The response of organic matter mineralisation to nutrient and substrate additions in sub-arctic soils

Global warming in the Arctic may alter decomposition rates in Arctic soils and therefore nutrient availability. In addition, changes in the length of the growing season may increase plant productivity and the rate of labile C input below ground. We carried out an experiment in which inorganic nutrients (NH₄NO₃ and NaPO₄) and organic substrates (glucose and glycine) were added to soils sampled from across the mountain birch forest-tundra heath ecotone in northern Sweden (organic and mineral soils from the forest, and organic soil only from the heath). Carbon dioxide production was then monitored continuously over the following 19 days. Neither inorganic N nor P additions substantially affected soil respiration rates when added separately. However, combined N and P additions stimulated microbial activity, with the response being greatest in the birch forest mineral soil (57% increase in CO₂ production compared with 26% in the heath soil and 8% in the birch forest organic soil). Therefore, mineralisation rates in these soils may be stimulated if the overall nutrient availability to microbes increases in response to global change, but N deposition alone is unlikely to enhance decomposition. Adding either, or both, glucose and glycine increased microbial respiration. Isotopic separation indicated that the mineralisation of native soil organic matter (SOM) was stimulated by glucose addition in the heath soil and the forest mineral soil, but not in the forest organic soil. These positive ‘priming’ effects were lost following N addition in forest mineral soil, and following both N and P additions in the heath soil. In order to meet enhanced microbial nutrient demand, increased inputs of labile C from plants could stimulate the mineralisation of SOM, with the soil C stocks in the tundra-heath potentially most vulnerable.     

Interactions between bacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi

Interactions between eight ectomycorrhizal fungi and eight bacteria were tested on five laboratory media and in the rhizoplane of Pinus radiata. Depression of growth of the fungi by the bacteria in laboratory media was dependent on the medium and bore little relation to effects in the rhizoplane. In the rhizoplane, different bacteria could depress, have no effect or even stimulate growth of mycorrhizal fungi. Competition and antagonism are suggested as mechanisms for depression of the fungi. Some bacteria gave protection against the depressive effects of other bacteria. Considerable differences occurred between ectomycorrhizal fungi in their colonization of the rhizoplane in the absence of bacteria and also in their presence. The common mycorrhizal fungi Rhizopogon luteolus and Thelephora terrestris generally colonized roots well but the strain of Pisolithus tinctorius studied colonized poorly. Direct microscopy showed the percentage cover of the root by microorganisms was usually only 10–20%.It is proposed that interactions of ectomycorrhizal fungi with soil organisms are important in determining the successful introduction and persistence of inoculated ectomycorrhizal fungi. Fungi should be selected for compatibility with a wide range of soil microflora as well as efficiency in plant stimulation.     

Mineral uptake and growth of sorghum colonized with VA mycorrhiza at varied soil phosphorus levels

Mineral nutrient uptake can be enhanced in plants inoculated with vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAMF). The effects of the VAMF Glomus fasciculatum on uptake of P and other mineral nutrients in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] were determined in greenhouse experiments for plants grown on a low P (3.6 mg kg^‐1) soil (Typic Argiudolls) with P added at 0, 12.5, 25.0, and 37.5 mg kg^‐1 soil. Enhancements of growth and mineral nutrient uptake because of the VAMF association decreased as soil applications of P increased above 12.5 nig kg^‐1 soil. Root colonization with VAMF without added soil P resulted in increased dry matter yield equivalent to 12.5 mg P kg^‐1 soil (25 kg P ha^‐1). Total root length colonized with VAMF decreased as soil P level increased. Regardless of P added to the soil, mycorrhizal plants had higher leaf P concentrations and contents than did nonmycorrhizal plants. Enhanced contents, but not necessarily concentrations, of the other mineral nutrients were noted in shoots of mycorrhizal compared to nonmycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal plants had enhanced shoot contents of P, K, Zn, and Cu which could not be accounted for by increased growth. The VAMF associations with sorghum roots enhanced mineral nutrient uptake when P was sufficiently low in the soil.     

Phosphorus enrichment helps increase soil carbon mineralization in vegetation along an urban-to-rural gradient,Nanchang, China

We used four vegetation types located along an urban–suburban–rural gradient in Nanchang, China to study how the deposition of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the urban area affected soil carbon (C) cycling. We found that total P, nitrate (NO₃⁻–N), available P, and the abundances of culturable bacteria, actinobacteria, and nitrifying bacteria in soils, collected to 15 cm depth in August of 2008, decreased along the urban-to-rural gradient (P < 0.05); the C/P and N/P ratios, ammonium (NH₄⁺–N), and culturable fungi abundance showed the reverse trends; whereas soil organic C, total N, C/N, mineral N, and the activities of sucrase and neutraland acid phosphatase showed no pattern with gradient and vegetation type. Compared to suburban and rural sites, total and available P in soil increased 168% and 131%, 47% and 139%, respectively in urban sites. The cumulative amount of CO₂ emission per gram of soil (C_min, incubated from 2 to 43 days) varied little along the urban-to-rural gradient, but showed positive correlations with organic C, total N, total P, nitrate, mineral N concentrations, C/N, bacteria and actinobacteria abundances, sucrase and acid phosphatase activities. In contrast, the cumulative amount of CO₂ produced per gram organic C (C_min/OC) within the incubation period was influenced by gradient, vegetation type, and their interaction, and values were about 35% greater in the urban than in suburban and rural sites. The relationship between elevated C_min/OC in urban vegetations and the enrichment of P in organic matter (P/C ratio) suggests that P coming from urban household waste can degrade the stability of organic C in urban soils.     

土壤养分状况系统研究法及其应用初报

本文介绍了一个土壤养分状况系统研究方法，该方法包括土壤样品１１种元素的速效含量测定、土壤对７种营养元素的吸附试验、盆栽试验和田间试验。应用该方法研究了１０４个土壤养分状况，盆栽试验发现１００个土壤缺氮，１０１个缺磷，６０个缺钾，３８个缺锌，２３个缺硫，２２个缺硼，分别有１９、１８、１４、１３、１１和３个土壤缺钼、钙、镁、铜、锰和铁。盆栽试验得到的结果在部分土壤的田间试验中得到了验证。     

A model system for studying the biochemistry and biology of the root-soil interface

Calcined attapulgite, a non-swelling clay mineral, has been used as a medium for plant growth when mixed with a nutrient solution in the proportion of 0.95 ml g^?1. Attapulgite is an ideal model “soil” for ultrastructural studies, enabling large intact thin sections through root, rhizoplane and soil. Transmission electron micrographs are presented which illustrate the value of attapulgite for in situ studies of rhizosphere populations, for the demonstration of enzyme activities in individual bacteria and for specific staining of extracellular polysaccharide.A standard fumigation-respiration technique widely used for estimating soil microbial biomass is shown to give unreliable results for rhizosphere samples and should not be used to measure microbial biomass in close asssociation with living roots. The addition of a dilute soil suspension to the attapulgite medium caused a stimulation of root growth without any increase in shoot growth.     

N2-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere: Quantification and hormonal effects on root development

The paper summarizes the results of a series of experiments on enumeration of N₂-fixing bacteria (diazotrophs) and hormonal effects of Azospirillum on root development. Numbers of N₂-fixing and N-heterotrophic bacteria were determined on the root (rhizoplane plus “inner” root surface) and in the rhizosphere soil (0–3 mm from the root surface) of Arrhenatherum elatius, other forage grasses and some herbaceous plant species. Pot experiments involved freshly collected soil from an unfertilized grassland area containing its natural population of N₂-fixing bacteria. The MPN (most probable number) of diazotrophs in relation to the MPN of the total bacterial population was always lower on the root than in the rhizosphere soil, suggesting that diazotrophs were not selectively advantaged at the root surface. Supply of mineral nitrogen (NH₄NO₃) decreased the proportion of N₂-fixing bacteria at the rhizoplane as well as in the rhizosphere soil. Similar results were obtained when N was supplied via the leaves. The data suggest that N₂-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere are poor competitors once they loose their competitive advantage of binding dinitrogen. Correspondingly, the increase in the MPN of the diazotrophs found during plant development was interpreted as a result of decreased available combined N in the rhizosphere. The proportion of N₂-fixing bacteria relative to the total number of bacteria was generally below 1%. Considering the potential amount of substrate released from the roots and the substrate requirement of the bacterial population, N₂-fixation was considered insignificant for plant growth under the given conditions. For the investigations on possible beneficial effects on plant development by bacterial hormones, Azospirillum brasilense was chosen because evidence suggests that amongst the soil bacteria releasing hormones, especially IAA, certain strains of this species are more important than other bacteria. Application of A. brasilense Cd (ATCC 29710) onto the roots of young wheat plants grown in soil increased the number of lateral roots, the total root length and the number of root hairs. Similar results were obtained after application of IAA. This suggests that IAA is an important factor responsible for the effects observed after inoculation with A. brasilense. The increase in root surface may improve acquisition of nutrients and enhance growth of plants. Another hormonal effect of A. brasilense was an increase in nodulation of Medicago sativa grown on agar. Again pure IAA resulted in a similar increase in nodule number. Increases in nodule number were only in part associated with a change in root morphology. Therefore an effect of IAA on the plant immanent regulation system for nodulation is likely.     

The impact of harvester ants on decomposition, N mineralization, litter quality, and the availability of N to plants in the Mojave Desert

In arid areas of North America, nests of the seed-harvesting ant Pogonomyrmex rugosus tend to be elevated in mineral nitrogen and other soil nutrients relative to other microhabitats. We investigated the roles of decomposition, N mineralization, and plant nutrient uptake in maintaining high standing stocks of nutrients in P. rugosus ant nests. Decomposition rates of standard cellulose substrates placed on the surface of ant nests and other desert microhabitats suggest that conditions found in ant nests and bare areas are conducive to higher rates of decomposition than conditions under shrubs. In laboratory incubations of moist soil, net N mineralization rates were significantly higher in soil from ant nests than from bare areas and under two of three plant species. Net N mineralization rates measured in situ were much lower than those measured in laboratory incubations, but ant nest soil still exhibited higher rates at one of two sites. Litter collected from ant mounds, composed chiefly of seed chaff, was similar in N content to litter collected from underneath the dominant plant species, but had a significantly higher mean δ¹⁵N. Using this distinctive isotope signature as a tracer, we found no evidence that large perennial shrubs tap ant nests as a source of N. An invasive, annual grass species was significantly enriched in ¹⁵N, had higher leaf %N, and produced more seeds when growing on the mound than when growing several meters away; however P. rugosus nest surfaces are typically free of such annuals. We conclude that both high rates of nutrient cycling relative to other Mojave Desert microhabitats and low N utilization by the surrounding vegetation contribute to high standing stocks of mineral N in P. rugosus nests.     

丛枝菌根(AM)真菌与共生植物物质交换研究进展

丛枝菌根(Arbuscular Mycorrhizal,AM)真菌能与约 80% 的陆生植物形成共生关系,植、 菌间矿质养分、 碳水化合物的物质交换是自然界物质循环的重要内容。目前,AM 真菌促进共生植物矿质养分吸收的研究相对较多。研究表明, AM 真菌可通过根外菌丝更小的吸收直径,加强矿质养分的空间有效性; 通过释放有机酸、 土壤酶,活化土壤中被固定的矿质养分; 通过根外菌丝上较低 Km 值的矿质养分转运蛋白,保证养分从土壤至根外菌丝的转运效率; 通过矿质养分在菌丝内运输形式的改变,增强养分的运输速率; 通过诱导共生植物矿质养分转运蛋白表达,提高植、 菌间养分的转运效率。相较于 AM 真菌促进共生植物养分吸收,植物反馈真菌碳水化合物的研究相对较少。鉴于 AM 真菌与植物共生关系在生态系统中的重要作用,明晰植、 菌间矿质养分和碳水化合物交换的具体场所(丛枝、 根内菌丝、 根外菌丝)、 具体形式(离子、 聚合物、 氨基酸、 蔗糖、 单糖)、 具体过程(主动运输)具有重要科学意义。本文对 AM 真菌与共生植物物质交换的丛枝、 菌丝双膜结构,氮(N)、 磷(P)、 糖等物质交换的具体形式以及跨双膜、 耗能量、 互耦连的物质交换过程进行综述,并从物质交换的场所、 形式、 过程三个方面提出了植、 菌物质交换的研究方向。     

Negative and positive contributions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa to wheat production and nutrient uptake efficiency in organic and conventional systems in the Canadian prairie

Improving technologies and the challenge of producing more bio-products while reducing the environmental footprint of humans are shifting paradigms in agricultural research. Harnessing the microbial resources of arable soils is a new avenue to improve the efficiency of nutrient use in agriculture. The objective of this study was to define how crop management influences the contribution of resident AM fungi to nutrient efficiency and crop productivity. The AM fungal communities of 72 organically and 78 conventionally managed wheat fields of the Canadian prairie were described by 454 pyrosequencing and related to crop productivity and N and P use efficiency. Conventional management reduces soil pH and increases the fluxes of all soil nutrients except S, B, and K. Organic management increased the abundance of Claroideoglomus reads. The efficiency of N and P uptake from soil by organic wheat was 2.3 and 1.8 times higher than that of conventional systems. This high N and P uptake efficiency in organic wheat crops was mainly attributable to the low soil fertility of organic fields, as wheat biomass production was 1.44 times greater in conventional than organic systems. Overall, the amounts of N and P taken up by conventional and organic wheat crops were similar. Plant nutrient balance and the abundance of Paraglomus drove conventional wheat production, whereas organic production depended mainly on soil moisture, plant nutrient balance, and abundance of Glomus, which was associated with reduced and nutrient-inefficient wheat production. The high nutrient concentrations at maturity and the low productivity of organic wheat fit a model of limiting CO₂-assimilation. The trade-off between nutrient use efficiency and productivity in low input wheat production could be relieved by reducing the abundance of Glomus species, increasing soil moisture and early N availability, or by improving the inherent CO₂ assimilation capacity of wheat.     

Effects of phosphate‐solubilizing microorganisms on strawberry yield and nutrient concentrations

Phosphorus (P)‐solubilizing bacteria and fungi can increase soil‐P availability, potentially enhancing crop yield when P is limiting. We studied the effectiveness of Bacillus FS‐3 and Aspergillus FS9 in enhancing strawberry (Fragaria × ananasa cv. Fern) yield and mineral content of leaves and fruits on a P‐deficient calcareous Aridisol in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. The 120 d pot experiment was conducted in three replicates with three treatments (Bacillus FS‐3, Aspergillus FS9, control) and five increasing rates of P addition (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg P ha^–1). Fruit yield and nutrient content of fruits and leaves and soil P pools were determined at the end of the experiment. Phosphorus‐fertilizer addition increased all soil P fractions. Strawberry yield increased with P addition (quadratic function) reaching a maximum of 94 g pot^–1 at 200 kg P ha^–1 in the absence of P‐solubilizing microorganisms. At this yield level, Bacillus FS‐3 and Aspergillus FS9 inoculation resulted in P‐fertilizer savings of 149 kg P ha^–1 and 102 kg P ha^–1, respectively. Both microorganisms increased yields beyond the maximum achievable yield with sole P‐fertilizer addition. Microorganism inoculation increased fruit and leaf nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, and Fe) with the largest increases upon addition of Bacillus FS‐3. We conclude that Bacillus FS‐3 and Aspergillus FS9 show great promise as yield‐enhancing soil amendments in P‐deficient calcareous soils of Turkey. However, moderate additions of P fertilizer (50–100 kg ha^–1) are required for highest yield.     

The potential application of the endophyte Phomopsis liquidambari to the ecological remediation of long-term cropping soil

A broad-spectrum endophyte, Phomopsis liquidambari, was used as a microbial agent to determine the effects of rapid litter decomposition on soil phenolic compounds dynamics, the soil microbial community balance and plant growth. The litter decomposition ratio was closely correlated with lignin degradation. The soil phenol concentration increased with the acceleration of litter decomposition after the first 30 days and later decreased to below the initial level. Based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis, soil bacteria, especially gram-negative bacteria that have the potential to degrade aromatic compounds, were found in high abundance when the soil phenol concentration was high. When the phenolic concentration decreased, soil fungi increased in abundance. With fungal application, seed germination significantly increased to 69.87% and seedling growth was enhanced. Rapid litter decomposition by Pho. liquidambari initially led to higher releases of phenolic allelochemicals, which led to the enrichment of soil gram-negative bacteria. In addition, increased soil nutrients and temporarily higher concentrations of phenolics from litter decomposition strengthen seedling growth, suggesting that the endophytic fungus Pho. liquidambari is a suitable candidate for remediation of long-term cropping soil.     

Bacteria and fungi on roots of different barley varieties (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Summary We investigated the abundance of bacteria and fungi on roots of different barley varieties grown in soil and in a nutrient solution. Measurements were made on the rhizoplane and, for soil-grown plants, also in the rhizosphere soil. Further, the influence of plant age was investigated. Barley variety, had a significant influence both for plants grown in soil and in the nutrient solution, and the effects were most pronounced on the rhizoplane. There were no significant differences among varieties in fungal hyphal lengths on the roots. Bacterial abundance on the rhizoplane was significantly decreased with increasing plant age. Varietal differences were maintained over different plant ages.     

我国东南部地区土壤养分的退化

A total of 2 190 soil nutrient data in the Second National Soil Survey of China were collected to assess the degradation of soil nutrients in the hilly region of Southeast China. The definition of soil nutrient degradation is suggested firstly, then the evaluation criteria are set up and the current status of degradation of red soil and latosol is assessed. The percentages of areas in four grades of soil nutrient degradation, i.e., slightly deficient, medium deficient, severely deficient and extremely deficient, were 21.3%, 43.3%, 16.2% and 3.0% for soil total N; 0.7%, 6.4%, 16.7% and 76.2% for soil available P; and 25.4%, 26.3%, 8.6% and 5.0% for soil available K, respectively. The severity of soil nutrient degradation was in the order of P > N > K. The major factors leading to the degradation of soil nutrients in quantity include soil erosion, leaching and the consumption by crops. And the principal factor affecting the degradation of soil nutrients in availability is the fixation of N, P and K, especially the fixation of phosphorus. The average amount of P fixed by soils is 408 mg kg^-1, and upland soils can fix more P than paddy soils.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus limitation of soil microbial respiration in two tropical agroforestry parklands in the south-Sudanese zone of Burkina Faso: The effects of tree canopy and fertilization

We studied nutrient limitation and availability for soil microbial respiration after additions of glucose (C), in combination with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in soil samples taken from parklands of Vitellaria paradoxa and Faidherbia albida. We hypothesized that in these P-fixing soils: (i) after C addition, respiration will be limited by P, but P-limitation will be lower under tree canopies; and (ii) the maximum respiration rates after adding C will be higher with than without applications of inorganic fertilizer (NPK) in the field. The study site was located in the south-Sudanese zone of Burkina Faso. Microbial respiration was measured as CO₂ evolution from soil samples incubated under laboratory conditions. Two microbial growth peaks were observed after addition of C plus P to the soil samples. When P was added together with C, the initial increase in the microbial respiration rate was higher than when N and C were added, and the maximum respiration rate was also reached earlier. We conclude that P limited the initial rate of respiration. Under the tree canopy the P and N availability, was higher under both F. albida and V. paradoxa trees, than in areas beyond their canopies. NPK fertilization in the field resulted in higher soil reserves of N and P, but these nutrients had low availability in the short term. Results indicated that more P is available in forms that are immediately accessible to microorganisms under tree canopies, than outside the cover of their canopies.     

黄土丘陵沟壑区典型林地土壤微生物、酶活性和养分特征

通过对陕西吴起县黄土沟壑区退耕还林地不同林分(沙棘、刺槐、油松、小叶杨)根际与非根际土壤养分、酶活性和微生物特征进行研究,比较4种典型林分及退耕草地“根际效应”及根际对养分的截留效应,评价根际效应对土壤特性产生不同改良效果,为黄土沟壑区退耕地人工林科学选择造林树种提供理论支持。研究表明:1根际与非根际土壤中有机质含量、有效磷含量、碱解氮含量和速效钾含量表现出显著差异,有机质、有效磷、速效钾含量均呈现明显的根际聚集现象。2根际土壤微生物数量和土壤酶活性总体高于非根际,仅油松样地中过氧化氢酶活性和小叶杨样地中脲酶活性根际低于非根际。3根际土壤中脲酶活性与细菌和真菌数量相关性达到显著水平,过氧化氢酶活性与真菌相关性达到显著水平;有机质含量与细菌、放线菌数量和脲酶活性相关性达到显著水平;碱解氮、有效磷含量均与细菌、真菌数量和脲酶活性相关性达到显著水平。在非根际土壤中,土壤养分含量与土壤微生物、土壤酶活性的相关性明显降低。4从土壤肥力综合水平看,根际土壤肥力水平综合得分总体上大于非根际土壤,其中根际土壤中沙棘小叶杨油松刺槐草地。沙棘能大幅度提高土壤肥力,具有较好的土壤改良效果。     

Do interactions with soil organisms mediate grass responses to defoliation?

Defoliation-induced changes in grass growth and C allocation are known to affect soil organisms, but how much these effects in turn mediate grass responses to defoliation is not fully understood. Here, we present results from a microcosm study that assessed the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and soil decomposers in the response of a common forage grass, Phleum pratense L., to defoliation at two nutrient availabilities (added inorganic nutrients or no added nutrients). We measured the growth and C and N allocations of P. pratense plants as well as the abundance of soil organisms in the plant rhizosphere 5 and 19 d after defoliation. To examine whether defoliation affected the availability of organic N to plants, we added ¹⁵N-labelled root litter to the soil and tracked the movement of mineralized ¹⁵N from the litter to the plant shoots.When inorganic nutrients were not added, defoliation reduced P. pratense growth and root C allocation, but increased the shoot N concentration, shoot N yield (amount of N in clipped plus harvested shoot mass) and relative shoot N allocation. Defoliation also reduced N uptake from the litter but did not affect total plant N uptake. Among soil organisms, defoliation reduced the root colonization rates of AM fungi but did not affect soil microbial respiration or the abundance of microbe-grazing nematodes. These results indicate that interactions with soil organisms were not responsible for the increased shoot N concentration and shoot N yield of defoliated P. pratense plants. Instead, these effects apparently reflect a higher efficiency in N uptake per unit plant mass and increased relative allocation of N to shoots in defoliated plants. The role of soil organisms did not change when additional nutrients were available at the moment of defoliation, but the effects of defoliation on shoot N concentration and yield became negative, apparently due to the reduced ability of defoliated plants to compete for the pulse of inorganic nutrients added at the moment of defoliation.Our results show that the typical grass responses to defoliation—increased shoot N concentration and shoot N yield—are not necessarily mediated by soil organisms. We also found that these responses followed defoliation even when the ability of plants to utilize N from organic sources, such as plant litter, was diminished, because defoliated plants showed higher N-uptake efficiency per unit plant mass and allocated relatively more N to shoots than non-defoliated plants.     

Relative importance of Ca,N, and P in enhancing mycorrhizal activity in leucaena leucocephala grown in an oxisol subjected to simulated erosion

Pot experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to determine the combined effects of lime, nitrogen and phosphorus and the relative importance of each of these nutrients in establishing nodulated and mycorrhizal Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit Var. K8 in an oxisol subjected to simulated erosion. Leucaena was grown in the soil inoculated or not with the vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus aggregatum Schenck and Smith emend Koske, with or without a basal nutrient (basal) consisting of K, Mg, S, Zn, Cu, and B plus lime, N, and P (complete) or one of the latter three supplements.

The extent of mycorrhizal colonization of roots as well as mycorrhizal effectiveness, as measured by pinnule P content increased when the eroded soil was amended with combinations of all the nutrients and inoculated with G. aggregatum. Similar trends were observed when symbiotic effectiveness was measured in terms of shoot P, Cu, and Zn status and dry matter yield. Nodule dry matter was also responsive to amendment of the soil with the complete nutrients and to vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation. Phosphorus was found to be the most important nutrient limiting mycorrhizal effectiveness in the eroded soil, followed by N and lime. It is concluded that lost nutrients, particularly P, need to be replaced before legumes can be established successfully on highly weathered eroded soils inoculated with vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.     

Decoupled stoichiometric,isotopic, and fungal responses of an ectomycorrhizal black spruce forest to nitrogen and phosphorus additions

Many northern forests are limited by nitrogen (N) availability, slight changes in which can have profound effects on ecosystem function and the activity of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi. Increasing N and phosphorus (P) availability, an analog to accelerated soil organic matter decomposition in a warming climate, could decrease plant dependency on EcM fungi and increase plant productivity as a result of greater carbon use efficiency. However, the impact of altered N and P availability on the growth and activity of EcM fungi in boreal forests remains poorly understood despite recognition of their importance to host plant nutrition and soil carbon sequestration. To address such uncertainty we examined above and belowground ecosystem properties in a boreal black spruce forest following five years of factorial N and P additions. By combining detailed soil, fungal, and plant δ¹⁵N measurements with in situ metrics of fungal biomass, growth, and activity, we found both expected and unexpected patterns. Soil nitrate isotope values became ¹⁵N enriched in response to both N and P additions; fungal biomass was repressed by N yet both biomass and growth were stimulated by P; and, black spruce dependency on EcM derived N increased slightly when N and P were added alone yet significantly declined when added in combination. These findings contradict predictions that N fertilization would increase plant P demands and P fertilization would further exacerbate plant N demands. As a result, the prediction that EcM fungi predictably respond to plant N limitation was not supported. These findings highlight P as an under appreciated mediator of the activity of denitrifying bacteria, EcM fungi, and the dynamics of N cycles in boreal forests. Further, use of δ¹⁵N values from bulk soils, plants, and fungi to understand how EcM systems respond to changing nutrient availabilities will often require additional ecological information.     

稻草和猪粪发酵残渣配施菌剂对大棚连作土壤的改良作用

采用室内培养试验,研究了稻草和猪粪在大棚内生物发酵进行CO2施肥后产生的发酵残渣接种微生物菌剂（EM和By）对大棚连作土壤的改良作用。结果表明,向供试土壤中添加接种微生物菌剂的发酵残渣后,土壤中细菌和放线菌数量与对照相比显著增加,真菌数量也有一定程度的增加,细菌/真菌比值明显提高; 发酵残渣接种（EM+By）菌剂处理下的土壤脲酶活性和酸性磷酸酶活性分别比对照增加NH+4-N 26.7 mg/（kgd）和酚127.0 mg/（kgh）; （EM+By）处理下的土壤pH值比对照提高了1.14个单位; 至培养结束时,土壤中碱解氮、 速效磷和速效钾含量都有较大程度增加,尤其是土壤速效磷。因此,将发酵残渣接种功能微生物菌剂,可作为一种生物有机肥直接在大棚中使用,将其施用到土壤中有利于改善土壤微生物群落结构,加速土壤养分转化,提高土壤速效养分含量,有效缓解连作土壤酸化问题,对大棚连作土壤起到改良作用。