Endogeic earthworms alter carbon translocation by fungi at the soil-litter interface

The effect of endogeic earthworms (Octolasion tyrtaeum (Savigny)) on the translocation of litter-derived carbon into the upper layer of a mineral soil by fungi was investigated in a microcosm experiment. Arable soil with and without O. tyrtaeum was incubated with ¹³C/¹⁵N-labelled rye leaves placed on plastic rings with gaze (64 μm mesh size) to avoid incorporation of leaves by earthworms. The plastic rings were positioned either on or 3 cm above the soil surface, to distinguish between biotic and chemical/physical translocation of nutrients by fungi and leaching.Contact of leaves to the soil increased ¹³C translocation, whereas presence of O. tyrtaeum reduced the incorporation of ¹³C into the mineral soil in all treatments. Although biomass of O. tyrtaeum decreased during the experiment, more ¹³C and ¹⁵N was incorporated into earthworm tissue in treatments with contact of leaves to the soil. Contact of leaves to the soil and the presence of O. tyrtaeum increased cumulative ¹³CO₂-C production by 18.2% and 14.1%, respectively.The concentration of the fungal bio-indicator ergosterol in the soil tended to be increased and that of the fungal-specific phospholipid fatty acid 18:2ω6 was significantly increased in treatments with contact of leaves to the soil. Earthworms reduced the concentration of ergosterol and 18:2ω6 in the soil by 14.0% and 43.2%, respectively. Total bacterial PLFAs in soil were also reduced in presence of O. tyrtaeum, but did not respond to the addition of the rye leaves. In addition, the bacterial community in treatments with O. tyrtaeum differed from that without earthworms and shifted towards an increased dominance of Gram-negative bacteria.The results indicate that litter-decomposing fungi translocate litter-derived carbon via their mycelial network in to the upper mineral soil. Endogeic earthworms decrease fungal biomass by grazing and disruption of fungal hyphae thereby counteracting the fungal-mediated translocation of carbon in soils.     

Decomposer animals (Lumbricidae, Collembola) and organic matter distribution affect the performance of Lolium perenne (Poaceae) and Trifolium repens (Fabaceae)

Decomposer animals stimulate plant growth by indirect effects such as increasing nutrient availability or by modifying microbial communities in the rhizosphere. In grasslands, the spatial distribution of organic matter (OM) rich in nutrients depends on agricultural practice and the bioturbation activities of large detritivores, such as earthworms. We hypothesized that plants of different functional groups with contrasting nutrient uptake and resource allocation strategies differentially benefit from sites in soil with OM accumulation and the presence of decomposer animals. In a greenhouse experiment we investigated effects of spatial distribution of ¹⁵N-labelled grass litter, earthworms and collembola on a simple grassland community consisting of Lolium perenne (grass) and Trifolium repens (legume). Litter aggregates (compared to homogeneous litter distribution) increased total shoot biomass, root biomass and ¹⁵N uptake by the plants. Earthworms and collembola did not affect total N uptake of T. repens; however, the presence of both increased ¹⁵N uptake by T. repens and L. perenne. Earthworms increased shoot biomass of T. repens 1.11-fold and that of L. perenne 2.50 fold. Biomass of L. perenne was at a maximum in the presence of earthworms, collembola and with litter concentrated in a single aggregate. Shoot biomass of T. repens increased in the presence of collembola, with L. perenne generally responding opposingly. The results indicate that the composition of the decomposer community and the distribution of OM in soil affect plant competition and therefore plant community composition.     

Soil feedback effects to the foredune grass Ammophila arenaria by endoparasitic root-feeding nematodes and whole soil communities

In coastal foredunes, the grass Ammophila arenaria develops a soil community that contributes to die-back and replacement by later successional plant species. Root-feeding nematodes and pathogenic soil microorganisms are involved in this negative feedback. Regular burial by wind-blown beach sand results in vigorous growth of A. arenaria, probably because of enabling a temporary escape from negative soil feedback. Here, we examine the role of root-feeding nematodes as compared to the whole soil community in causing negative feedback to A. arenaria. We performed a 3-year sand burial experiment in the field and every year we determined the feedback of different soil communities to plant growth in growth chamber bioassays.In the field, we established A. arenaria in tubes with beach sand, added three endoparasitic root-feeding nematode species (Meloidogyne maritima, Heterodera arenaria and Pratylenchus penetrans) or root zone soil to the plants, and created series of ceased and continued sand burial. During three subsequent years, plant biomass was measured and numbers of nematodes were counted. Every year, bioassays were performed with the field soils and biomass of seed-grown A. arenaria plants was measured to determine the strength of feedback of the established soil communities to the plant.In the field, addition of root zone soil had a negative effect on biomass of buried plants. In the bioassays, addition of root zone soil also reduced the biomass of newly planted seedlings, however, only in the case when the field plants had not been buried with beach sand. Addition of the three endoparasitic root-feeding nematodes did not influence plant biomass in the field and in the bioassays. Our results strongly suggest that the negative feedback to A. arenaria is not due to the combination of the three endoparasitic nematodes, but to other components in the soil community, or their interactions with the nematodes.     

Short and long-term effects of elevated CO2 on Lolium perenne rhizodeposition and its consequences on soil organic matter turnover and plant N yield

It is still unclear whether elevated CO₂ increases plant root exudation and consequently affects the soil microbial biomass. The effects of elevated CO₂ on the fate of the C and nitrogen (N) contained in old soil organic matter pools is also unclear. In this study the short and long-term effects of elevated CO₂ on C and N pools and fluxes were assessed by growing isolated plants of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in glasshouses at elevated and ambient atmospheric CO₂ and using soil from the New Zealand FACE site that had >4 years exposure to CO₂ enrichment. Using ¹⁴CO₂ pulse labelling, the effects of elevated CO₂ on C allocation within the plant-soil system were studied. Under elevated CO₂ more root derived C was found in the soil and in the microbial biomass 48 h after labelling. The increased availability of substrate significantly stimulated soil microbial growth and acted as priming effect, enhancing native soil organic matter decomposition regardless of the mineral N supply. Despite indications of faster N cycling in soil under elevated CO₂, N availability to plants stayed unchanged. Soil previously exposed to elevated CO₂ exhibited a higher N cycling rate but again there was no effect on plant N uptake. With respect to the difficulties of extrapolating glasshouse experiment results to the field, we concluded that the accumulation of coarse organic matter observed in the field under elevated CO₂ was probably not created by an imbalance between C and N but was likely to be due to more complex phenomena involving soil mesofauna and/or other nutrients limitations.     

Earthworm-mediated maternal effects on seed germination and seedling growth in three annual plants

Many ecological studies have pointed out maternal effects in plants and shown that plant maternal environment influences germination of their seed and subsequent seedling growth. However, few have tested for maternal effects induced by soil macroorganisms. We tested whether two earthworm species (Aporrectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus terrestris) trigger such maternal effects on seed germination and seedling growth of three plant species (Veronica persica, Poa annua and Cerastium glomeratum). Our results show that, through maternal effects, A. caliginosa enhanced seed germination (V. persica and P. annua) and seedling growth (C. glomeratum and P. annua) while L. terrestris reduced seed germination only in V. persica. In some cases, the increase in germination rates of seeds produced in the presence of earthworms was associated with a reduction of nitrogen content in seeds. These results show that earthworms induce maternal effects in plants and that the size and direction of these effects depend on the combination of plant and earthworm species.     

Fitting plants to soil through mycorrhizal fungi: Mycorrhiza effects on plant growth and soil organic matter

Summary Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi affect diverse aspects of plant form and function. Since mycorrhiza-mediated changes in host-plant responses to root colonization by different VAM fungi vary widely, it is important to assess each endophyte for each specific effect it can elicit from its host as part of the screening process for effectiveness. Three species of VAM fungi and a mixture of species were compared with non-VAM controls for their effects on soil organic matter contents and on nutrition and morphology in two varieties (native and hybrid) of corn (Zea mays L.) and one of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in P-sufficient and N-deficient soil in pot cultures. Differences in soil organic matter due to the fungal applications were highly significant with all host plants. Native corn responded more to VAM colonization than the hybrid did; differences in treatments were significant in leaf area, plant biomass, and root: shoot ratio in the former, but not in the latter. Responses in the sunflower were similar to those in the native corn. Significant VAM treatment-related differences in shoot N and P contents were not reflected in shoot biomass, which was invariant. Correlations between plant or soil parameters and the intensity of VAM colonization were found only in soil organic matter with the native corn, in specific leaf area in the hybrid corn, and in plant biomass in the sunflower. The presence of the different endophytes and not the intensity of colonization apparently elicited different host responses.     

有机质对红壤烤烟氮素累积分配特征的影响

利用15N示踪技术,研究了有机质含量对红壤烤烟氮累积分配特征的影响。结果表明,随着土壤有机质含量增加,烤烟氮素累积时期延长,且累积量增加。烤烟后期吸收的氮素,在低有机质含量红壤上来自土壤供氮,中有机质含量来自肥料供氮,高有机质含量来自肥料供氮与土壤供氮。烤烟吸收总氮量中29.07%~40.26%来自肥料供氮,59.74% ~70.93%来自土壤供氮,表明烤烟吸收氮素大部分来自土壤供氮。氮素在烟株不同部位分配量表现为:烟叶烟茎烟根;烟叶各部位中的分配量为:在低有机质含量的红壤,下、中、上3个部位分配量相等,中有机质含量和高有机质含量上则为上部叶中部叶下部叶。有机质含量对下部叶氮素分配量影响不大,其它部位均表现为有机质含量越高,氮素分配量越大。烤烟不同部位中肥料氮比例表现为下部叶中部叶烟根烟茎上部叶,土壤氮比例表现为上部叶烟茎烟根中部叶下部叶;并且土壤有机含量越高,各部位中土壤氮的比例越高,肥料氮的比例越低,上部叶受土壤供氮影响最大。红壤上烤烟氮肥利用率在25.42%~30.61%之间,低有机质含量土壤氮肥利用率较低,中、高有机质含量利用率相对较高。在施肥过程中,低有机质红壤上应在N 90 kg/hm2基础上适当增加氮肥施用量,中等有机质含量上保持不变,高有机质含量上应适当降低氮肥用量。     

羟基磷灰石–植物联合修复对Cu/Cd污染植物根际 土壤微生物群落的影响

针对江西贵溪Cu、Cd重金属污染土壤,通过田间试验,比较无机生物材料羟基磷灰石及3种植物(海州香薷、巨菌草、伴矿景天)与羟基磷灰石联合修复对土壤总Cu、Cd的吸收及对活性Cu、Cd的钝化吸收能力差异。采用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)分析法,比较不同修复模式对土壤微生物群落结构的影响,以评估土壤微生态环境对不同修复措施的响应。研究结果表明:羟基磷灰石的施加可显著提高土壤pH,并有效钝化土壤活性Cu、Cd含量,但对土壤总Cu、Cd的含量影响较小。植物与羟基磷灰石的联合修复在显著降低土壤活性Cu、Cd(P0.05)的同时,减少了植物根际土壤总Cu、Cd的含量(P0.05)。不同修复措施对土壤微生物群落组成影响差异明显。单独施加羟基磷灰石与土壤真菌群落呈显著正相关,使土壤真菌生物量提高,从而引起真菌/细菌(F/B)的升高。植物与羟基磷灰石的联合修复可有效缓解土壤真菌化的趋势,其中巨菌草与羟基磷灰石的联合修复可有效提高土壤革兰氏阳性、革兰氏阴性细菌生物量及多样性,降低F/B值,从而降低土壤真菌病害的风险。不同植物根系活性代谢引起有机质的积累促进植物与羟基磷灰石处理中根际有机碳含量显著提高。聚类增强树(Aggregated boosted tree,ABT)分析结果表明:不同修复模式是影响土壤微生物群落的重要因素,其次土壤pH和Cu的含量及活性也是改变重金属污染区域微生物群落的因子。该研究从微生物群落结构角度解释了植物与羟基磷灰石联合修复对土壤微生态体系的作用,为开展Cu、Cd等重金属污染地植物与无机生物材料的联合修复方式的筛选及实施提供可靠的理论依据。     

Influence of earthworm activity on aggregate-associated carbon and nitrogen dynamics differs with agroecosystem management

Earthworms are known to be important regulators of soil structure and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics, however, quantifying their influence on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stabilization in agroecosystems remains a pertinent task. We manipulated population densities of the earthworm Aporrectodea rosea in three maize-tomato cropping systems [conventional (i.e., mineral fertilizer), organic (i.e., composted manure and legume cover crop), and an intermediate low-input system (i.e., alternating years of legume cover crop and mineral fertilizer)] to examine their influence on C and N incorporation into soil aggregates. Two treatments, no-earthworm versus the addition of five A. rosea adults, were established in paired microcosms using electro-shocking. A ¹³C and ¹⁵N labeled cover crop was incorporated into the soil of the organic and low-input systems, while ¹⁵N mineral fertilizer was applied in the conventional system. Soil samples were collected during the growing season and wet-sieved to obtain three aggregate size classes: macroaggregates (>250 μm), microaggregates (53-250 μm) and silt and clay fraction (<53 μm). Macroaggregates were further separated into coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM), microaggregates and the silt and clay fraction. Total C, ¹³C, total N and ¹⁵N were measured for all fractions and the bulk soil. Significant earthworm influences were restricted to the low-input and conventional systems on the final sampling date. In the low-input system, earthworms increased the incorporation of new C into microaggregates within macroaggregates by 35% (2.8 g m⁻² increase; P=0.03), compared to the no-earthworm treatment. Within this same cropping system, earthworms increased new N in the cPOM and the silt and clay fractions within macroaggregates, by 49% (0.21 g m⁻²; P<0.01) and 38% (0.19 g m⁻²; P=0.02), respectively. In the conventional system, earthworms appeared to decrease the incorporation of new N into free microaggregates and macroaggregates by 49% (1.38 g m⁻²; P=0.04) and 41% (0.51 g m⁻²; P=0.057), respectively. These results indicate that earthworms can play an important role in C and N dynamics and that agroecosystem management greatly influences the magnitude and direction of their effect.     

Contrasted effect of biochar and earthworms on rice growth and resource allocation in different soils

Adding biochar to soils and maintaining high earthworm biomasses are potential ways to increase the fertility of tropical soils and the sustainability of crop production in the spirit of agroecology and ecological engineering. However, a thorough functional assessment of biochar effect on plant growth and resource allocations is so far missing. Moreover, earthworms and biochar increase mineral nutrient availability through an increase in mineralization and nutrient retention respectively and are likely to interact through various other mechanisms. They could thus increase plant growth synergistically. This hypothesis was tested for rice in a greenhouse experiment. Besides, the relative effects of biochar and earthworms were compared in three different soil treatments (a nutrient rich soil, a nutrient poor soil, a nutrient poor soil supplemented with fertilization). Biochar and earthworm effects on rice growth and resource allocation highly depended on soil type and were generally additive (no synergy). In the rich soil, there were both clear positive biochar and earthworm effects, while there were generally only positive earthworm effects in the poor soil, and neither earthworm nor biochar effect in the poor soil with fertilization. The analysis of earthworm and biochar effects on different plant traits and soil mineral nitrogen content, confirmed that they act through an increase in nutrient availability. However it also suggested that another mechanism, such as the release in the soil of molecules recognized as phytohormones by plants, is also involved in earthworm action. This mechanism could for example help explaining how earthworms increase rice resource allocation to roots and influence the allocation to grains.     

Effects of Medicago sativa, Taraxacum officinale and Bromus sterilis on the density and diversity of Collembola in grassy arable fallows of different ages

The density and diversity of Collembola of nine grassy arable fallows of different ages were investigated in a factorial design with the factors ‘plant species’ (legume: Medicago sativa, herb: Taraxacum officinale, grass: Bromus sterilis) and ‘age class’ (2-3, 6-8 and 12-15 years) including the random effect ‘site’ (1-9). In May 2008, four plots were selected randomly at each fallow. Within each plot five M. sativa, T. officinale and B. sterilis plants were extracted with their associated soil using steel cylinders. The material from each plant species was used for extraction of Collembola and for determination of environmental parameters. Thus, the new aspect of the present study compared to other field studies investigating the relationships between plant and Collembolan communities is the focus on the “micro-scale”, investigating the Collembolan communities of the soil associated with single plants.We found that species richness and density of total and euedaphic Collembola were significantly higher in B. sterilis than in T. officinale samples with the M. sativa samples being intermediate. Fine-root feeding euedaphic Collembola particularly benefited from the higher amount of fine roots in B. sterilis samples. We also discovered that the age of the fallows had no significant influence on the number of Collembolan species and the density of the Collembolan groups. Notably, however, species of the epedaphic genera Lepidocyrtus and Sminthurinus were associated with the 12-15 year-old fallows and presumably benefited from the high number of plant species in the old fallows. Finally, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that the soil organic matter content and the microbial biomass, both potential food sources for many Collembolan species, were important structuring forces for the Collembolan communities.     

养殖废水灌溉下施用生物质炭和果胶对土壤养分和重金属迁移的影响

【目的】 养殖废水中含有丰富的养分,但也含有一定的重金属。本文研究了生物质炭和果胶对养殖废水灌溉下的土壤–植物系统养分和重金属迁移规律的影响,以利用养殖废水中的养分,并对其重金属进行调控。 【方法】 选取新乡市郊区农田土壤为供试土壤,采用根箱试验方法种植玉米。设置根箱土壤中添加1%的生物质炭和果胶,分别灌溉蒸馏水和养殖废水发酵产生的沼液。测定了土壤中养分和重金属的含量,探讨了其在土壤–植物系统的迁移规律。 【结果】 沼液灌溉的植株地上部生长与蒸馏水灌溉无显著差异。果胶相比于生物质炭可以促进植株生长。沼液灌溉时,果胶处理的根系和地上部生物量分别比对照增加了25.38%和31.21%。沼液灌溉普遍降低了根际和非根际土壤的pH,生物质炭处理和果胶处理与对照根际和非根际土壤的pH均无显著差异。沼液灌溉增加了非根际土壤的电导,生物质炭相比于果胶增加了土壤的电导。沼液灌溉增加了土壤全氮、有效磷、速效钾和有机质含量。果胶根际土壤的全磷、碱解氮、有效磷、有效Fe、有效Mn均高于生物质炭处理,生物质炭处理根际和非根际土壤的全钾和速效钾含量均高于果胶处理。沼液灌溉相比于蒸馏水灌溉,增加了植株根、茎中N含量和Ca含量。生物质炭处理植株根茎叶N含量、根茎P含量、茎K含量、根茎叶Ca含量、根茎Mg含量高于果胶处理,但果胶处理养分的转运系数较高。养殖废水灌溉增加了根际和非根际土壤中有效Cu和Zn尤其是Zn的含量。与对照相比,生物质炭降低了根际土壤Cu、Pb、Ni的含量,而果胶增加了它们的含量。沼液灌溉增加了植株根茎叶中Cu、Zn、Pb含量,果胶处理植株根系Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Ni含量最高,但向地上部转运较少。 【结论】 在北方碱性土壤灌溉养殖废水发酵产生的沼液时,施用生物质炭和果胶可以提高土壤肥力和植株养分含量,生物质炭通过减少土壤中有效态重金属含量以减少重金属在植物体内累积,果胶虽然增加土壤有效态重金属含量,但可以降低其向地上部的转运,避免了重金属在植物体内的累积。      

Growth promotion of plants by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria under greenhouse and two different field soil conditions

This study was conducted with sugar beet in greenhouse and field at two soil type with different organic matter (containing 2.4 and 15.9% OM, referred as the low- and high-OM soil) conditions in order to investigate seed inoculation of sugar beet, with five N₂-fixing and two phosphate solubilizing bacteria in comparison to control and mineral fertilizers (N and P) application. Three bacterial strains dissolved P; all bacterial strains fixed N₂ and significantly increased growth of sugar beet. In the greenhouse, inoculations with PGPR increased sugar beet root weight by 2.8-46.7% depending on the species. Leaf, root and sugar yield were increased by the bacterial inoculation by 15.5-20.8, 12.3-16.1, and 9.8-14.7%, respectively, in the experiment of low- and high-OM soil. Plant growth responses were variable and dependent on the inoculants strain, soil organic matter content, growing stage, harvest date and growth parameter evaluated. The effect of PGPR was greater at early growth stages than at the later. Effective Bacillus species, such as OSU-142, RC07 and M-13, Paenibacillus polymyxa RC05, Pseudomonas putida RC06 and Rhodobacter capsulatus RC04 may be used in organic and sustainable agriculture.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus enhances crop yield and P-uptake of maize (Zea mays L.): A field case study on a sandy loam soil as affected by long-term P-deficiency fertilization

The P efficiency, crop yield, and response of maize to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus caledonium were tested in an experimental field with long-term (18-year) fertilizer management. The experiment included five fertilizer treatments: organic amendment (OA), half organic amendment plus half mineral fertilizer (1/2 OM), mineral fertilizer NPK, mineral fertilizer NK, and the control (without fertilization). AMF inoculation responsiveness (MIRs) of plant growth and P-uptake of maize were estimated by comparing plants grown in unsterilized soil inoculated with G. caledonium and in untreated soil containing indigenous AMF. Soil total P, available P, microbial biomass P, alkaline phosphatase activity, plant biomass, crop yield and total P-uptake of maize were all significantly increased (P < 0.05) by the application of OA, 1/2 OM, and NPK, but not by the application of NK. Specifically, the individual crop yield of maize approached zero in the NK-fertilized soils, as well as in the control soils. All maize plants were colonized by indigenous AMF, and the root colonization at harvest time was not significantly influenced by fertilization. G. caledonium inoculation increased mycorrhizal colonization significantly (P < 0.05) only with the NK treatment, and produced low but demiurgic crop yield in the control and NK-fertilized soils. Compared to the inoculation in balanced-fertilized soils, G. caledonium inoculation in either the NK-fertilized soils or the control soils had significantly greater (P < 0.05) impacts on soil alkaline phosphatase activity, stem length, plant biomass, and total P-uptake of maize, indicating that AMF inoculation was likely more efficient in extremely P-limited soils. These results also showed that balanced mineral fertilizers and organic amendments did not differ significantly in their effects on MIRs in these soils.     

Decomposition of N-labelled maize leaves in soil affected by endogeic geophagous Aporrectodea caliginosa

A microcosm experiment was carried out for 56 days at 12 °C to evaluate the feeding effects of the endogeic geophagous earthworm species Aporrectodea caliginosa on the microbial use of ¹⁵N-labelled maize leaves (Zea mays) added as 5 mm particles equivalent to 1 mg C and 57 μg N g⁻¹ soil. The dry weight of A. caliginosa biomass decreased in the no-maize treatment by 10% during the incubation and increased in the maize leaf treatments by 18%. Roughly 5% and 10% of the added maize leaf-C and leaf-N, respectively, were incorporated into the biomass of A. caliginosa. About 29% and 33% of the added maize leaf-C were mineralised to CO₂ in the no-earthworm and earthworm treatments, respectively. The presence of A. caliginosa significantly increased soil-derived CO₂ production by 90 μg g⁻¹ soil in the no-maize and maize leaf treatments, but increased the maize-derived CO₂ production only by 40 μg g⁻¹ soil. About 10.5% of maize leaf-C and leaf-N was incorporated into the soil microbial biomass in the absence of earthworms, but only 6% of the maize leaf-C and 3% of the maize leaf-N in the presence of earthworms. A. caliginosa preferentially fed on N rich, maize leaf-colonizing microorganisms to meet its N demand. This led to a significantly increased C/N ratio of the unconsumed microbial biomass in soil. The ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio was not significantly decreased by the presence of earthworms. A. caliginosa did not directly contribute to comminution of plant residues, as indicated by the absence of any effects on the contents of the different particulate organic matter fractions, but mainly to grazing of residue-colonizing microorganisms, increasing their turnover considerably.     

Earthworm activity affects soil aggregation and organic matter dynamics according to the quality and localization of crop residues—An experimental study (Madagascar)

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a central role in the functioning of ecosystems, and is beneficial from agronomic and from environmental point of view. Alternative cultural systems, like direct seeding mulch-based cropping (DMC) systems, enhance carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural soils and lead to an increase in soil macrofauna. This study aimed at evaluating in field mesocosms the effects of earthworms on SOM dynamics and aggregation, as influenced by residue quality and management.In the highlands of Madagascar, buckets were filled with 2 mm-sieved clayey Inceptisol. The effects of earthworm addition (Pontoscolex corethrurus), residue addition (rice, soybean, and no addition), and localization of the residues (mulched or buried) were studied. After 5 months, soil from mesocosms with earthworms had significantly lower C concentration and higher proportion of large water-stable macroaggregates (>2000 μm) than those without earthworms, because of the production of large macroaggregates by earthworms. Earthworm effect on soil aggregation was greater with rice than with soybean residues. Casts (extracted from mesocosms with earthworms) were slightly enriched in C and showed significantly higher mineralization than the non-ingested soil (NIS), showing that at the time scale of our study, the carbon contained in the casts was not protected against mineralization. No difference in microbial biomass was found between casts and NIS.Complementary investigations are necessary to assess long-term effects of earthworm addition on SOM dynamics, the conditions of occurrence of physical protection, and the impact of earthworms on the structure of the microbial community.     

Beneficial effects of earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on establishment of leguminous trees on Pb/Zn mine tailings

Planting trees to stabilize metalliferous mine tailings is a widely used form of land reclamation although substantial soil amendment is invariably required, both to improve the physico-chemical status of the tailings and to ameliorate toxicity prior to planting. Here, we report a glasshouse study of the combined effects of burrowing earthworms (Pheretima guillelmi) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus spp., AMF) on establishment of a naturally invasive, woody, nitrogen-fixing legume, Leucaena leucocephala, on topsoil-amended Pb/Zn mine tailings. AMF provided the most effective preliminary inoculant, improving N, P and K uptake, but earthworms had more influence improving N nutrition. In most cases, the combined effects of AMF and earthworms were additive and proved to be beneficial to plant growth, plant nutrition and for protection against uptake of toxic metals. AMF influenced metal uptake more than earthworms, but together they reduced mobility of Pb and Zn in soil by as much as 25%. Some minor but significant negative interactions were also evident; for example, earthworms enhanced soil microbial activity but inhibited the beneficial effects of AMF on N₂-fixation. We argue that increased attention to ecological interactions in soil could reduce costs and improve the efficacy of restoring a vegetation cover to land impacted by contaminated spoils.     

Interactions between residue placement and earthworm ecological strategy affect aggregate turnover and N2O dynamics in agricultural soil

Previous laboratory studies using epigeic and anecic earthworms have shown that earthworm activity can considerably increase nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from crop residues in soils. However, the universality of this effect across earthworm functional groups and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aims of this study were (i) to determine whether earthworms with an endogeic strategy also affect N₂O emissions; (ii) to quantify possible interactions with epigeic earthworms; and (iii) to link these effects to earthworm-induced differences in selected soil properties. We initiated a 90-day ¹⁵N-tracer mesocosm study with the endogeic earthworm species Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny) and the epigeic species Lumbricus rubellus (Hoffmeister). ¹⁵N-labeled radish (Raphanus sativus cv. Adagio L.) residue was placed on top or incorporated into the loamy (Fluvaquent) soil. When residue was incorporated, only A. caliginosa significantly (p < 0.01) increased cumulative N₂O emissions from 1350 to 2223 μg N₂O-N kg⁻¹ soil, with a corresponding increase in the turnover rate of macroaggregates. When residue was applied on top, L. rubellus significantly (p < 0.001) increased emissions from 524 to 929 μg N₂O-N kg⁻¹, and a significant (p < 0.05) interaction between the two earthworm species increased emissions to 1397 μg N₂O-N kg⁻¹. These effects coincided with an 84% increase in incorporation of residue ¹⁵N into the microaggregate fraction by A. caliginosa (p = 0.003) and an 85% increase in incorporation into the macroaggregate fraction by L. rubellus (p = 0.018). Cumulative CO₂ fluxes were only significantly increased by earthworm activity (from 473.9 to 593.6 mg CO₂-C kg⁻¹ soil; p = 0.037) in the presence of L. rubellus when residue was applied on top. We conclude that earthworm-induced N₂O emissions reflect earthworm feeding strategies: epigeic earthworms can increase N₂O emissions when residue is applied on top; endogeic earthworms when residue is incorporated into the soil by humans (tillage) or by other earthworm species. The effects of residue placement and earthworm addition are accompanied by changes in aggregate and SOM turnover, possibly controlling carbon, nitrogen and oxygen availability and therefore denitrification. Our results contribute to understanding the important but intricate relations between (functional) soil biodiversity and the soil greenhouse gas balance. Further research should focus on elucidating the links between the observed changes in soil aggregation and controls on denitrification, including the microbial community.     

Plant species traits regulate methane production in freshwater wetland soils

Ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to anthropogenic stressors are the result of complex interactions between plants and microbes. A mechanistic understanding of how plant traits influence microbial processes is needed in order to predict the ecosystem-level effects of natural or anthropogenic change. This is particularly true in wetland ecosystems, where plants alter the availability of both electron donors (e.g., organic carbon) and electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen and ferric iron), thereby regulating the total amount of anaerobic respiration and the production of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. In this study, we examined how plant traits associated with plant inputs of carbon (photosynthesis and biomass) and oxygen (root porosity and ferric iron on roots) to mineral soils relate to microbial competition for organic carbon and, ultimately, methane production. Plant productivity was positively correlated with microbial respiration and negatively correlated to methane production. Root porosity was relatively constant across plant species, but belowground biomass, total biomass, and the concentration of oxidized (ferric) iron on roots varied significantly between species. As a result the size of the total root oxidized iron pool varied considerably across plant species, scaling with plant productivity. Large pools of oxidized iron were related to high CO₂:CH₄ ratios during microbial respiration, indicating that as plant productivity and biomass increased, microbes used non-methanogenic respiration pathways, most likely including the reduction of iron oxides. Taken together these results suggest that increased oxygen input from plants with greater biomass can offset any potential stimulation of methanogenic microbes from additional carbon inputs. Because the species composition of plant communities influences both electron donor and acceptor availability in wetland soils, changes in plant species as a consequence of anthropogenic disturbance have the potential to trigger profound effects on microbial processes, including changes in anaerobic decomposition rates and the proportion of mineralized carbon emitted as the greenhouse gas methane.