Soil microbial community response to surfactants and herbicides in two soils

The environmental impacts of herbicides on desirable plants and the soil biota are of public concern. The surfactants that are often used with herbicides are also under scrutiny as potentially harmful to soil biological systems. To address these concerns, we used two soils, a silt loam and a silty, clay loam from south central Missouri, to investigate the impacts of herbicides and surfactants on soil microbial communities using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. The surfactants used in this study were alkylphenol ethoxylate plus alcohol ethoxylate (Activator 90), polyethoxylate (Agri-Dex), and a blend of ammonium sulfate, drift reduction/deposition polymers and anti-foam agent (Thrust). The herbicides were glyphosate, atrazine and bentazon. Surfactants and herbicides were applied to soils at label rate, either alone or combined, to 4000 g soil per pot. The two soils differed in history, texture, some chemical characteristics and several microbial community characteristics. A few of the chemicals altered some of the components of the microbial community after only one application of the chemical at field-rate. The Cole County, MO silt loam showed larger changes in the microbial community with application of treatments. For the Boone County, MO silty clay loam, Activator 90, Agri-Dex and bentazon treatments increased microbial biomass determined by PLFA; Thrust decreased PLFA markers, bacteria to fungi ratio; and Agri-Dex at both rates decreased monounsaturated fatty acids. Changes in the microbial community due to herbicides or surfactants were minimal in this study of a single application of these chemicals, but could be indicators of potential long-term effects. Long-term studies are needed to determine the changes in the microbial community after several years of annual applications of herbicides and surfactants on a wide array of soil types and management practices.     

长期不同施肥条件下红壤性水稻土微生物群落结构的变化

以位于江西省红壤研究所内长期定位试验的水稻土(始于1981年)为研究对象,运用磷脂脂肪酸(phospholipid fatty acid,PLFA)和BIOLOG分析技术研究了不施肥(CK)、单施化肥(NPK)及有机肥与化肥混施(NPKM)三种施肥方式对土壤微生物群落结构的影响。结果表明:长期施化肥和有机肥与化肥混施处理的PLFA总量均高于未施肥处理,两者分别较未施肥处理高91%和309%;PLFA主成分分析(PCA)显示施肥促进了土壤微生物群落结构的变化,其中NPKM处理增加了革兰氏阴性细菌(G-细菌)、真菌、放线菌和原生动物的数量,NPK处理增加了革兰氏阳性细菌(G+细菌)的数量,不施肥处理较施肥处理提高了真菌/细菌比例,CK和NPK处理的微生物群落结构更为相似;各施肥处理间土壤的AWCD值(平均每孔颜色变化率,average well color development,AWCD)表明,NPKM处理能够促进土壤微生物群落对碳源的利用能力,进而增加土壤中微生物的整体活性,而NPK处理减弱了土壤微生物的活性。代谢功能多样性分析同时表明,NPKM处理增加了微生物群落的多样性,而NPK处理使土壤微生物的多样性降低;土壤PLFA与土壤养分的相关性分析显示,土壤总PLFA量与土壤有机质和全氮呈极显著相关(p0.01),与速效养分相关性不大。     

Changes in the soil microbial community structure with latitude in eastern China, based on phospholipid fatty acid analysis

Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles were measured in soils from 14 sites in eastern China representing typical geographic zones of varying latitude from north (47.4°N) to south (21.4°N). Amounts of soil microbial biomass, measured as total amounts of PLFAs, showed no regular trend with latitude, but were positively correlated with soil organic carbon content, the concentration of humic acid and amorphous iron oxide. Soil microbial community structure showed some biogeographical distribution trends and was separated into three groups in a cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis of log transformed PLFA concentrations (mol%). Soils in the first group came from northern China with medium mean annual temperature (1.2–15.7 °C) and rainfall (550–1021 mm). Soils in the second group originated from southern China with a relatively higher mean annual temperature (15.7–21.2 °C) and rainfall (1021–1690 mm). Soils clustered in the third group originated from the most southerly region. The northern soils contained relatively more bacteria and Gram-negative PLFAs, while the southern soils had more fungi and pressure indexed PLFAs. These differences in soil microbial community structure were largely explained by soil pH, while other site and soil characteristics were less important.     

不同土地利用方式对三峡库区消落带土壤细菌和真菌多样性的影响

  目的  明确不同土地利用方式下第四纪古红土细菌和真菌群落特征,为古红土健康评价提供重要的生物性状数据,并为古红土资源的合理利用和科学管理提供指导。  方法  以疏林荒草地、荒草地、林地、耕地第四纪古红土和附近处于同一地层的埋藏第四纪古红土为研究对象,并以埋藏古红土作为对照组,利用高通量测序技术对不同土地利用方式下第四纪古红土细菌和真菌群落的丰富度、多样性和群落组成的变化进行分析,结合古红土理化性状,系统揭示不同土地利用方式下第四纪古红土细菌和真菌的群落特征。  结果  ①不同土地利用方式下第四纪古红土间微生物α 多样性指数存在显著差异,较埋藏古红土,疏林荒草地、荒草地、林地和耕地古红土的细菌丰富度指数和多样性指数以及真菌的丰富度指数均显著增加,耕地的真菌多样性指数显著降低。②埋藏古红土出露地表后不同利用方式下第四纪古红土细菌和真菌优势菌群的相对丰度发生显著变化。较埋藏古红土,其他不同土地利用方式下古红土中变形菌门的相对丰度均显著降低,酸杆菌门、绿弯菌门和芽单胞菌门的相对丰度均显著增加;疏林荒草地、荒草地和林地的子囊菌门的相对丰度显著降低,疏林荒草地和耕地的担子菌门的相对丰度显著增加,林地的被孢霉门的相对丰度显著增加。③古红土细菌和真菌群落的主坐标分析以及层次聚类分析显示,不同土地利用方式下第四纪古红土细菌和真菌群落结构发生变化,其中,荒草地与林地的群落结构最为相近。  结论  埋藏古红土出露地表后不同土地利用方式下第四纪古红土细菌和真菌丰富度、多样性以及群落组成都发生显著变化。研究结果可为开展古红土健康状况评价提供重要的生物性状数据,并为科学地管理与利用古红土资源奠定基础。     

土壤微生物群落对高剂量的新鲜橄榄油厂废水的响应

An incubation experiment was designed in order to determine the further microbiological response to an addition (500 m³ ha^-1) of fresh olive mill wastewater (FOMWW) in a soil that has been frequently amended with uncontrolled doses of OMWW since 90s in an active disposal site (ADS soil). To achieve this aim, the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, microbial biomass C (C_mic), and dehydrogenase (DHA) and urease activities (URA) were monitored at the beginning (T₀), 3 h (T₁) and 97 d (T_f, i.e., the end) of incubation after FOMWW addition. After the FOMWW addition, an increase in the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs was observed in ADS soil. Moreover, a relative increase of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) with respect to saturated fatty acids (SATFA) was found in the ADS soil. An increase of the Gram-positive to Gram-negative ratio was observed in this soil at the end of the incubation. While DHA and Cmic increased in the ADS soil after FOMWW addition, URA showed a decrease. Fungi and Gram-positive bacterial biomass experienced an increase after addition of a high dose of FOMWW in laboratory conditions.     

土壤微生物群落结构对凋落物组成变化的响应

凋落物分解是陆地生态系统养分循环的关键过程,明确凋落物多样性如何影响土壤微生物群落构成和多度,继而潜在地改变凋落物分解的微生物学机制有助于认识生物多样性和森林生态系统功能的关系。通过小盆模拟试验,应用磷脂脂肪酸谱图的方法研究了我国南方红壤丘陵区典型物种马尾松和湿地松的凋落物分别与白栎和青冈的凋落物混合,与单一针叶凋落物分解时相比,针阔混合凋落物分解过程中土壤微生物群落结构的变化,结果显示:(1)针阔混合凋落物分解时土壤微生物群落磷脂脂肪酸(Phospholipidfatty acids,PLFA)总量低于单一针叶处理,细菌和放线菌的相对多度高于单一针叶处理,真菌则相反,群落真菌/细菌低于单一针叶处理,土壤微生物生物量的差异主要来自于真菌;(2)主成分分析表明:针阔混合凋落物分解与单一针叶凋落物分解的土壤微生物群落结构差异显著,两个时期(分解9个月和18个月)主成分一分别可以解释65.74%和89.63%的变异,第一主成分主要包括18∶2ω6,9、18∶1ω9c、17∶0和10Me18∶0等磷脂脂肪酸;(3)土壤微生物群落结构受凋落物初始C/N和木质素/N调控,土壤微生物群落细菌的相对多度与凋落物初始C/N和木质素/N显著负相关,真菌则与凋落物初始C/N和木质素/N显著正相关,群落真菌/细菌与凋落物初始C/N和木质素/N显著正相关。针阔凋落物混合分解通过改变凋落物C/N和木质素/N,提供了对分解者更为有利的微环境。     

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.     

Temperature and substrate controls on microbial phospholipid fatty acid composition during incubation of grassland soils contrasting in organic matter quality

Soil incubations are often used to investigate soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and its response to increased temperature, but changes in the activity and community composition of the decomposers have rarely been included. As part of an integrated investigation into the responses of SOM components in laboratory incubations at elevated temperatures, fungal and bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured in two grassland soils contrasting in SOM quality (i.e. SOM composition), and changes in the microbial biomass and community composition were monitored. Whilst easily-degradable SOM and necromass released from soil preparation may have fuelled microbial activity at the start of the incubation, the overall activity and biomass of soil microorganisms were relatively constant during the subsequent one-year soil incubation, as indicated by the abundance of soil PLFAs, microbial respiration rate (r), and metabolic quotient (qCO₂). PLFAs relating to fungi and Gram-negative bacteria declined relative to Gram-positive bacteria in soils incubated at higher temperatures, presumably due to their vulnerability to disturbance and substrate constraints induced by faster exhaustion of available nutrient sources at higher temperatures. A linear correlation was found between incubation temperatures and the microbial stress ratios of cyclopropane PLFA-to-monoenoic precursor (cy17:0/16:1ω7c and cy19:0/18:1ω7c) and monoenoic-to-saturated PLFAs (mono/sat), as a combined effect of temperature and temperature-induced substrate constraints. The microbial PLFA decay patterns and ratios suggest that SOM quality intimately controls microbial responses to global warming.     

Soil microbial community composition as affected by restoration practices in California grassland

Agricultural practices have strong impacts on soil microbes including both the indices related to biomass and activity as well as those related to community composition. In a grassland restoration project in California, where native perennial bunchgrasses were introduced into non-native annual grassland after a period of intensive tillage, weeding, and herbicide use to reduce the annual seed bank, microbial community composition was investigated. Three treatments were compared: annual grassland, bare soil fallow, and restored perennial grassland. Soil profiles down to 80 cm in depth were investigated in four separate layers (0-15, 15-30, 30-60, and 60-80 cm) using both phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid (PLFAs) and ergosterol as biomarkers in addition to microbial biomass C by fumigation extraction. PLFA fingerprinting showed much stronger differences between the tilled bare fallow treatment vs. grasslands, compared to fewer differences between restored perennial grassland and annual grassland. The presence or absence of plants over several years clearly distinguished microbial communities. Microbial communities in lower soil layers were little affected by management practices. Regardless of treatment, soil depth caused a strong gradient of changing habitat conditions, which was reflected in Canonical Correspondence Analysis of PLFAs. Fungal organisms were associated with the presence of plants and/or litter since the total amount and the relative proportion of fungal markers were reduced in the tilled bare fallow and in lower layers of the grassland treatments. Total PLFA and soil microbial biomass were highly correlated, and fungal PLFA biomarkers showed strong correlations to ergosterol content. In conclusion, microbial communities are resilient to the grassland restoration process, but do not reflect the change in plant species composition that occurred after planting native bunchgrasses.     

长期施肥对黑土农田土壤微生物群落的影响

基于中国科学院海伦农业生态试验站长期定位试验区,应用实时荧光定量PCR(Real-time PCR)和变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术研究了无施肥(NF)、单施N、P化肥(NP)以及化肥配施有机猪粪肥(NPM)等3种长期施肥措施对黑土区玉米田土壤微生物群落密度和结构的影响.Real-time PCR方法定量NF、NP及NPM措施土壤细菌群落基因组DNA质量分别为381、1 351和1 773 ng g-1干土,真菌群落基因组DNA质量分别113.3、127.3和20.6 ng g-1干土,真菌与细菌的比率分别为0.31、0.09和0.01,NPM措施显著低于另两种施肥方式(p＜0.05).DGGE方法研究表明,NP和NPM措施不能改善土壤细菌和真菌群落的多样性、均匀性及优势菌优势程度;但主成分分析结果显示NP和NPM措施均可改变土壤细菌和真菌群落的构成,且真菌群落的变化更为显著;聚类分析结果显示NP和NPM措施下细菌群落结构较相近,其相似系数为0.89,真菌群落中NP措施与NF措施相近,相似系数为0.63,高于NP与NPM措施的相似系数0.51.上述结果表明有机猪粪肥的长期施用可以显著降低黑土农田土壤真菌与细菌的比率,且明显地改变土壤细菌和真菌群落的结构.     

Response of soil nematode communities to tree girdling in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest of southwest China

The impact of canopy photosynthates on soil microbial biomass and nematode trophic groups was studied in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest by performing a large-scale tree girdling experiment. Total fungal biomass was unaffected by tree girdling. Bacterial biomass differed significantly between the girdled and control plots in the mineral soil, but was not affected by girdling treatment in the humus layer. Girdling reduced total nematode density in the humus layer. The reduced fungivorous nematode density in girdled plots in the humus layer suggested a modified energy flow through the fungal based pathways. There were no differences in the abundance of bacterial-feeding, herbivorous and omnivorous-predatory nematodes between the girdled and control plots in both humus and mineral soil layers. This study provides direct evidence that the termination of belowground photosynthate-C allocation achieved by tree girdling affects soil nematodes, and that different trophic groups vary in their responses to the reduction of C efflux into the soil.     

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.     

Relationships between microbial community structure and soil environmental conditions in a recently burned system

Most wildfires, even the most severe, burn at mixed intensities across a landscape, depending on local fuel loads, fuel moistures, and wind strength and direction. This heterogeneous patchwork of fire effects can influence the patterns of above- and belowground biotic recovery through altered environmental conditions, nutrient availability, and biotic sources for microbial and vegetative re-colonization. We quantified the effects of low- and high-severity fire 14 months post-burn on key environmental variables typically limiting to microbial activity. We characterized the soil microbial community structure through ester-linked fatty acid analysis (EL-FAME) and identified the soil environmental factors that best explain the pattern of microbial community profiles through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Low-severity burning caused no change in soil moisture, pH or temperature while high-severity burning caused an increase in soil moisture, temperature, and a decrease in pH levels, relative to the unburned sites. Soil respiration rates were significantly lower in both the low- and high-severity burn sites, relative to unburned sites, likely due to initial root and microbial death. Overall microbial biomass did not change with either low- or high-severity burning, but the microbial community ordination biplots showed separation of communities by fire, and slight separation by fire severity along three axes. This community separation was driven primarily by a decrease in fungal biomarkers (18:2ω6c, 18:3ω6c) with both low- and high-severity fire. Only 23% of the variation in the microbial community distribution could be explained by three environmental variables: soil pH, temperature, and carbon. These results suggest that the microbial communities in both the low- and high-severity burn sites are structurally different from the populations in the unburned sites.     

不同培肥方式对土壤有机碳与微生物群落结构的影响

为揭示旱作区耕地土壤有机碳累积规律及其与土壤微生物群落间的相互作用机制,试验采用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)指纹图谱及土壤腐殖质形态分组的方法,通过田间定位试验,研究了马铃薯-马铃薯-油用向日葵-马铃薯-油用向日葵轮作模式下,有机、无机肥配施(不施肥、单施化肥、化肥配施牛粪、化肥配施羊粪、化肥配施生物有机肥、化肥配施黄腐酸钾)对土壤有机碳累积、土壤腐殖质形态的影响及其与土壤微生物群落结构间的相互关系。结果表明:在连续培肥5年间,随培肥时间延长,土壤有机碳呈波动性上升趋势。与对照相比,化肥配施牛粪、化肥配施羊粪处理土壤有机碳以年6.61%和8.97%的增长率累积增加,不同处理外源有机碳含量及有机肥种类的差异影响了土壤有机碳的累积速率。化肥配施高量有机肥(化肥+羊粪、化肥+牛粪)处理显著提高了土壤稳结态、松结态腐殖质含量及松结态/紧结态腐殖质的比例,且以PLFA表征的土壤细菌、真菌、放线菌、原生动物、土壤微生物群落总生物量与对照处理间均有显著性差异(P0.05)。与对照相比,各施肥处理的革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌(G+/G-)值均呈降低趋势;但不同有机无机相结合的土壤培肥方式对土壤G+/G-的比例没有显著差异。多元分析表明,基于土壤微生物主要类群磷脂脂肪酸含量的排序轴与基于土壤有机碳、腐殖质形态的排序轴之间相关性(P1=0.568,P2=0.611)较好,累积变量在98.69%上揭示不同有机无机培肥措施影响下的土壤微生物群落生物量与环境因子间的相互关系。土壤松结态腐殖质含量与土壤G+/G-比值正相关。外源有机碳的施入促进了土壤紧结态腐殖碳向稳结态、松结态腐殖质转化;较高量外源有机碳施入有助于提升土壤细菌、真菌的生物量。总体而言,土壤微生物群落结构的变化是受有机无机培肥措施所引起的土壤有机碳含量、腐殖质形态变化驱动;化肥配施牛粪和化肥配施羊粪有利于土壤有机碳积累和松结态腐殖质的形成,促进土壤中微生物生物量提高。研究结果可为宁夏中部干旱区土壤合理培肥提供科学依据。     

Soil microbial activity and community composition: Impact of changes in matric and osmotic potential

As saline soils dry, the salt in the remaining solution phase is concentrated and the microbes are subjected to both water and osmotic stress. However, little is known about the interactive effect of matric potential (MP) and osmotic potential (OP) on microbial activity and community structure. We conducted an experiment in which two non-saline soils, a sand and a sandy loam, were pre-incubated at optimal water content (for microbial activity) but different osmotic potentials achieved by adding NaCl. The EC of the saturated paste (ECe) ranged between 1.6 and 11.6 dS m⁻¹ in the sand and between 0.6 and 17.7 dS m⁻¹ in the sandy loam. After the 14-day pre-incubation, the soils were dried to different water contents: 25-35 g kg⁻¹ in the sand and 95-200 g kg⁻¹ in the sandy loam. Water potential (WP, the sum of osmotic + matric potential) ranged from −0.7 to −6.8 MPa in the sand and from −0.1 to −4.4 MPa in the sandy loam. After addition of ground pea straw to increase the concentration of readily available substrate, respiration was measured over 14 days and microbial community composition was assessed by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) at the end of the experiment. In both soils, cumulative respiration at a given soil water content (WC) decreased with decreasing osmotic potential, but the effect of decreasing water content differed between the two soils. In the sand, cumulative respiration at the two lowest water contents (WC25 and WC28) was always significantly lower than that at the highest water content (WC35). In the sandy loam, cumulative respiration was significantly lower at the lowest water content (WC95) compared to the highest water content (WC200) only in treatments with added salt. The reduction of cumulative respiration at a given WP was similar in the two soils with a 50% reduction compared to the control (optimal water content, no salt added) at WP −3 MPa. In the sand at WP <−2 MPa, the reduction in fungal fatty acids was greater than that of bacterial fatty acids whereas in the sandy loam, the response of bacteria and fungi to decreasing WP was similar. In both soils, microbial biomass decreased by 35-50% as WP decreased to about −2 MPa but then remained stable with further decreases of WP. Microbial community composition changed with WP in both soils. Our results suggest that there are two strategies by which microbes respond to water potential. A decrease in WP up to −2 MPa kills a proportion of the microbial community, but the remaining microbes adapt and maintain their activity per unit biomass. At lower WP however, the adaptation mechanisms are not sufficient and although the microbes survive, their activity per unit biomass is reduced.     

Soil fauna alter the effects of litter composition on nitrogen cycling in a mineral soil

Plant chemical composition and the soil community are known to influence litter and soil organic matter decomposition. Although these two factors are likely to interact, their mechanisms and outcomes of interaction are not well understood. Studies of their interactive effects are rare and usually focus on carbon dynamics of litter, while nutrient dynamics in the underlying soil have been ignored. A potential mechanism of interaction stems from the role fauna plays in regulating availability of litter-derived materials in the mineral soil. We investigated the role of soil fauna (meso, macro) in determining the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen mineralization and on the micro-food web in mineral soils. In a field setting we exposed mineral soil to six types of surface-applied litter spanning wide ranges of multiple quality parameters and restricted the access of larger soil animals to the soils underlying these litters. Over six months we assessed litter mass and nitrogen loss, nitrogen mineralization rates in the mineral soils, and soil microbes and microfauna. We found evidence that the structure of the soil community can alter the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen dynamics in the mineral soil. In particular, we found that the presence of members of the meso- and macrofauna can magnify the control of nitrogen mineralization by litter quality and that this effect is time dependent. While fauna were able to affect the size of the micro-food web they did not impact the effect of litter composition on the abundance of the members of the micro-food web. By enhancing the strength of the impact of litter quality on nitrogen dynamics, the larger fauna can alter nitrogen availability and its temporal dynamics which, in turn, can have important implications for ecosystem productivity. These findings contribute to evidence demonstrating that soil fauna shape plant litter effects on ecosystem function.     

Factors affecting soil microbial community structure in tomato cropping systems

Soil and rhizosphere microbial communities in agroecosystems may be affected by soil, climate, plant species, and management. The management and environmental factors controlling microbial biomass and community structure were identified in a three-year field experiment. The experiment consisted of a tomato production agroecosystem with the following nine treatments: bare soil, black polyethylene mulch, white polyethylene mulch, vetch cover crop, vetch roots only, vetch shoots only, rye cover crop, rye roots only, and rye shoots only. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) Temperature and moisture differences between polyethylene-covered and cover-cropped treatments are partly responsible for treatment effects on soil microbial community composition, and (2) Different species of cover crops have unique root and shoot effects on soil microbial community composition. Microbial biomass and community composition were measured by phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Microbial biomass was increased by all cover crop treatments, including root only and shoot only. Cover cropping increased the absolute amount of all microbial groups, but Gram-positive bacteria decreased in proportion under cover crops. We attribute this decrease to increased readily available carbon under cover-cropped treatments, which favored other groups over Gram-positive bacteria. Higher soil temperatures under certain treatments also increased the proportion of Gram-positive bacteria. Vetch shoots increased the amount and proportion of Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of tomato plants. The imposed treatments were much more significant than soil temperature, moisture, pH, and texture in controlling microbial biomass and community structure.     

Soil microbial communities resistant to changes in plant functional group composition

The soil community is an often ignored part of research which links plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning despite their influence on numerous functions such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. Few consistent patterns have been detected that link plant and soil community composition. We used a removal experiment in a northern Canadian grassland to examine the effects of plant functional group identity on soil microbial community structure and function. Plant functional groups (graminoids, legumes and forbs) were removed independently from plots for five growing seasons (2003-2007) and in the fifth year effects on the soil microbial community were examined using substrate-induced respiration (SIR - a measure of metabolic diversity) and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA - a measure of microbial community composition). Removal treatments were also crossed with both a fertilizer treatment and a fungicide treatment to determine if effects of functional group identity on the soil community were context dependent. Plant functional group identity had almost no effect on the soil microbial community as measured by either SIR or PLFA. Likewise, soil properties including total carbon, pH, moisture and nutrients showed a limited response to plant removals in the fifth year after removals. We found a direct effect of fertilizer on the soil community, with fertilized plots having decreased metabolic diversity, with a decreased ability to metabolize amino acids and a phenolic acid, but there was no direct soil microbial response to fungicide. We show that in this northern Canadian grassland the soil microbial community is relatively insensitive to changes in plant functional group composition, and suggest that in northern ecosystems, where plant material is only slowly incorporated into the soil, five growing seasons may be insufficient to detect the impact of a changing plant community on the soil microbes.     

Degradation of metalaxyl-M in contrasting soils is influenced more by differences in physicochemical characteristics than in microbial community composition after re-inoculation of sterilised soils

Rates of degradation of pesticides by soil microorganisms are believed to depend on both microbial community composition and underlying soil physicochemical characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine which of these factors was more important in determining the rate of degradation of the fungicide metalaxyl-M in two soils. Soils exhibiting highly contrasting metalaxyl-M degradation rates were sterilised by gamma-irradiation and inoculated with either non-sterilised soil from the same site or with the soil from the contrasting site. After re-establishment of microbial communities, soils were treated with metalaxyl-M and the degradation rate (measured by ¹⁴C-HPLC), pH and microbial community structure (multiplex terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of small subunit rRNA gene sequences) were assessed. Community composition was altered by the sterilisation and re-inoculation strategy but degradation in re-inoculated soils was still most rapid in the soil with the original faster degradation rate. This was the case regardless of the source of the soil inoculum, and the rate of degradation in the soil exhibiting the low natural degradation rate remained low when inoculated with the faster-degrading soil. The results suggest that while the slower-degrading soil possessed a degradative capacity, the degradation rate in this soil was significantly reduced by some of its physicochemical characteristics, despite introduction of the microbial community of the faster-degrading soil. These results and this experimental strategy provide a basis for the assessment of relative importance of the factors limiting biodegradation and management strategies required to enhance degradation rates.     

一个红壤剖面微生物群落的焦磷酸测序法研究

利用定量PCR和454焦磷酸测序法,研究了湖南湘阴县一典型红壤剖面微生物相关基因的多度及微生物(古菌、细菌、真菌)群落结构.结果显示,随剖面深度增加,土壤黏粒含量增多,有机质和全氮含量、碳氮比则下降.每克干土微生物基因拷贝数也趋于下降,其值为:10 7.09～ 109.30(古菌16S rDNA),108.10～109.70(细菌16S rDNA),106.54～107.95(真菌18S rDNA),10 7.24～108.61(古菌amoA基因),104.76～106.25(细菌amoA基因),105.94～ 107.88(nirK基因),106.81～109.21(nirS基因),107.03～ 109.46(nosZ基因).焦磷酸测序得到了6 459条古菌16S rRNA基因序列,平均长度为496 bp;28 626条细菌16S rRNA基因序列,平均长度为448 bp;4 683条真菌18S rRNA基因序列,平均长度为534 bp.OTU(97％相似度)分析表明,微生物群落d-多样性与所测土壤理化性质均无显著相关.Jaccard差异度分析表明同一剖面各土壤层次间微生物群落结构更为相似,而不同位点的三个表层土之间的差异较大;Mantel检验发现,与微生物群落变化相关的主要土壤因子是黏粒含量.在所有土样中,古菌以泉古菌门中的热变形菌纲(89％)为主,其分布与土壤黏粒含量相关.细菌的主要类群为酸杆菌门(33％)、变形菌门(17％)、绿弯菌门(12％)、厚壁菌门(10％)和放线菌门(7％),分类地位不明确的细菌约占11％.其中,酸杆菌门和变形菌门的相对多度在表层土中高于非表层土;而绿弯菌门和厚壁菌门的相对多度则在非表层土中更高,与土壤深度呈显著正相关.所有真菌序列分属于三个门,即子囊菌门(87％)、担子菌门(9％)和球囊菌门(4％),在纲一级的分类水平上,各样品间群落结构无明显差异.