The microbial community composition changes rapidly in the early stages of decomposition of wheat residue

It is generally accepted that during the early stages of residue decomposition, easily available compounds are decomposed, leading to a relative increase in more recalcitrant compounds in the later stages of decomposition and that these changes in substrate availability are associated with changes in microbial community composition. However most studies on residue decomposition are conducted over several weeks or months; little is known about the changes in microbial community composition in the first weeks of decomposition. To address this knowledge gap, we incubated wheat residues inoculated with a microbial suspension in mesh bags buried in sand for 30 days, with sampling on days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30. Of the C added with the residues, 10, 18 and 25% had been respired on days 10, 20 and 30, respectively. The sum of PLFAs (phospholipid fatty acids), as an indicator of microbial biomass, increased strongly in the first 4 days and then decreased. The concentration of bacterial fatty acids was maximal on days 2 and 4, whereas the concentration of fungal fatty acids peaked on day 15. Microbial community composition (based on PLFA patterns) changed rapidly, with significant changes in the first 8 days and from day 8 to day 20. There were no significant changes in microbial community composition after day 20. The concentration of water-soluble C decreased strongly in the first 8 days, suggesting that the rapid changes in microbial community in this period are related to the changes in water-soluble C. Residue C chemistry, assessed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, changed little during the incubation period. This study showed that microbial community composition in decomposing residues changes rapidly in the first 1-2 weeks, which is, at least partly, the result of competition for the easily available compounds in the water-soluble fraction. After depletion of the water-soluble compounds, the microbial community composition changes more slowly.     

Changes in soil microbial community composition in response to fertilization of paddy soils in subtropical China

Repeated fertilizer applications to cultivated soils may alter the composition and activities of microbial communities in terrestrial agro-ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the effects of different long term fertilization practices (control (CK), three levels of mineral fertilizer (N₁P₁K₁, N₂P₂K₂, and N₃P₃K₃), and organic manure (OM)) on soil environmental variables and microbial communities by using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers analysis in subtropical China. Study showed that OM treatment led to increases in soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents, while the mineral fertilizer treatment led to increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. Changes in soil microbial communities (eg. bacteria, actinomycetes) were more noticeable in soils subjected to organic manure applications than in the control soils or those treated with mineral fertilizer applications. Fungal PLFA biomarkers responded differently from the other PLFA groups, the numerical values of fungal PLFA biomarkers were similar for all the OM and mineral fertilizer treatments. PCA analysis showed that the relative abundance of most PLFA biomarkers increased in response to OM treatment, and that increased application rates of the mineral fertilizer changed the composition of one small fungal PLFA biomarker group (namely 18:3ω6c and 16:1ω5c). Further, from the range of soil environmental factors that we examined, SOC, TN and TP were the key determinants affecting soil microbial community. Our results suggest that organic manure should be recommended to improve soil microbial activity in subtropical agricultural ecosystems, while increasing mineral fertilizer applications alone will not increase microbial growth in paddy soils.     

Soil microbial communities under different soybean cropping systems: Characterization of microbial population dynamics, soil microbial activity, microbial biomass, and fatty acid profiles

This work analyzes the direct effect of soil management practices on soil microbial communities, which may affect soil productivity and sustainability. The experimental design consisted of two tillage treatments: reduced tillage (RT) and zero tillage (ZT), and three crop rotation treatments: continuous soybean (SS), corn–soybean (CS), and soybean–corn (SC). Soil samples were taken at soybean planting and harvest. The following quantifications were performed: soil microbial populations by soil dilution plate technique on selective and semi-selective culture media; microbial respiration and microbial biomass by chloroform fumigation-extraction; microbial activity by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis; and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles. Soil chemical parameters were also quantified. Soil organic matter content was significantly lower in RT and SS sequence crops, whereas soil pH and total N were significantly higher in CS and SC sequence crops. Trichoderma and Gliocladium populations were lower under RTSS and ZTSS treatments. Except in a few cases, soil microbial respiration, biomass and activity were higher under zero tillage than under reduced tillage, both at planting and harvest sampling times. Multivariate analyses of FAMEs clearly separated both RT and ZT management practices at each sampling time; however, separation of sequence crops was less evident. In our experiments ZT treatment had highest proportion of 10Me 16:0, an actinomycetes biomarker, and 16:1ω9 and 18:1ω7, two fatty acids associated with organic matter content and substrate availability. In contrast, RT treatment had highest content of branched biomarkers (i15:0 and i16:0) and of cy19:0, fatty acids associated with cell stasis and/or stress. As cultural practices can influence soil microbial populations, it is important to analyze the effect that they produce on biological parameters, with the aim of conserving soil richness over time. Thus, in a soybean-based cropping system, appropriate crop management is necessary for a sustainable productivity without reducing soil quality.     

Soil fertility is associated with fungal and bacterial richness,whereas pH is associated with community composition in polar soil microbial communities

Microbial activities in Arctic and Antarctic soils are of particular interest due to uncertainty surrounding the fate of the enormous polar soil organic matter (SOM) pools and the potential to lose unique and vulnerable micro-organisms from these ecosystems. We quantified richness, evenness and taxonomic composition of both fungi and bacteria in 223 Arctic and Antarctic soil samples across 8 locations to test the global applicability of hypotheses concerning edaphic drivers of soil microbial communities that have been primarily developed from studies of bacteria in temperate and tropical systems. We externally validated our model's conclusions with an independent dataset comprising 33 Arctic heath samples. We also explored if our system was responding to large scale climatic or biogeographical processes that we had not measured by evaluating model stability for one location, Mitchell Pennisula, that had been extensively sampled. Soil Fertility (defined as organic matter, nitrogen and chloride content) was the most important edaphic property associated with measures of α-diversity such as microbial richness and evenness (especially for fungi), whereas pH was primarily associated with measures of β-diversity such as phylogenetic structure and diversity (especially for bacteria). Surprisingly, phosphorus emerged as consistently the second most important driver of all facets of microbial community structure for both fungi and bacteria. Despite the clear importance of edaphic factors in controlling microbial communities, our analyses also indicated that fungal/bacterial interactions play a major, but causally unclear, role in structuring the soil microbial communities of which they are a part.     

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。     

Salinity effects on carbon mineralization in soils of varying texture

In salt-affected soils, soil organic carbon (SOC) levels are usually low as a result of poor plant growth; additionally, decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) may be negatively affected. Soil organic carbon models, such as the Rothamsted Carbon Model (RothC), that are used to estimate carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission and SOC stocks at various spatial scales, do not consider the effect of salinity on CO₂ emissions and may therefore over-estimate CO₂ release from saline soils. Two laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to assess the effect of soil texture on the response of CO₂ release to salinity, and to calculate a rate modifier for salinity to be introduced into the RothC model. The soils used were a sandy loam (18.7% clay) and a sandy clay loam (22.5% clay) in one experiment and a loamy sand (6.3% clay) and a clay (42% clay) in another experiment. The water content was adjusted to 75%, 55%, 50% and 45% water holding capacity (WHC) for the loamy sand, sandy loam, sandy clay loam and the clay, respectively to ensure optimal soil moisture for decomposition. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was used to develop a range of salinities: electrical conductivity of the 1:5 soil: water extract (EC_1:5) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 dS m⁻¹. The soils were amended with 2% (w/w) wheat residues and CO₂ emission was measured over 4 months. Carbon dioxide release was also measured from five salt-affected soils from the field for model evaluation. In all soils, cumulative CO₂-C g⁻¹ soil significantly decreased with increasing EC_1:5 developed by addition of NaCl, but the relative decrease differed among the soils. In the salt-amended soils, the reduction in normalised cumulative respiration (in percentage for the control) at EC_1:5 > 1.0 dS m⁻¹ was most pronounced in the loamy sand. This is due to the differential water content of the soils, at the same EC_1:5; the salt concentration in the soil solution is higher in the coarser textured soils than in fine textured soils because in the former soils, the water content for optimal decomposition is lower. When salinity was expressed as osmotic potential, the decrease in normalised cumulative respiration with increasing salinity was less than with EC_1:5. The osmotic potential of the soil solution is a more appropriate parameter for estimating the salinity effect on microbial activity than the electrical conductivity (EC) because osmotic potential, unlike EC, takes account into salt concentration in the soil solution as a function of the water content. The decrease in particulate organic carbon (POC) was smaller in soils with low osmotic potential whereas total organic carbon, humus-C and charcoal-C did not change over time, and were not significantly affected by salinity. The modelling of cumulative respiration data using a two compartment model showed that the decomposition of labile carbon (C) pool is more sensitive to salinity than that of the slow C pool. The evaluation of RothC, modified to include the decomposition rate modifier for salinity developed from the salt-amended soils, against saline soils from the field, suggested that salinity had a greater effect on cumulative respiration in the salt-amended soils. The results of this study show (i) salinity needs to be taken into account when modelling CO₂ release and SOC turnover in salt-affected soils, and (ii) a decomposition rate modifier developed from salt-amended soils may overestimate the effect of salinity on CO₂ release.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Wildfire effects on the properties and microbial community structure of organic horizon soils in the New Jersey Pinelands

The frequency and intensity of wildfires are expected to increase in the coming years due to the changing climate, particularly in areas of high net primary production. Wildfires represent severe perturbations to terrestrial ecosystems and may have lasting effects. The objective of this study was to characterize the impacts of wildfire on an ecologically and economically important ecosystem by linking soil properties to shifts in microbial community structure in organic horizon soils. The study was conducted after a severe wildfire burned over 7000 ha of the New Jersey Pinelands, a low nutrient system with a historical incidence of fires. Soil properties in burned and non-burned soils were measured periodically up to two years after the fire occurred, in conjunction with molecular analysis of the soil bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities to determine the extent and duration of the ecosystem responses. The results of our study indicate that the wildfire resulted in significant changes in the soil physical and chemical characteristics in the organic horizon, including declines in soil organic matter, moisture content and total Kjeldahl nitrogen. These changes persisted for up to 25 months post-fire and were linked to shifts in the composition of soil bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities in the organic horizon. Of particular interest is the fact that the bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities in the severely burned soils all changed most dramatically during the first year after fire, changed more slowly during the second year after the fire, and were still distinct from communities in the non-burned soils 25 months post-fire. This slow recovery in soil physical, chemical and biological properties could have long term consequences for the soil ecosystem. These results highlight the importance of relating the response of the soil microbial communities to changing soil properties after a naturally occurring wildfire.     

The extent of drying influences the flush of respiration after rewetting in non-saline and saline soils

Drying and rewetting are common events in soils during summer, particularly in Mediterranean climate where soil microbes may be further challenged by salinity. Previous studies in non-saline soils have shown that rewetting induces a flush of soil respiration, but little is known about how the extent of drying affects the size of the respiration flush or how drying and rewetting affects soil respiration in saline soils. Five sandy loam soils, ranging in electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe) from 2 to 48 dS m⁻¹ (EC2, EC9, EC19, EC33 and EC48), were kept at soil water content optimal for respiration or dried for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days (referred to 1D, 2D, 3D, 4D and 5D) and maintained at the achieved water content for 4 days. Then the soils were rewet to optimal water content and incubated moist for 5 days. Water potential decreased with increasing drying time; in the 5D treatment, the water potential ranged between −15 and −30 MPa, with the lowest potentials in soil EC33. In moist and dry conditions, respiration rates per unit soil organic C (SOC) were highest in soil EC19. Respiration rates decreased with increasing time of drying; when expressed relative to constantly moist soil, the decline was similar in all soils. Rewetting of soils only induced a flush of respiration compared to constantly moist soil when the soils were dried for 3 or more days. The flush in respiration was greatest in 5D and smallest in 3D, and greater in EC2 than in the saline soils. Cumulative respiration per unit SOC was highest in soil EC19 and lowest in soil EC2 Cumulative respiration decreased with increasing time of drying, but in a given soil, the relationship between water potential during the dry phase and cumulative respiration at the end of the experiment was weaker than that between respiration rate during drying and water potential. In conclusion, rewetting induced a flush in respiration only if the water potential of the soils was previously decreased at least 3-fold compared to the constantly moist soil. Hence, only marked increases in water potential induce a flush in respiration upon rewetting. The smaller flush in respiration upon rewetting of saline soils suggests that these soils may be less prone to lose C when exposed to drying and rewetting compared to non-saline soils.     

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.     

土体冻结过程中基质势与水分迁移及冻胀的关系

土体冻结过程中不同位置液态水的能量差引起了水分迁移与重分布,进而引发冻胀,关于势能差驱动下的冻土水分迁移问题一直由于技术手段的匮乏而没有完全解决。利用新近推出的可用于冻土水热研究的p F meter基质势传感器与5TM水分传感器,实时监测研究饱和青藏红黏土单向冻结过程中基质势-液态含水率-温度-含冰量-水分迁移量-冻胀变形之间在时间、空间上的耦合变化关系。结果表明:土体温度场变化引起内部液态水相变,打破了原有的能量平衡,试验结束后12~14 cm土样高处含水率最高达到55%,靠近冻融交界面处(10 cm)的未冻区含水率减小至25.8%,水分整体向冷端发生迁移;土体冻胀的快慢及冻胀量大小与水分迁移速率及数量具有线性关系;试验后土体内总含水率的分布与分凝冰透镜体的分布一致,已冻区液态含水率的分布与温度梯度近似成线性关系,未冻区液态含水率的分布与水分的迁移量有关,与温度梯度无关。此外,温度场对水分场的变化具有诱导作用但二者并不同步,当冻结速率减小到一定程度时水分才开始迁移,第10小时后温度场趋于稳定而水分迁移并未停止。研究成果揭示了土体单向冻结过程中液态水、基质势、温度等物理参数的动态变化过程及内在联系,为冻胀机制的研究以及冻胀模型的建立提供了试验基础。     

不同深度土壤控水对稻田土壤微生物区系及细菌群落多样性的影响

为研究不同深度土壤控水对壤土稻田土壤水势、微生物区系和细菌群落多样性的影响,通过土培池栽试验,在水稻生育后期设置土壤深度0~5 cm（S05）、0~10 cm（S10）和0~15 cm（S15）控水处理,以保持水层为对照,分析了不同深度控水处理下5 cm、10 cm、15 cm深土壤水势与土壤微生物区系、细菌群落多样性的变化。结果表明：土壤5 cm、10 cm、15 cm深度的水势随着控水深度增加而降低,S05控水处理主要影响上层（5 cm）土壤水势,S10控水处理影响上、中层（10 cm）土壤水势,S15控水处理土壤水势随土层深度的增加而升高。花后8 d和32 d,S05控水处理上层土壤细菌数量显著高于S10、S15控水处理;花后16~24 d,S05控水处理中层、下层（15 cm）土壤细菌数量均显著高于S15控水处理;土壤水势与水稻生育后期中、下层土壤细菌数量呈极显著正相关关系。S05控水处理10 cm、15 cm土层的细菌丰富度Chao指数均显著高于S15控水处理及CK。3个控水处理中,5 cm土层细菌的多样性Shannon指数以S05控水处理最低。优势细菌菌群分析发现,优势群落主要为变形菌门、绿弯菌门、酸杆菌门、拟杆菌门,四者总相对丰度在80%以上;S15控水处理中层土壤变形菌门相对丰度低于S05和S10控水处理。3个控水处理土壤样品中优势纲（相对丰度大于2%）达15个,主要包括α-变形菌纲、β-变形菌纲、δ-变形菌纲、厌氧绳菌纲等,这4个纲的总相对丰度在47%以上,其中厌氧绳菌纲相对丰度最高;上层土壤中S05控水处理的β-变形菌纲相对丰度显著低于S10和S15控水处理。因此,不同深度土壤控水对壤土土壤水势、细菌数量存在影响,改变了细菌的多样性及丰富度,对土壤细菌优势菌种类无显著影响。     

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.     

From the litter layer to the saprolite: Chemical changes in water-soluble soil organic matter and their correlation to microbial community composition

Organic matter content and chemistry is vital to the structure and function of soil systems, but while organic matter is recognized as biogeochemically important, its chemical interaction with soil processes is not well understood. In this study we used fluorescence spectroscopy, which has been used extensively for understanding the role of organic matter in aquatic systems, to identify chemical changes in organic matter with depth in a soil system. Soil was collected from nine different pits in a first-order montane catchment in the Colorado Front Range. The water-soluble soil organic matter was extracted from each sample and fluorescence and UV–vis spectroscopy was used to analyze its chemical character. While organic matter chemistry had little correlation with landscape location and local vegetation, there were noticeable consistent trends between soil horizon and organic matter chemistry in each pit. Total organic matter decreased with depth and became less aromatic with increasing depth. This less aromatic material in the saprolite also had a greater microbial signature. The redox character of the organic matter accompanied this change in source and molecular structure, with more oxidized character corresponding with organic matter with more microbial input and more reduced character corresponding to organic matter with more plant input. A concurrent investigation of the microbial population of the same soil samples also showed microbial population composition varying more with soil depth than landscape position, and depth changes in microbial diversity occurred concomitantly with depth changes in organic matter chemistry.     

Soil microbial biomass, activity and potential nitrogen mineralization in a pasture: Impact of stock camping activity

Grazing animals recycle a large fraction of ingested C and N within a pasture ecosystem, but the redistribution of C and N via animal excreta is often heterogeneous, being highest in stock camping areas, i.e., near shade and watering sources. This non-uniform distribution of animal excreta may modify soil physical and chemical attributes, and likely affect microbial community eco-physiology and soil N cycling. We determined microbial population size, activity, N mineralization, and nitrification in areas of a pasture with different intensity of animal excretal deposits (i.e., stock camping, open grazing and non-grazing areas). The pasture was cropped with coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) and subjected to grazing by cattle for 4 y. Soil microbial biomass, activity and N transformations were significantly higher at 0-5 cm than at 5-15 cm soil depth, and the impacts of heterogeneous distribution of animal excreta were more pronounced in the uppermost soil layer. Microbial biomass, activity and potential net N mineralization were greater in stock camping areas and were significantly correlated (r²≈0.50, P<0.05) with the associated changes in total soil C and N. However, gross N mineralization and nitrification potential tended to be lower in stock camping areas than in the open grazing areas. The lower gross N mineralization, combined with greater net N mineralization in stock camping areas, implied that microbial N immobilization was lower in those areas than in the other areas. This negative association between microbial N immobilization and soil C is inconsistent with a bulk of publications showing that microbial N immobilization was positively related to the amount of soil C. We hypothesized that the negative correlation was due to microbial direct utilization of soluble organic N and/or changes in microbial community composition towards active fungi dominance in stock camping areas.     

气候变化对甘肃黄土高原土壤贮水量的影响

利用甘肃省黄土高原16个气象站1971~2000年气象资料、13个农业气象观测站及3个农业气象试验站土壤湿度资料,分析了近50年温度、降水及近30年土壤水分变化特征,用数理统计方法拟合了0~200 cm土壤贮水量动态变化,得出了土壤贮水量随气候变化的规律。研究表明,上世纪80年代以来,甘肃黄土高原土壤含水呈减少之势,0~200 cm土层土壤总贮水量春、秋季减少了40~90mm,夏季减少了20~36mm;土壤贮水适宜农作物生长的时段减少了2~3月,土壤水分匮缺的范围无论从时段及层次上都有所扩展。     

Nutrient limitations to soil microbial biomass and activity in loblolly pine forests

We performed an assay of nutrient limitations to soil microbial biomass in forest floor material and intact cores of mineral soil collected from three North Carolina loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forests. We added solutions containing C, N or P alone and in all possible combinations, and we measured the effects of these treatments on microbial biomass and on microbial respiration, which served as a proxy for microbial activity, during a 7-day laboratory incubation at 22 °C. The C solution used was intended to simulate the initial products of fine root decay. Additions of C dramatically increased respiration in both mineral soil and forest floor material, and C addition increased microbial biomass C in the mineral soil. Additions of N increased respiration in forest floor material and increased microbial biomass N in the mineral soil. Addition of P caused a small increase in forest floor respiration, but had no effect on microbial biomass.     

太行山区不同植被条件下土壤水分动态变化特征研究

为了解太行山区主要植被类型的土壤水分状况,选取太行山区4种典型植被——小麦/玉米(农作物)、黄背草(草本)、荆条(灌木)和核桃(乔木),利用大型称重式蒸渗仪,监测了4种植被2018年和2019年生长季(4—10月)的土壤水分、深层渗漏和蒸散发要素,并利用数理统计方法分析了土壤含水量的变化特征。结果表明,2018年小麦/玉米、黄背草、荆条和核桃地平均土壤含水量分别为0.30 cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.35 cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.32 cm~3·cm~(-3)和0.36cm~3·cm~(-3),而2019年平均土壤含水量分别为0.28cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.26cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.23cm~3·cm~(-3)和0.31 cm~3·cm~(-3),相比于2017年生长季末(11月)土壤含水量,2018年小麦/玉米、黄背草、荆条和核桃地土壤含水量下降幅度分别为0.05cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.04cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.09cm~3·cm~(-3)和0.05cm~3·cm~(-3),2019年下降幅度分别为0.07 cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.13 cm~3·cm~(-3)、0.18 cm~3·cm~(-3)和0.10 cm~3·cm~(-3),荆条地土壤水分的下降幅度最大,小麦/玉米地下降幅度最小。在垂直方向上, 4种植被土壤水分变化趋势一致,随着土层深度的增加土壤含水量逐渐降低,但对土壤水分的获取深度有所差异。土壤水分获取深度小麦/玉米主要为45～100cm,黄背草和核桃主要为100～150 cm,荆条主要为150～180cm。形成这一结果的原因可能是根系分布的差异,小麦/玉米和黄背草为禾本科植物,根系分布在浅层土壤,虽然核桃为乔木,但其为浅根植物,而荆条在主根周围分布有丰富的侧根,且主根延伸到土层深部,能够获取深层土壤水分。这表明荆条是该地区主要耗水物种,在太行山区绿化植被的选取和生态系统的管理和修复中,应尽量减少荆条的覆盖面积。