Mineralisation of <Superscript>15</Superscript>N-labelled sheep manure in soils of different texture and water contents

In order to investigate the effect of soil water and texture on C and N mineralisation of applied organic matter, sheep manure was sandwiched between two halves of intact soil cores and incubated at 20°C. The soils contained 10.8% (L1), 22.4% (L3) and 33.7% (L5) clay, respectively, and were drained to seven different matric potentials in the range -15 to -1,500 hPa. Evolution of CO₂-C was determined during 4 weeks of incubation. Contents of NO₃^--N, ¹⁵N and microbial biomass N were determined at the end of the incubation. The net release of CO₂-C from the manure (estimated as the difference between soils with and without manure) and the total CO₂-C evolution from soils with manure was not related to soil water content. Most CO₂-C evolved from manure-amended soils in the least clayey L1 soil. The manure caused immobilisation of soil NO₃^--N but the soil matric potential had no major effects on the net NO₃^--N production. Less than 1% of the manure ¹⁵N was found as NO₃^--N at the end of the incubation. When unamended, the sandy L1 soil held the least N in microbial biomass but the largest increases in biomass N caused by manure application were found in this soil. Despite the higher increases in microbial biomass N in the L1 soil, the total content of microbial biomass N in soils with manure application peaked in the most clayey soil (L5). The recovery of manure ¹⁵N at the end of the incubation ranged from 89% to 102%. The variation in ¹⁵N recovery was not related to soil clay content nor to soil matric potential. The experimental set-up was designed to mimic field conditions where manure is left as a discrete layer surrounded by structurally intact soil. In this situation the soil clay content and the soil water level appeared to have little influence on the C and N turnover in the manure layer.     

Decomposition of Zn-rich Arabidopsis halleri Litter in Low and High Metal Soil in the Presence and Absence of EDTA

Hyperaccumulating plants are increasingly investigated in combination with EDTA addition to soil for phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. A 60-day incubation experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metal release during the decomposition of Zn-rich (15.7 mg g^?1 dry weight) Arabidopsis halleri litter on C mineralization, microbial biomass C, biomass N, ATP, and adenylate energy charge (AEC). These effects were investigated in two soils with different Zn, Cu, and Pb levels, with and without EDTA addition to soil. The sole addition of Zn-rich A. halleri litter to the two soils did not increase the contents of NH₄NO₃ extractable Zn, only with the combined additions of EDTA and litter was there a considerable increase, being equivalent to three times the added amount in the low metal soil and to 50% in the high metal soil. Litter amendment increased the CO₂ evolved; being equivalent to 44% of the added C in the two soils, but EDTA addition had no significant effect on CO₂ evolution. Litter amendment resulted also in an 18% increase in microbial biomass C, 27% increase in ATP and 6% increase in AEC in the two soils, but EDTA had again no effect on these indices at both metal levels. In contrast, the sole addition of litter had no effect on microbial biomass N, but EDTA addition increased microbial biomass N on average by 49%. The application of EDTA for chelate-assisted phytoextraction should in the future consider the risk of groundwater pollution, which is intensified by resistance of EDTA to microbial decomposition.     

Determination and use of a corrected control factor in the chloroform fumigation method of estimating soil microbial biomass

Estimates of soil microbial biomass are important for both comparative system analysis and mechanistic models. The method for measuring microbial biomass that dominates the literature is the chloroform fumigation incubation method (CFIM), developed on the premise that killed microorganisms are readily mineralized to CO₂, which is a measure of the initial population. Factors that effect the CFIM have been thoroughly investigated over the last 15 years. A question that still remains after countless experiments is the use of an appropriate nonfumigated control for accounting for native soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization during incubation. Our approach was to add hot-water-leached ¹⁴C-labeled straw to both fumigated and nonfumigated samples assuming the straw would mimic a recalcitrant C substrate fraction of SOM. The ratio of the ¹⁴C evolved from the fumigated sample over the ¹⁴C evolved from the control sample would provide a corrected control value to be used in calculating microbial biomass. This experiment was conducted on soils from forest, agricultural, grassland and shrub-steppe ecosystems. The results clearly indicate that equal recalcitrant C mineralization during incubation is not a valid assumption. The results with these soils indicate than on the average only 20% of the control CO₂ should be subtracted from the fumigated CO₂ for the biomass calculation. The correction value ranged from 18% for agricultural soils to 25% for shrub-steppe soil, with the average correction value being 20%. Our experiments show that corrected biomass values will be 1.5–2 times greater than uncorrected biomass values. In addition using a corrected control improved the 1:1 correlation between the CFIM and SIR methods for these soils.     

秸秆碳的田间原位分解和微生物量碳的周转特征

应用14 C示踪技术研究了杂交狼尾草秸秆在稻麦轮作田中为期 1年的原位分解。结果表明 :秸秆用量对其分解率影响甚微 ,1年后秸秆C分解了 72 %左右 ,分解速率常数为 2 7× 1 0 - 3d- 1,但秸秆用量的多少与土壤原有碳的分解和土壤有机碳平衡密切相关。黄棕壤原有C年分解率为 5 4 5 %～ 6 0 7% ,分解速率常数在 1 0 4× 1 0 - 4～ 1 1 8× 1 0 - 4d- 1之间。随秸秆用量增加 ,黄棕壤原有C分解率和分解量均增加 ,土壤有机碳的亏缺减少。微生物量14 C占加入秸秆14 C的 3 79%～ 1 0 63% ,占土壤残留14 C的 1 2 2 7%～1 7 4 3% ,其大小变化及减少程度均较微生物量12 C显著。微生物量12 C约为微生物量14 C的 0 74～ 3 85倍 ,说明大多数情况下 ,土壤原有C仍是土壤微生物活动所需能量和养分的主要来源。微生物量14 C的周转率在 1 1 0～ 1 1 8a- 1之间 ,微生物量12 C的周转率在 0 97～ 1 0 6a- 1之间。增加秸秆用量可加快土壤微生物量C的周转速度 ,反过来微生物量C周转速度的加快又加速了秸秆C和土壤原有C的分解。土壤原有C和秸秆C的分解进程与微生物量12 C和微生物量14 C的动态变化趋势一致 ,说明有机碳分解的快慢是土壤微生物活动强弱的外在表现。     

Decomposition of maize residues after manipulation of colonization and its contribution to the soil microbial biomass

A 28-day incubation experiment at 12°C was carried out on the decomposition of maize leaf litter to answer the questions: (1) Is the decomposition process altered by chemical manipulations due to differences in the colonization of maize leaf litter? (2) Do organisms using this maize material contribute significantly to the soil microbial biomass? The extraction of the maize straw reduced its initial microbial biomass C content by 25%. Fumigation and extraction eliminated the microbial biomass by 88%. In total, 17% of added maize straw C was mineralized to CO₂ during the 28-day incubation at 12°C in the treatment with non-manipulated straw. Only 14% of added C was mineralized in the treatment with extracted straw as well as in the treatment with fumigated and extracted straw. The net increase in microbial biomass C was 79 μg g^?1 soil in the treatment with non-manipulated straw and an insignificant 9 μg g^?1 soil in the two treatments with manipulated straw. However, the net increase did not reflect the fact that the addition of maize straw replaced an identical 58% (≈180 μg g^?1 soil) of the autochthonous microbial biomass C₃-C in all three straw treatments. In the two treatments with manipulated straw, the formation of maize-derived microbial biomass C₄-C was significantly reduced by 25%. In the three straw treatments, the ratio of fungal ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio showed a constant 60% increase compared to the control, and the contents of glucosamine and muramic acid increased by 18%. The average fungal C/bacterial C ratio was 3.6 in the soil and 5.0 in the recovered maize straw, indicating that fungal dominance was not altered by the initial chemical manipulations of the maize straw-colonizing microorganisms.     

Respiration and priming effects after fructose and alanine additions in two copper- and zinc-contaminated Australian soils

The objective of the present study was to determine whether substrate-induced priming effects in soils are sensitive to increasing levels of Cu and Zn. Soils were collected from ten plots of two Australian field experiments (Spalding and Avon) where increasing amounts of Cu or Zn had been added 2?years prior to sampling, reaching maximum values of 5,880?mg?kg^?1 for Cu and 7,400?mg?kg^?1 for Zn. In a 21-day incubation experiment, the effect of uniformly ¹⁴C-labeled fructose and alanine on the mineralization of the soil organic carbon (SOC) was investigated. With increasing heavy metal content, the initial peak of soil respiration after substrate addition was retarded, indicating that the microorganisms utilizing these substrates were inhibited in soils highly contaminated with heavy metals. Both substrates strongly changed the mineralization of the soil organic matter (SOM), i.e., priming effects were induced. In the soil samples with high Cu concentrations from Spalding, fructose induced a stronger additional mineralization of the SOC than in the lower contaminated samples. In the samples with the highest Zn contamination level, negative priming effects, i.e., a reduced mineralization of SOM, were observed. In contrast, heavy metal effects in the Avon soil (pH?7.6) were less pronounced since substrate mineralization and priming effects were not directly related to the increasing heavy metal content. Apart from direct toxic heavy metal effects, the tested microbial activity parameters were also indirectly affected through the toxic heavy metal effects on plant growth. At the highest heavy metal contaminations, no fresh biomass inputs occurred during the past 2?years so that microorganisms in these soils were highly substrate-limited. As a consequence, complex interactions between different levels of heavy metal contamination, the microbial activity, and the input of SOC via plant biomass have to be considered.     

Linking dynamics of soil microbial phospholipid fatty acids to carbon mineralization in a C natural abundance experiment: Impact of heavy metals and acid rain

A ¹³C natural abundance experiment including GC-c-IRMS analysis of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) was conducted to assess the temporal dynamics of the soil microbial community and carbon incorporation during the mineralization of plant residues under the impact of heavy metals and acid rain. Maize straw was incorporated into (i) control soil, (ii) soil irrigated with acid rain, (iii) soil amended with heavy metal-polluted filter dust and (iv) soil with both, heavy metal and acid rain treatment, over a period of 74 weeks. The mineralization of maize straw carbon was significantly reduced by heavy metal impact. Reduced mineralization rate of the added carbon likely resulted from a reduction of the microbial biomass due to heavy metal stress, while the efficiency of ¹³C incorporation into microbial PLFAs was hardly affected. Since acid rain did not significantly change soil pH, little impact on soil microorganisms and mineralization rate was found. Temporal dynamics of labelling of microbial PLFAs were different between bacterial and fungal PLFA biomarkers. Utilization of maize straw by bacterial PLFAs peaked immediately after the application (2 weeks), while labelling of the fungal biomarker 18:2ω6,9 was most pronounced 5 weeks after the application. In general, ¹³C labelling of microbial PLFAs was closely linked to the amounts of maize carbon present in the soil. The distinct higher labelling of microbial PLFAs in the heavy metal-polluted soils 74 weeks after application indicated a large fraction of available maize straw carbon still present in the soil.     

Effects of multiple heavy metal contamination and repeated phytoextraction by Sedum plumbizincicola on soil microbial properties

The threat of heavy metal contamination to food and human health in south and east China has become a public concern as industrial development continues. The aims of this study were to investigate the influence of repeated phytoextraction over a two-year period by successive crops of the Zn and Cd hyperaccumulator Sedum plumbizincicola on multiple metal contaminated soils and to assess recovery of soil quality. Total and NH₄OAc-extractable Zn and Cd concentrations were significantly reduced in planted soils compared to unplanted soils. Microbial biomass C (C_mic), basal respiration and microbial quotient (qM) were significantly and positively correlated and soil metabolic quotient (qCO₂) was negatively correlated with heavy metal concentrations in unplanted soils (P < 0.05). However, C_mic, basal respiration and qM values increased significantly after phytoremediation by five crops over two years compared to unplanted soil. Urease, β-glucosidase, neutral phosphatase and arylsulfatase activities also increased significantly with decreasing heavy metal contents and hydrolase activity was enhanced in planted soil (P < 0.05) compared to the unplanted control. The data indicate the capacity of S. plumbizincicola to extract Zn and Cd from contaminated soil and also that phytoremediation had beneficial effects on soil microbial and hydrolase activities, with the metal phytoextraction procedure restoring soil quality.     

尾矿砂堆积地五节芒自然定居对土壤微生物生物量、呼吸速率及酶活性的影响

为了认识重金属耐性植物五节芒（Miscanthus floridulus）对尾矿砂土壤的改良作用,在尾矿砂堆积地上选择1个裸露的尾矿砂样点（对照）和4个五节芒定居的尾矿砂样点（RI、RII、RIII和RIV）为样地,研究了土壤微生物生物量、呼吸速率和酶活性随五节芒定居梯度的变化规律以及这些微生物参数与土壤理化特性和重金属含量的关系。结果发现,随着五节芒在尾矿砂上的定居,除土壤pH以外,土壤有机碳、总氮、总磷、NH4+-N、NO3--N和速效磷的含量以及团聚体稳定性和最大持水量均显著提高（P 0.05）,而土壤重金属总量与DTPA可提取量均显著下降（P 0.05）。土壤生物生物量碳、氮、磷、基础呼吸速率、基质诱导呼吸速率、10种土壤酶活性均显著提高（P 0.05）,但土壤呼吸熵和多酚氧化酶活性显著下降（P 0.05）。主分量分析（PCA）结果表明,土壤微生物参数、土壤理化特性和土壤重金属数据均可显著区分出5个研究样地;典范相关分析（CCA）结果看出,土壤微生物参数总体变化与土壤理化特性呈显著正相关（pH除外）,与土壤重金属呈显著负相关。     

Decomposition de corps microbiens dans des sols fumiges au chloroforme: Effets du type de sol et de microorganisme

Five microbial species (Aspergillus flavus, Trichoderma viride, Streptomyces sp., Arthrobacter sp., Achromobacter liquefaciens) were cultivated in liquid media containing ¹⁴C-labelled glucose. The decomposition of these microorganisms was recorded in four different soils after chloroform fumigation by a technique related to that proposed by Jenkinson and Powlson, to determine the mineralization rate of microbial organic matter (K_c coefficient). Three treatments were used: untreated soil, fumigated soil alone and fumigated soil supplied with ¹⁴C-labelled cells. Total evolved CO₂ and ¹⁴CO₂ were measured after 7 and 14 days at 28°C.The labelled microorganisms enabled the calculation of mineralization rate K_c (K_c = mineralized microbial carbon/supplied microbial carbon). The extent of mineralization of labelled microbial carbon depended on the type of soil and on the microbial species. Statistical analysis of results at 7 days showed that 58% of the variance is taken in account by the soil effect and 32% by the microorganism effect. Between 35 and 49% of the supplied microbial C was mineralized in 7 days according to the soil type and the species of microorganism. Our results confirmed that the average value for K_c = 0.41 is acceptable, but K_c variability according to soil type must be considered.The priming effect on organic C and native microbial biomass mineralization, due to microbial carbon addition was obtained by comparison between the amount of non-labelled CO₂-C produced by fumigated soils with or without added labelled microorganisms: this priming effect was generally negligible.These results indicate that the major portion of the error of microbial biomass measurement comes from the K_c estimation.     

The nature and origins of diester phosphates in soils: a 31P-NMR study

Soils of two climosequences in Russia were investigated by ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy. They comprised Dystric Podzoluvisols, Haplic Greyzems, Calcic Chernozems, and Gypsic Kastanozems, which are located along temperature and precipitation gradients of the Russian Plain. Another sequence of soils included forest Humic Cambisols and Umbric Leptosols of subalpine and alpine meadows, which are formed in different climatic conditions along a climosequence of the Mt. Malaya Khatipara (northern Caucasus). The results showed that accumulation of DNA was high in the cold, wet, and acid soils (Dystric Podzoluvisol, alpine Umbric Leptosol), while phospholipids and teichoic acids mainly accumulated in the more microbially active soils. We performed a laboratory incubation experiment to test the relationship between microbial biomass P and P species identified in soil extracts. The proportions of P compounds resonating at 0.5-3.0 ppm in the NaHCO₃ and H₂SO₄ extracts from the incubated Humic Cambisol increased. The amounts of phosphate diesters resonating at 0 ppm in the same extracts and in the subsequent NaOH extracts decreased after incubation. Based on the results of ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy of native soils and of the laboratory incubation experiment we concluded that signals at 0 ppm in spectra of soil alkaline extracts belong to DNA P which is mainly stabilised in soil organic matter outside microbial cells (at least in soils with relatively low microbial activity). Phospholipids-teichoic acids P extracted with 0.5 M NaHCO₃ seems to be derived from soil microbial biomass, and its proportion can reflect the microbial activity in the soil.     

Relationships of soil microbial biomass carbon and organic carbon with environmental parameters in mountainous soils of southwest China

The relationships between microbial biomass C, organic C, and environmental parameters were studied in soils under corn (Zea mays. L) in the mountainous areas of southwest China. Three yellowish-red (Ultisols), yellow (Ultisols) and yellowish-brown (Alfisols) soils were relatively weathered, leached and impoverished, with most having a low input of aboveground corn residues. Seasonal changes in soil microbial C at 0-10 cm depth were significant at each sampling site, with the highest value (120 g C m^-2) in winter, and lowest value in summer (21 g C m^-2). Microbial biomass C was significantly and negatively correlated with site elevation and positively correlated with mean annual temperature. The seasonal change in microbial biomass C was significantly correlated with total soil organic C. The decline in microbial biomass C estimated as a percentage of the total soil organic C was negatively correlated with the elevation above sea level, ranging from 3.9ǂ.9% below 600 m to 1.4ǂ.5% above 1,500 m, suggesting higher turnover rates of soil microbial biomass C at warmer air temperatures. Temperature influenced the decomposition of organic C in soils mainly through its effects on microbial biomass C, and the microbial biomass C/organic C ratio appears to be a sensitive index of the change in organic matter content of soil.     

Effects of earthworms on Zn fractionation in soils

Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to examine the effect of earthworm (Pheretima sp.) activity on soil pH, zinc (Zn) fractionation and N mineralization in three soils. No Zn uptake by earthworms was observed. Zinc addition decreased pH of red soil (soil 1) and hydragric paddy soil (soil 3) by 0.5 and 0.2 unit, respectively, but had no effect on alluvial soil (soil 2). The effect of Zn on soil pH was possibly due to a specific adsorption mechanism between Zn and oxides. Earthworm activity significantly decreased the pH of the red soil, a key factor affecting Zn solubility, but not of the other two soils. Earthworm activity significantly increased DTPA-Zn (DTPA-extractable) and OxFe-Zn (NH₂OH-HCl-extractable) in the red soil, but had little effect on other fractions. In the alluvial soil, earthworm activity significantly increased OxFe-Zn but decreased organic-Zn (organic-associated Zn). In the hydragric paddy soil, earthworm activity significantly increased MgCl₂-Zn (MgCl₂-extractable) and organic-Zn. The level of CaCl₂-extractable Zn in all three soils was not affected by earthworm activity. Nitrogen mineralized as a result of earthworm activity was equivalent to 110, 120 and 30 kg N ha^-1 in soils 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Zinc added at rates less than 400 mg Zn kg^-1 did not seem to affect the activity of N-mineralizing microorganisms. The present results indicated the possibility of increasing the metal bioavailability of relatively low level metal-contaminated soils, with a higher organic matter content, by earthworm inoculation.     

外加碳、氮对土壤氮矿化、固定与激发效应的影响

本文利用14C和15N对中国生黄绵土(坡地黄绵土)、菜园黄绵土和瑞典耕作草甸土的土壤氮矿化、固定与激发效应进行了研究。结果表明,外加碳、氮能促进土壤氮的矿化、固定与激发效应;促进作用的大小次序为外加NH4-15N大于外加NO3-15N,外加葡萄糖+NH4-15N大于外加葡萄糖+NO3-15N,外加麦秸+NH4-15N大于外加麦秸+NO3-15N,外加葡萄糖+NH4-15大于外加麦秸+NH4-15,外加葡萄糖+NO3-15N大于外加麦秸+NO3-15N;低肥力土壤高于高肥力土壤。在本文中提出了土壤净矿化氮的激发效应、土壤生物固定氮激发效应和土壤总矿化氮的总激发效应的概念,认为土壤氮的总激发效应更能反映土壤氮激发效应的实质。     

土法炼锌区大气沉降Pb、Zn、Cd及其对土壤质量的影响

Dust emissions from smelters, as a major contributor to heavy metal contamination in soils, could severely influence soil quality. Downwind surface soils within 1.5 km of a zinc smelter, which was active for 10 years but ceased in 2000, in Magu Town, Guizhou Province, China were selected to examine Pb, Zn, and Cd concentrations and their fractionation along a distance gradient from a zinc smelter, and to study the possible effects of Pb, Zn, and Cd accumulation on soil microorganisms by comparing with a reference soil located at a downwind distance of 10 km from the zinc smelter. Soils within 1.5 km of the zinc smelter accumulated high levels of heavy metals Zn (508 mg kg-1), Pb (95.6 mg kg-1), and Cd (5.98 mg kg-1) with low ratios of Zn/Cd (59.1--115) and Pb/Cd (12.4--23.4). Composite pollution indices (CPIs) of surface soils (2.52--15.2) were 3 to 13 times higher than the reference soils. In metal accumulated soils, exchangeable plus carbonate-bound fractions accounted for more than 10% of the total Zn, Pb, and Cd. The saturation degree of metals (SDM) in soils within 1.5 km of the smelter (averaging 1.25) was six times higher than that of the reference soils (0.209). A smaller soil microbial biomass was found more frequently in metal accumulated soils (85.1--438 μg C g-1) than in reference soils (497 μg C g-1), and a negative correlation (P < 0.01) of soil microbial biomass carbon to organic carbon ratio (Cmic/Corg) with SDM was observed. Microbial consumption of carbon sources was more rapid in contaminated soils than in reference soils, and a shift in the substrate utilization pattern was apparent and was negatively correlated with SDM (R = -0.773, P < 0.01). Consequently, dust deposited Pb, Zn, and Cd in soils from zinc smelting were readily mobilized, and weredetrimental to soil quality mainly in respect of microbial biomass.     

Microbial community abundance and structure are determinants of soil organic matter mineralisation in the presence of labile carbon

Altered rates of native soil organic matter (SOM) mineralisation in the presence of labile C substrate (‘priming’), is increasingly recognised as central to the coupling of plant and soil-biological productivity and potentially as a key process mediating the C-balance of soils. However, the mechanisms and controls of SOM-priming are not well understood. In this study we manipulated microbial biomass size and composition (chloroform fumigation) and mineral nutrient availability to investigate controls of SOM-priming. Effects of applied substrate (¹³C-glucose) on mineralisation of native SOM were quantified by isotopic partitioning of soil respiration. In addition, the respective contributions of SOM-C and substrate-derived C to microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were quantified to account for pool-substitution effects (‘apparent priming’). Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of the soils were determined to establish treatment effects on microbial community structure, while the ¹³C-enrichment of PLFA biomarkers was used to establish pathways of substrate-derived C-flux through the microbial communities. The results indicated that glucose additions increased SOM-mineralisation in all treatments (positive priming). The magnitude of priming was reduced in fumigated soils, concurrent with reduced substrate-derived C-flux through putative SOM-mineralising organisms (fungi and actinomycetes). Nutrient additions reduced the magnitude of positive priming in non-fumigated soils, but did not affect the distribution of substrate-derived C in microbial communities. The results support the view that microbial community composition is a determinant of SOM-mineralisation, with evidence that utilisation of labile substrate by fungal and actinomycete (but not Gram-negative) populations promotes positive SOM-priming.     

Carbon dioxide efflux and concentrations in two soils under temperate forests

The carbon dioxide efflux to the atmosphere and the concentrations at various depths in two soils were measured, for more than a year, under pure stands of silver fir ( Abies alba Mill.) and European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) in central Italy. Microbial biomass and activity at the monitored depths were determined in the laboratory and the CO₂ evolved from incubated samples was submitted to radiocarbon analysis to assess the mean residence time of the organic matter degraded by microorganisms. The CO₂ efflux showed similar trends in the two soils, with highest values in October and lowest in January. The efflux depended more on air and soil temperatures than soil moisture, and was related to these variables better under fir than under beech. In both soils, the CO₂ concentration increased with depth: in the top horizon it was low and similar to that of the atmosphere, while in the deeper horizons it often amounted to considerable values (up to more than 1% by volume in the BC horizon under fir). The subsoil of the fir stand generally showed much higher CO₂ concentrations than that of the beech. The basal respiration as determined in the laboratory was at a maximum in the topsoil and decreased sharply downwards. Therefore, the high CO₂ concentrations measured in the field at the bottom of the profiles--where roots were few, and microbial biomass and available C pool were at a minimum--appeared to be due more to slow diffusivity of the soil matrix rather than to heavy release of the gas by the biota. The organic matter respired by microorganisms in incubated soil samples showed positive values of j¹⁴C that revealed a recent synthesis. The estimated mean residence time increased with depth, suggesting a generally higher degree of stabilisation of the organic pool in the subsoil.     

城市化对上海土壤环境质量的影响

Heavy metal contents in the soils in the Baoshan District of Shanghai were monitored to evaluate the risk of soil environmental quality degradation due to rapid urbanization and to reveal the ways of heavy metal accumulation in soil during rapid urban sprawl. It was found that the soils in this district were commonly contaminated by Pb, Zn and Cd. Evaluated with a geo-accumulation index (I_geo), the rate of Pb contamination in soils was 100% with 59% of these graded as moderate-severe or severe; Zn contamination reached 59% with 6% graded as moderate-severe or severe; and Cd contamination was over 50%, with one site graded as moderate-severe and another severe-extremely severe. Metal contamination of soils around the Shanghai metropolis was mainly attributed to trame, industrial production, wastewater irrigation and improper disposal of solid wastes. Because of continuing urbanization, the cultivated land around the metropolis should be comprehensively planned and carefully managed. Also the soil environmental quality of vegetable production bases in this area should be monitored regularly, with vegetables to be grown selected according to the degrees and types of soil contamination.     

Microbial use and decomposition of maize leaf straw incubated in packed soil columns at different depths

An experiment was carried out to investigate the decomposition and microbial use of maize leaf straw incubated in packed soil columns at different depths. The straw was incorporated into the top layer at 0–5 cm depth and into the bottom layer at 15–20 cm depth of a sandy or a loamy soil. Microbial biomass C was significantly increased after adding straw to the bottom layer of both soils. After adding straw to the top layer, this increase was significantly lower in the sandy soil and significantly higher in the loamy soil. Maize straw application significantly increased the ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio in both soils from 0.26% to a mean content of 0.72% after adding straw to the top layer and to a mean content of 1.11% after adding straw to the bottom layer. The calculation of the maize-derived CO₂ production revealed that the mineralization rates of maize C were always higher in the sandy soil, with a mean of 20%, than in the loamy soil, with a mean of 14%. The application of maize straw always significantly increased the soil organic matter-derived CO₂ production. This increase was stronger in the loamy soil than in the sandy soil and stronger after application of the maize straw to the top layer than to the bottom layer. On average, 100% of the maize straw C was recovered in the different fractions analysed. In the layers with maize leaf straw application, 28% of the maize C was recovered as particulate organic matter (POM) > 2 mm and 32% as POM 0.4–2.0 mm, without a significant difference between the two soils and the depth of application. In the layers with maize leaf straw application, 19% of the maize C was recovered as microbial residue C and 3.1% as microbial biomass C. In the three layers without straw, the microbial biomass incorporated a further 2.4% of the maize C in the sandy soil, but only 0.9% in the loamy soil. Considerable amounts of substrate C were transferred within the microbial biomass over a decimetre distance. The finer pore space of the loamy soil seems to obstruct the transfer of maize-derived C. This was especially true if the maize leaf straw was added to the bottom layer.     

Sources of Heavy Metals and Their Long-term Effects on Microbial C, N and P Relationships in Soil

The effects of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, and Cu) on microbial biomass C, N, and P were assessed in soils contaminated over a wide range by sewage sludge, exhaust dust deposition of a lead factory and river sediments of mining residues. Microbial biomass C, N, and P did not show any clear heavy metal effect related to soil dry weight. Also the ratios of microbial biomass C/N and biomass C/P remained unaffected by heavy metals. The ratios of microbial biomass C/soil organic C, biomass N/total N, and biomass P/total P were all negatively affected by increasing concentrations of Zn, Pb, and Cu as detected by a source-specific analysis of covariance using the different heavy metal fractions as covariate. Negative effects of Zn on the ratios microbial biomass C/soil organic C and biomass N/total N increased with increasing metal solubility in the order: (X-ray fluorescence analysis) XFA-detectable <HNO₃ <EDTA ?NH₄NO₃-extractable Zn. The Zn effects on the microbial biomass N/total N were always smaller than those on the microbial biomass C/soil organic C ratio. The same was true for all effects of the Pb and Cu fractions on these two ratios. For this reason, the deposition of highly soluble Zn and Pb by exhaust dust has the most negative effects, although sediments contained the maximum total burden of Zn and Pb. All fractions of Zn, Pb, and Cu had similar negative effects on the microbial biomass P/total P ratio, although the NH₄NO₃-extractable fraction again showed the most pronounced effects.