黄河三角洲退化湿地土壤养分、微生物与土壤酶特性及其关系分析

为了揭示黄河三角洲湿地退化与土壤的关系,为湿地生态修复和有效利用湿地资源提供理论依据,对黄河三角洲退化湿地不同演替阶段的土壤酶活性、土壤养分和土壤微生物特性及土壤酶与养分和微生物的关系进行分析。结果表明:随着湿地由白茅群落到光板地的逆向演替,土壤脲酶、蛋白酶活性呈逐渐下降趋势,碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性变化规律与其相似;不同演替阶段土壤酶活性表现出差异性,各种酶之间蛋白酶活性最高;土壤养分质量含量基本都随着湿地逆向演替的进行而递减,不同演替阶段土壤养分质量分数差异显著;退化湿地土壤中各种微生物数量存在明显差异性,在土壤微生物群落中,细菌数量所占比例最大,在各类微生物中占绝对优势,其次为放线菌,真菌数量最少;白茅群落阶段细菌和真菌数量最多,柽柳群落阶段放线菌数量最多;土壤酶与土壤养分、土壤微生物存在密切正相关关系;细菌与脲酶和过氧化氢酶有密切关系,真菌与脲酶、过氧化氢酶和碱性磷酸酶都具有显著的相关性。     

黄河三角洲退化刺槐林地不同改造模式下土壤酶活性及养分特征

为探索黄河三角洲重度退化刺槐林不同改造模式的改良土壤效果,以改造后的棉田、纯林(白蜡林)、农林间作(白蜡+棉花)、混交林(白蜡+刺槐)为研究对象,未改造的重度退化刺槐林作为对照,分析比较不同改造模式下的土壤酶活性、养分特征及其相关关系。结果表明:4种改造模式对土壤养分含量和酶活性均有显著性差异,土壤剖面表层普遍高于20-40cm土层,农林间作与混交林在退化刺槐林土壤修复中具有较好的效果;棉田属于掠夺式的土地利用方式,虽能暂时提高表层土壤的养分,但不利于土壤的持续利用。磷酸酶、脲酶、多酚氧化酶及过氧化物酶和土壤养分等具有较强的相关性,可用来指示该区域不同改造模式下土壤质量的变化特征。4种改造模式土壤酶指数从大到小依次为混交林、农林间作、纯林、棉田。从土壤酶活性和养分特征等改良土壤效应来看,混交林和农林间作改造模式较好,其次为纯林,棉田不宜作为长期营建方式。     

Effect of Transgenic Bt Cotton on Bioactivities and Nutrients in Rhizosphere Soil

The influence of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton (BtXincai1) and its corresponding nontransgenic isoline (Xincai1) on the microorganisms, enzyme activity, and nutrient content of rhizosphere soil was studied through experiments in potted plants. The calcareous drab soil samples were collected (0–15 cm deep) from an experimental field in Shanxi Agricultural University (China) in 2005. The pots were categorized in different groups with replicates for each variety (transgenic BtXincai1 and general Xincai1). The rhizosphere soil samples were collected at different growth periods (seedling, bud, flowering, peak boll, boll opening, and harvest). The Bt protein and other microbial properties in the soil samples were determined by using selected methods (material and methods session). The results demonstrated that the concentration of the Bt protein in the rhizosphere soil of BtXincai1 reached a peak at 56.14 ng g^?1 during the flowering period. However, the Bt protein would not continuously accumulate in the soil. The rhizosphere soil of BtXincai1 was more suitable for the growth and proliferation of bacteria and fungi but it had no significant impact on the number of actinomycetes. BtXincai1 had some inhibitory effects on alkaline phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere soil, and it might promote dehydrogenase activity during the blooming period. However, it had no significant influence on protease, urease, or sucrase activities. Further, it had no significant impact on the contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, or potassium in rhizosphere soil. It could significantly decrease the content of available phosphorus during the flowering period. Based on this study, the sensitive reactions of microorganisms and the activities of alkaline phosphatase and dehydrogenase might be considered as three potential indexes for assessing the risk posed by transgenic Bt cotton to soil ecology.     

棉花与不同作物同穴互作育苗对土壤微生物、 酶活性和根系分泌物的影响

为了探明两苗互作育苗提高棉苗素质的机理,本试验在塑料温棚2030℃、 自然光照条件下,采用532280 mm2具有200方形孔的塑料育苗盘,用土壤作基质,以棉花单作育苗为对照,研究了棉花分别与小麦、 玉米、 谷子和高粱同穴互作育苗对土壤微生物、 酶活性及根系分泌物的影响。结果表明, 随互作苗的加入,育苗土壤中细菌和放线菌数量显著增加,真菌数显著降低; 脱氢酶、 中性磷酸酶、 转化酶和脲酶活性显著提高; 2,4-二叔丁基苯酚、 2,6-二叔丁基苯酚、 邻苯二甲酸二丁酯和9-16碳烯酸甲酯根系分泌物的积累量显著减少,棉苗则表现为根系活力、 叶片可溶性糖含量和ATP含量显著提高,增加了棉苗根重、 苗重和侧根数,棉苗离床存活期延长,栽后缓苗期缩短。在四种互作处理中,以棉花+小麦、 棉花+谷子处理中棉苗素质表现较好。综上,两苗同穴互作育苗改善了育苗土壤微生物数量和结构,这可能是提高土壤酶活性和降低土壤有害根系分泌物积累的主要原因,进而提高了棉苗素质。     

黄土高原旱地轮作与施肥长期定位试验研究 Ⅱ.土壤酶活性与土壤肥力

本文分析了长期试验土壤酶活性与土壤有机C、全N、有效P含量、主要微生物类群之间的关系。相关分析表明,土壤脲酶、碱性磷酸酶、蛋白酶活性随土壤有机C含量的增加而增加,蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶活性与有机C之间的关系因施肥种类及种植方式的不同而不同;微生物数量仅真菌与脲酶、蛋白酶活性之间的相关性达到显著水平。除过氧化氢酶外,其它4种酶的活性均与当年种植冬小麦处理的产量存在显著相关关系。利用主成分分析与通径分析揭示了土壤酶活性与养分之间的内在关系及酶活性对土壤养分的影响。根据主成分分析结果,旱地土壤肥力状况用脲酶、碱性磷酸酶、蛋白酶活性作为综合评价指标优于过氧化氢酶与蔗糖酶。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区典型林地土壤微生物、酶活性和养分特征

通过对陕西吴起县黄土沟壑区退耕还林地不同林分(沙棘、刺槐、油松、小叶杨)根际与非根际土壤养分、酶活性和微生物特征进行研究,比较4种典型林分及退耕草地“根际效应”及根际对养分的截留效应,评价根际效应对土壤特性产生不同改良效果,为黄土沟壑区退耕地人工林科学选择造林树种提供理论支持。研究表明:1根际与非根际土壤中有机质含量、有效磷含量、碱解氮含量和速效钾含量表现出显著差异,有机质、有效磷、速效钾含量均呈现明显的根际聚集现象。2根际土壤微生物数量和土壤酶活性总体高于非根际,仅油松样地中过氧化氢酶活性和小叶杨样地中脲酶活性根际低于非根际。3根际土壤中脲酶活性与细菌和真菌数量相关性达到显著水平,过氧化氢酶活性与真菌相关性达到显著水平;有机质含量与细菌、放线菌数量和脲酶活性相关性达到显著水平;碱解氮、有效磷含量均与细菌、真菌数量和脲酶活性相关性达到显著水平。在非根际土壤中,土壤养分含量与土壤微生物、土壤酶活性的相关性明显降低。4从土壤肥力综合水平看,根际土壤肥力水平综合得分总体上大于非根际土壤,其中根际土壤中沙棘小叶杨油松刺槐草地。沙棘能大幅度提高土壤肥力,具有较好的土壤改良效果。     

黄河三角洲退化刺槐林不同改造方式对土壤酶活性及理化性质的影响

采用野外典型抽样调查和室内分析测定相结合的方法,选取黄河三角洲重度退化刺槐林的4种改造方式,即棉田、白蜡林、白蜡+刺槐(混交林)、白蜡+棉花(农林间作),以未改造的重度退化刺槐林地作为对照,对改造5a后的土壤酶活性、土壤容重、孔隙度、盐碱状况及养分含量进行了测定分析。结果表明:(1)4种改造方式都不同程度地增加了土壤磷酸酶、脲酶活性,降低了多酚氧化酶活性。过氧化物酶虽有增加趋势,但差异不显著。多酚氧化酶和脲酶活性排序均为:混交林>白蜡林>农林间作>棉田;混交林、农林间作、白蜡林、棉田改造方式下的磷酸酶活性分别是对照的3.5,3.2,1.7,1.6倍。(2)改造林地的土壤容重、含盐量均表现降低趋势,其均值大小均表现为:混交林<农林间作<白蜡林<棉田,分别比对照下降14.5%,12.3%,9.0%,7.7%和35.3%,27.9%,13.2%,7.4%;总孔隙度表现为增大趋势,棉田、白蜡林改造方式表现出一定的增碱负效应。(3)改造后土壤养分增加显著,土壤有机质及有效N,P,K总体表现为混交林改造方式下最高,农林间作高于白蜡林,棉田波动较大。混交林和农林间作改造方式对土壤酶活性及理化性质的总体改善效果较好,建议作为重度退化刺槐林的主要改造方式进行推广。     

秸秆焚烧对不同耕层土壤酶活性、微生物数量以及土壤理化性状的影响

以秸秆焚烧后覆盖的耕层土壤为对象,研究秸秆焚烧对不同耕层土壤酶(过氧化氢酶,磷酸酶,脲酶和多酚氧化酶)活性、微生物数量的影响,并探讨土壤有机质含量、含水量、速效养分、微生物数量的增减程度与土壤酶活性增减程度的相关性。结果表明:过氧化氢酶、磷酸酶、脲酶和多酚氧化酶活性在焚烧秸秆后有不同程度的降低,其中耕层0-2cm,2-5cm土壤酶活性在焚烧前后都形成极显著性差异,5-13cm耕层的酶活性变化较小,13-20cm耕层的酶活性没变化。在微生物数量方面,焚烧秸秆导致0-2cm耕层的微生物数量大幅度减少,减少程度在80%左右,2-5cm耕层的微生物数量也有43%～52%的减少,5-13cm和13-20cm耕层的微生物数量没有变化。相关性分析表明,只有脲酶活性的降低程度与速效磷含量的增加程度达到显著相关,相关系数是0.959*。多酚氧化酶活性的降低程度与细菌、放线菌、真菌数量的降低程度均呈极显著相关性,相关系数分别是0.998**,0.999**,0.998**。同时脲酶活性的降低程度与细菌、放线菌、真菌数量的降低程度均呈显著相关性,相关系数分别是0.977*,0.974*,0.954*。     

Relationship between soil enzyme activities, nutrient cycling and soil fungal communities in a northern hardwood forest

Soil fungi are highly diverse and act as the primary agents of nutrient cycling in forests. These fungal communities are often dominated by mycorrhizal fungi that form mutually beneficial relationships with plant roots and some mycorrhizal fungi produce extracellular and cell-bound enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of nitrogen (N)- and phosphorus (P)- containing compounds in soil organic matter. Here we investigated whether the community structure of different types of mycorrhizal fungi (arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi) is correlated with soil chemistry and enzyme activity in a northern hardwood forest and whether these correlations change over the growing season. We quantified these relationships in an experimental paired plot study where white-tailed deer (access or excluded 4.5 yrs) treatment was crossed with garlic mustard (presence or removal 1 yr). We collected soil samples early and late in the growing season and analyzed them for soil chemistry, extracellular enzyme activity and molecular analysis of both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal/saprotrophic fungal communities using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP). AM fungal communities did not change seasonally but were positively correlated with the activities of urease and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), enzymes involved in N cycling. The density of garlic mustard was correlated with the presence of specific AM fungal species, while deer exclusion or access had no effect on either fungal community after 4.5 yrs. Ectomycorrhizal/saprotrophic fungal communities changed seasonally and were positively correlated with most soil enzymes, including enzymes involved in carbon (C), N and P cycling, but only during late summer sampling. Our results suggest that fine scale temporal and spatial changes in soil fungal communities may affect soil nutrient and carbon cycling. Although AM fungi are not generally considered capable of producing extracellular enzymes, the correlation between some AM taxa and the activity of N acquisition enzymes suggests that these fungi may play a role in forest understory N cycling.     

Antifungal and peroxidative activities of nonheme chloroperoxidase in relation to transgenic plant protection

Nonheme chloroperoxidase (CPO-P) of Pseudomonas pyrrocinia catalyzes the oxidation of alkyl acids to peracids by hydrogen peroxide. Alkyl peracids possess potent antifungal activity as found with peracetate: 50% killing (LD(50)) of Aspergillus flavus occurred at 25 microM compared to 3.0 mM for the hydrogen peroxide substrate. To evaluate whether CPO-P could protect plants from fungal infection, tobacco was transformed with a gene for CPO-P from P. pyrrocinia and assayed for antifungal activity. Leaf extracts from transformed plants inhibited growth of A. flavus by up to 100%, and levels of inhibition were quantitatively correlated to the amounts of CPO-P activity expressed in leaves. To clarify if the peroxidative activity of CPO-P could be the basis for the increased resistance, the antifungal activity of the purified enzyme was investigated. The LD(50) of hydrogen peroxide combined with CPO-P occurred at 2.0 mM against A. flavus. Because this value was too small to account for the enhanced antifungal activity of transgenic plants, the kinetics of the enzyme reaction was examined and it was found that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide needed for enzyme saturation (K(m) = 5.9 mM) was already lethal. Thus, the peroxidative activity of CPO-P is not the basis for antifungal activity or enhanced resistance in transgenic plants expressing the gene.     

Evaluation of peracid formation as the basis for resistance to infection in plants transformed with haloperoxidase

Nonheme haloperoxidase (HPO-P) isolated from Pseudomonas pyrrocinia catalyzed the peroxidation of alkyl acids to peracids. Among acids tested as substrates, acetic acid was most readily peroxidized. The reaction product peracetate possessed potent antifungal activity: 50% death (LD(50)) of Aspergillus flavus occurred at 25 microM peracetate. Viability of A. flavus was inhibited by up to 80% by leaf extracts of tobacco plants transformed with the HPO-P gene from P. pyrrocinia compared to viability of fungi exposed to extracts from controls. To elucidate if peracid formation by HPO-P was the basis for antifungal activity in transgenic leaf tissues, lethalities of hydrogen peroxide-acetate-HPO-P combinations against A. flavus were examined in vitro. LD(50) of A. flavus exposed to the combinations occurred at 30 mM acetate when concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and HPO-P were held constant. This value was identical to the LD(50) produced by 30 mM acetate in the absence of hydrogen peroxide-HPO-P and therefore did not account for enhanced antifungal activity in transgenic plants. For clarification, kinetics of the enzymic reaction were examined. According to the concentration of acetate needed for enzyme saturation (K(m) = 250 mM), acetate was lethal prior to its oxidation to peracetate. Results indicate that peracid generation by HPO-P was not the basis for enhanced antifungal activity in transgenic plants expressing the HPO-P gene.     

转菜豆几丁质酶基因和烟草葡聚糖酶基因抗病棉花的种植对棉花根际土壤酶活性的影响

本研究探讨了转菜豆几丁质酶基因和烟草葡聚糖酶基因的抗病棉花株系７p、２８p（双价载体）以及受体高代材料９７１８５、７９７０１的种植对根际土壤过氧化氢酶活性、蛋白酶活性、纤维素酶活性、脲酶活性、蔗糖酶活性的影响。结果表明：整个生育时期抗病转基因棉花根际土壤的过氧化氢酶活性与其受体之间差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）。另外,根际土壤的蛋白酶活性、纤维素酶活性、脲酶活性、蔗糖酶活性在同一生育期内差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）,而在不同的生育时期差异显著（Ｐ＜０．０５）。说明抗病转基因棉花的种植对根际土壤过氧化氢酶和蛋白酶几乎无影响,而根际土壤纤维素酶、脲酶、蔗糖酶活性的变化转基因抗病棉花与受体种植之间几乎没有影响,而在不同棉花株系和生育期之间产生一定的影响,这可能与不同基因类型以及生育期植株根部分泌物有关。研究初步表明转基因抗病棉花的种植对土壤微生态的影响不大。     

施用玉米秸秆堆肥对盆栽芥菜土壤酶活性和微生物的影响

研究了施用玉米秸秆堆肥对盆栽芥菜土壤微生物和土壤酶活性的影响。结果表明,与对照和单施无机肥相比,施用堆肥能够提高芥菜生物量,增加根际土壤细菌、放线菌和真菌的数量,各处理微生物数量均在收获期达到最大值;同时,施用堆肥能够显著提高芥菜根际土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶和纤维素酶的活性。各土壤酶在芥菜的生长期内变化趋势不同,脲酶活性在收获期达到最高;化肥与堆肥配施蔗糖酶活性在整个生长期内较稳定,其他处理均在收获期最低;过氧化氢酶活性在前期比较稳定,收获期有较大幅度下降;纤维素酶活性在旺长期较高,而苗期和收获期较低。相关性分析表明,部分土壤酶活性之间呈显著或极显著正相关;酶活性与土壤微生物数量之间呈显著或极显著正相关,表明土壤酶活性与微生物能够较好地反映土壤肥力水平。     

转双价（Bt＋CpTI）棉种植对土壤速效养分和酶活性的影响

本研究利用三室根箱对棉花根部土壤进行分区采集,以转双价棉SGK321及其亲本常规棉石远321为研究对象,对3个生长时期（播种后40、50 d和60 d）不同根区（S1、S2和S3）土壤速效养分（硝态氮、铵态氮和速效磷）含量及酶（脲酶、碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶）活性变化进行了对比分析。研究结果表明,与常规棉相比,转双价棉的种植促进了S2根区土壤中磷素向有效态的转化,使S2和S3根区土壤硝态氮含量下降,而对各根区土壤脲酶、碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性及土壤铵态氮无显著影响。主成分分析结果表明,土壤速效养分和酶活性变化主要受生长时期的影响,转双价棉种植对其影响是非常有限的。     

施氮、磷肥对秦岭北麓华北落叶松人工林地土壤生物学特性影响

为了研究施肥对秦岭北麓地力衰退的中龄林华北落叶松人工林地的土壤生物学特性影响,评价施肥对缓解地力衰退的作用。在陕西省太白县南滩苗圃选取20年的华北落叶松人工林地,并对其进行施肥处理,通过野外采样和室内分析相结合的方法,研究了施肥对华北落叶松人工林地土壤酶(蔗糖酶、脲酶、磷酸酶、过氧化氢酶)活性和土壤微生物数量的影响。结果表明:不同施肥处理均不同程度地提高了土壤过氧化氢酶活性、磷酸酶活性、脲酶活性和蔗糖酶活性;其中在5和7月,氮磷配施处理对酶活性的影响最大。施肥处理对酶活性的影响9月不及5和7月显著。不同的施肥处理提高了华北落叶松林地土壤放线菌数量,氮磷配施效果最明显,单施氮肥降低了细菌的数量,施氮肥75 kg/hm²和磷肥75 kg/hm²处理降低了土壤真菌的数量。土壤酶活性和土壤微生物数量都随着月份推进呈先升高后降低的趋势。研究表明,施肥处理对秦岭北麓中龄林华北落叶松人工林地的生物学特征有一定的改善作用,可以有效缓解20年华北落叶松人工林地的衰退问题。     

土壤酶活性对大田单季种植转Bt基因及转双价棉花的响应

利用田间试验,以转Bt基因棉花Z30、转双价（Bt+CpTI）棉花SGK321及其相应的等价基因Z16、SY321作为供试对象,研究棉花种植后对土壤水解/氧化还原酶类活性的影响。结果表明,转Bt棉花及转双价棉花的种植对各种土壤酶活性的影响不一致,转Bt棉花及转双价棉花种植显著降低了土壤蛋白酶和脱氢酶活性(P 0.05)。转Bt棉花还显著降低了土壤脲酶活性(P 0.05);转双价棉花种植同时显著降低土壤磷酸二酯酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、过氧化氢酶和硝酸还原酶活性(P 0.05)。棉花品种及转基因行为（转入基因类型）均未给土壤酸性磷酸单酯酶和FDA活性带来影响;土壤芳基硫酸酯酶所受的影响主要来自于棉花品种自身。     

Soil persistence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> (Bt) toxin from transgenic Bt cotton tissues and its effect on soil enzyme activities

A silty loam soil was incubated with the leaves and stems of two transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton varieties and nontransgenic Bt cotton to study the soil persistence of the Bt toxin from the decomposing transgenic Bt cotton tissues and its effect on soil enzyme activities. The results showed that after Bt cotton tissue amendment, Bt toxin was introduced into soil upon decomposition; about 50% of the introduced Bt toxin persisted in soil for at least 56 days. No Bt toxin was detected in the nontransgenic Bt cotton-amended soil; the amount of Bt toxin was the highest in the soil treated with the residue with the higher Bt toxin content. Activities of soil urease, acid phosphomonoesterase, invertase, and cellulase were stimulated by the addition of Bt cotton tissues, whereas activity of soil arylsulfatase was inhibited. Probably cotton tissue stimulated microbial activity in soil, and as a consequence, enzyme activities of soil were generally increased. This effect can mask any negative effect of the Bt toxin on microbial activity and thus on enzyme activities.     

Activity and stability of urease-hydroxyapatite and urease-hydroxyapatite-humic acid complexes

In agricultural calcareous soils, hydroxyapatite (APA) may well represent an important support for urease immobilisation and could be present in both mineral and organo-mineral complexes. In this paper we studied the formation of APA-urease-humic acid (HA) complexes after the addition of urease either before or after HAs. We then proceeded to evaluate the role of HAs on the activity and stability of the complexes as compared to the APA-urease complexes and free urease. When increasing amounts of HAs were added after urease, they did not affect the activity of the enzymes that had already adsorbed onto the complexes. On the contrary, adding the same amount of HA before the enzyme caused a significant reduction in the amount of enzyme adsorbed. However, when urease adsorption onto the APA-HA complexes was carried out in the presence of NaCl, the enzyme activity of the complexes increased sharply to 86% of the initial activity. The immobilisation of the enzyme on the support increased urease stability against pronase treatment as well as directly in soil over time. The inhibition of urease activity by Cu ²⁺was reduced by urease immobilisation. However, the presence of HA did not alter the stabilisation capability of APA when alone.     

Structure elucidation and antifungal activity of an anthracycline antibiotic, daunomycin, isolated from Actinomadura roseola

The actinomycete strain Ao108 producing antifungal metabolites active against some plant pathogenic fungi was identified as Actinomadura roseola, based on the analyses of morphological and physiological characteristics. The antibiotic Da2B that showed a strong antifungal activity was isolated from the culture broth and mycelial mats of A. roseola strain Ao108 using various chromatographic procedures. On the basis of (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and 2-D NMR correlation data, the antibiotic Da2B was confirmed to have the structure of an anthracycline antibiotic, daunomycin. In vitro antimicrobial spectrum tests showed that the antibiotic Da2B had substantial inhibitory activity (10 microg mL(-)(1) of MICs) against mycelial growth of Phytophthora capsici and Rhizoctonia solani. The antibiotic also showed antiyeast activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the growth of Candida albicans was not affected. Antibacterial activity was found only against Gram-positive bacteria. In the further evaluation of in vivo efficacy, application of the antibiotic Da2B effectively inhibited the development of Phytophthora blight in pepper plants. However, the control efficacy of the antibiotic against Phytophthora infection was somewhat less than that of metalaxyl. The antibiotic Da2B did not show any phytotoxicity on pepper plants even at 500 microg mL(-)(1).     

Hydrolases extracted from soil: Their properties and activities

The pH optima and stabilities of some hydrolases extracted by pyrophosphate from two different soils were determined for phosphatase, urease, casein and benzoylargininamide-hydrolysing proteases. Hydrolases activities of soil extracts were more resistant to thermal denaturation than their respective commercial preparations. Extracted phosphatases exhibited a marked stability to temperature and to proteolysis.By exhaustively ultrafiltering soil extracts against 0.1 M pyrophosphate at pH 7.1 fractions of mol. wt higher and lower than 100,000 were obtained. Ultrafiltration increased the total activities of extracted ureases and phosphatases while those of casein and benzoylargininamide-hydrolysing proteases were decreased. Both on an organic C and an N basis, specific activities of ureases and phosphatases increased after ultrafiltration.