Plant genotype strongly modifies the structure and growth of maize rhizosphere microbial communities

We studied the microbial communities in maize (Zea mays) rhizosphere to determine the extent to which their structure, biomass, activity and growth were influenced by plant genotype (su1 and sh2 genes) and the addition of standard and high doses of different types of fertilizer (inorganic, raw manure and vermicompost). For this purpose, we sampled the rhizosphere of maize plants at harvest, and analyzed the microbial community structure (PLFA analysis) and activity (basal respiration and bacterial and fungal growth rates). Discriminant analysis clearly differentiated rhizosphere microbial communities in relation to plant genotype. Although microorganisms clearly responded to dose of fertilization, the three fertilizers also contributed to differentiate rhizosphere microbial communities. Moreover, larger plants did not promoted higher biomass or microbial growth rates suggesting complex interactions between plants and fertilizers, probably as a result of the different performance of plant genotypes within fertilizer treatments, i.e. differences in the quality and/or composition of root exudates.     

Environmental conditions rather than microbial inoculum composition determine the bacterial composition,microbial biomass and enzymatic activity of reconstructed soil microbial communities

The composition of microbial communities and the level of enzymatic activity in the soil are both important indicators of soil quality, but the mechanisms by which a soil bacterial community is generated and maintained are not yet fully understood. Two soil samples were collected from the same location, but each had been subjected to a different long-term fertilization treatment and was characterized by different microbial diversity, biomass and physicochemical properties. These samples were γ-sterilized and swap inoculated. Non-sterilized soil samples along with sterilized and inoculated soil samples were incubated for eight months before their nutrient content, microbial biomass, enzymatic activity and bacterial composition were analyzed. Total phosphorus, and potassium concentrations along with the overall organic matter content of the non-sterilized soil were all equal to those of the same soil that had been sterilized and self/swap inoculated. Additionally, the microbial biomass carbon concentration was not affected by the specific inoculum and varied only by soil type. The activities of catalase, invertase, urease, protease, acid phosphatase and phytase were smaller in the sterilized soils that had been inoculated with organisms from chemical fertilizer amended soil (NPK) when compared to sterilized soil inoculated with organisms from manure and chemical fertilizer amended soil (NPKM) and non-sterilized soil samples. Bacterial 16S rRNA examined by 454-pyrosequencing revealed that the composition of bacterial community reconstructed by immigrant microbial inoculum in the soil was mainly influenced by its physicochemical properties, although the microbial inoculum contained different abundances of bacterial taxa. For example, the pH of the soil was the dominant factor in reconstructing a new bacterial community. Taken together, these results demonstrated that both soil microbial composition and functionality were primarily determined by soil properties rather than the microbial inoculum, which contributed to our understanding of how soil microbial communities are generated and maintained.     

Rapid effects of plant species diversity and identity on soil microbial communities in experimental grassland ecosystems

Changes in plant community structure, including the loss of plant diversity may affect soil microbial communities. To test this hypothesis, plant diversity and composition were experimentally varied in grassland plots cultivated with monocultures or mixtures of 2, 3 or 4 species. We tested the effects of monocultures versus mixtures and of plant species composition on culturable soil bacterial activity, number of substrates used and catabolic diversity, microbial biomass N, microbial respiration, and root biomass. These properties were all measured 10 months after seeding the experiment. Soil bacterial activity, number of substrates used and catabolic diversity were measured in the different plant communities using BIOLOG GN and GP microplates, which are redox-based tests measuring capacity of soil culturable bacteria to use a variety of organic substrates. Microbial biomass N, microbial respiration, and root biomass were insensitive to plant diversity. Culturable soil microbial activity, substrates used and diversity declined with declining plant diversity. Their activity, number of substrates used and diversity were significantly higher in plots with 3 and 4 plant species than in monocultures and in plots with 2 species. There was also an effect of plant species composition. Culturable soil microbial activity and diversity was higher in the four-species plant community than in any of the plant monocultures suggesting that the effect of plant diversity could not be explained by the presence of a particular plant species. Our results showed that changes in plant diversity and composition in grassland ecosystems lead to a rapid response of bacterial activity and diversity.     

寡糖对土壤微生物多样性及群落结构的调节作用

土壤微生物种群类型,对土壤质量和作物生长具有重要影响,研究寡糖对土壤微生物种群的影响特征,有助于正确、高效及安全使用寡糖。本研究利用人工气候室进行土壤培养,土壤施加50mg·L−1的壳寡糖（CSOS）和纤维寡糖（COS）溶液,以清水（CK）为对照处理,培养6d后取样,利用高通量测序技术,分析土壤微生物群落结构组成及多样性分布特征。结果表明：壳寡糖（CSOS）和纤维寡糖（COS）处理均显著改变细菌、真菌的群落结构,提高细菌的物种观测数。变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）、放线菌门（Actinobacteria）、绿弯菌门（Chloroflexi）、芽单胞菌门（Gemmatimonadetes）和拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）为优势细菌门,子囊菌门（Ascomycota）、担子菌门（Basidiomycota）和被孢霉门（Mortierellomycota）为优势真菌门。通过组间群落组成比较分析可知,壳寡糖（CSOS）和纤维寡糖（COS）处理均不同程度降低酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）的相对丰度,增加变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、放线菌门（Actinobacteria）、芽单胞菌门（Gemmatimonadetes）、壶菌门（Chytridiomycota）以及有益菌属溶杆菌属（Lysobacter）、硝化螺旋菌属（Nitrospira）、Haliangium、芽球菌属（Blastococcus）和链霉菌属（Streptomyces）的相对丰度,但与纤维寡糖（COS）相比,壳寡糖（CSOS）处理微生物群落组成的变化幅度更大。此外,壳寡糖（CSOS）和纤维寡糖（COS）处理在调节土壤微生物群落结构上存在一定差异。其中,壳寡糖（CSOS）处理有益菌属Talaromyces的相对丰度增加195%,纤维寡糖（COS）处理有益菌属假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas）的相对丰度增加215%。综上,壳寡糖和纤维寡糖处理均能优化土壤微生物群落的结构组成,其调控差异性有助于理解不同寡糖的调控机制,推动寡糖的应用与推广。     

Functional resilience of soil microbial communities depends on both soil structure and microbial community composition

The effects of soil structure and microbial community composition on microbial resistance and resilience to stress were found to be interrelated in a series of experiments. The initial ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens to decompose added plant residues immediately after a copper or heat stress (resistance) depended significantly on which of 26 sterile soils it was inoculated into. Subsequent studies showed that both the resistance and subsequent recovery in the ability of P. fluorescens to decompose added plant residues over 28 days after stress (resilience) varied significantly between a sandy and a clay-loam soil. Sterile, sandy and clay-loam soil was then inoculated with a complex microbial community extracted from either of the soils. The resulting microbial community structure depended on soil type rather than the source of inoculum, whilst the resistance and resilience of decomposition was similarly governed by the soil and not the inoculum source. Resilience of the clay-loam soil to heat stress did not depend on the water content of the soil at the time of stress, although the physical condition of the soil when decomposition was measured did affect the outcome. We propose that soil functional resilience is governed by the physico-chemical structure of the soil through its effect on microbial community composition and microbial physiology.     

Rock fragments in soil support a different microbial community from the fine earth

Two sandstone-derived soils under pure stands of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) were studied to determine if the fine earth (<2 mm material) and two size-classes of porous rock fragments (>2 mm material) supported different microbial communities. Samples from three soil horizons (A, Bw, and BC) were analysed under both optical and scanning electron microscopes. Small stones (2-10 mm in average diameter) appeared more altered than larger ones (40-60 mm) and the effects of weathering became more obvious with shallower depth. In both soils, numerous hyphae and other living forms were observed on the surface of the stones from the A and Bw horizons; this contrasted with the stones from the BC horizon, which showed little or no colonisation. The microbial community of each fraction was characterised using Biolog-Community Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) and phospholipid fatty acid analyses (PLFA) for samples in the A and B horizons. Significant potential microbial activity (C source utilisation) was associated with rock fragments, from the A horizon and, to a lesser extent, the B, although this was lower than for the equivalent fine earth fraction. The microbial colonisation of the stones appeared inversely related with their size and sampling depth. The PLFA analysis showed not only quantitative differences in the microbial biomass between horizons and size-fractions but also highlighted that the communities differed between soils, horizons (for the sole beech soil) and fractions. These findings demonstrate that by considering rock fragments as a microbiologically inert fraction and discarding them before analysis, as usually is done, can lead to an incomplete picture of both the total amount and, perhaps more importantly, the structure of soil microbial community.     

Substrate utilization patterns of desert soil microbial communities in response to xeric and mesic conditions

The Negev Desert is characterized by low soil moisture and organic matter content and an unpredictable rainfall amount, dispersion, and intensity. Water and nutrient availability are, therefore, the major limiting factors of biological activity in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Plants have developed different ecophysiological adaptations in order to cope with the harsh conditions in this xeric environment, e.g., excretion of salt (Reaumuria negevensis) and chemical compounds (Artemisia sieberi) through the leaves. Microorganisms constitute a major part of these ecosystems' total biomass, and are diverse members of the soil food web, being primarily responsible for breaking down complex organic compounds, which are then recycled. They are also known to be very sensitive to abiotic changes and can time their activity to the environmental conditions.Soil samples were collected monthly from a 0 to 10 cm depth, under the canopies of A. sieberi, Noaea mucronata, and R. negevensis. Samples collected from inter-shrub spaces served as control. CO₂ evolution, microbial biomass, microbial functional diversity, and the physiological profile of the community, were determined by MicroResp™ analysis. A significant difference was found between the two dry periods in most of the examined parameters. The values of water, organic matter content, and total soluble nitrogen were higher in soil samples collected in the vicinity of R. negevensis than in samples collected in the vicinity of N. mucronata, A. sieberi, and the open area. A similar trend was found in CO₂ evolution, microbial biomass, and H' values, in which soil samples collected beneath the canopies of N. mucronata and R. negevensis and from open area had higher values during the wet periods (which were characterized by a mesic environment) and in samples collected beneath the A. sieberi in the wet 2006 and dry 2007 periods.     

Soil conditions and land use intensification effects on soil microbial communities across a range of European field sites

Intensive land use practices necessary for providing food and raw materials are known to have a deleterious effect on soil. However, the effects that such practices have on soil microbes are less well understood. To investigate the effects of land use intensification on soil microbial communities we used a combined T-RFLP and pyrosequencing approach to study bacteria, archaea and fungi in spring and autumn at five long term observatories (LTOs) in Europe; each with a particular land use type and contrasting levels of intensification (low and high). Generally, due to large gradients in soil variables, both molecular methods revealed that soil microbial communities were structured according to differences in soil conditions between the LTOs, more so than land use intensity. Moreover, variance partitioning analysis also showed that soil properties better explained the differences in microbial communities than land use intensity effects. Predictable responses in dominant bacterial, archaeal and fungal taxa to edaphic conditions (e.g. soil pH and resource availability) were apparent between the LTOs. Some effects of land use intensification at individual field sites were observed. However, these effects were manifest when land use change affected soil conditions. Uniquely, this study details the responses of different microbial groups to soil type and land use intensification, and their relative importance across a range of European field sites. These findings reinforce our understanding of drivers impacting soil microbial community structure at both field and larger geographic scales.     

The effect of electrokinetics on soil microbial communities

There is growing interest in the potential of applying an electric field to soil to move and stimulate the degradation of contaminants, but we know little of the impact of this approach on exposed microbial communities. The effect of electrokinetics (3.14 A m⁻²) on soil bacterial and fungal communities was studied using soil cartridge microcosms (13 cm×5.4 cm×5.9 cm). After 27 days of electrokinetics, a zone of low pH (<4) was detected close to the anode. Soil exposed to electrokinetics and immediately adjacent to the anode demonstrated an increase in carbon substrate utilisation potential (≤290%) and microbial respiration rates. The diversity and structure of the bacterial community showed little response to electrokinetics, with the exception of soil close to the anode. Here, an increase in the percentage of Gram-positive species isolated was identified, most notably of Bacillus megaterium. Overall, the only detectable response of the microbial community was observed in soil immediately adjacent to the anode. The results of this study provide evidence that the application of electrokinetics has no serious negative effect on ‘soil microbial health’, thus endorsing its validity as a viable soil remediation technology.     

Organic nitrogen cycling microbial communities are abundant in a dry Australian agricultural soil

Some microbial nitrogen (N) cycling processes continue under low soil moisture levels in drought-adapted ecosystems. These processes are of particular importance in winter cropping systems, where N availability during autumn sowing informs fertilizer practices and impacts crop productivity. We evaluated the organic and inorganic N-cycling communities in a key cropping soil (Vertosol), using a controlled-environment incubation study that was designed to model the autumn break in south Australian grain growing regions. Soils from wheat, lucerne, and green manure (disced-in vetch) rotations of the Sustainable Cropping Rotations in Mediterranean Environments trial (Victoria, Australia) were collected during the summer when soil moisture was low. Microbial community structure and functional capacity were measured both before and after wetting (21, 49, and 77 days post-wetting) using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism measures of bacterial and fungal communities, and quantitative PCR of nitrogen cycling genes. Quantified genes included those associated with organic matter decomposition (laccase, cellobiohydrolase), mineralization of N from organic matter (peptidases) and nitrification (bacterial and archaeal ammonia monooxygenase and nitrite oxidoreductase). In general, the N cycling functional capacity decreased with soil wetting, and there was an apparent shift from organic-N cycling dominance to autotrophic mineral-N cycling dominance. Soil nitrate levels were best predicted by laccase and neutral peptidase genes under drought conditions, but by neutral peptidase and bacterial ammonia monooxygenase genes under moist conditions. Rotation history affected both the structural and functional resilience of the soil microbial communities to changing soil moisture. Discing in green manure (vetch) residues promoted a resilient microbial community, with a high organic-N cycling capacity in dry soils. Although this was a small-scale microcosm study, our results suggest that management strategies could be developed to control microbial organic-N processing during the summer fallow period and thus improve crop-available N levels at sowing.     

Cattle grazing increases microbial biomass and alters soil nematode communities in subtropical pastures

This study focused on examining the impacts of cattle grazing on belowground communities and soil processes in humid grasslands. Multiple components in the soil communities were examined in heavily grazed and ungrazed areas of unimproved and improved bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) pastures in south-central Florida. By using small (1-m×1-m) sampling plots, we were able to detect critical differences in nematode communities, microbial biomass, and mineralized C and N, resulting from the patchy grazing pattern of cattle. Soil samples were collected on three occasions between June 2002 and June 2003. Microbial C and N were greater (P?0.01) in grazed than in ungrazed plots on all sampling dates. Effects of grazing varied among nematode genera. Most genera of colonizer bacterivores were decreased (P?0.10) by grazing, but more persistent bacterivores such as Euteratocephalus and Prismatolaimus were increased, as were omnivores and predators. Higher numbers of persisters indicated that grazing resulted in a more structured nematode community. Some herbivores, particularly Criconematidae, were decreased by grazing. Abundance of omnivores, predators, and especially fungivores were strongly associated with C mineralization potential. Strong correlation of microbial C and N with nematode canonical variables composed of five trophic groups illustrates important links between nematode community structure and soil microbial resources. Including the analysis of nematode trophic groups with soil microbial responses reveals detection of grazing impact deeper into the hierarchy of the decomposition process in soil, and illustrates the complexity of responses to grazing in the soil foodweb. Although highly sensitive to grazing impacts, small-scale sampling could not be used to generalize the overall impact of cattle grazing in large-scale pastures, which might be determined by the intensity and grazing patterns of various stocking densities at the whole pasture level.     

Development of soil microbial communities during tallgrass prairie restoration

Soil microbial communities were examined in a chronosequence of four different land-use treatments at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas. The time series comprised a conventionally tilled cropland (CTC) developed on former prairie soils, two restored grasslands that were initiated on former agricultural soils in 1998 (RG₉₈) and 1978 (RG₇₈), and an annually burned native tallgrass prairie (BNP), all on similar soil types. In addition, an unburned native tallgrass prairie (UNP) and another grassland restored in 2000 (RG₀₀) on a different soil type were studied to examine the effect of long-term fire exclusion vs. annual burning in native prairie and the influence of soil type on soil microbial communities in restored grasslands. Both 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and phospholipid fatty acid analyses indicated that the structure and composition of bacterial communities in the CTC soil were significantly different from those in prairie soils. Within the time series, soil physicochemical characteristics changed monotonically. However, changes in the microbial communities were not monotonic, and a transitional bacterial community formed during restoration that differed from communities in either the highly disturbed cropland or the undisturbed original prairie. The microbial communities of RG₉₈ and RG₀₀ grasslands were also significantly different even though they were restored at approximately the same time and were managed similarly; a result attributable to the differences in soil type and associated soil chemistry such as pH and Ca. Burning and seasonal effects on soil microbial communities were small. Similarly, changing plot size from 300 m² to 150 m² in area caused small differences in the estimates of microbial community structure. In conclusion, microbial community structure and biochemical properties of soil from the tallgrass prairie were strongly impacted by cultivation, and the microbial community was not fully restored even after 30 years.     

Soil microbial communities under conventional-till and no-till continuous cotton systems

Soil management practices affect soil microbial communities, which in turn influence soil ecosystem processes. In this study, the effects of conventional- (fall disking, chiseling and spring disking, field cultivation) and no-tillage practices on soil microbial communities were examined under long-term continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) systems on a Decatur silt loam soil. Soil samples were taken in February, May, and October of 2000 at depths of 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, and 12-24 cm. Compared to the conventional-till treatment, the no-till treatment increased soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents in the surface layer by 130 and 70%, respectively. Microbial biomass C content under no-till treatment was 60, 140, and 75% greater than under conventional-till treatment in February, May, and October, respectively. Principal components analysis of phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid (PLFA) profile indicated soil microbial communities shifted over time and with soil depth. This change appeared to be driven primarily by soil bacterial populations as indicated by the major PLFA contributors (i.e. fatty acids 16:0, 10Me16:0, cy19:0, 16:1 2OH, and i15:0) to the first two principal components. Tillage treatment differences were revealed by analysis of variance on the first principal components (PC 1), which accounted for 62% of the total sample variance, and by the relative abundance of selected PLFAs and PLFA ratios. The impact of tillage practices was significant in February and May, but not in October. During the growing season, changes in the microbial community may be primarily determined by soil conditions responding to cotton growth and environmental variables such as moisture and temperature; during fallow or prior to cotton establishment, community changes associated with tillage practices become more pronounced. These findings have implications for understanding how conservation tillage practices improve soil quality and sustainability in a cotton cropping system.     

Interactions between nematodes and microbial communities in a tropical soil following manipulation of the soil food web

The carrying capacity for microflora and nematofauna was manipulated (using a bactericide, a fungicide, manure or a growing millet plant) in a poor tropical soil, in order to identify relationships between the soil microbes and nematodes and to assess the influences of these organisms on nitrogen flux. The experiment was conducted for 4 months in containers under greenhouse conditions, with analyses of soil, nematofauna and microbial characteristics at regular intervals. Manure input and initial bactericide application led to a significant increase in bacterial-feeding and fungal-feeding nematodes of coloniser-persister classes 1 and 2, respectively, whereas high manure input stimulated omnivorous nematodes (i.e. Microdorylaimus rapsus) which became the dominant trophic group. Changes in abundance of the different bacterial-feeding nematode taxa between treatments seemed to be more related to changes in the structure of the microbial communities than to the total amount of micro-organisms, as suggested by the RISA fingerprint analysis of the bacterial communities. Canonical analysis of nematode feeding guilds, combined with soil microbial and mineral nitrogen parameters as well as multiple regression showed that the bacterial-feeding nematodes influenced the inorganic N content in the soil whereas microbial biomass was determined by total nematode abundance and not by any specific trophic group.     

稻田土壤微生物群落对稻鳖共作模式的响应特征

稻鳖共作是一种绿色、高效的生态农业种养模式,然而有关共作模式对稻田土壤微生物群落结构与功能特征的影响及其驱动因子的研究鲜有报道。为此,该研究以水稻单作（RM）和稻鳖共作（RT）处理的稻田土壤为研究对象,采用Illumina高通量测序技术分析土壤细菌和真菌群落结构的变化,并探讨土壤理化性质和微生物群落间的相关性。结果表明：1）稻鳖共作模式使土壤有机质（Soil Organic Matter,SOM）、总钾（Total Potassium,TK）、碱解氮（Alkali-hydrolyzale Nitrogen,AN）、有效磷（Available Phosphorus,AP）和速效钾（Available Potassium,AK）含量显著提高了17.82%、15.15%、13.80%、37.37%和21.57%（P<0.05）。2）稻鳖共作模式显著提高了土壤真菌群落的丰富度,改变了微生物群落结构。共作使土壤细菌变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、酸杆菌门（Acidobacteriota）、真菌子囊菌门（Ascomycota）和罗兹菌门（Rozellomycota）相对丰度分别增加了6.42%、1.16%、0.44%和2.96%,真菌担子菌门（Basidiomycota）相对丰度降低了0.22%。3）共线网络分析表明,稻鳖共作增加了细菌微生物网络总节点数、边数、平均聚类数和模块化,增强了微生物网络复杂度,加强了群落间的联系;共作降低了真菌微生物网络节点数,但增加了正相互作用的微生物,增强了微生物间的协同合作。4）冗余分析（Redundancy Analysis,RDA）表明,土壤有机质、全钾和速效钾含量是影响细菌群落结构变化的主要环境因子,全钾、速效钾和有效磷含量是影响真菌群落结构变化的主要环境因子。综上,稻鳖共作有利于提高稻田土壤肥力,改变土壤微生物群落结构,并提高了微生物丰富度,使微生物群落间的联系更紧密。该研究为探究科学合理的稻田栽培模式提供了重要的科学依据。     

Bacterial communities from soil sediments of a mountain oasis in northern Oman

Paleoecological records of a 20 meter deep profile near an oasis settlement in northern Oman have yielded a chronosequence providing insights into relationships between vegetation, the environment and development of human settlements in this area over a period of time spanning 19,000 years. In conjunction with analysis of the chemical and physical properties of this profile, we hypothesized that bacterial community structures associated with this chronosequence may also constitute a part of the biogeochemical record of the climate history that has been preserved at this site. To examine this hypothesis, we studied the composition of the community as revealed by profiling of 16S rRNA genes at 1 meter intervals along the entire profile. The results of our study show distinct changes in bacterial communities with increasing depth that correspond with differences in the climatic record as indicated by the occurrence of micro-charcoal particles. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes proved the presence of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Chloroflexi and representatives from the candidate divisions SPAM, NC10, and OP10. Differences in the communities support the hypothesis that the bacterial species compositions in the sediment reflect properties of the organic matter and vegetation at the time they were deposited.     

干旱扰动下长期不同施肥潮土微生物群落稳定性研究

土壤微生物群落稳定性是土壤健康的重要组成部分和评价指标，揭示长期不同施肥的农田土壤微生物群落稳定性有助于指导田间施肥管理，保障农田生态系统的土壤健康和可持续发展。本研究依托中国科学院封丘农业生态实验站长期定位试验，通过对三种不同施肥处理的潮土进行干旱扰动和复水回复的培养试验，从多种微生物群落响应指标（脱氢酶活性、细菌群落alpha多样性、关键物种丰度、微生物群落结构和分子生态网络拓扑属性）分别量化和比较了不同施肥处理的微生物群落稳定性（抵抗力和回复力）。结果表明，与不施肥处理（CK）和平衡施用化肥处理（NPK）相比，有机无机肥配施处理（OM）能够显著增加微生物群落稳定性，表现在OM的微生物群落响应指标在干旱-复水过程中的变化最小，抵抗力与回复力均优于CK和NPK。复水后不同施肥处理的细菌群落alpha多样性、关键物种丰度和网络拓扑参数能够回复到初始水平，而群落结构和脱氢酶活性不能完全回复，说明细菌群落alpha多样性的回复快于群落结构和功能。本文基于多种微生物群落响应指标定量计算微生物群落的抵抗力和回复力，结果表明有机无机肥配施能显著提高微生物群落稳定性，是保障农田生态系统土壤健康和可持续发展的优良管理措施。     

喀斯特生态系统中乔木和灌木林根际土壤微生物生物量及其多样性的比较

我国喀斯特区域面积分布较广,而喀斯特生态系统的退化已成为当前西南地区面临的严重的生态问题。本研究选取贵州中部两种不同植被类型的生态系统—乔木林和灌木林,以乔木林中的白栎、园果化香和灌木林中的火棘、竹叶椒等主要优势树种为对象,研究不同的植物树种对根际土壤微生物生物量及其细菌群落结构的影响。结果显示:乔木林系统中根际土壤微生物生物量碳、氮显著性高于灌木林,植物的根际效应在乔木林中表现更为显著;同时乔木林中的优势树种通过根系分泌物的作用显著提高根际土壤细菌多样性指数,而灌木林中优势树种的根际土壤微生物量及多样性均未表现出明显的根际效应。因此,植被的演替通过改变土壤微生物的特性影响植物-微生物-土壤之间的物质和能量循环,进一步影响喀斯特生态系统的稳定和健康功能。     

Hydrolase activities, microbial biomass and bacterial community in a soil after long-term amendment with different composts

The use of composts in agricultural soils is a widespread practice and the positive effects on soil and plants are known from numerous studies. However, there have been few attempts to compare the effects of different kinds of composts in one single study. The aim of this paper is to investigate to what extent and to which soil depth four major types of composts would affect the soil and its microbiota.In a crop-rotation field experiment, composts produced from (i) urban organic wastes, (ii) green wastes, (iii) manure and (iv) sewage sludge were applied at a rate equivalent to 175 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for 12 years. General (total organic C (C_org), total N (N_t), microbial biomass C (C_mic), and basal respiration), specific (enzyme activities related to C, N and P cycles), biochemical properties and bacterial genetic diversity (based on DGGE analysis of 16S rDNA) were analyzed at different depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm).Compost treatment increased C_org at all depths from 11 g kg⁻¹ for control soil to 16.7 g kg⁻¹ for the case of sewage sludge compost. Total N increased with compost treatment at 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm depths, but not at 20-30 cm. Basal respiration and C_mic declined with depth, and the composts resulted in an increase of C_mic and basal respiration. Enzyme activities were different depend on the enzyme and among compost treatments, but in general, the enzyme activities were higher in the upper layers (0-10 and 10-20 cm) than in the 20-30 cm layer. Diversity of ammonia oxidizers and bacteria was lower in the control than in the compost soils. The type of compost had less influence on the composition of the microbial communities than did soil depth.Some of the properties were sensitive enough to distinguish between different compost, while others were not. This stresses the need of multi-parameter approaches when investigating treatment effects on the soil microbial community. In general, with respect to measures of activity, biomass and community diversity, differences down the soil profile were more pronounced than those due to the compost treatments.     

Bacterial diversity of terra preta and pristine forest soil from the Western Amazon

The survey presented here describes the bacterial diversity and community structures of a pristine forest soil and an anthropogenic terra preta from the Western Amazon forest using molecular methods to identify the predominant phylogenetic groups. Bacterial community similarities and species diversity in the two soils were compared using oligonucleotide fingerprint grouping of 16S rRNA gene sequences for 1500 clones (OFRG) and by DNA sequencing. The results showed that both soils had similar bacterial community compositions over a range of phylogenetic distances, among which Acidobacteria were predominant, but that terra preta supported approximately 25% greater species richness. The survey provides the first detailed analysis of the composition and structure of bacterial communities from terra preta anthrosols using noncultured-based molecular methods.