Vertical distribution of soil macrofauna in an arid ecosystem: Are litter and belowground compartmentalized habitats?

The vertical distribution of soil macroarthropods has been poorly studied despite their importance in understanding the interrelationship between the surface litter and deeper soil layers. Analyzing macrofaunal assemblages in litter and mineral soil layers is especially relevant in soils of arid and semiarid areas, where the litter usually forms a discrete layer that remains separated from the mineral soil and supports a markedly different fauna. In order to analyze the degree of compartmentalization among litter and mineral soil communities, we studied the vertical distribution of macroinvertebrates in an arid area of Southeastern Spain. During 2 years, macroinvertebrates were sampled in the litter and mineral soil beneath shrubs, ant nest mounds and bare soil using cores to a depth of 50 cm. Results showed that macroinvertebrate richness, abundance and biomass decreased gradually with soil depth with small differences between microhabitats. Assemblage composition also varied with depth; an overall vertical stratification was observed, although effects of sampling period, especially in the winter, and microhabitats with higher litter accumulations on the similarity among assemblages were observed. Although the faunal assemblages of the litter and mineral soil habitats displayed some important differences in taxonomic and trophic composition, there were taxa inhabiting both habitats, acting as connectors between litter and the mineral soil. In addition, seasonal differences in the vertical distribution of detritivorous tenebrionid larvae indicate that this connection varies in time, emphasizing the importance of temporal variability in the connection between the surface layer and the below-ground soil.     

Does the compositional change of soil organic matter in the rhizosphere and bulk soil of tea plants induced by tea polyphenols correlate with Pb bioavailability?

Purpose

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a vital role in controlling metal bioavailability. However, the relationship between SOM and its fractions, including water-soluble substances (WSS), fulvic acid (FA), humic acid (HA), and soil microbial biomass (SMB), to metal bioavailability in plants has not been thoroughly investigated. This study examined the compositional change of SOM after tea polyphenols (TPs) were added to the soil and its correlation with Pb bioavailability.

Materials and methods

Ultisol samples were collected from Fuyang, spiked with two levels (0 and 300 mg kg^?1 DW) of Pb, and aged for 30 days. Four uniform seedlings were transplanted to each plastic pot, which were filled with 3 kg of air-dried soil. After successful transplantation, three levels (0, 300, and 600 mg kg^?1 DW) of TPs were amended as irrigation solution for the pots. The Pb concentrations in different tissues of the tea plants were determined after 6 months. SOM, WSS, FA, HA, and SMB were extracted and quantified using a Multi N/C Total Organic Carbon Analyser.

Results and discussion

Adding TPs to Pb-polluted soils alleviated Pb toxicity to microorganisms and increased SMB and the rhizosphere effect. The rhizosphere SOM was lower than bulk SOM in Pb-unspiked soils, while the opposite results were observed in Pb-spiked soils. A similar inconsistency for HA in the rhizosphere and bulk soil between Pb-unspiked and Pb-spiked soils might explain the difference in SOM. FA increased with the addition of TPs in both the rhizosphere and bulk soils, which might be the result of TP transformation. Positive correlations are present between the compositions of rhizosphere SOM and Pb in different tissues of the tea plant. SMB correlated negatively with Pb in young leaves and stems. Compared to rhizosphere soil, SOM components in bulk soil were less strongly correlated with Pb in tea plants.

Conclusions

Addition of TPs to soil changes the components of SOM and Pb bioavailability. SOM and its fractions, including WSS, FA, HA, and SMB, show a close relationship to Pb in different tissues of the tea plants.