treatment, the total soil organic nitrogen (SON) in the WP treatment decreased by 14.6% and 36.8%, and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) by 35.6% and 61.1%, at 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths, respectively. The soil heavy fraction nitrogen (HFN) and light fraction nitrogen (LFN) in the WP treatment also decreased by 36.6% and 39.4%, respectively. Furthermore, BF treatment decreased total soil organic carbon (SOC), heavy fraction carbon (HFC), LFN and MBN at both soil depths with average reductions of 43.4%. The NF treatment decreased light fraction carbon (LFC) by 17.0% at 0–20 cm soil depth, as well as MBN by 24.8% and 71.2%, and inorganic C by 29.1% and 23.8%, at 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil depths, respectively. There was no significant difference of microbial biomass C concentration among the WP, NF and BF treatments. These results confirmed that a lack of N fertilization decreased SON, BF reduced both SOC and SON, and NF decreased soil inorganic C. Therefore, the managements of a recommended rate of N fertilizer application and shortened time of bare fallow are critical for maintaining or increasing SON fraction sequestration, and natural fallow management is not a useful method for maintaining soil fertility in dryland in the Loess Plateau in China.

Abbreviations: HFC: heavy fraction carbon; HFN: heavy fraction nitrogen; LFC: light fraction carbon; LFN: light fraction nitrogen; MBC: microbial biomass carbon; MBN: microbial biomass nitrogen; SOC: soil organic carbon; SON: soil organic nitrogen     

Effects of tetracycline on the soil microflora: function,diversity, resistance

Background  Tetracycline is a widely used antibiotic in animal production. Significant amounts of the substance reach the soil via feces, urine and manure application. As tetracycline is a persistent compound with antibacterial activity, its presence in soil may have undesired direct and indirect effects. These have been investigated so far focusing on effects on selected microbial functions. Objectives  The aim of the present study was to obtain comprehensive information on potential effects of tetracycline on the soil microflora under environmentally relevant conditions. The investigations included function and structure of the microbial biocoenosis and the distribution of resistance genes. Methods  Pig manure rich in tetracycline resistance genes was applied to a sandy soil. This soil as well as an unamended soil were additionally treated with several concentrations of tetracycline. The spiked soils were incubated in outdoor lysimeters for several months. Substrate induced respiration, PLFAs, ten selected resistance genes, and the concentrations of tetracycline were determined. Results  The test concentrations, though far exceeding environmental relevance, caused only small effects. An establishment of resistance could not be detected. Applied resistance genes were not detectable at the end of the study even in the presence of added tetracycline. Conclusion  Due to the high sorption capacity of the antibiotic, environmentally relevant concentrations of tetracycline do not seem to cause undesired effects on the soil microflora.     

Implications of soil substrate and land use for properties of fen soils in North-East Germany Part I: Basic soil conditions,chemical and biological properties of topsoils

Abstract

The objective of the paper was to analyse the implications of the origin of peat (muck) soil substrate, the current type of land use and the state of anthropogenic soil development for the topsoil properties of fens. Chemical and biological properties of peat soils of the Rhin-Havelluch lowland and the Uckermark rural landscape were analyzed. The unit water content according to Ohde and the ash content were utilized to characterize the anthropogenic development status of peat topsoils. Several chemical properties were significantly influenced by soil substrate, in particular by the proportion and kind of the mineral component. The substrate was associated with the hydrological type of mire and the soil development state. TOC/N ratio and microbial activity were increased in cases of high lime spring mires and moorshified low ash peat. The proportion of easily soluble organic carbon increased, whereas the sulphur content decreased with the soil development state. The nitrogen content and the proportions of oxalate soluble iron and aluminium reached maxima in the moorshified state. The type of land use (grassland, forest) significantly influenced the topsoil pH and the proportion of oxalate soluble phosphorus. Soils under forest were clearly determined by topsoil acidification.     

试论我国水土保持学科的性质与定位——川陕“长治工程”中期评估考察的思考

 以小流域为单元实施山、水、田、林、路、渠综合治理的理论与技术体系是在我国水土保持长期生产实践和科学研究中形成的具有中国特色的水土保持学科体系。通过川陕"长治工程"中期评估考察,分析"长治工程"小流域综合治理的特色与创新,并据此讨论我国水土保持学科的性质与定位。水土保持学科无论从法律地位还是学术地位,均应归属于资源保护与利用的范畴,与环境保护和生态学科的本质区别在于,水土保持更具有突出的生产功能。现阶段水土保持学科仍应首先赋予其防治水土流失,治理江河,提高农业生产综合能力,发展农村经济,改善农村基础设施及农民生活质量的内涵,并努力使之与农村生态建设结合,以不断深化和丰富其内涵,同时应在开发建设项目水土保持、饮用水水源地水土保持等方面拓展其学科外延。     

Microbial biomass and microbial C:N ratio in bulk soil and buried bags for evaluating in situ net N mineralization in agricultural soils

The in situ net nitrogen mineralization (N_net) was estimated in five agricultural soils under different durations of organic farming by incubating soil samples in buried bags. Simultaneously, soil microbial C and N was determined in buried bags and in bulk soil under winter wheat and after harvest. The aim was to check for variations in soil microbial biomass contents and microbial C:N ratios during the incubation period, and their importance for N_net rates. Microbial C and N contents were highest in soils that had been organically farmed for 41 years, whereas N_net rates were highest in a short‐term organically managed soil that had been under grassland use until 36 years ago. The mean coefficient of variation in the bulk soil for microbial C estimates ranged from 5 to 12 %. Microbial N contents were similar inside buried bags and in the bulk soil at the end of the incubation periods. Under winter wheat during the incubation period until harvest, microbial C contents and microbial C:N ratios (in 10—27 cm depth only) decreased more strongly inside buried bags than in the bulk soil. Following harvest of winter wheat and ploughing, microbial biomass increased while in situ N_net decreased, presumably due to N immobilization. The N_net rates were not correlated with microbial N contents or changes in microbial N contents inside buried bags. At the end of the vegetation period of winter wheat, N_net rates were negatively correlated with microbial C:N ratios. Because these ratios concurrently decreased more inside buried bags than in the bulk soil, the N_net estimates of the buried bag method may differ from the N_net rates in the bulk soil at that time.     

Long‐term effects of fertilization on some soil properties under rainfed soybean‐wheat cropping in the Indian Himalayas

This study aims to examine the effects of long‐term fertilization and cropping on some chemical and microbiological properties of the soil in a 32 y old long‐term fertility experiment at Almora (Himalayan region, India) under rainfed soybean‐wheat rotation. Continuous annual application of recommended doses of chemical fertilizer and 10 Mg ha^–1 FYM on fresh‐weight basis (NPK + FYM) to soybean (Glycine max L.) sustained not only higher productivity of soybean and residual wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop, but also resulted in build‐up of total soil organic C (SOC), total soil N, P, and K. Concentration of SOC increased by 40% and 70% in the NPK + FYM–treated plots as compared to NPK (43.1 Mg C ha^–1) and unfertilized control plots (35.5 Mg C ha^–1), respectively. Average annual contribution of C input from soybean was 29% and that from wheat was 24% of the harvestable aboveground biomass yield. Annual gross C input and annual rate of total SOC enrichment from initial soil in the 0–15 cm layer were 4362 and 333 kg C ha^–1, respectively, for the plots under NPK + FYM. It was observed that the soils under the unfertilized control, NK and N + FYM treatments, suffered a net annual loss of 5.1, 5.2, and 15.8 kg P ha^–1, respectively, whereas the soils under NP, NPK, and NPK + FYM had net annual gains of 25.3, 18.8, and 16.4 kg P ha^–1, respectively. There was net negative K balance in all the treatments ranging from 6.9 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in NK to 82.4 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in N + FYM–treated plots. The application of NPK + FYM also recorded the highest levels of soil microbial‐biomass C, soil microbial‐biomass N, populations of viable and culturable soil microbes.     

The quality of exogenous organic matter: short-term effects on soil physical properties and soil organic matter fractions

We examined the short-term effect of five organic amendments and compared them to plots fertilized with inorganic fertilizer and unfertilized plots on aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity, and on the OC and ON distribution in physically separated SOM fractions. After less than 1 year, the addition of organic amendments significantly increased ( P  <   0.01) the aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity. The stability index ranged between 0.97 and 1.76 and the hydraulic conductivity between 1.23 and 2.80 × 10⁻³ m/s for the plots receiving organic amendments, compared with 0.34–0.43, and 0.42–0.64 × 10⁻³ m/s, respectively, for the unamended plots. There were significant differences between the organic amendments (P <  0.01), although these results were not unequivocal for both soil physical parameters. The total OC and ON content were significantly increased ( P  <   0.05) by only two applications of organic fertilizers: between 1.10 and 1.51% OC for the amended plots versus 0.98–1.08% for the unamended and between 0.092 and 0.131% ON versus 0.092–0.098% respectively. The amount of OC and ON in the free particulate organic matter fraction was also significantly increased ( P  <   0.05), but there were no significant differences ( P  <   0.05) in the OC and ON content in the POM occluded in micro-aggregates and in the silt + clay-sized organic matter fraction. The results showed that even in less than 1 year pronounced effects on soil physical properties and on the distribution of OC and ON in the SOM fractions occurred.