Assessment of soil tolerance toward contamination with black oil in the south of Russia on the basis of soil biological indices: A model experiment

The effect of soil contamination with black oil added in amounts of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, and 50% of the soil mass on the biological properties of ordinary and leached vertic chernozems, brown forest soils, and gray sands in the south of Russia was studied in a model laboratory experiment. It was shown that the soil contamination causes a drop in the catalase and dehydrogenase activities, the cellulolytic capacity, the number of Azotobacter bacteria, and the characteristics of the plant germination. The ordinary and vertic chernozems were more tolerant toward the contamination than the gray sands and brown forest soils. The changes in the biological soil properties in dependence on the degree of the soil contamination differed considerably for the soils with different properties (the chernozems, brown forest soil, and gray sands) and were similar for the soils with similar properties (the ordinary and vertic chernozems). One soil (the brown forest soil) could be more tolerant toward the contamination than another soil (the gray sands) at a given concentration of black oil (<2.5%) and less tolerant at another concentration of black oil (>2.5%). The ecologically safe levels of the soil contamination with black oil do not exceed 0.7% in the ordinary chernozems, 0.3% in the compact chernozems, 0.1% in the brown forest soils, and 0.06% in the gray sands.     

Characterization of Soil Types and Subtypes in N-Dimensional Space of Multitemporal (Empirical) Soil Line

A classical soil line (SL) in the RED–NIR spectral space is specified by two coefficients “a” and “b.” In this form, it does not characterize soil types and subtypes. A multitemporal soil line (MSL) represents the major axis of the ellipse describing all possible pairs of RED–NIR values characterizing a bare soil surface for a given pixel of remote sensing images. The MSL in the RED–NIR spectral space is specified by several (N) coefficients. The resulting N-dimensional space of MSL coefficients makes it possible to give unique characteristics for each type and subtype of soils in the following zonal soil sequence: soddy-podzolic soils, light gray forest soils, gray forest soils, dark gray forest soils, podzolized chernozems, and leached chernozems. The analysis of variance allows us to state that the soils of this sequence significantly differ from one another in the characteristic sets of MSL coefficients. In other words, these coefficients characterize soil types and subtypes, and the MSL can be considered an empirical soil line (ESL) of the given type and subtype of soil. A classical SL is an integrity of ESLs of different soils within the given scene of remote sensing data.     

Effect of lithological substrate on microbial biomass and enzyme activity in brown soil profiles in the northern Apennines (Italy)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the microbial activity along forest brown soil profiles sequence developed on different lithological substrates (carbonate or non-carbonated cement in sandstone formations) at different altitudes. The main question posed was: does carbonate affect the biochemical activity of brown soil profiles at different altitudes? For the purpose of this study, four soil profiles with different amounts and compositions of SOM developed on different lithological substrates were selected: two with carbonate (MB and MZ) and the other two with non-carbonated cement in the sandstone formations (MF1 and MF2). Chemical and biochemical properties of soil were analysed along soil profiles in order to assess the SOM quantity and quality, namely total organic C (C_org), water extractable organic C (WEOC) and humification indices (HI, DH, HR). Microbial biomass (C_mic and N_mic) content, as well as the specific activities of acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase and chitinase enzymes were chosen as indicators of biochemical activity. The soil biochemical properties provided evidence of better conditions for microorganisms in MB than in MF1, MF2 and MZ soil profiles, since patterns of microbial biomass content and activity might be expected in response to the amount and quality of organic substances. The different lithological substrates did not show any clear effect on soil microbial biomass content, since similar values were obtained in MF1, MF2 (with non-carbonated cement) and MZ (with carbonate). However, the specific activities of acid phosphatase (per unit of C_org and per unit of C_mic) were higher in soils with no carbonate (MF1 and MF2) than in soils with carbonate (MB and MZ). In conclusion, the biochemical activity along brown soil profiles was mainly regulated by different soil organic matter content and quality, while the two different lithological substrates (with carbonate or non-carbonated cement in the sandstone formations) did not show any direct effect on microbial biomass and its activity. However, the activity of acid phosphatase per unit of C was particularly enhanced in soil with non-carbonate cement in the sandstone formations.     

The relationships among microbial parameters and the rate of organic matter mineralization in forest soils,as influenced by forest type

Vegetation type influences the rate of accumulation and mineralization of organic matter in forest soil, mainly through its effect on soil microorganisms. We investigated the relationships among forest types and microbial biomass C (MBC), basal respiration (R_B), substrate-induced respiration (R_S), N mineralization (N_min), specific growth rate μ, microbial eco-physiology and activities of seven hydrolytic enzymes, in samples taken from 25 stands on acidic soils and one stand on limestone, covering typical types of coniferous and deciduous forests in Central Europe. Soils under deciduous trees were less acidic than soils of coniferous forests, which led to increased mineralizing activities R_B and N_min, and a higher proportion of active microbial biomass (R_S/MBC) in the Of horizon. This resulted in more extractable organic C (0.5 M K₂SO₄) in soils of deciduous forests and a higher accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) in coniferous forest soil. No effect of forest type on the microbial properties was detected in the Oh horizon and in the 0–10 cm layer. The microbial quotient (MBC/C_org), reflecting the quality of organic matter used for microbial growth, was higher in deciduous forests in all three layers. The metabolic quotient qCO₂ (R_B/MBC) and the specific growth rate μ, estimated using respiration growth curves, did not differ in soils of both forest types. Our results showed that the quality of SOM in coniferous forests supported microorganisms with higher activities of β-glucosidase, cellobiosidase and β-xylosidase, which suggested the key importance of fungi in these soils. Processes mediated by bacteria were probably more important in deciduous forest soils with higher activities of arylsulphatase and urease. The results from the stand on limestone showed that pH had a positive effect on microbial biomass and SOM mineralization.     

Soil microbial biomass and activity: the effect of site characteristics in humid temperate forest ecosystems

Microbial biomass, respiratory activity, and in‐situ substrate decomposition were studied in soils from humid temperate forest ecosystems in SW Germany. The sites cover a wide range of abiotic soil and climatic properties. Microbial biomass and respiration were related to both soil dry mass in individual horizons and to the soil volume in the top 25 cm. Soil microbial properties covered the following ranges: soil microbial biomass: 20 µg C g^–1–8.3 mg C g^–1 and 14–249 g C m^–2, respectively; microbial C–to–total organic C ratio: 0.1%–3.6%; soil respiration: 109–963 mg CO₂‐C m^–2 h^–1; metabolic quotient (qCO₂): 1.4–14.7 mg C (g C_mic)^–1 h^–1; daily in‐situ substrate decomposition rate: 0.17%–2.3%. The main abiotic properties affecting concentrations of microbial biomass differed between forest‐floor/organic horizons and mineral horizons. Whereas microbial biomass decreased with increasing soil moisture and altitude in the forest‐floor/organic horizons, it increased with increasing N_tot content and pH value in the mineral horizons. Quantities of microbial biomass in forest soils appear to be mainly controlled by the quality of the soil organic matter (SOM), i.e., by its C : N ratio, the quantity of N_tot, the soil pH, and also showed an optimum relationship with increasing soil moisture conditions. The ratio of C_mic to C_org was a good indicator of SOM quality. The quality of the SOM (C : N ratio) and soil pH appear to be crucial for the incorporation of C into microbial tissue. The data and functional relations between microbial and abiotic variables from this study provide the basis for a valuation scheme for the function of soils to serve as a habitat for microorganisms.     

Structure of humic acids in zonal soils from <Superscript>13</Superscript>C NMR data

The structure of humic acids (HAs) in zonal soil types—soddy-podzolic soils (two samples), gray forest soil (one sample), and chernozems (two samples)—was quantitatively studied by ¹³C NMR spectros-copy. In the series considered, the content of unsubstituted carbon in the aromatic fragments of HAs increased, and the fraction of unsubstituted aliphatic structures decreased. HAs of soddy-podzolic soils were found to be enriched with carbohydrate fragments compared to HAs of chernozems and gray forest soil. The carbon skeleton of HAs from typical rich chernozem contained significantly more aliphatic and carbohydrate fragments compared to typical chernozem, which probably reflected the lower degree of HA transformation in rich chernozem.     

Effects of global change and human disturbance on soil carbon cycling in boreal forest: A review

Increasing human demands for Earth’s resources are hastening many environmental changes and creating a need to incorporate the routine monitoring of ecosystem functions into forest management.Under global change and anthropogenic disturbances,soil carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems is undergoing substantial changes that result in the transformation between soil C sources and sinks.Therefore,the forest C budget requires an understanding of the underlying soil C dynamic under environment...     

Spatial variability in the carbon of microbial biomass and microbial respiration in soils of the south of Moscow oblast

Soil samples from the upper 10-cm-thick layer of the humus horizon (without forest litter) were taken in Podol’sk and Serpukhov districts (1130 and 1080 km², respectively) of Moscow oblast. At each sampling site, ecosystem (forest, plowland, or fallow), soil (soddy-podzolic, soddy-gley, bog-podzolic, meadow alluvial, gray forest, and anthropogenically transformed soils of lawns and industrial zones), predominant vegetation, and topography (floodplain and low, medium, and upper parts of watersheds) were determined. The carbon content of the microbial biomass (C_mic) was determined by the method of substrate-induced respiration; we also determined the rate of basal (microbial) respiration (BR) and the organic carbon content, pH, and particle-size distribution. Overall, 237 samples from Serpukhov district and 45 samples from Podol’sk district were analyzed. The BR/C_mic ratios (respiration quotient qCO₂) and C_mic/C_org ratios were calculated. The C_mic content in the soils ranged from 43 to 1394 μg C/kg; the BR varied from 0.06 to 25 μg CO₂-C/g per h, qCO₂, from 0.34 to 6.52 μg CO₂-C/mg C_mic per h; and the C_mic/C_org ratio, from 0.19 to 10.65%. It was found that the most significant factors affecting the variability of the C_mic and BR are the parameters of ecosystem (50% and 80%, respectively) and soil (30% and 9%, respectively). The most significant variability of these indices was found in forest soils; it was mainly controlled by the soil texture (33 and 23%) and the C_org content (19 and 24%). The C_mic parameter made it possible to differentiate the soils of the territory for the purposes of their evaluation, monitoring, and biological assessment more clearly than the BR value and the soil chemical characteristics.     

Application of microbes to the soils of Siberian tree nurseries

The introduction of Trichoderma viride spores (10⁸ CFU per 1 cm²) essentially changed the structure of micromycetes in the soils of tree nurseries in Krasnoyarsk region. During the first 20 days, in the variants with dark gray forest soils and podzolized chernozems, the total number of fungi decreased by 3–4 and 1.5 times, respectively, as compared to that in the control plots. During the intense development of the introduced microbes, the species composition of the soil fungi changed considerably. The treatment of Scots pine seeds with metabolites of Trichoderma fungi, as well as Pseudomonas and Bacillus bacteria, in the form of water suspensions, biopreparations, and dry spores promoted an increase in the yield of seedlings and improve their morphometric parameters. At the end of the growing period, the treatment with Trichoderma and the biopreparation on its basis increased these parameters, on average, by 18–70%, and the treatment with bacteria increased the same parameters by 13–15%. The application of microbial preparations improved the phytosanitary state of the soils in the studied tree nurseries. The use of the strains of indigenous microorganisms might be feasible for solving bioremediation problems more successfully in particular regions.     

Influence of agricultural practices on soil microbial activity measured by microcalorimetry

To investigate the influence of different agricultural practices and vegetations on soil microbial activity and diversity, soil samples from different habitats were studied with their microbial activities measured by the microcalorimetric technique. Seven soil samples were collected in Wuhan, China from different locations with primary and regeneration forest, nursery and crop land, and uncultivated land. The number of microorganisms in soils was measured by viable count, and some physicochemical parameters were determined. Power–time curves were recorded for soil samples supplemented with glucose and ammonium sulphate, and the total heat changes of the microbial growth reaction, Q_total (Jg⁻¹) and the microbial growth rate constant, k (min⁻¹) were calculated from the curves. All power–time curves presented typical changes of microbial activity. The curves of soil samples could be divided into two groups differing in agricultural practices and vegetations. The same grouping could also be reached according to the values of peak time (t_max). The most soil samples showed a higher correlation between the values of k and the counted bacterial numbers. The Q_total correlated well with vegetation abundance and probably with microbial diversity. In conclusion, microbial activity of the soil samples determined by microcalorimetry reflected differences in soil vegetation and agricultural management.     

Successional changes in microbial biomass,respiration and nutrient status during litter decomposition in an aspen and pine forest

Microbial biomass, microbial respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO₂), C_mic/C_org ratio and nutrient status of the microflora was investigated in different layers of an aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and pine forest (Pinus contorta Loud.) in southwest Alberta, Canada. Changes in these parameters with soil depth were assumed to reflect successional changes in aging litter materials. The microbial nutrient status was investigated by analysing the respiratory response of glucose and nutrient (N and P) supplemented microorganisms. A strong decline in qCO₂ with soil depth indicated a more efficient C use by microorganisms in later stages of decay in both forests. C_mic/C_org ratio also declined in the aspen forest with soil depth but in the pine forest it was at a maximum in the mineral soil layer. Microbial nutrient status in aspen leaf litter and pine needle litter indicated N limitation or high N demand, but changes in microbial nutrient status with soil depth differed strongly between both forests. In the aspen forest N deficiency appeared to decline in later stages of decay whereas P deficiency increased. In contrast, in the pine forest microbial growth was restricted mainly by N availability in each of the layers. Analysis of the respiratory response of CNP-supplemented microorganisms indicated that growth ability of microorganisms is related to the fungal-bacterial ratio.     

Determination of the soil microbial biomass carbon using the method of substrate-induced respiration

Specific features of determining the carbon content in the soil microbial biomass using the method of substrate-induced respiration (MB_SIR) were studied as related to the conditions of the incubation (the glucose concentration and temperature) and pre-incubation (the duration and temperature) of the soil samples collected in the summer (tundra gley and soddy-podzolic soils and chernozems) and in different seasons (for the gray forest soil). The glucose concentration providing the highest substrate-induced respiration (SIR) in the soils studied was shown to be 2–15 mg/g. The MB_SIR in the soil samples collected in summer and in the soils pre-incubated for 10 and 22°C (7 days) did not significantly differ. The MB_SIR in the gray forest soil pre-incubated at 3, 6, and 10°C (winter, spring/autumn, and summer, respectively) and at 22°C (recommended by the authors of the SIR method) was similar for the cropland in all the seasons. For the meadow, it was the same in the winter, summer, and autumn, and, in summer, it did not differ only for the forest. For the comparative assessment of the MB_SIR, soil samples from different ecosystems are recommended to be collected in the autumn or in the summer. Soil samples of 100–500 g should be pre-incubated for 7 days at 22°C and moisture of 60% of the total water capacity; then, 1-2 g soil should be incubated with glucose (10 mg/g) at 22°C for 3–5 hours.     

Charcoal production at kiln sites affects C and N dynamics and associated soil microorganisms in Quercus spp. temperate forests of central Mexico

Temperate forests dominated by Quercus spp. cover large parts of Central Mexico and rural communities depend on these forests for wood and charcoal. The impacts of charcoal production on selected chemical properties including C and N dynamics, and populations of ammonifiers, nitrifiers and denitrifiers were investigated on surface soils (0–15 cm) collected during the dry and rainy season of these forests. Organic C was halved in soil at the kiln sites compared to undisturbed forest soil. Concentrations of exchangeable Ca²⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺ increased >1.6 times at kiln sites and pH increased from 4.5 in undisturbed soil to 7.0 at kiln sites. The kiln sites had 1.3 times and 2.4 times lower microbial biomass C and N, respectively, than undisturbed forest sites during the rainy season. Although the effect of charcoal production on NH₄⁺, NO₂^? and NO₃^? concentrations was small, the ammonifying, nitrifying and denitrifiers were 16 times lower at the kiln sites than in the undisturbed forest soil. This research found that the charcoal production had a negative effect on the cultivable microorganisms involved in N cycling and the soil microbial biomass C and N compared to undisturbed forest soil. Differences in inorganic N dynamics were more affected by seasonality, i.e. precipitation, than by charcoal production.     

Microbial respiration activities of soils from different climatic regions of European Russia

The aim of this study was to survey and evaluate the microbial respiration of main soil types (gleyic Cryosols, umbric Albeluvisols, albic Luvisols, luvic Chernozems, Kastanozems) across European Russia, from semiarid to polar climatic zones. Soil was sampled from 0–5 and 5–10 cm layers at natural (forest, grassland, fallow) and corresponding sites under agricultural land use. Soil microbial biomass carbon (C_mic) determined by the substrate-induced respiration method and basal respiration (BR) were measured under standardized laboratory conditions (22 °C, 60% WHC). The ratios of BR/C_mic and C_mic/C_org were also calculated. C_mic and BR were highest in polar (gleyic Cryosols) and temperate (albic Luvisols, luvic Chernozems) climatic zones, the lowest were in boreal (umbric Luvisols) and semiarid (Kastanozems). C_mic, BR and C_mic/C_org ratios were higher in 0–5 cm layers compared to the corresponding 5–10 cm and in natural sites versus in arable. Principal component analysis yielded a clear separation of the vegetation zones with respect to the several principal components (PC). PC 1 was composed of C_mic, BR, soil chemical (C_org, N_tot) and texture parameters. PC 2 was composed of climatic (MAT, MAP) and soil pH variables. Three-way ANOVA indicated that “soil type”, “ecosystem” and “layer” factors, and their interactions accounted for almost 98 and 99% of the total variance in C_mic and BR, respectively.     

Transformation of the organic matter of steppe soils of the Trans-Ural region after their conversion into the reserved regime

Soils of the Arkaim Reserve were studied before the establishment of the reserve and, then, 12 and 18 years after the reservation of this territory. Former pastures and hayfields occupy 70% of the reserve, and former plowlands occupy about 30%. Some of them have been converted into sown meadows. The soil cover of the reserve is composed of chernozems (about 50% of the area), solonetzes and salt-affected soils (32%), meadow-chernozemic soils (7%), and forest soils (1%). In eighteen years of reservation, the C_org content in the upper 20 cm has increased by 0.5–0.8%, or by 14–25% of the initial content with the average rate of 60–100 g C/m² per year. The accumulation of C_org has been more intensive in the soils of former plowlands than in the soils of former pastures and in the chernozems than in the meadow-chernozemic soils. Self-restoration of most of the soils of the reserve is accompanied the rise in the content of the labile fraction of organic carbon. In some soils, the contents of the labile fraction (0.3%) and light-weight fraction (>25% of C_org) have reached optimum values. After 18 years of reservation, the biomass of microorganisms has reached 500–800 μg/g of soil (or 1.1–1.9% of C_org); the basal respiration has reached 0.7–1.5 μg C-CO₂/g per hour. These characteristics are the highest for meadow-chernozemic soils under former pasture and the lowest for postagrogenic chernozems. The rise in the C_org content and changes in the particular forms of soil organic matter under the regime of a reserve greatly depend on the soil type and on the former land use. The role of parent materials is smaller. Many soils of the reserve require a long period of rehabilitation.     

Biomass and respiration activity of soil microorganisms in anthropogenically transformed ecosystems (Moscow region)

In the forest, meadow, arable, and urban ecosystems (recreational, residential, and industrial zones) of Sergiev Posad, Shatura, Serpukhov, and Serebryanye Prudy districts of Moscow region, spatially separated sites (3–5 points per site) have been randomly selected and soil samples have been taken from the 0–10 (plant litter excluded) and 10- to 150-cm layers (a total of 201 samples have been taken). In the samples, the microbial biomass carbon (C_mic), the rate of the basal (microbial) respiration (BR), and the physical parameters (the particle size distribution (PSD), organic carbon (C_org), pH, heavy metals, and nutrients (NPK)) have been determined. High spatial variability has been revealed for C_mic and BR in all the ecosystems and the functional zones of the studied districts, and a clear tendency of a decrease in these parameters has been shown in the arable soils (by 1.4–3.2 times) and the industrial zone (by 1.7–3.3 times) compared to the natural analogues and other corresponding functional zones. It has been shown that the spatial distribution of the microbiological parameters is significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected by the physicochemical properties of the soil (C_mic by the PSD and PSD × C_org; BR by the pH and pH × NPK; contributions of 40 and 63%, respectively), as well as by the type of ecosystem and the region of study (the contribution of the sum of these factors to the C_mic and BR was 56 and 67%, respectively). A tendency toward the deterioration of the functioning of the microbial community under the anthropogenic transformation of the soil has been shown. The contribution of the urban soils as a potential source of CO₂ emission to the atmosphere has been calculated and discussed.     

Microbial biomass and activity in salt affected soils under arid conditions

The effects of salinity on the size, activity and community structure of soil microorganisms in salt affected arid soils were investigated in Shuangta region of west central Anxi County, Gansu Province, China. Eleven soils were selected which had an electrical conductivity (EC) gradient of 0.32–23.05 mS cm⁻¹. There was a significant negative exponential relationship between EC and microbial biomass C, the percentage of soil organic C present as microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, microbial biomass N to total N ratio, basal soil respiration, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis rate, arginine ammonification rate and potentially mineralizable N. The exponential relationships with EC demonstrate the highly detrimental effect that soil salinity had on the microbial community. In contrast, the metabolic quotient (qCO₂) was positively correlated with EC, and a quadratic relationship between qCO₂ and EC was observed. There was an inverse relationship between qCO₂ and microbial biomass C. These results indicate that higher salinity resulted in a smaller, more stressed microbial community which was less metabolically efficient. The biomass C to biomass N ratio tended to be lower in soils with higher salinity, reflecting the bacterial dominance in microbial biomass in saline soils. Consequently, our data suggest that salinity is a stressful environment for soil microorganisms.     

Tree girdling provides insight on the role of labile carbon in nitrogen partitioning between soil microorganisms and adult European beech

Nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems is complex since it involves the closely interwoven processes of both N uptake by plants and microbial turnover of a variety of N metabolites. Major interactions between plants and microorganisms involve competition for the same N species, provision of plant nutrients by microorganisms and labile carbon (C) supply to microorganisms by plants via root exudation. Despite these close links between microbial N metabolism and plant N uptake, only a few studies have tried to overcome isolated views of plant N acquisition or microbial N fluxes. In this study we studied competitive patterns of N fluxes in a mountainous beech forest ecosystem between both plants and microorganisms by reducing rhizodeposition by tree girdling. Besides labile C and N pools in soil, we investigated total microbial biomass in soil, microbial N turnover (N mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, microbial immobilization) as well as microbial community structure using denitrifiers and mycorrhizal fungi as model organisms for important functional groups. Furthermore, plant uptake of organic and inorganic N and N metabolite profiles in roots were determined.Surprisingly plants preferred organic N over inorganic N and nitrate (NO₃⁻) over ammonium (NH₄⁺) in all treatments. Microbial N turnover and microbial biomass were in general negatively correlated to plant N acquisition and plant N pools, thus indicating strong competition for N between plants and free living microorganisms. The abundance of the dominant mycorrhizal fungi Cenococcum geophilum was negatively correlated to total soil microbial biomass but positively correlated to glutamine uptake by beech and amino acid concentration in fine roots indicating a significant role of this mycorrhizal fungus in the acquisition of organic N by beech. Tree girdling in general resulted in a decrease of dissolved organic carbon and total microbial biomass in soil while the abundance of C. geophilum remained unaffected, and N uptake by plants was increased. Overall, the girdling-induced decline of rhizodeposition altered the competitive balance of N partitioning in favour of beech and its most abundant mycorrhizal symbiont and at the expense of heterotrophic N turnover by free living microorganisms in soil. Similar to tree girdling, drought periods followed by intensive drying/rewetting events seemed to have favoured N acquisition by plants at the expense of free living microorganisms.     

The informativeness of coefficients <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis> of the soil line for the analysis of remote sensing materials

The coefficients of the soil line are often taken into account in calculations of vegetation indices. These coefficients are usually calculated for the entire satellite image, or are taken as constants without any calculations. In both cases, the informativeness of these coefficients is low and insufficient for the needs of soil mapping. In our study, we calculated soil line coefficients at 8000 lattice points for the territory of Plavsk, Arsen’evsk, and Chern districts of Tula oblast on the basis of 34 Landsat 5, 7, and 8 images obtained in 1985–2014. In order to distinguish between the soil line calculated for a given image and the soil line calculated for lattice points on the basis of dozens of multitemporal images, we suggest that the latter can be referred to as the temporal soil line. The temporal soil line is described by a classical equation: NIR = RED a + b, where a is its slope relative to the horizontal axis (RED), and b is the Y-axis (NIR) intercept. Both coefficients were used to create soil maps. The verification of the maps was performed with the use of data on 1985 soil pits. The informativeness of these coefficients appeared to be sufficient for delineation of eight groups of soils of different taxonomic levels: soddy moderately podzolic soils, soddy slightly podzolic soils, soddy-podzolic soils, light gray forest soils, gray forest soils, dark gray forest soils, podzolized chernozems, and leached chernozems. The b coefficient proved to be more informative, as it allowed us to create the soil map precisely on its basis. In order to create the soil map on the basis of the a coefficient, we had to apply some threshold values of the b coefficient. The bare soil on each of Landsat scenes was separated with the help of the mask of agricultural fields and the notion of the spectral neighborhood of soil line (SNSL).     

毛竹纯林土壤微生物多样性高于杉木纯林

杉木连作障碍现象普遍发生,同为人工林的毛竹则很少发生。作为土壤健康的重要指标,微生物对土壤肥力具有不可忽视的作用。采用高通量测序法对阔叶、毛竹和杉木三种林分的土壤细菌和真菌群落进行研究,结果表明,毛竹林土壤细菌和真菌Shannon多样性和Invsimpson均匀度指数均显著高于杉木林,甚至高于阔叶林;而优势物种多样性Berger-Parker指数则是杉木显著高于毛竹林;毛竹林土壤Actinobacteria门细菌相对丰度高于阔叶林和杉木林、Basidiomycota门真菌相对丰度显著高于阔叶林和杉木林,杉木林土壤Chloroflexi门细菌相对丰度和Mortierellomycota门真菌相对丰度显著高于毛竹林和阔叶林。结合土壤理化性质分析表明,杉木林土壤养分贫瘠是形成其特殊微生物群落的原因之一,而毛竹林土壤丰富的养分和高pH有利于形成良好微生物群落结构。与杉木相比,毛竹林土壤细菌和真菌特征以及土壤理化性质与阔叶的相似度更高。