Substrate inputs and pH as factors controlling microbial biomass, activity and community structure in an arable soil

Our aim was to determine whether the smaller biomasses generally found in low pH compared to high pH arable soils under similar management are due principally to the decreased inputs of substrate or whether some factor(s) associated with pH are also important. This was tested in a soil incubation experiment using wheat straw as substrate and soils of different pHs (8.09, 6.61, 4.65 and 4.17). Microbial biomass ninhydrin-N, and microbial community structure evaluated by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), were measured at 0 (control soil only), 5, 25 and 50 days and CO₂ evolution up to 100 days. Straw addition increased biomass ninhydrin-N, CO₂ evolution and total PLFA concentrations at all soil pH values. The positive effect of straw addition on biomass ninhydrin-N was less in soils of pH 4.17 and 4.65. Similarly total PLFA concentrations were smallest at the lowest pH. This indicated that there is a direct pH effect as well as effects related to different substrate availabilities on microbial biomass and community structure. In the control soils, the fatty acids 16:1ω5, 16:1ω7c, 18:1ω7c&9t and i17:0 had significant and positive linear relationships with soil pH. In contrast, the fatty acids i15:0, a15:0, i16:0 and br17:0, 16:02OH, 18:2ω6,9, 17:0, 19:0, 17:0c9,10 and 19:0c9,10 were greatest in control soils at the lowest pHs. In soils given straw, the fatty acids 16:1ω5, 16:1ω7c, 15:0 and 18:0 had significant and positive linear relationships with pH, but the concentration of the monounsaturated 18:1ω9 PLFA decreased at the highest pHs. The PLFA profiles indicative of Gram-positive bacteria were more abundant than Gram-negative ones at the lowest pH in control soils, but in soils given straw these trends were reversed. In contrast, straw addition changed the microbial community structures least at pH 6.61. The ratio: [fungal PLFA 18:2w6,9]/[total PLFAs indicative of bacteria] indicated that fungal PLFAs were more dominant in the microbial communities of the lowest pH soil. In summary, this work shows that soil pH has marked effects on microbial biomass, community structure, and response to substrate addition.     

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。     

Exotic earthworms alter soil microbial community composition and function

Exotic earthworms can profoundly alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in northern temperate forests, but the mechanisms explaining these responses are not well understood. We compared the soil microbial community (SMC) composition (measured as PLFAs) and enzyme activity between paired earthworm-invaded and earthworm-free plots in northern hardwood forests of New York, USA. We hypothesized that differences in SMCs and enzyme activity between plots would correspond with differences in soil C content and C:N ratios. Relative abundance of several bacterial (mostly gram-positive) PLFAs was higher and that of two fungal PLFAs was lower in earthworm compared to reference plots, largely because of earthworm incorporation of the organic horizon into mineral soil. In surface mineral soil earthworms increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and gram-positive bacterial PLFAs, and decreased fungal (mostly saprotrophic) and several bacterial (gram-negative and non-specific) PLFAs. Earthworms also increased the activities of cellulolytic relative to lignolytic enzymes in surface mineral soil, and the relationships between enzyme activities and components of the SMC suggest a substrate-mediated effect on the SMC and its metabolism of C. A highly significant relationship between components of the SMC and soil C:N also suggests that earthworms reduce soil C:N through functional and compositional shifts in the SMC. Finally, changes in AMF abundances were linked to phosphatase activity, suggesting that earthworms do not necessarily inhibit P-acquisition by AMF-associated plants in our study system. We conclude that the combined influence of earthworm-related changes in physical structure, accessibility and chemistry of organic matter, and relative abundance of certain groups of fungi and bacteria promote C metabolism, in particular by increasing the activities of cellulolytic vs. lignolytic enzymes.     

棉花连作对北疆土壤酶活性、致病菌及拮抗菌多样性的影响

本文通过测定土壤酶活性与微生物PCR-DGGE指纹图谱研究了北疆棉区5年棉花连作(CtN5)、10年棉花连作(CtN10)及15年棉花连作(CtN15)对土壤过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶、芳基硫酸酯酶、脱氢酶和蛋白酶酶活性的影响,分析了土壤细菌、真菌、镰刀菌和枯草芽孢杆菌群落结构多样性对北疆棉田长期连作的响应。结果表明:过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶、脱氢酶活性随棉花连作年限延长而下降。CtN15处理的过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶和脱氢酶活性分别比CtN10处理下降15.0%、6.4%和12.0%,比CtN5处理下降16.8%、58.6%和49.5%(P0.05);芳基硫酸酯酶与蛋白酶活性随连作年限的增加呈先下降后升高的特点。土壤细菌、真菌多样性指数随连作年限的增加明显下降。CtN15的细菌条带数比CtN10下降7.41%,Ct N10比CtN5降低1.72%。CtN15真菌条带数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数分别为78和3.22,比CtN5处理低17.02%和5.29%。土壤镰刀菌和枯草芽孢杆菌的条带数、多样性指数均表现为先下降后升高。CtN15枯草芽孢杆菌Shannon-Wiener和Simpson指数分别比CtN10处理高54.8%和14.5%。北疆长期连作棉田的土壤酶活性和土壤微生物群落多样性总体呈下降趋势,长期连作对棉田土壤生物性状有明显负面影响。     

Distribution of microbial biomass down soil profiles under regenerating woodland

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was measured in soil profiles taken from two areas of deciduous woodland on Rothamsted Farm, one near neutral, one acidic. Biomass carbon (C) was calculated from these measurements. Comparison of the results with others taken from the literature showed that an exponential function m=e^−(r_bd) gave a close fit to the assembled data for the top metre of mineral soil, where m is biomass C, expressed as a fraction of that in the topsoil, d the depth (in cm, measured downwards from the middle of the topmost sampling layer) and r_b a constant, in cm⁻¹. The mean value for r_b for 12 soils (including our two) is 0.046 cm⁻¹, with a SD of ±0.0078.     

长期平衡施肥对潮土微生物活性和玉米养分吸收的影响

利用中国科学院封丘农业生态实验站农田生态系统养分平衡长期定位试验地,研究氮磷钾平衡施肥(NPK)与缺素施肥(NK、PK、NP)对土壤微生物生物量、酶活性、呼吸强度以及玉米养分吸收的影响。结果发现,与不施肥对照(CK)相比,NPK处理玉米根系与茎叶生物量、籽粒产量以及植株氮磷钾吸收量均大幅提高,NP处理次之,PK与NK处理则无显著影响;同一处理玉米茎叶与根系养分含量接近,而籽粒的全氮和全磷含量较高、全钾含量偏低;与NPK处理相比,缺施氮、磷或钾肥均直接导致玉米植株相应养分的明显亏缺或其他养分的过量富集,但在根系、茎叶和籽粒部位的累积情况存在一定差异。与CK相比,所有施加磷肥的处理(NPK、NP、PK)土壤微生物生物量(碳、氮、磷)、脱氢酶、转化酶、脲酶与碱性磷酸酶活性以及土壤微生物代谢活性和土壤基础呼吸强度均显著升高(p<0.05),土壤微生物代谢熵则显著下降(p<0.05),而缺施磷肥的NK处理除显著提高脲酶活性外(p<0.05),对其他指标均无显著影响。结果表明,氮磷钾平衡施肥在促进土壤微生物繁育和保育微生物代谢活性以及促进作物生长和保证养分吸收等方面显得非常重要,而缺素施肥中以缺施磷肥的不利影响最为突出。     

Surface and subsurface organic carbon, microbial biomass and activity in a forest soil sequence

The distribution of organic carbon, microbial biomass and activity, from the surface down to 70 cm, was investigated through three semiarid Mediterranean soils: (1) a Typic Calcixeroll covered with a native pinewood (NP), (2) a Typic Calcixerept under a mature pine plantation (PP) on abandoned agricultural terraces and (3) a Typic Haploxerept under a grassland (GS). NP and GS had the highest and lowest soil organic carbon (SOC) pools, respectively. Both of them had decreasing SOC contents with depth. PP, which held intermediate SOC levels, showed an increase in total organic C and humic substances C with depth due to their mineralization in the anciently ploughed topsoil layer. The soils were similarly ranked as regards their microbial biomass and activity: NP>PP>GS. In general, the microbial communities were less dense and active towards the deeper horizons. More specifically, PP and GS had a very populated and active top 20-cm layer, which was attributed to the dense root system of their grass cover. NP maintained high microbial biomass and activity levels from 0 to 70 cm, progressively diminishing along with shrub root density (e.g. microbial biomass C dropped from 2342 to 394 mg kg⁻¹ soil). The latter soil presented the sharpest drop of its microbial properties with depth, what was considered an indicator of its quality. Generally decreasing patterns of microbial biomass and activity were not always coincident with previously published gradients of microbial metabolic abilities and genetic structure. This reinforces the need of combining biomass, activity and biodiversity measurements if the ecosystem's functioning is to be fully understood and a real monitoring of degradation processes and restoration strategies is to be achieved.     

Structure and function of the soil microbial community in microhabitats of a heavy metal polluted soil

 Particle-size fractionation of a heavy metal polluted soil was performed to study the influence of environmental pollution on microbial community structure, microbial biomass, microbial residues and enzyme activities in microhabitats of a Calcaric Phaeocem. In 1987, the soil was experimentally contaminated with four heavy metal loads: (1) uncontaminated controls; (2) light (300 ppm Zn, 100 ppm Cu, 50 ppm Ni, 50 ppm V and 3 ppm Cd); (3) medium; and (4) heavy pollution (two- and threefold the light load, respectively). After 10 years of exposure, the highest concentrations of microbial ninhydrin-reactive nitrogen were found in the clay (2–0.1 μm) and silt fractions (63–2 μm), and the lowest were found in the coarse sand fraction (2,000–250 μm). The phospholipid fatty acid analyses (PLFA) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) separation of 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the microbial biomass within the clay fraction was predominantly due to soil bacteria. In contrast, a high percentage of fungal-derived PLFA 18 : 2ω6 was found in the coarse sand fraction. Bacterial residues such as muramic acid accumulated in the finer fractions in relation to fungal residues. The fractions also differed with respect to substrate utilization: Urease was located mainly in the <2 μm fraction, alkaline phosphatase and arylsulfatase in the 2–63 μm fraction, and xylanase activity was equally distributed in all fractions. Heavy metal pollution significantly decreased the concentration of ninhydrin-reactive nitrogen of soil microorganisms in the silt and clay fraction and thus in the bulk soil. Soil enzyme activity was reduced significantly in all fractions subjected to heavy metal pollution in the order arylsulfatase >phosphatase >urease >xylanase. Heavy metal pollution did not markedly change the similarity pattern of the DGGE profiles and amino sugar concentrations. Therefore, microbial biomass and enzyme activities seem to be more sensitive than 16S rRNA gene fragments and microbial amino-sugar-N to heavy metal treatment. Received: 21 January 2000     

Straw coverage alleviates seasonal variability of the topsoil microbial biomass and activity

Straw coverage on soil surface is a well-known practice for conserving soil and water. Seasonal variability of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and basal respiration (BR) in surface soil (0–5 cm) was compared between conventional straw removal (SR) and straw coverage (SC) in a maize (Zea mays L.) field experiment, Northeast China. The straw coverage treatment significantly increased microbial energy, carbon and nutrient sources (soil C and N contents) and improved soil physical environment (moisture and porosity), and thus stimulated MBC and BR across the growth season of maize, as compared to the straw removal treatment. MBC and BR showed similar seasonal trends in soil temperature, with maximum values in summer. In both study years, the straw coverage treatment reduced seasonal variation of soil temperature, therefore it significantly moderated seasonal variability of MBC and BR. Our results demonstrate that straw coverage contributes to stabilizing soil microbial characteristics in season.     

Effects of past and current crop management on soil microbial biomass and activity

Because soil biota is influenced by a number of factors, including land use and management techniques, changing management practices could have significant effects on the soil microbial properties and processes. An experiment was conducted to investigate differences in soil microbiological properties caused by long- and short-term management practices. Intact monolith lysimeters (0.2 m² surface area) were taken from two sites of the same soil type that had been under long-term organic or conventional crop management and were then subjected to the same 2.5-year crop rotation [winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), maize (Zea mais L.), lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), and rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera)] and two fertilizer regimes (following common organic and conventional practices). Soil samples were taken after crop harvest and analyzed for microbial biomass C and N, microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, arginine deaminase activity, and dehydrogenase activity), and total C and N. The incorporation of the green manure stimulated growth and activity of the microbial communities in soils of both management histories. Soil microbial properties did not show any differences between organically and conventionally fertilized soils, indicating that crop rotation and plant type had a larger influence on the microbial biomass and enzyme activities than fertilization. Initial differences in microbial biomass declined, while the effects of farm management history were still evident in enzyme activities and total C and N. Links between enzyme activities and microbial biomass C varied depending on treatment, indicating differences in microbial community composition.     

Influence of polychlorinated biphenyls on microbial biomass and its activity in grassland soil

Microbial biomass content, soil respiration and biomass specific respiration rate were measured in two parts of an area polluted by a municipal waste incinerator [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from combustion processes]. The soils in the studied parts differed significantly only in their levels of PCBs. The concentration of PCBs found in a control plot (4.4 ng g^-1 soil) can be regarded as a background value while the polluted plot contained an increased amount of PCBs (14.0 ng g^-1 soil). A significantly lower microbial biomass (decreased by 23%, based on the chloroform-fumigation extraction technique) and a lower specific respiration rate (decreased by 14%) were observed in the polluted plot in comparison with the control plot at the end of experimental period (1992–1994). Furthermore, a lower ability of microorganisms in the polluted plot to convert available C_org into new biomass was found in laboratory incubations with glucose-amended samples.     

Evaluating soil microbial biomass carbon as an indicator of long-term environmental change

The aim is to assess whether soil microbial biomass carbon (biomass C) could be used as an indicator of environmental change in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Biomass C was measured by fumigation-extraction in soils from two sites at Rothamsted. One was a plot from the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment, given inorganic fertiliser and chalk, which has been in continuous cultivation for more than 150 yr. The other was a similar sized area, from Geescroft Wilderness, which has been left to revert to woodland since 1885, after being an arable field. Other soil properties (pH, soil organic C and exchangeable cations) were also measured to compare with biomass C. The coefficients of variation (cvs) of the properties measured were calculated for comparison, little difference was found between the cvs for biomass C from each site: cv=26% for Broadbalk and 23% for Geescroft. The cvs for the other, chemical properties, were mostly <10% for Broadbalk and generally >25% for Geescroft, as expected, given the different cultivation histories. Statistical analysis of the variation in biomass C concentration revealed that such measurements would not be valid indicators of environmental change, without processing impossibly large numbers of samples. To decrease the least significant percentage change to less than 5% after three samplings, 320 samples would have to be taken each time. This would be also be true of the other chemical properties in Geescroft Wilderness, where the measured background variation would mask any subtle environmental change. This indicates that, for some properties at least, statistically significant changes will only be detected in the longer term with regular sampling, e.g. 30-40 yr.     

Multivariate analysis of soils: microbial biomass,metabolic activity,and bacterial‐community structure and their relationships with soil depth and type

A multivariate statistical approach based on a large data set of abiotic and biotic variables was used to classify four contrasting‐land‐use soils. Soil samples were collected at increasing depth from a calcareous agricultural soil, a temperate upland grassland soil, a moderately acidic agricultural soil, and an acidic pine forest soil. Analytical investigations were carried out by using a combination of conventional physical, chemical, and biochemical methods coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) community fingerprinting of PCR‐amplified 16S rRNA gene‐coding fragments from soil‐extracted total‐community DNA. The data set of soil physical, chemical, and biochemical variables was reduced in dimensionality by means of a principal‐component‐analysis (PCA) procedure. Compositional shifts in soil bacterial‐community structure were analyzed through a clustering algorithm that allowed identifying six main bacterial‐community clusters. DGGE fingerprinting clusters were further analyzed by discriminant analysis (DA) using extracted PCA components as explanatory variables. Soil organic matter–related pools (TOC, TN) and functionally related active pools (microbial biomass C and N, K₂SO₄‐extractable C) significantly decreased with soil depth, and resulted statistically linked to one other and positively related to enzymatic activities (acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, β‐glucosidase, dehydrogenase, hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate) and silt content. Besides organic‐C gradients, pedogenetic‐driven physico‐chemical properties, and possibly soil thermal and moisture regimes seemed to play a key role in regulating size and energetic ecophysiological status of soil microbial communities. DGGE analysis showed that contrasting horizons were conducive to the dominance of particular bacterial ribotypes. DA revealed that the bacterial‐community structure was mainly influenced by organic matter–related variables (TOC, TN, CEC, C_flush, N_flush, Extr‐C), chemical properties such as pH, CaCO₃, and EC, together with textural properties. Results indicate that, beyond land use or plant cover, pedogenetic‐driven physico‐chemical conditions changing with soil type and depth are the key factors regulating microbial size and activity, and determining the genetic structure of bacterial community.     

不同干扰强度下农业生态系统土壤微生物生物量和活性的分异

Different management practices in six agroecosystems located near Goldsboro, NC, USA were conducted including a successional field (SU), a plantation woodlot (WO), an integrated cropping system with animals (IN), an organic farming system (OR), and two cash-grain cropping systems employing; either tillage (CT) or no-tillage (NT) to examine if and how microbial biomass and activity differ in response to alterations in disturbance intensity from six land management strategies. Results showed that soil microbial biomass and activity differed, with microbial activity in intermediately disturbed ecosystems (NT, OR, IN) being significantly higher (P < 0.01) than systems with either high or low disturbance intensities. There was also a significant and a highly significant ecosystem effect from the treatments on microbial biomass C (MBC) (P < 0.05) and on microbial activity (respiration) (P < 0.01), respectively. Multiple comparisons of mean respiration rates distinctly separated the six ecosystem types into three groups: CT < NT, SU and WO < OR and IN. Thus, for detecting microbial response to disturbance changes these results indicated that the active component of the soil microbial community was a better indicator than total biomass.     

The response of soil microbial biomass and activity of a Norway spruce forest to liming and drought

Long-term effects of liming and short-term effects of an experimentally induced drought on microbial biomass and activity were investigated in samples from the O-layer (Of/Oh) and uppermost mineral soil (0—10 cm) in a spruce forest near Schluchsee (Black Forest, South-West Germany). Seven years after lime application a marked increase of pH values was restricted to the O-layer. The contents of C and N in the O-layer of the limed plot appeared to be lower, whereas in the A-horizon from the limed plot the contents of C and N appeared to be higher than on the control. However, these differences were statistically not significant due to a distinct spatial variability of topsoil conditions. On the limed plots C_mic, N_mic, and P_mic in the O-layer were lower in comparison to the control whereas differences in the A-horizon were negligible. In both sampling depths of the limed plot protease activity was higher while N-mineralization was lower. The other microbial activities studied (basal respiration, catalase activity) followed no consistent pattern after liming. Drought and drought in combination with liming, respectively, had no clear effects on microbial biomass and activity. Only in the A-horizon of the control, there is some evidence for drought stress for microorganisms. The high variability of results from the drought experiment (roof installation) is likely due to the marked spatial variability of top soil properties as well as imperfect and uneven achievement of experimental drought. Nevertheless, our study indicates that long-term effects of liming on microorganisms highly depend on site conditions. Thus, liming operations which currently affect vast areas of forest land should be accompanied by monitoring of soil organisms and their activities to reduce the possibility of a loss in functional diversity of soil organisms.     

生物复混肥对土壤微生物群落功能多样性和微生物量的影响

在温室盆栽条件下,采用Biolog微平板法和氯仿熏蒸浸提法,研究了玉米施用等养分量的无机肥、有机无机复混肥和生物复混肥后土壤微生物群落功能多样性及土壤微生物量的变化。结果表明:生物复混肥处理的土壤微生物平均颜色变化率(AWCD)、微生物群落Shannon指数(H)和微生物群落丰富度指数(S)均最高;施用生物复混肥可明显提高土壤微生物对碳源的利用率,尤其是多酚化合物类和糖类;不同处理土壤微生物碳源利用特征有一定差异,生物复混肥在第1主成分上的得分值为正值,其他各处理在第1主成分上的得分值基本上为负值,起分异作用的主要碳源是糖类和羧酸类。在玉米生长期间各处理土壤微生物量大致呈先升高后逐渐平稳的趋势,且土壤微生物量碳、氮、磷的含量均以生物复混肥处理最高,最高值分别为333.21mg.kg 1、53.02 mg.kg 1和22.20 mg.kg 1。研究表明,生物复混肥的施用比等养分量的有机无机复混肥处理能显著提高土壤微生物群落碳源利用率、微生物群落丰富度和功能多样性,显著增加土壤微生物量碳、氮、磷的含量,有利于维持良好的土壤微生态环境。     

不同秸秆还田方式对和田风沙土土壤微生物 多样性的影响

秸秆还田是有效利用秸秆资源的重要途径,能够提高土壤养分含量、调节土壤微生物的群落结构和多样性,但目前还缺乏不同秸秆还田方式对新疆沙化土壤肥力和微生物多样性影响的系统报道。为探索新疆沙化土壤肥力可持续提升模式,于2010—2012年在和田风沙土土壤上设置秸秆直接还田(NPKS)、过腹还田(NPKM,15.0 t×hm~(-2))和炭化还田(NPKB1,2.5 t×hm~(-2);NPKB2,15.0 t×hm~(-2))定位试验,研究不同秸秆还田处理对和田风沙土土壤养分、微生物数量、土壤酶活性和Biolog碳源利用的影响。结果表明:1)与单施化肥(NPK)相比,不同秸秆还田方式均能显著提高风沙土土壤养分含量,其中NPKM处理效果最好,其次是NPKB2处理,NPKS和NPKB1处理分别为第3和第4。2)不同秸秆还田方式对土壤微生物数量影响差异显著,均增加了土壤中细菌、放线菌和生理菌群的数量,与NPK处理相比,细菌数量NPKB2处理最高,放线菌数量NPKM处理最高,分别显著提高了413.16%和574.19%。但NPKB1和NPKB2处理对生理菌群数量的提升效果好于NPKS处理和NPKM处理。土壤酶活性,不同秸秆还田方式总体好于NPK处理,NPKM处理的提升效果最好。3)Biolog碳源利用分析表明不同秸秆还田方式均能提高风沙土土壤微生物活性和丰富度指数。主成分分析表明,不同秸秆还田方式土壤微生物群落明显不同,起分异作用的碳源主要为羧酸类和糖类。聚类分析显示NPKB2和NPKM处理之间、NPKB1和NPKS处理之间土壤微生物功能相似。由此可以看出,不同秸秆还田方式均能显著提高和田沙化土壤微生物活性和功能多样性,但不同方式的增效不同。从3年定位试验结果看,秸秆过腹还田和炭化还田的效果较好,秸秆直接粉碎还田有增加土传病害的风险。该结果将为南疆沙化土壤肥力可持续提升提供一定的理论指导。     

聚丙烯酸盐类土壤改良剂对燕麦土壤微生物量氮及酶活性的影响

以燕麦田土壤为研究对象,探讨了聚丙烯酸盐类土壤改良剂及其复配(聚丙烯酸钾、聚丙烯酰胺、腐植酸钾、聚丙烯酸钾+腐植酸钾、聚丙烯酰胺+腐植酸钾)对燕麦田土壤微生物量氮及土壤酶活性的影响。结果表明,不同土壤改良剂均能提高土壤有机质、碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾的含量,各指标分别比对照增加了8.24%～30.22%、7.60%～19.29%、5.15%～29.45%和27.86%～68.86%;土壤改良剂能促使燕麦全生育期内0～10、10～20和20～40 cm各土层的土壤微生物量氮含量显著提高,聚丙烯酸钾+腐植酸钾和聚丙烯酰胺+腐植酸钾复配处理较其各单施效果显著,随土壤深度的增加土壤微生物量氮逐层递减;与对照相比,土壤改良剂能显著提高燕麦全生育期各土层过氧化氢酶活性,在抽穗期活性最高,且以聚丙烯酸钾+腐植酸钾较高;但对于脲酶,聚丙烯酸钾+腐植酸钾、聚丙烯酰胺+腐植酸钾和腐植酸钾3个处理在苗期显著低于对照,在抽穗期和成熟期高于对照,两种酶活性均随土壤深度的增加逐渐降低。     

Mechanisms of real and apparent priming effects and their dependence on soil microbial biomass and community structure: critical review

The number of studies on priming effects (PE) in soil has strongly increased during the last years. The information regarding real versus apparent PE as well as their mechanisms remains controversial. Based on a meta-analysis of studies published since 1980, we evaluated the intensity, direction, and the reality of PE in dependence on the amount and quality of added primers, the microbial biomass and community structure, enzyme activities, soil pH, and aggregate size. The meta-analysis allowed revealing quantitative relationships between the amounts of added substrates as related to microbial biomass C and induced PE. Additions of easily available organic C up to 15% of microbial biomass C induce a linear increase of extra CO₂. When the added amount of easily available organic C is higher than 50% of the microbial biomass C, an exponential decrease of the PE or even a switch to negative values is often observed. A new approach based on the assessment of changes in the production of extracellular enzymes is suggested to distinguish real and apparent PE. To distinguish real and apparent PE, we discuss approaches based on the C budget. The importance of fungi for long-term changes of SOM decomposition is underlined. Priming effects can be linked with microbial community structure only considering changes in functional diversity. We conclude that the PE involves not only one mechanism but a succession of processes partly connected with succession of microbial community and functions. An overview of the dynamics and intensity of these processes as related to microbial biomass changes and C and N availability is presented.     

Snow removal alters soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity in a Tibetan alpine forest

Projected future decreases in snow cover associated with global warming in alpine ecosystems could affect soil biochemical cycling. To address the objectives how an altered snow removal could affect soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity related to soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and pools, plastic film coverage and returning of melt snow water were applied to simulate the absence of snow cover in a Tibetan alpine forest of western China. Soil temperature and moisture, nutrient availability, microbial biomass and enzyme activity were measured at different periods (before snow cover, early snow cover, deep snow cover, snow cover melting and early growing season) over the entire 2009/2010 winter. Snow removal increased the daily variation of soil temperature, frequency of freeze–thaw cycle, soil frost depth, and advanced the dates of soil freezing and melting, and the peak release of inorganic N. Snow removal significantly decreased soil gravimetric water, ammonium and inorganic N, and activity of soil invertase and urease, but increased soil nitrate, dissolve organic C (DOC) and N (DON), and soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN). Our results suggest that a decreased snow cover associated with global warming may advance the timing of soil freezing and thawing as well as the peak of releases of nutrients, leading to an enhanced nutrient leaching before plant become active. These results demonstrate that an absence of snow cover under global warming scenarios will alter soil microbial activities and hence element biogeochemical cycling in alpine forest ecosystems.