紫茎泽兰叶片凋落物对入侵地4 种草本植物的化感作用

为了明确紫茎泽兰叶片凋落物对入侵地草本植物的化感作用, 研究了不同浓度紫茎泽兰叶片凋落物水提液对入侵地草本植物多年生黑麦草、白三叶、辣子草和紫花苜蓿种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响, 同时结合土培试验研究了叶片凋落物在入侵地土壤中的化感作用。结果表明, 除多年生黑麦草外, 水提液对其他3 种草本植物种子萌发均产生了显著的化感抑制作用, 且水提液的浓度越高抑制效果越强; 低浓度水提液对紫花苜蓿和辣子草的幼苗生长存在显著化感促进作用, 高浓度的水提液对除多年生黑麦草外的其他3 种植物幼苗的生长存在显著化感抑制作用, 水提液对多年生黑麦草幼苗生长的影响不显著; 土壤中按照50 g·kg^-1的比例添加叶片凋落物后, 显著抑制了白三叶的生长, 而添加活性炭后, 白三叶的单株生物量相对于未添加活性炭的处理增加71.25%, 进一步证实叶片凋落物在土壤中的化感抑制作用。这说明外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰可能通过其叶片凋落物在入侵地土壤中降解, 释放化感物质, 抑制伴生植物的种子萌发和幼苗生长, 为自身创造有利的生长环境, 实现其成功入侵和扩张。     

看麦娘叶片对化感小麦根水提液的生理响应

为阐明小麦化感抑草的生理机制,选择强化感小麦‘115/青海麦’、‘92L89’和弱化感小麦‘抗10103’,通过添加浓度为0.2%、0.5%和1.0%的小麦根水提液进行水培试验3周后,测定了各处理看麦娘的鲜重,分析叶片中叶绿素(SPAD值)、可溶蛋白、MDA、类黄酮、总酚的含量以及SOD、POD、CAT活性。结果表明,水提液处理显著抑制了看麦娘的生长,抑制率在不同处理浓度及小麦品种间均存在显著差异,强化感小麦的抑制率显著高于弱化感小麦。在处理浓度范围内,不同小麦根水提液的抑制率大小依次为‘115/青海麦’(24.7%~74.3%)‘92L89’(15.7%~71.6%)‘抗10103’(13.8%~61.4%);0.2%、1.0%和5.0%水提液处理的抑制率大小依次为13.8%~24.7%、41.7%~66.4%和61.4%~74.2%。看麦娘叶绿素含量(SPAD值)随处理浓度增大显著降低,可溶蛋白含量,SOD、POD、CAT活性,MDA、类黄酮含量随处理浓度增大显著升高,强化感小麦对看麦娘的生理刺激作用高于弱化感小麦。1.0%‘115/青海麦’及5.0%各小麦水提液处理的看麦娘总酚含量高于对照。可见,小麦化感胁迫提高了看麦娘的保护酶系统活性,增强了抗氧化物质代谢,但显著增强了细胞膜脂质过氧化和叶绿素降解,不利于靶标植物看麦娘的生长。     

FT-IR study of the changes in carbohydrate chemistry of three New Jersey pine barrens leaf litters during simulated control burning

Low intensity control burns are a standard fuel reduction management tool used in pine barrens ecosystems. Periodic disturbances through fire can be an important influence on the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem. Previous studies have shown that the inorganic chemistry of leaf litter residues differs with increasing temperature. Our study compared chemical changes in white oak (Quercus alba), pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), characteristic of the New Jersey pine barrens, during thermal decomposition using FT-IR spectroscopy. Three replicates of senescent leaf material were ground and separately heated for 2 h at: 100, 200, 300, 400 and 550 °C. These temperatures are representative of the range seen in fuel reducing prescribed burns in the pine barrens. Unburned litter of each species was used as a control. An optimization process using varying amounts of KBr and oak litter was performed to develop favorable FT-IR spectral conditions for a sample to KBr ratio of 0.75%. Chemometric analysis of the FT-IR spectra using principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the changes in carbohydrate chemistry of each litter plant species (leaf litter species) at each temperature. In general, it appears that there is clear separation of leaf litter species at the different combustion temperatures. Infrared spectroscopy illustrated that all three species shared wavenumbers characteristic of the primary components of leaves such as cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. Results from the PCA indicated separation of litter species and species by combustion temperature. PC axis 1 corresponds to the effects of temperature on leaf litter species and PC axis 2 separates the leaf litter species. At the low temperatures (control-200 °C), oak, pine and huckleberry litter species separated from each other. Wavenumbers that contributed to the separation of species at low temperatures belonged to functional group stretching frequencies of outer surface waxes, basic sugars, fatty acids and aldehydes. It appears that oak had more IR bands specific to suberin content. Convergence of these species occurs at 300 °C. Complexity of chemical composition decreases at this particular temperature as is shown by the decrease in wavenumber richness when compared to litters at low and high temperatures. Oak, pine and huckleberry had similar IR spectra showing bands belonging to outer surface wax content, pectin, lignin and hemicellulose. With increasing temperatures (400-550 °C), differences between litter species increased slightly. Plant material was reduced to similar composition due to thermal decomposition, which consisted of inorganic materials such as carbonate, phosphate and sulfate ions and possible fused aromatics.     

Effects of mixing radiata pine needles and understory litters on decomposition and nutrients release

A microcosm experiment was conducted to understand the impacts of mixing radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) needle litter and understory (gorse—Ulex europaeus L., broom—Cytisus scoparius L., bracken—Pteridium aquilinum L., and lotus—Lotus pedunculatus L.) litter materials on decomposition and nutrient release dynamics. Mixing of pine needle litter with understory litter material had significant impacts on both the rate of decomposition and nutrient release patterns of pine litter as well as that of the understory species. Incubation in microcosms over 10 months resulted in significantly lower mass loss of radiata pine needle litter mixed with broom and lotus litters (35.8±8.4 and 41.3±0.8%, respectively) than pure pine needle litter (63.5±2.3%). Mixing with pine needle litter significantly increased the mass loss of broom (53.1±6.1%) compared to that of pure broom (30.2±1.0%). Significant transfers of nutrients, especially of magnesium and potassium, were observed in litter mixture treatments. Concentration of K in litter materials was found to be the most limiting factor for the decomposing microorganisms in the present study. The findings of this study suggest that management of understory litter composition via weed control could be used to manipulate carbon turnover and nutrient release in the forest floor. Also, initial selection of understory species will be important and could be managed.     

不同生长环境下黄顶菊浸提液对多年生黑麦草萌发与生长的影响

为阐明黄顶菊入侵机制,本文在调查不同生境下黄顶菊居群特征的基础上,进一步采用植株浸提液生物测试的方法研究了不同生境、生长密度及替代植被下黄顶菊对多年生黑麦草的化感潜力。结果表明:黄顶菊的化感作用强弱与其入侵能力存在一定相关性,黄顶菊浸提液的化感潜力随浓度升高而增强;不同植株组织浸提液的化感潜力存在显著差异,表现为地下部分明显低于地上部分;不同生境下黄顶菊浸提液的化感潜力顺序为水边>果园>路边,50 g.L 1茎叶浸提液对多年生黑麦草发芽率化感效应敏感指数分别为2.83(水边)、1.31(果园)和0.71(路边);不同密度黄顶菊的茎叶化感潜力顺序为高、中密度区显著大于低密度区,50g.L 1浓度浸提液对多年生黑麦草发芽率化感效应敏感指数分别为3.91(高密度)、4.89(中密度)和0.29(低密度);根部浸提液的化感潜力顺序则相反。不同替代植被下茎叶浸提液的化感效应为混种>单种,而根系浸提液的化感效应敏感指数则差别不大。因此,黄顶菊不同组织器官化感活性物质分配不同,同时其化感效力能够适应环境条件而发生变化,这可能是造成黄顶菊在不同环境中入侵效果差异的原因之一。     

干旱胁迫对窄叶鲜卑花种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响

[目的]研究干旱胁迫对窄叶鲜卑花种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响,为野生种驯化和种群恢复提供参考。[方法]以窄叶鲜卑花种子为实验材料,采用不同浓度聚乙二醇(PEG-6000)模拟干旱胁迫环境,研究干旱协迫强度对窄叶鲜卑花种子的吸胀速率、发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数、活力指数和种子抗旱萌发指数及幼苗生长情况的影响。[结果]随着干旱胁迫程度的加剧,窄叶鲜卑花种子的吸水过程表现出急速吸水期、缓慢上升期和吸水平稳期3个阶段;其发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数、活力指数和种子抗旱萌发指数及苗高、根长,苗重与胁迫强度均呈负相关;当PEG浓度达30%时,种子萌发完全被抑制。另一方面,种子群体萌动、萌发和出苗达50%所需时间随胁迫强度的增加而越发延迟,且各阶段对环境临界水势要求不同,出苗阶段最为严格,表明种子出苗过程对环境水分胁迫较为敏感,耐旱能力较弱。[结论]干旱胁迫显著抑制了窄叶鲜卑花种子的萌发和幼苗生长,也说明水分是窄叶鲜卑花种子萌发和幼苗形成的主导因素之一,在较干旱地区种植需要考虑水分的供给。     

不同人工林凋落叶混合分解速率及其C,N释放动态

对岷江上游连香树、糙皮桦、云南松和云杉4种主要人工林凋落叶进行了凋落叶混合分解试验,探讨了凋落叶混合分解过程中的残留率以及分解过程中C,N含量和C,N释放率的动态变化,为试验区最佳混交树种的选择提供理论指导.结果表明,不同凋落叶分解速率存在显著差异.糙皮桦与云杉,糙皮桦与云南松,连香树与云南松凋落叶混合后对分解过程具有明显的促进作用,连香树与云杉凋落叶的混合对分解的促进作用不明显.放置于阔叶林地的针阔混合凋落叶分解速率较之放置于针叶林地快,且针阔混交有益于凋落叶的分解.在分解过程中凋落叶C含量呈减小趋势,但其释放率反之;N含量在分解过程中,连香树、云杉、云南松凋落叶表现为增加(富集)减小(释放)趋势,糙皮桦表现为减小—增大—减小的变化趋势.针阔林地凋落叶混合后促进了针叶林地凋落叶C和N的释放.     

毛红椿凋落叶水浸液自毒作用研究

为探究毛红椿凋落叶水浸液的自毒作用,采用生物测试法研究毛红椿凋落叶水浸液对自身种子发芽和幼苗生长的影响,并结合气相色谱质谱联用(GC-MS)技术分析凋落叶水浸液石油醚、乙醚、氯仿、甲醇4种不同极性萃取组分中存在的自毒物质。结果表明,凋落叶水浸液对毛红椿种子发芽及幼苗生长、存活率等均有抑制作用,浓度越高抑制作用越强,中浓度溶液(100 g·L^-1)对种子发芽和茎长达到显著抑制水平,对种子发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数、茎长的抑制率分别为18%、31%、31%和17%;低浓度溶液(10 g·L^-1)对根长的抑制达到显著水平,抑制率为25%。毛红椿凋落叶水浸液4种不同极性萃取组分中共鉴定到22种化合物,总体含酰胺类、长链脂肪酸、酚类、苯甲酸衍生物、烷烃类、腈类、二甲苯、松油烯及谷甾醇等物质,其中酰胺类、长链脂肪酸、酚类、苯甲酸衍生物成分可能为毛红椿自毒物质。本研究结果为探索毛红椿的濒危机制,促进毛红椿的实生更新提供了理论依据。     

The effect of mixing ground leaf litters to soil on the development of pitch pine ectomycorrhizal and soil arthropod communities in natural soil microcosm systems

The addition of leaf litter to soil influences both the nutrients and polyphenols of soil. It is likely that contrasting nutrient and polyphenolic composition of different plant litters may affect plant growth, mycorrhizal and soil arthropod communities. We report results from a microcosm experiment of effects of incorporation of three single leaf litter species and a mixture of all three on pitch pine seedling growth, their ectomycorrhizal community and soil arthropod community. The three litter species (pine, oak and huckleberry) represent co-dominant species within the New Jersey pine barrens ecosystem. We show that the leaf litters have different composition of nutrients and polyphenols, with rooting matrix containing pine litter having lower inorganic nitrogen content (1.6 μg g⁻¹) than oak (19.9 μg g⁻¹) and huckleberry (4.4 μg g⁻¹), but oak litter having the highest extractable phosphorus (13.3 cf. 0-0.08 μg g⁻¹) and total phenol content and lowest condensed tannin content. These differences were imparted to rooting matrix of homogenized humic (Oa) layer of pine barrens soil to which milled leaf litter was added and used in the microcosms. Pitch pine seedlings grew significantly better in un-amended rooting matrix (0.33±0.02 g) than any of the litter treatments (0.15±0.02-0.17±0.01 g) and tissue P concentrations tracked phosphate concentrations in the rooting matrix. Total P accumulation into plant tissue was higher in oak than control, attributable to a significantly higher (P<0.05) accumulation in roots (3.3±0.19 mg g⁻¹) compared to other species (1.1±0.04-2.3±0.08 mg g⁻¹). No relationship was seen between tissue N concentration and soil N, but seedlings growing in huckleberry litter amended soil accumulated less N than control. The effect of leaf litters on the ectomycorrhizal community composition were determined by PCA (first two axes accounted for 81% of the variance) and stepwise multiple regression analysis. These analyses showed that huckleberry leaf litter had a significant impact on mycorrhizal community composition with morphotypes Cg and DB being more abundant in the presence of huckleberry litter (178±13 cf. 68±15-106±15 for Cg and 141±11 cf. 88±23-111±18 for DB) and its influence of elevating nitrate nitrogen, organic nitrogen, total phenols and protein precipitation content of the rooting matrix. Mycorrhizal morphotypes BS and SB were significantly more abundant in the community where these soil factors were low in the absence of leaf litter addition. Total ectomycorrhizal abundance was negatively related to hydrolysable tannin concentration in the rooting matrix (r²=0.132, P<0.05). There was no influence of leaf litter type on mite density (dominated by non-burrowing phthiracarids), but collembolan density (dominated by Folsomia spp) showed a greater than threefold reduction in population density in the presence of leaf litter (F=6.47, P<0.05). Collembolan density was positively correlated with mycorrhizal morphotypes GS and SB (P<0.05) and negatively related to morphotypes DB (P<0.05) and soil extractable NH₄-N (P<0.05), suggesting a possible selection of fungal species in their diet and a relationship between collembola and nitrification.     

Responses of co-occurring populations of Dendrobaena octaedra (Lumbricidae) and Cognettia sphagnetorum (Enchytraeidae) to soil pH, moisture and resource addition

Dendrobaena octaedra (Lumbricidae) and Cognettia sphagnetorum (Enchytraeidae) are the two most dominating soil invertebrates in terms of biomass in boreal coniferous forest soils. A microcosm experiment was set up in order to study the influence of pH, moisture and resource addition on D. octaedra and C. sphagnetorum when both species are simultaneously present. Two kinds of coniferous forest humus were used as substrate, pine stand humus (pH 4.2), and spruce stand humus (pH 4.6); in the third treatment the pine stand humus was adjusted with slaked lime (CaOH₂) to the same initial pH as the spruce stand humus. Each substrate was adjusted to water contents of 25%, 42.5% and 60% of WHC (referred to as ‘dry’, ‘moist’ and ‘wet’). In the second part of the experiment, spruce needle litter and birch leaf litter were separately added into the pine stand humus (‘moist’, unlimed) and compared with a control without litter. The microcosms were plastic jars with 75 g (d.m.) of humus, into which 4 specimens of D. octaedra and 70 specimens of C. sphagnetorum were added. D. octaedra showed the highest biomass and C. sphagnetorum the lowest biomass in the spruce stand humus with higher pH. Moisture did not affect earthworms, while C. sphagnetorum thrived best at the highest moisture. Addition of both kinds of litter increased the numbers and biomass of D. octaedra, while on C. sphagnetorum resource addition had little effect. The results help to explain the abundance of these two species in coniferous forests differing in soil acidity, moisture and fertility.     

Litter-fall and litter decomposition in a low Mediterranean shrubland

Annual production of litter by Cistus incanus (L.) and Myrtus communis (L.) and decomposition dynamics of leaf litter of these species was studied in a Mediterranean shrubland. Myrtus and Cistus produced 472 and 429 g dry weight litter m^-2 year^-1, respectively. Leaves were the predominant litter component for both species. The average decay constant of Myrtus and Cistus litters enclosed in litter bags, calculated over the whole study period (38 months), was 0.71 year^-1 and 0.31 year^-1 respectively. In green leaves the N content differed during growth seasons for both species, whereas the content of Ca, Mg, P, K, and Na did not show significant changes. Abscised leaves had lower N, P and K contents than green leaves, evidencing that a nutrient translocation before abscission occurred from senescent leaves. The nutrient contents of the leaves at abscission time, generally higher in Cistus than in Myrtus, allowed us to estimate the annual nutrient input to the soil. Phosphorus and K more than N were rapidly released by the decomposing litters after exposure. Nutrient limitation, in particular P, might be considered the main growth limiting factor for Myrtus and Cistus. Both species were adapted to recovery and rapidly recycle P more than N and K in the living biomass through retranslocation from green leaves before abscission and/or a high release rate from the decomposing litter. The former strategy was better used by Cistus, the latter by Myrtus.     

林(果)粮间作中树木枯落叶对小麦发芽期和苗期的化感效应

树木枯落叶对作物的化感效应是建设林(果)粮间作复合体系所要考虑的重要问题之一。本研究采用陕西关中地区常见的12种树木枯落叶经室内混土分解培养后的不同浓度水浸提液作为培养基质,进行室内小麦种子萌发和生长试验,探讨了林(果)粮间作树种枯落叶对小麦的化感效应。结果表明:(1)杜仲处理和元宝枫处理促进了小麦幼苗苗高生长,提高了CAT活性,却降低了根系活力;泡桐处理和杨树处理促进了小麦种子萌发和幼苗生长;花椒处理抑制了小麦幼苗根长、生物量、CAT活性和根系活力;核桃处理在高浓度时明显抑制了小麦发芽速度指数、根长、CAT活性和叶绿素含量;梨树处理对小麦发芽速度指数、根长和叶绿素含量表现为低促高抑;苹果处理提高了小麦发芽速度指数、幼苗苗高、生物量和叶绿素含量;柿树处理和枣树处理抑制了小麦幼苗根长和生物量;桃树处理和杏树处理对小麦种子萌发表现为低促高抑。(2)统计学主成分分析表明,整体上对小麦发芽和生长起明显促进作用的树种是泡桐、苹果和杨树,其次是杏树和元宝枫;整体上对小麦发芽和生长起到明显抑制作用的树种是柿树、核桃和枣树,其次是花椒和桃树;而梨树起到低促高抑的作用,杜仲则相反。     

Stimulatory effect on pea of Typha Angustifolia L. extracts and their chemical composition

In this study, the influence of aqueous and organic extracts of different plant parts (flowers, leaves, and stems) of Typha angustifolia on the germination and early seedling growth of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) was evaluated. Chemical composition of extracts of different plant parts of Typha was also determined. Aqueous (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 g L^?1) and organic extracts (at 0.5, 1, and 2 mg mL^?1) were applied to the seeds of two pea cultivars, Douce de Provence and Lincoln, placed in Petri dishes. Application of extracts had a beneficial effect on germination and early seedling growth of both pea cultivars. However, aqueous extract of leaves showed the most beneficial effect at 60 and 40 g L^?1 for the cultivars Douce de Provence and Lincoln, respectively. The effect could be attributed to the allelochemicals present in the aqueous extracts. Petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of leaves had the most stimulating effect on the germination and early seedling growth of pea. Analysis of Typha extracts indicated the presence of vitamin E in leaves, which could be responsible forthis stimulation. Moreover, Typha leaves also had substantial amount of flavonoids. In conclusion, the allelopathic activity of of Typha was dependent on the plant part, the solvent nature, the concentration of the extracts tested, and on the pea cultivar. Application of leaf extract was the most effective in improving the germination rate and early seedling growth of pea.     

Microbial biomass and activity in soil and litter underPinus sylvestris, Picea abies andBetula pendula at originally similar field afforestation sites

Microbial biomass C and N, and activities related to C and N cycles, were compared in needle and leaf litter, and in the uppermost 10 cm of soil under the litter layer in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and silver birch (Betula pendula L.) stands, planted on originally similar field afforestation sites 23–24 years ago. The ground vegetation was differentiated under different tree species, consisting of grasses and herbs under birch and pine, and mosses or no vegetation with a thick layer of needles under spruce. The C:N ratio of the soils was 13–21 and the soil pH_{CaCl 2} 3.8–5.2. Both showed little variation under different tree species. Microbial biomass C and N, C mineralization, net ammonification, reduction) did not differ significantly in soil under different tree species either. Birch leaf litter had a higher pH_{CaCl 2} (5.9) than spruce and pine needle litter (pH 5.0 and 4.8, respectively). The C:N ratio of spruce needles was 30, and was considerably higher in pine needles (69) and birch leaves (54). Birch leaves tended to have the highest microbial biomass C and C mineralization. Spruce needles appeared to have the highest microbial biomass N and net formation of mineral N, whereas formation of mineral N in pine needles and birch leaves was negligible. Microbial biomass C and N were of the same order of magnitude in the soil and litter samples but C mineralization was tenfold higher in the litter samples.     

低氮胁迫下小麦抑草作用的化感效应与资源竞争分析

化感效应和资源竞争在作物抑草中起重要作用。为区分低氮胁迫下小麦抑草作用的化感效应与资源竞争,以强化感小麦品种‘115/青海麦’、‘92L89’和弱化感小麦‘抗10103’为材料,设置氮水平为25 mg·L-1、50mg·L-1、100 mg·L-1和200 mg·L-1的水培试验,通过小麦与看麦娘共培、应用含小麦根系分泌物的小麦-看麦娘共培液处理看麦娘,分别测定了小麦对看麦娘的生物干扰作用、化感效应及资源竞争效应。结果表明,不同化感潜力的小麦对看麦娘的抑制能力存在显著差异,抑制率大小为‘115/青海麦’(55.1%~73.9%)‘92L89’(48.9%~65.9%)‘抗10103’(15.4%~45.5%),且抑制率随氮水平的降低而增大。在小麦的抑草作用中,化感效应与资源竞争并存。低氮胁迫条件下,强化感小麦抑草能力增强主要通过提高化感效应实现;弱化感小麦抑草能力增强主要通过提高资源竞争实现。不同化感潜力小麦的抑草作用在低氮胁迫下表现出不同的生态策略。小麦抑草作用的化感效应均随氮水平降低而增大,其抑制率随氮水平的变化可用一元二次方程加以拟合。     

马铃薯对瓜列当种子萌发的化感作用研究

瓜列当给瓜类等经济作物造成较大危害。本研究采用盆栽4个推广马铃薯品种"夏波蒂"、"青薯168"、"冀张薯5号"和"克新1号",以不同生长时期(幼苗期、开花期和结薯期)马铃薯根际土、根系和地上部的浸提液(甲醇和水)刺激瓜列当种子萌发,根据发芽率来判定其对瓜列当化感作用的强弱,同时筛选刺激瓜列当发芽率高的品种用于列当杂草的防除。结果表明,马铃薯能刺激瓜列当种子萌发;不同马铃薯品种对瓜列当的化感作用各有差异,随着马铃薯的生长,根际土中化感物质积累不断升高,根系化感作用逐渐减弱,而地上部化感作用逐渐增强。甲醇浸提液刺激瓜列当种子发芽率高于水浸提液,即甲醇浸提化感作用效果较好。"夏波蒂"根系甲醇浸提液刺激瓜列当种子的发芽率在幼苗期最高,为48.5%;而地上部甲醇浸提液处理的发芽率在结薯期最高,为51.2%。可以在瓜列当危害的农田轮作"夏波蒂"5~8年,同时采用马铃薯秸秆还田来减少土壤中瓜列当种子库,达到防除瓜列当危害的目的。     

Plant litter decomposition and microbial characteristics in volcanic soils (Mt Etna,Sicily) at different stages of development

Soils at different developmental stages were sampled from eight sites on the slopes of Mt Etna, Sicily (Italy) and characterized for total C, microbial biomass and microbial respiration. The values of these parameters were greatest for the most developed soils, but differences in recent management and site characteristics limited analysis of trends with soil development across the eight sites. The decomposition kinetics of both intact leaf litter and the water-insoluble fraction of leaf litter from three common species on Etna [Etnean broom (Genista aetnensis), European chestnut (Castanea sativa), and Corsican pine (Pinus nigra)] were determined in four of the soils (the two with the smallest and the two with the largest organic C contents) in a laboratory experiment over 168 days to test two hypotheses. First, that the readily mineralized fraction of added plant C is greater when the plant material decomposes in well-developed soils compared to less developed soils, and second, that the microbial communities in less developed soils are less efficient at mineralizing C from low quality plant residues. The first hypothesis held for Genista and Pinus litter, but not Castanea litter. The second hypothesis was supported for the Castanea and Pinus litter, but not for the Genista litter. Thus, the general applicability of the hypotheses was dependent on the precise source and characteristics of the litter.     

Mineralization of forest litter nutrients by heat and combustion

Temperature dependant mineralization dynamics during fire of litter species characteristic of the New Jersey pine barrens was determined. Senescent leaf material of pitch pine (Pinus rigida), white oak (Quercus alba) and black huckleberry (Gaylusssacia baccata) were collected at the time of abscission; sorted, ground and oven-dried at 70 °C. Replicate samples were then heated for 2 h at: 70, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 550 °C. Mass loss and total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentration of the heated material were determined. Additional samples of the residual material were extracted with deionized water, and the filtrate was assayed for the anions: , , ; and cations: , K⁺, Mg⁺⁺, and Ca⁺⁺.By heating leaf litter over a range of temperatures, to simulate the heterogeneous nature of forest litter burning, we identified patterns of nutrient mineralization characteristic of specific temperatures, some of which were common to all three litter species and others unique to individual species. In general, it appears that black huckleberry leaf litter was the most nutrient rich and the most labile. In huckleberry litter, there was a large reserve of soluble nitrogen, sulfur, phosphate, calcium and magnesium that became available upon heating to 200 °C. Pitch pine litter was the most nutrient poor, and the rates of nutrient mineralization were also generally the lowest of the three species studied. White oak litter nutrient concentration and rates of mineralization along the temperature gradient were intermediate. For all three litter species examined organic and inorganic nitrogen losses due to volatilization were >99% upon heating to 550 °C, and soluble magnesium concentrations declined significantly at temperatures of 300 °C, despite having a volatilization temperature greater than 1100 °C. Under the temperature range employed, heating of leaf litter resulted in little volatilization loss of phosphorus; however, the amount of soluble phosphate phosphorus was much lower in all three litter types at temperatures of 300 °C and above. With increasing temperatures, inorganic phosphate ions presumably became bound to cations in the ash, forming insoluble metal phosphates. The dramatic increase of the ratio of total phosphorus to soluble inorganic phosphate at higher temperatures, the loss of soluble magnesium above 300 °C, and the near complete loss of nitrogen at 550 °C suggests that after intense fires availability of these minerals may be dramatically reduced.     

Culture-dependent and culture-independent microbial investigation of pine litters and soil in subtropical Australia

Background, aim, and scope  Forest plantations, widely grown for wood production, involve the selective promotion of single-tree species or replacement of natural species by exotic tree species. Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) has been chosen for reforestation of infertile sandy soils in southeast Queensland, Australia. These exotic pine plantations minimize soil and water losses and are important scientific study sites. The soil environment of these plantations, though devoid of sufficient nutrients, organic carbon and other factors, harbors innumerable bacteria that may play a crucial role in maintaining soil quality and ecosystem functions. These soil microorganisms also have the potential for use as sensitive biological indicators to reflect environmental changes. It is therefore essential to understand the interrelationships among bacterial communities and their environment by assessing their structural and functional diversity and their responses to disturbances. The main aim of our investigation was to determine the diversity of bacterial communities in forest litters and soil during the forest leaf litter decomposition using culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. Materials and methods  A 25-cm (diameter) × 40-cm core sample was collected and fractionated into three subsamples designated E1 (L leaf litter layer), E2 (F leaf litter layer), and E5 (0–10 cm soil layer). Both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods were applied in this study. In the culture-independent study, a strategy of whole-community DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification followed by cloning and 16S rDNA sequence analysis was used; for culture-dependent study, the strategy included sample plating and bacteria isolating, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The diversity similarities between two bacterial communities and two methods are quantified using Jensen–Shannon divergence. Results  From culture-dependent study, 336 colonies in total were isolated and grouped from the three subsamples, and the 16S rRNA sequence analysis from a representative isolate from each morphogroup (21 isolates) indicated that they belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Culture-independent assessment based on 16S rRNA gene library comprising 194 clones revealed that members of the phylum Actinobacteria were absent in the culture-independent studies. Clones in libraries from E1 consisted exclusively of members of the Firmicutes. The majority of clones from E2 were related to Firmicutes (79%) and Proteobacteria (21%). Clones derived from E5 were mostly affiliated with Acidobacterium (42%), followed by unclassified bacteria (27%), Verrucomicrobiales (12%), Proteobacteria (11%), and Planctomycetes (8%). Discussion  This study showed that bacterial culturabilities in different fractions of leaf litters were similar, and both of them were higher than the bacterial culturability in the soil. Unculturable bacterial diversity in the soil, however, was much higher than the leaf litter bacterial diversity. The bacterial diversity on the top layer of leaf litters was slightly less than that on the bottom layer of leaf litters. This might indicate that forest soils are a more complex environment than leaf litters are and also that they might inhabit more unculturable microorganisms in the forest soils, which would need to be further investigated. The leaf litter layer samples also demonstrate the significant difference between the bacterial community diversity discovered by these two methods in this study. The information provided by assessing the different fractions of leaf litters and forest soil has improved our understanding of the bacterial community distributions within the forest soil and the above-leaf litters in an exotic pine plantation of subtropical Australia. Conclusions  This study represents the first attempt to examine the bacterial community in the different fractions of forest leaf litters and soil in subtropical Australia. The data from this study show that the 16S rDNA clone libraries provided more comprehensive phylogenetic diversity in the soil and leaf litter samples than the culture collections provided, and both the culture-dependent and culture-independent studies revealed that the bacterial diversity present in the leaf litters was very different to that present in the soil. The comparative analysis of bacterial communities in different fractions of leaf litters and soil samples has also provided important baseline information about the bacterial diversity and composition in the exotic pine forest plantations. Recommendations and perspectives  The experimental data provided important information on the bacterial diversity in forest leaf litter and soil samples, though additional surveys and comparisons at different locations would be needed to further characterize. In addition, combined methods that can provide different parts of information on bacterial diversity are encouraged to be used in bacterial community study. The established libraries of diverse 16S rRNA gene fragments from slash pine leaf litters and forest soil can be used to construct specific DNA primers and probes to target bacterial groups of interest. It may then be possible to study the ecology of these bacterial communities and the role of specific bacterial groups that contribute to the many interesting properties of these environments.     

Nutrient utilization by pine seedlings and soil microbes in oligotrophic pine barrens forest soils subjected to prescribed fire treatment

The purpose of this greenhouse experiment was to examine the short-term effects of competition between pine seedlings and the soil microbial biomass in sandy oligotrophic pine barrens upland forest soils subjected to varying levels of prescribed fire severity. Pine seedling growth performance, microbial biomass nitrogen, extractable soil nutrients and leaching loss from the soil were determined, throughout a single growing season following fire treatment. Replicate soil cores exposed to three levels of fire severity were maintained in a greenhouse with or without a pine seedling. Throughout the following growing season replicate cores from each treatment were harvested and analyzed monthly. The data allowed testing for two main effects: soil fire treatment and tree presence/absence. In no instance was a significant fire treatment X tree presence/absence interaction found. Our results indicate that biological activity strongly influences soil conditions. Reduced microbial activity resulted from the interaction of soil microbial biomass and an individual pine seedling. Increased plant growth performance correlates with reduced soil mineral nitrogen concentration and decreased pH. At the levels of fire severity utilized in this experiment immobilization due to biological uptake and abiotic soil fixation prevented significant leaching losses above that of unburned control samples. In the oligotrophic, pine barrens soils, nitrogen and phosphorus mineralized by fire are largely conserved by biological processes. These results also suggest that plant growth is subject to limitation by phosphorus availability in these soils.