Shrubs influence arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities in a semi-arid environment

Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plants are essential components of ecosystem functioning; however, they remain poorly known in dry ecosystems. We examined the relationship between seven shrub species and their associated AMF community in a semi-arid plant community in southern Spain. Soil characteristics and plant physiological status were measured and related to AMF community composition and genetic diversity by multivariate statistics. We found differences in AMF communities in soils under shrubs and in gaps among them, whereas no differences were detected among AMF communities colonizing roots. Soil nutrients content drove most of the spatial variations in the AMF community and genetic diversity. AMF communities were more heterogeneous in fertile islands with low nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio and vice versa. AMF genetic diversity increased in soils limited by phosphorus and with high soil organic matter content, while AMF genetic diversity increased in roots growing in soil not limited by phosphorus. Overall, we could not find a clear link between plant performance and the associated AMF community. Our findings show that different shrub species generate islands of fertility which differ in nutrient content and, therefore, support different AMF communities, increasing AMF diversity at the landscape level.     

巴西橡胶树生产中钾的重要性探析

钾作为植物细胞中含量最丰富的阳离子之一,对橡胶树具有重要的生理功能。近些年来,我国天然橡胶种植过程中,乙烯利刺激割胶造成植株体内钾的大量流失,同时,钾在肥料施用中的比例明显下降,其重要性常被忽视。基于钾的生理功能及其在农业生产中的战略地位,本文探析了钾在橡胶树生长发育、营养生理、胶乳产量及抗逆境胁迫等方面的影响,并简述了我国植胶区土壤钾素现状及培肥途径,同时也展望了橡胶树生产过程中与钾相关的研究方向。     

几个典型华南人工林土壤的养分状况和微生物特性研究

为了了解华南主要树种对土壤肥力的影响,分别用土壤化学分析方法、稀释平板法和酶分析法对相似立地条件的杉木林、马尾松林、湿地松林、马占相思林和尾叶桉林的凋落物养分、土壤养分、微生物数量及酶活性进行了研究。结果表明,5种林分中,杉木林的凋落物储量最大,凋落物的养分储量较大,为94.08kg hm-2。5种林地均呈强酸性。杉木林的土壤肥力较高,有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾、碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾含量分别为25.54 g kg-10、.96 g kg-1、0.37 g kg-11、2.04 mg kg-1、64.42 mg kg-1、1.87 mg kg-1、41.88 mg kg-1,但是土壤微生物数量小;马尾松林、湿地松林凋落物的养分储量小,土壤养分含量较低,土壤肥力低;马占相思林有效地改善了土壤化学性质,凋落物的养分储量在5种林分中最大,达106.2 kg hm-2,土壤肥力高,有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾、碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾含量分别为23.42 g kg-1、0.93 g kg-1、1.28 g kg-1、15.29 mg kg-1、69.32 mg kg-1、1.98 mg kg-1、76.88 mg kg-1,微生物数量大,酶活性强;尾叶桉林的土壤有机质、N和P含量低,K含量高,微生物数量小和酶的活性较低,土壤肥力低。     

不同栽植代数杉木林养分循环的比较研究

在全国杉木中心产区福建建瓯,选择不同栽植代数的杉木人工林,进行养分循环的比较研究,结果表明,不同栽植代数杉木林的养分循环存在差异。随栽植代数的增加,林分养分的年归还量、年吸收量及归还吸收比均呈递减趋势,表现为1代2代,而营养元素的周转期则呈增加趋势,说明栽植代数对杉木林养分的归还量及吸收量有较大影响,多代连栽不利于杉木林地肥力的恢复。随林分年龄的增加,杉木林养分年积累量呈明显下降趋势,1代成熟林比中龄林下降14.74%,2代成熟林比中龄林下降11.86%;而杉木林养分的年归还量、年吸收量和归还吸收比则随林分年龄的增加呈增加趋势,表现为成熟林中龄林,因此适当延长轮伐期有利于杉木林的养分归还。     

滇中不同植物群落土壤养分及其计量比的变化特征

为了研究不同植物群落土壤养分的时空动态变化特征及其养分计量比特征,选择滇中高原5种典型植物群落的土壤为研究对象,分析了旱、雨季不同营养元素及其计量比在土壤不同深度中的分布特征,并应用灰色关联分析探讨了不同群落的土壤综合肥力及其改良效应。结果表明:①在空间尺度上,土壤全氮、碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾和有机质含量随土壤深度增加而降低,全钾含量则随土壤深度增加而增加,而磷含量在土壤剖面中相对保持稳定;除全钾含量外,植物群落对上层土壤的改良效益较高,导致表层土壤养分明显高于中下层;②在时间尺度上,除常绿阔叶林雨季肥力略有下降外,其他4种群落雨季的综合肥力均比旱季有所增加。总体看来,常绿阔叶林对土壤养分的影响改良效益最高,而云南松林对土壤养分的改良效益最低;③不同植物群落上层土壤C︰N、C︰P和N︰P总体上高于中层与下层土壤,雨季植物群落除桉树林外土壤C:N小于旱季,雨季土壤C:P、N:P总体上高于旱季;土壤养分化学计量比结果表明土壤氮、磷养分是限制植物群落发展的主要限制因子。因此,从不同群落对土壤养分的影响及其生态水文过程上差异的角度出发,建议在滇中脆弱区的生态修复过程中,尽量控制桉树林的种植面积...     

海南橡胶园土壤持续利用措施的研究

This research was designed to help solve existing sustainable use problems such as soil nutrient loss and soil fertility decline in natural rubber plantations located in the hilly land of the south central mountainous area of Hainan Island,China. Two different land management practices, sustainable and traditional, were adopted in a four-year experiment.Contour terraced fields and deep ditches for green manure were built in a sustainable way with a balanced, need-based application of complex fertilizer. Results of the four-year experiment showed that these sustainable measures compared to traditional measures improved available P and available K; had a 47.8% less soil erosion (an average of 3663 t km^-2 year^-1) and a 15.9% lower runoff coefficient of 0.53; increased the dry rubber yield by 42.4%; and improved the economic benefit by 2.4 times. The sustainable land management scheme not only improved land utilisation efficiency, hut also helped maintain soil fertility while increasing production in rubber plantations. It thereby offered a reasonable and sustainable use for land resources in the tropical mountainous areas.     

Fertility Characteristics of Oxic Dystrustepts under Natural Forest,Rubber, and Teak Plantations in Different Seasons,Kerala, South India

Influences of three different vegetations (forests, teak plantation, and rubber plantation) on certain soil fertility parameters of Oxic Dystrustepts in the Western Ghats of southern India are compared. Soil samples collected from 10 different sites under each of the three vegetations in different seasons are analyzed. Soil sampling and physicochemical analyses were carried out as per standard methods. Significant variation was found in soil parameters over the plantations and forest in different seasons. Even though the rubber plantations received chemical fertilizers during two seasons, the average plant-available phosphorus alone exceeded in this soil than that in the forest soil. Specific influence of vegetations on fertility parameters in Oxic Dystrustepts could be traced. The influence of rubber plantations on soil fertility was more negative than that of teak plantations. Vegetational influence on soil fertility characteristics has applications in the development of sustainable agro-ecosystems in biodiversity-rich tropics.     

Changes in soil N status and N supply rates in agricultural land afforested with eucalypts in south-western Australia

In south-western Australia, plantations of Eucalyptus globulus are being established on land that has previously been used for conventional agriculture. Sustaining the productivity of these tree plantations in second and subsequent rotations will depend partly on maintenance of soil fertility, especially soil nitrogen (N) supply rates. We compared soil N status and supply rates between adjacent pasture and 6-11 year old first-rotation eucalypt plantations at 31 paired sites in south-western Australia. Total soil N varied widely among sites (0.07-0.68% in the fraction <2 mm of the 0-10 cm soil layer), but concentrations averaged over all sites did not differ between land-use types. However, measurements of the indices of mineralization (mineral N produced during incubation of intact cores), potentially available N (from short-term anaerobic incubation) and model-predicted mineralization rates during 28-day aerobic incubations were generally lower in afforested soils than in pasture soils. This finding was supported by in situ field estimates of N mineralization over a full year at two contrasting paired pasture-plantation sites. At each site there was a marked reduction (2-3-fold) in net annual mineral N flux rates in soils under eucalypt plantations. Reduced N mineralization associated with tree plantations was due to both changes in soil organic matter quality and the generally lower soil moisture content under trees in comparison with pasture. These results suggest that N supply rates of pasture soils are likely to decline when the land is planted to successive crops of eucalypts. Eucalypt plantation managers will need to take account of this and implement management strategies to maintain adequate N nutrition to sustain tree growth in future rotations.     

Mycorrhizal activity and diversity in a long-term organic Mediterranean agroecosystem

In organic agriculture, soil fertility and productivity rely on biological processes carried out by soil microbes, which represent the key elements of agroecosystem functioning. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), fundamental microorganisms for soil fertility, plant nutrition and health, may play an important role in organic agriculture by compensating for the reduced use of fertilizers and pesticides. Though, AMF activity and diversity following conversion from conventional to organic farming are poorly investigated. Here we studied AMF abundance, diversity and activity in short- and long-term organically and conventionally managed Mediterranean arable agroecosystems. Our results show that both AMF population activity, as assessed by the mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) assay, the percentage of colonized root length of the field crop (maize) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) content were higher in organically managed fields and increased with time since transition to organic farming. Here, we showed an increase of GRSP content in arable organic systems and a strong correlation with soil MIP values. The analysis of AMF spores showed differences among communities of the three microagroecosystems in terms of species richness and composition as suggested by a multivariate analysis. All our data indicate that AMF respond positively to the transition to organic farming by a progressive enhancement of their activity that seems independent from the species richness of the AMF communities. Our study contributes to the understanding of the effects of agricultural managements on AMF, which represent a promising tool for the implementation of sustainable agriculture.     

广东荔枝园土壤养分肥力时空变化研究

采集广东省荔枝主产区果园土壤样本208个,评价土壤养分肥力现状,并与项目组2004年荔枝园土壤调查结果相比,探讨养分肥力的时空变化。结果表明,荔枝果园土壤整体肥力较低且不平衡;不同荔枝主产区土壤养分肥力状况差别很大,镁是荔枝园土壤最普遍缺乏的元素,钙次之;与2004年调查结果相比,荔枝园土壤养分肥力已经发生很大变化,主要表现为碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾、有效钙、有效镁、有效锌明显下降,有效硫、有效硼有所提高,有机质变化不大,从化肥投入量、中微量元素投入意识和荔枝种植模式三方面探讨了时空变化的主要原因。     

Amelioration of sodic soils by trees for wheat and oat production

Prolonged occupation of sodic soils by trees results in the latters' amelioration in terms of decreased pH and electrical conductivity and improved organic matter and fertility status. To assess whether sodic soils reclaimed by tree plantations can be used for growing agricultural crops, a greenhouse pot trial was conducted during winter of 1994–95 (November–April) at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India. Wheat (Triticum aestivum, L; cultivar HD 2329) and oat (Avena sativa, L. cultivar local) plants were grown in topsoils (30 cm) collected from 24-year-old plantations of Prosopis juliflora, Acacia nilotica, Eucalpytus tereticornis, Terminalia arjuna and Albizia lebbek that had been established in 1970 on a highly sodic soil (pH₂ 10·2–10·5), and a reclaimed sodic soil from a farm field adjacent to the plantations. The organic carbon content and nutrient status of the soil under the 24-year-old plantations was much higher than that of a reference farm soil reclaimed through gypsum in 1974. Soil amelioration was highest under Prosopis canopies (pH 7·4 and organic carbon 0·89 per cent) in topsoil and minimum in Eucalpytus canopies (pH 8·6 and organic carbon 0·56 per cent). Reduced sodicity and improved fertility resulted in much better growth reference and productivity of the wheat and oat test crops grown on the five plantation soils, than in the reference farm soil. Grain and straw yields of wheat and oats were maximum in Prosopis soil (wheat 61·7 g grains and 87·5 g straw and oats 87·9 g grains and 111·1 g straw per pot) and minimum in Eucalpytus soil (32·3 and 25·3 g, and 42·7 and 58·5 g per pot). Grain yields of both wheat and oats obtained in the Prosopis soil were 4·5 and 3·5 times more, respectively, than obtained in the reference farm soil. The phosphorus concentration in whole plant tissues of wheat and oats was highest in Prosopis soils reflecting the prevailing phosphorus status and better restoration processes of the soils. Potassium concentration was little affected due to different soil treatments. The study clearly indicated that prolonged afforestation of sodic soils by tree plantations, particularly by Prosopis and Acacia trees, may restore the productivity of abandoned soils to much above the present agricultural production levels. The results further suggest that 24 years' occupation of sodic soils by trees, such as Prosopis, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Terminalia and Albizia, did not result in a build-up or accumulation of toxic allelochemicals which could be injurious to wheat and oats cultivation on such soils. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil Fertility,Mineral Nitrogen,and Microbial Biomass in Upland Soils of the Central Amazon under Different Plant Covers

Amazon is the largest state in Brazil and majority of the state is covered by the largest tropical rainforest of the world. Most soils of the Amazon region soils are acidic and infertile. When the Amazon forest land is cleared for agricultural use by burning the vegetation, the efficient nutrient recycling mechanisms are disrupted. However, nutrient contents in the deforested burn land increased temporarily. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil fertility, mineral nitrogen (N), and microbial activity of carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) resulting from the replacement of the primary forest with pasture (Brachiaria brizantha) and commercial plantations of rubber (Hevea spp.), cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), and citrus trees (Citrus sinensis) cultivated in Xanthic Ferralsol and secondary forest under Acrisols Dystric Nitosols. The results showed that ammonium-N predominates in the 0- to 10-cm soil depth in both primary forest and areas with secondary forest, citrus plantation, and pasture. There was no increase in soil fertility with management of the cultivated areas under the secondary forest, but in the pasture there was a significant increase in the stock of organic C and total N and high C/N ratios, the inverse of what occurred with the C of the microbial biomass. The primary forest had the greatest values of C and P of the microbial biomass and the lowest metabolic quotient. Of the successions studied, the rubber trees were the plant cover with the smallest changes in terms of quality of the organic matter in the soil.     

Calcium concentration in leaf litter alters the community composition of soil invertebrates in warm-temperate forests

Many studies have shown the effects of aboveground plant species on soil organisms due to differences in litter quality. However, the calcium concentration in soil has received less attention as a controlling factor of soil invertebrate communities, even though it is an essential element for many animals, especially crustaceans. Litter of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantations, which account for 19% of the forested area in Japan, has a higher calcium concentration compared to other taxa such as broad-leaved trees. We predicted that C. japonica plantations affect soil invertebrates by altering calcium availability. We compared soil properties including exchangeable calcium concentration and soil invertebrate communities between C. japonica plantations and natural broad-leaved forests. Exchangeable calcium was significantly higher in soil from cedar plantations than in that from broad-leaved forests. The invertebrate community composition differed between the two forest types and was best explained by the exchangeable calcium concentration. In particular, two major taxa of soil crustaceans (Talitridae and Ligidium japonicum) were found only in cedar plantations. Our results suggest that calcium concentrations in soil are altered in C. japonica plantations and that this affects soil invertebrate communities.     

中国西南地区西双版纳不同时期橡胶林生态系统的碳储量变化

Rubber(Hevea brasiliensis) plantations have been expanded rapidly in tropical regions of Southwest China and cover more than20% of land area in Xishuangbanna.Several studies have addressed changes of soil C stocks in rubber plantations;however,estimates of total ecosystem C stocks and their temporal changes in rubber plantations have been inadequately studied.This study calculated C stocks in soil,biomass,litter,and dry rubber(latex),and estimated the total ecosystem C stocks of rubber plantations in an age sequence of 3-,7-,9-,21-,27-,and 34-year-old in Xishuangbanna,Southwest China.The total C stocks in rubber plantations ranged from 150.3 to 283.7 Mg C ha~(-1),with a mean of 213.4 Mg C ha~(-1).The plantations≤9-year-old had significantly lower(P0.05)total C stocks than those older than 9 years.Carbon stocks in soil(mass equivalent) were between 107.1–170.5 Mg C ha~(-1) and in living biomass were between 2.8–95.7 Mg C ha~(-1),representing the largest and the second largest C components in a rubber plantation ecosystem.Neglect of dry rubber C stock resulted in an underestimate of 7.8%–14.2% of the total C stock in the rubber plantations older than 9 years,which was much larger than the contribution of litter C stock(less than 2%).     

樟子松人工林土壤养分、微生物及酶活性的研究

对章古台不同林龄樟子松人工林土壤养分、微生物及酶活性进行了测定和分析,结果表明:各林地的土壤养分、微生物和酶活性均表现出差异。与健康林相比,出现生长衰退林地土壤样品的养分指标、微生物和酶活性均有显著程度的降低,表明土壤地力已出现严重衰退。土壤微生物数量、酶活性与土壤养分间呈显著相关关系,可作为评价土壤肥力的指标。解决当前人工林退化的主要措施是因地制宜进行间伐或轮伐,改善林地微生态条件,尽量避免营造人工纯林,建议营造混交林。     

Effectiveness of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization at nursery-stage on growth and nutrition in wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.) after transplanting under different soil fertility and water regimes

In order to analyze the effectiveness of colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) at the nursery stage on the growth and nutrient concentration of wetland rice after transplanting, the experiments were conducted under glasshouse conditions using two types of soil, namely (i) sterilized paddy soil (PS) and (ii) sterilized paddy soil diluted with sterilized Andosol subsoil 5 times (DS) under two water regimes, (i) flooded conditions changed to non-flooded conditions 30 d before harvest (F-NF) and (ii) continuous flooding (CF) up to harvest. Treatments consisting of mycorrhizal inoculation (+AMF) and non-inoculation ( — AMF) were applied only at the nursery stage when the seedlings were produced under dry nursery (60% moisture of maximum water holding capacity) conditions.

Seedlings grown in PS showed a significantly higher biomass yield and nutrient concentrations than in DS. At 90 and 105 d after transplanting, the mycorrhizal plants showed a higher biomass than non-mycorrhizal plants in PS whereas there were no differences in DS except for roots. Mycorrhizal colonization at the transplanting stage was higher in DS than in PS. However, after transplanting opposite results were obtained, the level in PS being relatively higher than in DS. Grain yield and P concentration of unhulled grain and shoots in PS were higher in the +AMF treatments than in the -AMF treatments under both water regimes. Contents of micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn) were higher in the +AMF plants than in the -AMF ones at all growth stages up to maturation irrespective of soil fertility and water regimes. These results suggest that AMF inoculation at the nursery-stage was beneficial for wetland rice after transplanting to flooded conditions in terms of growth promotion and increase of nutrient concentrations.     

茶园管理方式对土壤微生物群落影响的研究进展

茶叶生产中往往出现种植茶树品种或植物种类单一、不合理灌溉以及过度施用化肥和除草剂等问题,从而影响茶叶的产量特别是品质。探讨不同管理方式对茶园土壤微生物群落的影响,将为茶叶提质增产提供科学依据。本文对国内外相关研究进行了归纳与总结,综述了种植模式、灌溉措施、施肥方式和杂草防控四种不同管理措施对茶园土壤微生物群落的影响以及微生物群落与土壤理化性质的相互关系,分析了土壤微生物群落在改善茶园土壤肥力中的作用。科学的茶园管理方式能够改变微生物群落的组成和结构,改良茶园土壤肥力,促进茶树的生长发育,对提高茶叶产量和品质具有重要的意义。未来应加强对茶园土壤生态学的研究,为茶园的科学管理和可持续发展提供理论依据。     

Straw return influences the structure and functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in a rice-wheat rotation system

Straw return is a sustainable soil fertility-building practice, which can affect soil microbial communities. However, how straw return affects arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is not well explored. Here, we studied the impacts of different straw management treatments over eight years on the structure and functioning of AMF communities in a rice-wheat rotation system. The straw management treatments included no tillage with no straw (NTNS), rotary tillage straw return (RTSR), and ditch-buried straw return (DBSR). The community structure of AMF was characterized using high-throughput sequencing, and the mycorrhizal functioning was quantified using an in situ mycorrhizal-suppression treatment. Different straw management treatments formed unique AMF community structure, which was closely related to changes in soil total organic carbon, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, ammonium, and nitrate. When compared with NTNS, RTSR significantly increased Shannon diversity in 0-10 cm soil layer, while DBSR increased it in 10-20 cm soil layer; DBSR significantly increased hyphal length density in the whole ploughing layer (0-20 cm), but RTSR only increased it in the subsurface soil layer (10-20 cm). The mycorrhizal responses of shoot biomass and nutrient (N and P) uptake were positive under both straw return treatments (RTSR and DBSR), but negative under NTNS. The community composition of AMF was significantly correlated to hyphal length density, and the latter was further a positive predictor for the mycorrhizal responses of plant growth and nutrient uptake. These findings suggest that straw return can affect AMF community structure and functioning, and farmers should manage mycorrhizas to strengthen their beneficial effects on crop production.     

Changes in tree growth resulting from simulated browsing have limited effects on soil biological properties

Herbivores can indirectly affect ecosystem productivity by modifying feedbacks that occur between dominant plants and below-ground properties, especially through altering nutrient availability in soil. The aim of this study was to examine, under controlled conditions, the effect of simulated browsing by large herbivores on the growth characteristics of downy birch (Betula pubescens), a dominant tree species of native regenerating forests in northern Britain, and to determine how effects of browsing on tree growth cascaded through to soil microbial communities, thereby affecting nutrient availability in soil. Downy birch seedlings were grown in mesocosms for 2 years and subjected to simulated browsing in the form of defoliation and clipping treatments. Upon destructive harvest, a number of measures of both tree growth characteristics and soil biological and nutrient properties were made. Clipping of birch trees significantly reduced total root biomass (27%), fine root biomass (29%), coarse root biomass (27%) and above-ground biomass (18%), whereas defoliated trees were significantly shorter than non-defoliated trees. Despite these significant and negative effects of browsing on tree growth, soil biological properties remained largely unaffected, other than rates of N mineralisation, which were greater under defoliated trees. We conclude that other factors, such as herbivore effects on litter quantity and quality which feedback to soil biological properties in the longer-term are more important in determining ecosystem responses to browsing.