The role of amino acids and nucleic bases in turnover of nitrogen and carbon in soil humic fractions

Incorporation of labelled ¹⁵N and ¹⁴C amino acids and nucleic bases into soil humus fractions as well as humus turnover was investigated under field conditions. The dynamics of ¹⁵N and ¹⁴C incorporation into organic matter was characterized by the following main steps: rapid incorporation of the labelled substance prevailing for the first 1–3 weeks, and decomposition of included labelled fragments prevailing beyond one month after substance addition. The annual turnover rates of N and C in humus fractions due to incorporation of amino acids and nucleic bases were calculated. The turnover rate of N in humus is two to three times that of C. The contribution of amino acids to organic matter generation is about twice as great as that of nucleic bases and other N-containing organic substances. This indicates the important role of amino acids in the humification process and humus turnover. Turnovers of humic acids (0·002 year^?1 for C and 0·02 for N) are the most rapid of humic fractions investigated, and humin is characterized by the slowest turnover (0·0002 year^?1 for C and 0·007 for N). There are no significant differences in the turnover rates of fulvic acid fractions (0·0002 year^?1 for C) with different molecular weight.     

Humus forms,organic matter stocks and carbon fractions in forest soils of northwestern Italy

Humus forms may be the first tool to assess qualitatively organic matter turnover in soils; as such they should be related to the stocks of organic C a soil can store, to the characteristics of organic matter that affect its stability and, more generally, to the factors of soil formation. In this work, we tested these hypotheses in 27 forest soils of northwestern Italy. Site variables representing the pedogenic factors allowed classifying the plots into three clusters, which were significantly different for soil and humus types. The average stocks of organic C in the humic episolum (organic and top mineral horizons) ranged from 2.7 kg m⁻² in Eumulls to 9.5 kg m⁻² in Amphimulls. A clear trend in C stocks was visible and related both to the increasing presence of organic layers where the environmental conditions do not favour a rapid turnover of organic matter and to the good mixing of organics and minerals in “bio-macrostructured” A horizons. The characteristics of organic matter were also linked to humus forms: The proportion of humified complex substances was the highest in the most active forms, and conversely, non-humified extracted substances formed a considerable part of organic matter only where the environmental conditions limit organic matter degradation. Humus forms seem therefore to reflect several mechanisms of organic matter stabilisation and are clearly related to the capacity of the soil to store C.     

Agronomic Evaluation of Liquid Humus Derived From Earthworm Humic Substances

Carbon (C), commonly expressed as organic matter (OM), is of vital importance in soil productivity. Liquid humus is an alkaline suspension containing humic and fulvic acids, which can facilitate C addition to the soil through the irrigation system to increase OM and soil fertility levels. Two liquid humus products were formulated from earthworm humic substances and the effects of these and other commercial products derived from leonardite, on soil and ryegrass were evaluated in a pot experiment under greenhouse conditions. On average, C application, regardless of source, increased the aerial and root dry matter, plant greenness, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) uptake, and nutrient use efficiency. Carbon effects on plant production were larger when added over fertilized plants. Residual soil N was lowered by the application of liquid humus. No significant effect of C rate was observed on soil pH or electrical conductivity (EC) at the end of the experiment. Optimal C rates found in this study were higher than the recommended commercial ones. No major differences among earthworm liquid humus and leonardite-based products were observed; therefore the former would constitute a more sustainable alternative for organic matter additions as they are made from a renewable resource.     

Some characteristics of the humus in soil types (part 3) composition groups of humus

In most literature on soil, the term humus has been used as synonymous with soil organic matter, on the other hand, it has been applied to a portion of soil organic matter that has decomposed and has lost the structure of the original matter, from which it has derived. Scheffer and Schachtschabel ¹⁾ defined the humus not synonymously with soil organic matter, but, in a broad sense, as all the dead organic substances which are accumulated on the soil surface as well as in the soil layer, and undergo continually decomposition, alteration, and synthetic reactions. According to them, the composition groups of humus are divided into non-humic and humic, and the latter group is sub-divided into (1) fulvic acid and humo-lignin acid, (2) humic acid, (3) humin, and (4) humus coal. Some natures of these composition groups of humus are shown in Table 1.     

Transformation of organic matter from maize residues into labile and humic fractions of three European soils as revealed by 13C distribution and CPMAS-NMR spectra

The dynamics of incorporation of fresh organic residues into the various fractions of soil organic matter have yet to be clarified in terms of chemical structures and mechanisms involved. We studied by ¹³C‐dilution analysis and CPMAS‐¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy the distribution of organic carbon from mixed or mulched maize residues into specific defined fractions such as carbohydrates and humic fractions isolated by selective extractants in a year‐long incubation of three European soils. The contents of carbohydrates in soil particle size fractions and relative δ¹³C values showed no retention of carbohydrates from maize but rather decomposition of those from native organic matter in the soil. By contrast, CPMAS‐¹³C‐NMR spectra of humic (HA) and fulvic acids (FA) extracted by alkaline solution generally indicated the transfer of maize C (mostly carbohydrates and peptides) into humic materials, whereas spectra of organic matter extracted with an acetone solution (HE) indicated solubilization of an aliphatic‐rich, hydrophobic fraction that seemed not to contain any C from maize. The abundance of ¹³C showed that all humic fractions behaved as a sink for C from maize residues but the FA fraction was related to the turnover of fresh organic matter more than the HA. Removal of hydrophobic components from incubated soils by acetone solution allowed a subsequent extraction of HA and, especially, FA still containing much C from maize. The combination of isotopic measurements and NMR spectra indicated that while hydrophilic compounds from maize were retained in HA and FA, hydrophobic components in the HE fraction had chemical features similar to those of humin. Our results show that the organic compounds released in soils by mineralization of fresh plant residues are stored mainly in the hydrophilic fraction of humic substances which are, in turn, stabilized against microbial degradation by the most hydrophobic humic matter. Our findings suggest that native soil humic substances contribute to the accumulation of new organic matter in soils.     

The Impact of Allolobophora molleri on Soil Biology Under Different Organic Amendments

We investigated the effects of the endogenous Allolobophora molleri earthworm on the enzyme activities, the humus–enzyme complexes and the microbial community of a Plagic Antrosol soil which had been amended with different sources of organic matter. During a period of 300 days, the soil was amended with the organic fraction of a municipal solid waste at a rate of 10% or poultry manure at a rate of 7·6%, respectively, in order to apply the same amount of organic matter to the soil. At the end of the experiment, soil enzymatic activities were highest in organic amended soils with earthworms, followed by the organic‐amended soils without earthworms. The reason being, the earthworms stimulate microbial action by increasing the surface area for microbial colonization of the substrate and enzymatic through comminuting the organic wastes. The evolution of soil humus–enzyme complexes indicated the highest values of enzymes adsorbed to humus with the highest humic acid contents. The presence of A. molleri in organic‐amended soils significantly (p < 0·05) increased the soil microbial diversity. Possibly, the progressive breakdown of organic matter applied to the soil by earthworms does appear to produce new organic substrates which therefore promote the appearance of new microorganisms in the soil capable of degrading these substrates. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of humus fractionation on the chemical composition of soil organic matter studied by solid-state 13C NMR

Four samples of soil organic matter and their humic acids, fulvic acids and humin were studied with solid-state ¹³CP MAS NMR. The whole soil samples were fractionated using NaOH and HCl in order to extract humic acids, fulvic acids and humin. This investigation indicates that conventional humus fractionation does not significantly change the content of different functional groups in soil.     

Effect of cultivation on chemical characteristics and respiratory activity of crusting soil from Mazowe (Zimbabwe)

Abstract

Clearing and cultivation in crusting soils from Mazowe (Zimbabwe) has lead to severe changes in most physico‐chemical characteristics related to the concentration and distribution patterns of plant nutrients and to the total amount of soil organic matter. Nevertheless, the concentration of the different humus fractions showed lower intensity changes, as did the mineralization rates of the organic matter. The most significant effects of cultivation on the soil chemical characteristics coincided with those considered to favor clay dispersion and crusting phenomena, including generalized desaturation of the exchange complex and losses of divalent ions with a potential bridging effect between soil particles. Concerning the soil organic matter, the humic acid tended to concentrate in the cultivated soils as a probable consequence of selective biodegradation of the other humic fractions. The composition and activity of soil humus suggest low‐performance organo‐mineral interactions: in these soils the active turnover of the plant wastes is not regulated by intense physico‐chemical interactions with the soil mineral fractions, or by physical encapsulation of organic particles. In consequence, the mineralization rates were relatively constant in the soils studied and unrelated to soil organic matter concentration. The results suggests that there is a possibility to revert the early degradation stages of these soils through a rational management of suitable amounts of crop wastes.     

长期施用有机肥料对紫色水稻土有机无机复合性状的影响

连续九年施用有机肥料，紫色水稻土壤及＜０．００２ｍｍ的有机无机复合体中无定形铁，铝和铬合态铁，铝的含量呈不同程度的增加，铬合态铁和铝间具拮抗作用（ｒ＝０．７９９８ｎ＝７）；土壤的有机质含量增加主要是由于轻组有机质含量增加，而有机无机复合度下降，土壤重组腐殖质的含量为０．２５－０．０１ｍｍ＞＜０．００２ｍｍ＞１－０．２５ｍｍ＞０．０１－０．００２ｍｍ；有机无机复合度及重组腐殖质中松结态与紧结态的比值     

Protease extraction from soil by sodium pyrophosphate and chemical characterization of the extracts

Two arable soils and one pasture soil had previously been air-dried for 6 d and stored at room temperature. The enzyme activities remaining after this treatment were constant. The soils were then extracted with 140 mM sodium pyrophosphate at pH 7.1. Amino acid N and total organic C content of soils and soil extracts, together with humic and fulvic acids content of soil extracts were determined. Total organic C was determined in soil residues obtained after extraction. Chemical characterization of the organic matter of soils, soil extracts and soil residues was carried out by pyrolysis–gas chromatography (Py–GC). Protease activity was determined in soil extracts and soil residues by using three different substrates: N-benzoyl- -argininamide (BAA), specific for trypsin; N-benzyloxycarbonyl- -phenylalanyl -leucine (ZPL), specific for carboxypeptidases, and casein, essentially non-specific. Comparative studies between specific activities referred to organic C in soils, soil extracts and soil residues and their corresponding pyrogram composition, and also between total extracted or residual activity and the humine or unhumified organic matter content of the corresponding soil, allowed us to establish hypotheses about the type of organic matter the enzymes are associated with. From 12% to 21% of the soil organic C (33% to 39% of which were humic acids) and from 3% and 18% of amino acid N were extracted from soil using pyrophosphate. Py–GC analyses showed that pyrophosphate was effective in extracting condensed humic substances and glycoproteins and that the organic matter present in soil extracts was especially rich in intact or partially-decomposed fresh residues of carbohydrate origin and also in certain humus-associated proteins. Extracted BAA-hydrolysing activity accounted for 11% to 36% of the soil activity, depending on soil type. Extracted ZPL- and casein-hydrolysing activities were, with one exception, remarkably high, accounting for about 100% or even more of the soil activity, depending on soil type. According to the results BAA-hydrolysing proteases are probably mostly associated with highly condensed humus, ZPL-hydrolysing proteases with less condensed humic substances and casein-hydrolysing proteases with fresh organic matter.     

Humus status of soils of overgrown quarries in Leningrad oblast

The humus status of young different-aged soils developed on tailings of different quarries of Quaternary and pre-Quaternary raw materials in Leningrad oblast was studied. Organic profiles were characterized; the humus accumulation rates, the organic matter reserves, the humus enrichment with nitrogen, the degree of humification of the organic matter, and the contents of separate fractions of humus acid in soils on different tailing rocks were estimated. The composition of humic acids was also studied. It was shown that the lithological features of the tailings determining the chemical processes of the profile differentiation of humic substances and the ecogenetic successions of vegetation also determine the rate and direction of the humus accumulation in the soils during similar periods of biological activity in the southern taiga.     

Factors affecting soil organic matter turnover in a mediterranean ecosystems from sierra de gador (Spain): An analytical approach

Abstract

Humus formations from forest and brushwood ecosystems on calcareous substrates in representative sites from Sierra de Gador in Southern Spain were analyzed. The humus composition, as determinated by three independent fractionation procedures, suggests that soil organic matter turnover is not related to the vegetation biotypes, but to a series of local factors among which climatic and soil characteristics predominate. Of the parameters studied, the amount of fulvic acids, and to a lesser extent, the relative proportion of soil perylenequinonic pigments (P‐type humic acids), reflected differences in altitude. The percentage of nitrogen (N) in humic acids was the parameter that was most informative of the characteristics of humus. This finding contrasts with the poorly differentiated patterns of the particulate organic matter fractions, whose evolution is probably independent of environmental factors because of physical protection by soil carbonates. The carbon dioxide (CO₂) release curves reproduced under laboratory conditions showed that the intrinsic biodegradability of soil organic matter does not reflect the nature of the plant residues in the sites sampled (170–2240 m), but is weakly dependent on climatic factors. We postulate that the calcium saturation, together with the active participation of inorganic colloids, force the convergent evolution of soil humus by compensating most of the effects of the climatic and biotic factors, and the historic influence of human activity in the area studied.     

红松人工林腐殖质组成及其结合形态研究

 运用野外调查与实验分析相结合的方法,对不同生长发育阶段红松人工林（林龄25、45、58、68 a）和红松混交林（林龄60a）根际与非根际土壤有机质含碳量、腐殖质组成与结合形态进行了研究。结果表明:不同年龄阶段红松人工纯林、红松混交林土壤有机质含碳量、腐殖质各组分含碳量随土层深度的加深而降低,并且根际土壤高于非根际土壤。就土壤腐殖质组成而言,除林龄58a红松人工林根际土壤和45a红松人工林非根际土壤外,其他林型土壤胡敏酸含碳量均高于富里酸含碳量;胡敏酸与富里酸比值（HA/FA）在1.00～2.45之间;土壤重组腐殖质、松结态腐殖质、稳结态腐殖质含碳量大小顺序为林龄58>68>25>45a;红松混交林除紧结态腐殖质外,其他腐殖质各组分含碳量均高于红松人工林。     

我国几种土壤中腐殖质性质的研究

研究了几种土壤腐殖酸的基本性质,其中包括土壤的腐殖质组成,胡敏酸以及富里酸的元素组成,含氧官能团含量,光密度值与芳化度等,计算了E₄与E₄/E₆比值与上述性质的相关系数。结果表明土壤腐殖质组成和性质与其形成条件有着密切的联系,并且有一定的地带规律性。水稻土中有机质含量增加,HA/FA比值变高,其活性HA显著降低,说明水稻土有利于有机质的积累并改变了腐殖质的组成。E₄、E₄/E₆比值与元素组成,C/H比值,含氧官能团及芳化度之间的相关系数表明E₄除了与C%,O%,酚羟基-O%,醌基-O%呈极显著或显著相关外,还与C/H比值及芳化度呈极显著相关,因此E₄值可作为腐殖物质芳化度的一个指标。     

Characteristics of organic matter in soil surface horizons derived from calcareous and metamorphic rocks and different vegetation types from the Mediterranean high-mountains in SE Spain

A study was carried out on some basic characteristics of the organic matter in the surface horizons of soils from the two different geological (calcareous and acid metamorphic rocks) and ecological systems under a Mediterranean climate in Southeast Spain. The results show some noticeable differences in soil organic matter composition. This is likely due to typical Mediterranean climate and well adapted vegetation. There is a tendency towards a greater stability for the soil humus formed under slightly alkaline soil in comparison to the slightly acidic environment. The samples taken from the latter environment have a higher content in free organic matter, a lower content in total extractable humin and a greater relative proportion of aliphatic chains and lignin in the humic acids. The results also suggest some differences caused by the type of vegetation (forest and scrubland ecosystems) in the soil humus chemistry, with a more obvious negative effect under reforestations with species of Pinus in an acidic soil environment (a higher content in free organic matter, lesser presence of fungal-derived perylenequinonic pigments in the humic acids, and a higher content in little evolved forms of nitrogen and lignin in the humic acids). In general the organic matter under scrubland and Quercus vegetation is more decomposed and the humus is more evolved than under Pinus vegetation.     

Priming effect of small glucose additions to 14C-labelled soil

Soil was freed of its organic matter by heating it to 400°C. Plants were grown in a ¹⁴CO₂ atmosphere and from them a labelled “soil organic matter” (humus) was prepared by composting the plant material for more than 3 yr in the modified soil under laboratory conditions. The influence of small additions of unlabelled glucose on the decomposition of the labelled soil organic matter was studied. Shortly after the addition of glucose there was a small extra evolution of ¹⁴CO₂, which lasted about 1 day. It is claimed that the extra evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ was caused by conversion of labelled material in the living biomass and was not due to a real priming action, i.e. an accelerated decomposition of humic substances or dead cellular material.     

Die Böden von Wallhecken in Schleswig-Holstein. II. Aufbau und Umsetzung der organischen Bodensubstanz

Soils of Mound Hedges in Schleswig-Holstein. II. Composition and Transformation of Soil Organic Matter Two Cumulic Anthrosols of mound hedges and the fossil A-horizons below the deposits, were investigated by means of wet chemistry and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy in order to characterize soil organic matter (SOM) and to compare their SOM with natural and recent soils. The bulk humus of the Cumulic Anthrosols contains a high amount of easily soluble polysaccharides. Despite their high bioavailability sugars, starch and mobile fulvic acids are not completely consumed by microorganisms and translocated into the subsoil. The initial phase of podzolization is indicated due to this process and the very low pH-level of the soils. After deposition about 30 % of the soil carbon in the A-horizons is mineralized. Litter compounds are predominantly decomposed, whereas humic compounds are selectively preserved or newly synthesized. The significance of the humic compounds in the soil organic matter increases after deposition. This is why the potential cation exchange capacity of the fossil Ahorizons is similar to this of the recent ones.     

Input related microbial carbon dynamic of soil organic matter in particle size fractions

This paper investigated the flow of carbon into different groups of soil microorganisms isolated from different particle size fractions. Two agricultural sites of contrasting organic matter input were compared. Both soils had been submitted to vegetation change from C3 (Rye/Wheat) to C4 (Maize) plants, 25 and 45 years ago. Soil carbon was separated into one fast-degrading particulate organic matter fraction (POM) and one slow-degrading organo-mineral fraction (OMF). The structure of the soil microbial community were investigated using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and turnover of single PLFAs was calculated from the changes in their ¹³C content. Soil enzyme activities involved in the degradation of carbohydrates was determined using fluorogenic MUF (methyl-umbelliferryl phosphate) substrates.We found that fresh organic matter input drives soil organic matter dynamic. Higher annual input of fresh organic matter resulted in a higher amount of fungal biomass in the POM-fraction and shorter mean residence times. Fungal activity therefore seems essential for the decomposition and incorporation of organic matter input into the soil. As a consequence, limited litter input changed especially the fungal community favoring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Altogether, supply and availability of fresh plant carbon changed the distribution of microbial biomass, the microbial community structure and enzyme activities and resulted in different priming of soil organic matter.Most interestingly we found that only at low input the OMF fraction had significantly higher calculated MRT for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria suggesting high recycling of soil carbon or the use of other carbon sources. But on average all microbial groups had nearly similar carbon uptake rates in all fractions and both soils, which contrasted the turnover times of bulk carbon. Hereby the microbial carbon turnover was always faster than the soil organic carbon turnover and higher carbon input reduced the carbon storage efficiency from 51% in the low input to 20%. These findings suggest that microbial community preferentially assimilated fresh carbon sources but also used recycled existing soil carbon. However, the priming rate was drastically reduced under carbon limitation. In consequence at high carbon availability more carbon was respired to activate the existing soil carbon (priming) whereas at low carbon availability new soil carbon was formed at higher efficiencies.     

Changes in the content and composition of humus in the sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soil in a long-term liming experiment

The effect of liming on organic matter in sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soil was studied. The study was performed on samples taken from the 50-year-long experiment established by Prof. Kornilov in 1957. It was shown that liming had almost no effect on the total humus content in the soil. The humus composition was studied using two fractionation methods of the humus substances by the Ponomareva-Plotnikova procedure. The regrouping of the humus fractions occurred due to the changes in the mobility of soil mineral components, which involved a regular increase in the content of the Ca-bound fraction of humic acids (HA-2) at the expense of the HA-1 fraction bound to the mobile forms of R₂O₃ reliable at the lime rates equivalent to the total acidity and higher. The levels of the stabilization of the different HA fractions were considered, as well as the stability of the changes in the humus composition during 50 years.     

长江三角洲地区土壤环境质量与修复研究 Ⅳ.多环芳烃在土壤不同有机质组分中分配特征的研究

多环芳烃(PAHs)在土壤不同活性有机质库中的分配会影响它们在土壤中的迁移和生物有效性。本研究采用土壤有机无机复合体的分组方法,分离出以游离态有机物质存在的轻组和以有机无机复合体存在的重组,研究了15种美国环境保护署(USEPA)优控的PAHs在土壤轻组和重组以及重组结合态腐殖质不同组分中的分配特征。结果表明,轻组中PAHs总量的含量范围为1.30×104~1.07×105μg kg-1,远远高于PAHs总量的含量为221.7~297.8μg kg-1的重组。土壤中轻组的含量虽然只有0.4%~2.3%,但它结合的PAHs量却占土壤中PAHs总量的31.5%~69.5%。重组中PAHs含量主要分布在紧结态腐殖质中,占重组PAHs总量71.2%~87.2%。结合态腐殖质不同组分中PAHs的含量与它们有机碳的含量呈显著性正相关(p<0.01),紧结态腐殖质对PAHs的富集能力显著高于稳结态和松结态腐殖质。PAHs污染土壤的环境风险可能主要在于轻组结合的PAHs。