Effects of prescribed burning and seasonal and interannual climate variation on nitrogen mineralization in a typical steppe in Inner Mongolia

Fires in grasslands significantly alter nutrient cycling processes. Seasonal climatic changes can interact with fire to further modify nutrient cycling processes. To investigate the effects of fire on soil nitrogen transformation processes and their seasonal change and interannual variability in a typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, we determined the rates of net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification over two growing seasons and a winter following a prescribed spring fire in May 2006. Fire significantly decreased rates of both net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification during the first growing season and winter following burning. Cumulative net nitrogen mineralization in unburned and burned plots in the 2006 growing season was 133% and 183% higher, respectively, than in the drier 2007 growing season. Nitrogen mineralization apparently occurred in winter and the cumulative net nitrogen mineralization from October 2, 2006, to April 27, 2007 in unburned and burned plots amounted to 1.18 ± 0.25 g N m⁻² and 0.51 ± 0.08 g N m⁻², respectively. Cumulative net nitrogen mineralization was higher in a wet 2006 than in a dry 2007 growing season, indicating that the net N mineralization rate was sensitive to soil moisture in a dry season. Our study demonstrated that a one-time prescribed fire decreased net N mineralization rates only for a short period of time after burning while interannual variation in climate had more significant effects on the process of nitrogen mineralization.     

Seasonally dependent impacts of grazing on soil nitrogen mineralization and linkages to ecosystem functioning in Inner Mongolia grassland

Previous studies have suggested grazing may alter nitrogen (N) cycling of grasslands by accelerating or decelerating soil net N mineralization. The important mechanisms controlling these fluxes remain controversial, and more importantly, the consequences on carbon storage and site productivity remain uncertain. Here we present results on the seasonal patterns of soil inorganic N pools and net N mineralization and their linkages to ecosystem functioning from a grazing experiment in the Inner Mongolia grassland, which has been maintained for five years with 7 levels of grazing intensity (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 sheep ha⁻¹). Net N mineralization and nitrification rates were determined using an in situ soil core incubation method. Our findings demonstrated that, in the non-growing season, the net N mineralization rate was reduced by 181% in the lightly and moderately grazed plots (1.5-4.5 sheep ha⁻¹) and by 147% in the heavily grazed plots (6.0-9.0 sheep ha⁻¹), and the net N immobilization was observed in all grazed treatments. In the early growing season, however, it was increased by 107% in the lightly and moderately grazed plots and by 128% in the heavily grazed plots. In the peak growing season, grazing diminished the net mineralization rate by 71% in the lightly and moderately grazed plots and 108% in the heavily grazed plots. The seasonally dependent effects of grazing on soil inorganic N pools and net N mineralization were strongly mediated by grazing-induced changes in soil temperature and moisture, with soil moisture being predominant in the peak growing season. Grazing alterations of soil inorganic N and net N mineralization were closely linked to the changes in aboveground primary productivity, biomass N allocation, N use efficiency, and soil total nitrogen. Based upon the five year study, we conclude that grazing at moderate to high intensities is unsustainable in terms of productivity and soil N cycling and storage in these systems.     

放牧对荒漠草原植物生物量及土壤养分的影响

以宁夏荒漠草原为研究对象,探讨放牧对荒漠草原植物多样性、 生物量及土壤养分特征的影响。结果表明, 放牧对荒漠草原植物群落多样性、 均匀度和丰富度影响显著。植物群落多样性和均匀度随着放牧强度的增加均呈先增加后降低的趋势,在轻度放牧达到最大值。同围封禁牧相比,重度、 中度和轻度放牧草地的植物地上和地下部生物量显著降低,分别降低了43.8%、 42.0%、 15.4% 和 27.7%、16.2%、11.9%。土壤有机碳随着放牧强度的增加而降低,而土壤全氮含量随着放牧强度的增加呈先增加后降低的趋势。围封禁牧草地土壤有机碳比重度放牧增加了18.1%,而土壤全磷、 速效磷和全钾含量分别降低了 21.1%、 51.9% 和 11.0%。土壤有机碳含量对植物群落地上和地下部生物量的影响大于土壤全氮、 全磷、 全钾、 速效磷和速效钾。放牧干扰下荒漠草原土壤环境及其养分含量,能在一定程度上反映植物群落多样性和生物量的变化。     

荒漠草原沙漠化对土壤物理和化学特性的影响

以宁夏中北部荒漠草原不同沙漠化阶段(荒漠草地、固定沙地、半固定沙地、流动沙地)草地土壤为研究对象,研究不同沙漠化阶段土壤容重、孔隙度、土壤有机碳、全氮含量、碳密度、氮密度、NH4+-N和NO–3-N的变异规律,分析荒漠草原沙漠化对土壤物理和化学性质的影响。结果表明:固定沙地、半固定沙地和流动沙地0～30 cm土层土壤容重较荒漠草地分别升高了0.3%、2.9%和2.4%。土壤孔隙度随草地沙漠化加重整体表现为线性递减趋势。同一沙漠化阶段,随着土层深度的增加,土壤容重表现出先降低后升高趋势,而土壤孔隙度表现出相反的变化。随着荒漠草原沙漠化程度加剧,NH4+-N、NO–3-N、土壤有机碳、全氮含量和碳氮密度均呈线性下降趋势。与荒漠草地相比,流动沙地0～30 cm土层土壤NH4+-N、NO–3-N、土壤有机碳、全氮含量和碳氮密度分别降低了27.4%、31.8%、44.8%、56.7%、43.5%和55.7%。荒漠草原沙漠化破坏了土壤物理和化学性状。     

青藏高原三江源区不同恢复期高寒草甸土壤线虫群落演变

青藏高原三江源地区的高寒草甸面临着严峻的退化问题，人工建植是三江源地区退化草地的重要修复方式。为探究地下生物对草地人工恢复措施的响应，本研究比较了三江源地区高寒草甸不同恢复期人工草地(建植1、5和10 a)的土壤线虫群落变化。结果显示：与原生植被样地相比，所有恢复期样地的植物地下生物量降低，土壤容重、pH、全磷、全钾和硝态氮含量升高，表明人工草地系统的初级生产力和土壤特性尚未恢复到原生草地状态。不同恢复期样地中土壤线虫的均匀度和多样性指数均显著高于原生植被样地。此外，不同恢复期样地的线虫多度、代谢足迹以及成熟度指数均随恢复年限的增加而增加。相关性分析结果表明，土壤线虫多度与植物地下生物量、土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、矿质氮和速效氮含量显著正相关(P<0.05)，与土壤pH、全钾和容重显著负相关(P<0.05)。尽管三江源区退化草地的人工恢复措施尚未完全恢复牧草生产力至原生植被状态，但土壤生物结构及功能具有改善的趋势，显示该地区退化草地生态系统具有较强的恢复潜力。     

放牧模式对内蒙古典型草原生长季土壤呼吸速率的影响

【目的】放牧改变了典型草原生产力和土壤养分循环,影响了植被和土壤微生物的生长状况,进而使草原土壤碳排放量发生变化。本研究通过分析不同放牧措施下内蒙古典型草原生长季土壤呼吸速率 (Rs) 的差异,了解不同放牧管理模式影响草原碳交换和碳平衡的主要途径。【方法】基于内蒙古典型草原全年放牧、休牧及禁牧三种放牧措施,于2014和2015年的7月和9月对Rs进行原位测定,并分析了不同放牧措施下Rs及其影响因子的差异。【结果】1) 三种放牧措施下,Rs表现为休牧样地 [CO₂ 2.00 μmol/(m2·s)] > 禁牧样地 [CO₂ 1.94 μmol/(m2·s)]> 全年放牧样地 [CO₂ 1.56 μmol/(m2·s)]。放牧对Rs的影响还存在季节效应,7月份放牧降低了Rs,而9月份放牧则提高了Rs。2) 与禁牧措施相比,放牧和休牧管理均降低了地上生物量(70.6%和47.3%)、土壤总碳含量(34.5%和32.0%)、土壤总氮含量(37.0%和34.5%),但休牧显著提高了根系生物量(37.2%)。全年放牧样地中土壤可溶性有机碳提高,但微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量下降。3) 7月份Rs主要与土壤湿度和地上生物量显著正相关,而9月份则与土壤温度和土壤PLFAs含量显著正相关。结构方程模型 (SEM) 结果显示,土壤温度 (0.905) 和湿度 (0.188) 通过影响微生物和根系的代谢环境对生长季Rs起主导作用,放牧通过降低土壤湿度和地上生物量对Rs有抑制作用 (–0.137)。【结论】全年放牧通过抑制微生物的生长降低了土壤呼吸速率,休牧通过提高根系生物量增加了土壤呼吸速率,说明放牧对内蒙古典型草原生长季土壤呼吸速率的影响途径因放牧模式的不同而不同。     

Impacts of habitat disturbance on termites and soil water storage in a tropical Australian savanna

This study examines changes in the abundance and diversity of soil macroinvertebrate taxa and soil water storage across different disturbance treatments in a tropical savanna woodland in northern Australia. Nine plots representing three habitat disturbance treatments (uncleared savanna woodland; 25-year-old regrowth following past clearing; cleared areas) were sampled for macrofauna using soil pits in April 2003. Sub-surface soil moisture (0-0.4 m) was measured at 0.1 m intervals over the 2002/2003 wet season. Termites represented 55% of total individuals sampled. Abundance of soil macrofauna was greatest in uncleared plots and lowest in cleared plots, with the latter treatment also having the lowest taxon diversity. Mean abundances of termites, earthworms and ants were greatest in uncleared treatment plots. Five termite species from four genera were present, with Microcerotermes nervosus constituting 47% of termite species identified. Of the wood-, grass- and polyphagous-feeding termites present, wood-feeding species were restricted to uncleared treatment plots and grass-feeders to regrowth treatment plots. A shift in termite nesting habits from epigeal to hypogeal was observed from uncleared to cleared treatments. Soil water storage was lowest in the dry season and highest during the monsoon, and varied significantly across habitat disturbance treatments at the start and end of the wet season. Cleared plots were least effective in the capture of the first wet season rains, and uncleared treatment plots showed the greatest capacity to retain soil water during the transition from wet to dry season. The negative effects of habitat disturbance on soil water storage may have been partially mediated by the observed changes in soil macrofauna, especially termites.     

半干旱区不同围封年限对草地土壤和微生物碳氮含量的影响

[目的]探究半干旱区草地根际土壤碳氮及土壤微生物量碳氮对不同封禁年限响应特征,为半干旱草地生态系统物质循环研究以及生态系统养分限制判定等提供依据,并为确定合理围封年限提供科学参考.[方法]以宁夏回族自治区固原市云雾山国家级自然保护区半干旱草原为研究对象,应用生态化学计量学方法对比分析放牧地与围封10,25,35 a样地...     

Identifying response groups of soil nitrifiers and denitrifiers to grazing and associated soil environmental drivers in Tibetan alpine meadows

Defining response groups within N-related microbial communities is needed to predict land management effect on soil N dynamics, but information on such response groups and associated environmental drivers is scarce. We investigated the abundance and major populations of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), and nirS- and nirK-harboring denitrifiers under different grazing managements in Tibetan alpine meadow soils. Grazing increased AOB and AOA abundances up to 42 fold and 3.7 fold, respectively, and increased the percentage of AOB within total ammonia oxidizers from 3.1% to 10.8%. The abundance of nirK-like denitrifiers increased with grazing intensity, while the abundance of nirS-like denitrifiers tended to decrease. However, sub-groups within each of these broad groups of (de)nitrifiers responded differently to grazing. Soil nitrate was the main driver of the abundance of denitrifier sub-groups (nirK or nirS) positively responding to grazing, while soil moisture and carbon concentration were the main drivers of the abundance of denitrifier sub-groups negatively responding to grazing. AOB and nirK-harboring denitrifiers thus generally responded more positively to grazing than AOA and nirS-harboring denitrifiers, but significant functional diversity existed within each group. Our approach demonstrates the usefulness of the concept of response groups to better characterize and understand (de)nitrifier response to grazing.     

模拟氮沉降对滨海湿地土壤微生物功能多样性的影响

为全面了解大气氮沉降条件下滨海湿地土壤微生物碳源利用特点,本研究在江苏盐城滨海湿地建立模拟氮沉降实验平台,设置N1(N,0 g/(hm~2·a),对照)、N2(N,3 g/(hm~2·a),低氮)和N3(N,6 g/(hm~2·a),高氮)3个处理,采用Biolog微平板法,分析了土壤微生物功能多样性在不同氮处理下的变化规律和特点。结果表明:不同氮沉降处理间土壤微生物功能多样性差异显著,AWCD值随培养时间延长而增加;Shannon和Mc Intosh多样性指数也随施氮增加呈现升高的趋势,且不同处理间多样性指数差异显著;物种多样性和功能多样性表现出相同的变化规律。土壤微生物对6大类碳源利用强度存在差异,各处理间土壤微生物对碳水化合物类碳源利用率最高,为优势碳源;主成分分析结果显示,不同处理间土壤微生物在碳源利用上有明显的空间分异,土壤微生物功能多样性的差异主要体现在对羧酸类、酚酸类和胺类碳源的利用上,其中胺类尤为突出;此外,对不同施氮处理土壤微生物群落功能多样性与土壤理化因子进行相关分析,结果显示全氮、铵态氮、全磷会对滨海湿地土壤微生物组成和功能活性产生重要影响。     

Microbial diversity and activity of disturbed soil in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

 The effects of intense grazing, seasonal drought, and fire on soil microbial diversity (substrate utilization) and activity in a northern Chihuahuan Desert grassland were measured in summer 1997, winter 1998, and spring 1998. Intense livestock grazing was initiated in winter 1995, burning occurred in August 1994, and drought stresses were imposed from October 1994 to June 1997. Microbial diversity was inferred from the carbon substrate utilization patterns in both gram (+) and gram (–) Biolog plates. Microbial activity was estimated by the activity of selected enzymes. Neither microbial diversity nor activity was affected by grazing. The interaction of intense grazing and stress sub-treatments only occurred in spring for one set of diversity measurements. The maximum microbial diversity and activity occurred in the winter-drought-stress sub-plots in summer and spring. Burning reduced microbial diversity and most enzyme activities as compared to the control in summer and spring. Microbial diversity was also lower in summer-drought-stress sub-plots than in the control in summer and spring. Microbial diversity was highest in summer, intermediate in winter, and lowest in spring. Microbial activity was generally higher in summer and lower in winter. It was concluded that substrate availability was the most important factor affecting the diversity and activity of soil microorganisms within a season. Soil moisture was not the factor causing differences in microbial diversity and activity among the stress treatments, but it was a predictor for some microbial responses under a particular stress. Received: 12 August 1999     

Connectivity of litter islands remaining after a fire and unburnt forest determines the recovery of soil fauna

Forest wildfires can dramatically affect soil communities and reduce abundance and diversity of soil fauna. The recovery of soil animals after a fire depends both on immigration from the unburnt forest and on local survival in less-burnt spots, but the relative importance of these mechanisms is poorly known. Therefore, these factors were studied with regard to soil macrofauna and soil mites seven years after a wildfire occurring in a pine forest area with shallow soil in 2001 in central Sweden. Three replicate transects, each consisting of four plots were studied. The plots were located in (i) the unburnt forest close to the fire edge; (ii) slightly burnt patches directly attached to the unburnt forest; (iii) slightly burnt patches surrounded by bare rock but connected to the unburnt forest edge by a corridor with mostly unburnt litter and vegetation; and (iv) island patches not connected with a corridor to the unburnt forest edge. The hypothesis was that that soil animals would particularly disperse from the unburnt forest to moderately burnt plots inside a burnt area via the network of less-burnt corridors. Poor dispersers would be especially few in the island patches lacking connection to the “mainland”, whereas good dispersers would be independent of gaps in connectivity. As expected, the highest abundance of both macrofauna and oribatid mites was found in the unburnt forest. Resident soil macro- and mesofauna representatives had half the abundance in the edge and corridor plots as compared to the control, but their abundance was not lower in the island plots than in the corridor plots indicating on-site survival and recovery. Mobile mesostigmatid mites did not show any significant reduction of abundance in any of the plots. The abundance of soil-dwelling oribatid mites did not differ between islands and unburnt forest, but mobile aboveground oribatids had significantly lower abundance on the islands than in the unburnt forest. The opposite was observed for aboveground and belowground oribatid mite species richness. In conclusion, belowground animals showed mainly local survival and seemed to be independent of corridors presence, whereas most aboveground and mobile macro- and mesofauna seemed to be more responsive to isolation induced by forest fires. Soil and litter corridors connecting unburnt patches inside the burnt forests with the unburnt edges were important mainly for less mobile groups of soil macrofauna. This supports the idea that there is a relatively slow process of soil ecosystem recovery and that external colonization of the burnt areas dominates over the local survival and recovery from refuges.     

Changes in nematode abundances and body length in response to management intensive grazing in a low-input temperate pasture

An evaluation of changes in nematode populations in response to management was performed using a field scale experiment along a gradient of land-use intensity in the context of management intensive grazing. Four levels of decreasing intensity were measured over three growing seasons. The treatments included: 1) intensive grazing management where cows were allowed to graze for each grazing cycle, followed by routine clipping and harrowing; 2) semi-intensive grazing where cows were allowed to graze for each grazing cycle, with only one clipping event per year; 3) extensive grazing where cows were allowed to graze during every 2nd grazing cycle and no clipping or harrowing was performed; 4) stockpiling treatment where cows were permitted to graze only during the final grazing cycle, followed by clipping at the end of the season. Most indices (MI, PPI, ∑MI, and ∑MI25) resulted in significant seasonal differences; however, only familial diversity (H′) and the total number of families showed significant season by treatment interaction. Bacterivores comprised most of the nematode population with Cephalobidae being the most common family. Abundance of plant feeders was affected by season and soil moisture, whereas bacterivore abundance was associated with total organic N and soil pH. Nematode body length increased slightly in most families through time, and was associated with season, bulk density, soil moisture, and total N and C. Although omnivore numbers were highest in the extensive and semi-intensive treatments, there was a significant increase in dorylaimid body length observed in the intensive treatment through time. Increases in body length were also observed in Monhysteridae and Cephalobidae in all treatments.     

南方稀土矿区水土保持植物根际土壤碳氮及pH特征

选取南方稀土矿区芒萁、宽叶雀稗、枫香和木荷四种典型水土保持植物,研究其根际与非根际土壤各种形态氮素和有机碳含量特征以及pH的变化。研究表明,根际较非根际土壤全氮、铵态氮和硝态氮平均分别高出79.7%、34.2%和30.7%,土壤有机碳平均高出164.9%,pH平均高出0.13个单位。除pH外,根际土壤与非根际土壤全氮、铵态氮、硝态氮和有机碳之间均差异显著(p0.05)。四种植物根际土壤全氮、硝态氮、铵态氮和有机碳的含量均较非根际土壤含量高。宽叶雀稗的根际土壤pH大于非根际土壤,而木荷、芒萁和枫香的根际土壤p H与非根际土壤无显著差异。在根际与非根际土壤中,土壤全氮与土壤有机碳之间呈显著正相关,而土壤全氮与土壤铵态氮、土壤全氮与土壤硝态氮之间均无相关性。即稀土矿区四种植物对碳氮主要养分均具有较强的截存效应,可作为稀土矿区生态恢复的主要植物。     

Grazing-induced spatial variability of soil bulk density and content of moisture, organic carbon and calcium carbonate in a semi-arid rangeland

The landscape of many semiarid rangelands is characterized by a two-phase, shrub–intershrub vegetation mosaic, each phase having different soil properties. However, this broad subdivision groups together types of intershrub surface cover that may also differ in their soil properties and play important roles in ecosystem functioning. In the northern Negev region of Israel, we examined the soil properties associated with flock trampling routes and rock fragment clusters, as well as those associated with the remainder of the intershrub area and shrub patches. Moisture content, organic carbon content, bulk density and calcium carbonate content of the soil were determined for the above four types of cover, inside and outside long-term grazing exclosures. Soil was sampled in the peak of the growing season and in the end of the dry season, on a north- and a south-facing hillside, and from two depths. The shrub patches exhibited the highest soil moisture and organic carbon contents, and the lowest bulk density and calcium carbonate contents. The trampling routes showed opposite trends. The rock fragment clusters and the remainder of the intershrub area did not generally differ and had intermediate values of these properties. Grazing did not have a significant effect on soil properties at the whole-plot scale, but there were highly significant interactions between grazing and type of cover. Compared with the former trampling routes in the exclosures, the active trampling routes outside them had higher bulk density and lower moisture and organic carbon contents. The intershrub area had higher moisture and organic carbon contents under grazing than in the exclosures. Grazing increased the spatial heterogeneity of the soil properties examined via the creation of a network of trampling routes on the hillsides. The routes themselves, which constituted over 20% of the landscape cover, had degraded soil properties but they led to the improvement of the properties of the remainder of the intershrub area via functionally important source–sink relationships. The study of the soil of regions in which such networks are apparent should be duly cognizant of this intershrub subdivision in addition to the widely recognized shrub–intershrub dichotomy.     

Short-term soil CO2 emission after conventional and reduced tillage of a no-till sugar cane area in southern Brazil

The impact of tillage systems on soil CO₂ emission is a complex issue as different soil types are managed in various ways, from no-till to intensive land preparation. In southern Brazil, the adoption of a new management option has arisen most recently, with no-tillage as well as no burning of crops residues left on soil surface after harvesting, especially in sugar cane areas. Although such practice has helped to restore soil carbon, the tillage impact on soil carbon loss in such areas has not been widely investigated. This study evaluated the effect of moldboard plowing followed by offset disk harrow and chisel plowing on clay oxisol CO₂ emission in a sugar cane field treated with no-tillage and high crop residues input in the last 6 years. Emissions after tillage were compared to undisturbed soil CO₂ emissions during a 4-week period by using an LI-6400 system coupled to a portable soil chamber. Conventional tillage caused the highest emission during almost the whole period studied, except for the efflux immediately following tillage, when the reduced plot produced the highest peak. The lowest emissions were recorded 7 days after tillage, at the end of a dry period, when soil moisture reached its lowest rate. A linear regression between soil CO₂ effluxes and soil moisture in the no-till and conventional plots corroborate the fact that moisture, and not soil temperature, was a controlling factor. Total soil CO₂ loss was huge and indicates that the adoption of reduced tillage would considerably decrease soil carbon dioxide emission in our region, particularly during the summer season and when growers leave large amounts of crop residues on the soil surface. Although it is known that crop residues are important for restoring soil carbon, our result indicates that an amount equivalent to approximately 30% of annual crop carbon residues could be transferred to the atmosphere, in a period of 4 weeks only, when conventional tillage is applied on no-tilled soils.     

Effects of burning on soil macrofauna in a savanna-woodland under different experimental fuel load treatments

In West African savanna-woodland, the use of prescribed burning as a management tool has ecological implications for the soil biota. Yet, the effects of fire on soil inhabiting organisms are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the responses of soil macro-invertebrates to early fires in a Sudanian savanna-woodland on a set of experimental plots subject to different fuel load treatments. The abundance of major macro-invertebrate taxa and functional groups, and taxon richness were quantified in soil cores collected from three different soil layers before and immediately after burning. The results indicated that, overall, there was substantial spatial and temporal variation in the composition of macro-invertebrate assemblages. The immediate effects of fire were to reduce total invertebrate numbers and numbers of many invertebrate groups dramatically. This is probably due to the fact that many of the surface-dwelling macrofauna perished as a result of less favorable microclimate due to fire, diminished resources, or migrate to safer environments. Fuel load treatment did not affect the community taxonomic richness or abundance of the soil-dwelling fauna. Furthermore, annual changes in community composition were more pronounced at the burnt site than in the control. This could be related to the inter-annual difference in precipitation pattern recorded during the two-year study period at our site. Since soil macrofauna population declines in fire-disturbed areas, increasing fire prevalence may jeopardize the long-term conservation of fire sensitive macrofauna groups. Special fire management attention is therefore recommended with due consideration to the type of burning and fuel properties to avoid the detrimental effects of intense fire affecting the resilience of savanna soil macrofauna species.     

长期外源有机物料添加对川中丘陵区农田土壤养分和有机碳组分的影响

有机肥和秸秆等有机物料添加是调控土壤肥力的重要手段，可促进农田土壤有机碳的数量和质量发生变化。研究选取盐亭紫色土农业生态试验站长期（16a）6种不同施肥处理试验小区，探究两种形式的外源有机物料（猪粪堆肥和秸秆还田）添加对土壤有机碳及总氮、总磷、硝态氮和速效磷养分含量的影响，并基于固态13C核磁共振波谱技术(13C-NMR)分析其对土壤有机碳化学组分的影响。研究发现，添加有机物料可显著增加0~30 cm土壤有机碳和各养分含量；猪粪堆肥施用对土壤总磷、速效磷和硝态氮含量的影响大于秸秆还田。结果还表明两种有机物料添加改变了耕层土壤有机碳化学组成及其稳定性，有机物料添加增加了0~10 cm表层土壤有机碳中烷氧基碳和羧基碳的比例，降低了烷基碳的比例，同时降低了10~20 cm土层羧基碳比例，增加了烷基碳比例。本研究可为区域旱耕地有机碳库稳定性及其碳汇功能评估提供科学依据。     

Responses of soil microarthropods to inorganic and organic fertilizers in a poplar plantation in a coastal area of eastern China

Soil microarthropod community is an essential functional unit of soil food webs. Fertilizers can induce an alteration of quantity and quality of food for soil fauna and trigger profound changes in soil faunal communities. We initiated this study to examine the influence of organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil microarthropods in poplar plantations (Populus deltoides) in a coastal region of northern Jiangsu, eastern China. We established a control and four fertilizer application treatments: low and high levels of organic fertilizers, low and high levels of inorganic fertilizers. Organic fertilizer amendments increased both soil organic carbon (C) and total nitrogen (N), whereas inorganic fertilizer had a positive significant effect on soil total N. The application of both inorganic and organic fertilizers resulted in significantly reduced soil pH. We found that both inorganic and organic fertilizers increased the abundance of all soil microarthropods, bacterivorous Acari, and hemiedaphic and epedaphic Collembola, but had no influence on the total taxonomic richness, Shannon diversity index and DG diversity index of the microarthropod community. The abundance of soil microarthropods was positively correlated with soil C and N, and negatively with pH. Our results indicate that changes in the quality and quantity of soil organic matter and other immediate chemical properties after fertilizer application can increase the abundance of soil microarthropods, but have a limited influence on their diversity in the coastal alkaline soils of eastern China.     

Oribatid mite community structure and tree species diversity: A link?

Differences in tree species may lead to contrasting soil environments via differences in litter chemical quality and physical environmental factors, such as soil type and soil moisture. However, separating the effects of litter quality and physical environment is difficult under field conditions. Both litter quality and soil environment affect the species composition of the soil animal community. A diversity gradient of canopy tree species (11–25 species) located on homogeneous soil substrate at Tomakomai Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University was used to analyse the relationship between tree species diversity and oribatid mite community structure. Soil samples were collected from three levels of tree species richness (high, intermediate and low) with three replicates each, in July 2000. Leaf area index (LAI) was positively correlated with tree species diversity suggesting higher litter input into the soils with increasing tree diversity. However, the tree species diversity gradient affected neither accumulation of litter on the forest floor nor abundance and species richness of oribatid mites. Canopy and understory plant species richness, LAI, total soil carbon and biomass of epigeic and endogeic earthworms did not significantly affect mite community structure as indicated by redundancy analysis (RDA). The results suggest that oribatid mite community structure is minimally affected by tree species diversity and associated changes in litter diversity.