Ecophysiological status of different growth stage of understorey Acacia leiocalyx and Acacia disparrima in an Australian dry sclerophyll forest subjected to prescribed burning

Purpose

Understorey Acacia spp. plays an important role in post-fire restoration because these understorey plants are tolerant to stress conditions. We investigated how the ecophysiological status of two species of understorey, Acacia leiocalyx and Acacia disparrima, varied depending on the plant growth stage after prescribed burning.

Materials and methods

Plants were grouped in different size classes, namely seedlings, small and medium sizes, and physiological variables such as foliar gas exchange, water use efficiency and light dependency were measured at two experimental sites subjected to prescribed burning.

Results and discussion

A. leiocalyx showed higher symbiotic N₂ fixation and photosynthetic capacity compared to A. disparrima regardless of plant-size classes at both experimental sites. This could explain the greater relative growth rate of A. leiocalyx than that of A. disparrima. However, A. disparrima is more tolerant to shady conditions than A. leiocalyx.

Conclusions

This finding may be an indication of how well these two species recover after fire, although A. leiocalyx may have faster regrowth, as it is fixing more N.     

Short-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics in soil,litterfall and canopy of a suburban native forest subjected to prescribed burning in subtropical Australia

Purpose

This study aimed to understand the mechanisms of the variations in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and examine the possibility of differentiating the burning effects from seasonal and pre-existed N limitations in a native suburban forest ecosystem influenced by prescribed burning in subtropical Australia.

Materials and methods

Soil and litterfall samples were collected from two study sites from 1 to 23 months since last burnt. Soil labile C and N pools, soil C and N isotopic compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N), litterfall mass production (LM), and litterfall total C, total N, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N were analysed. In-situ gas exchange measurements were also conducted during dry and wet seasons for Eucalyptus baileyana and E. planchoniana.

Results and discussion

The results indicated that labile C and N pools increased within the first few months after burning, with no correlations with climatic factors. Therefore, it was possible that the increase was due to the burning-induced factors such as the incorporation of ashes into the soil. The highest values of soil and litterfall δ¹⁵N, observed when the study was commenced at the experimental sites, and their high correlations with climatic factors were indicative of long-term N and water limitation. The ¹³C signals showed that soil N concentrations and climatic factors were also two of the main factors controlling litterfall and foliage properties mainly through the changes in photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance.

Conclusions

Long-term soil N availabilities and climatic factors were the two of the main driving factors of C and N cycling in the studied forest sites. Further studies are needed to compare soil and litterfall properties before and after burning to profoundly understand the effects of prescribed burning on soil labile C and N variations.

     

Short-term effects of prescribed burning on phosphorus availability in a suburban native forest of subtropical Australia

Purpose

Prescribed burning can alter nutrient availability to plants. Plant growth in tropical and subtropical forests is frequently phosphorus (P) limited. Soil P availability is influenced by a combination of multiple factors including soil chemical and biological properties. The aims of this study were to investigate the short-term effects of prescribed burning on soil P status and to evaluate the key drivers responsible for the variation in soil P fractions.

Materials and methods

Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0–10 cm at two sites in a suburban native forest. One site (the burnt site) was burned on 11 August 2011. The other site (the control site) was not burned but served as a reference. Sampling was conducted at four times: before burning, 12 days after burning (T1), 1 week after T1 (T2), and 1 month after T2 (T3). Soil pH, P fractions, microbial biomass carbon (C) and P, and activities of acid and alkaline phosphatase were measured.

Results and discussion

Total P was relatively low at both sites compared with other subtropical forests. Microbial biomass P accounted for approximately 10 % of soil total P at the two sites, suggesting that the turnover of microbial biomass is critical for soil P availability. Soil properties at the control site remained unchanged over the time. Soil organic forms of P at the burnt site were decreased by the prescribed burning, and the greatest reduction was found in moderately labile organic P (e.g., NaOH-extractable fractions). Soil inorganic forms of P, however, were not correspondingly increased by the prescribed burning. Microbial biomass P was closely related to the shifts in P fractions. These effects were only detected immediately after the fire.

Conclusions

Microbial biomass could serve as a sink of P in P-impoverished soils and play an important role in soil P transformation. Our results indicate that microbial biomass is an important factor that governs P status after prescribed burning. The rapid recovery of microbial biomass P could be beneficial to the P requirement for plant regrowth after prescribed burning.     

Symbiotic nitrogen contribution and biodiversity of root-nodule bacteria nodulating Psoralea species in the Cape Fynbos,South Africa

The genus Psoralea (tribe Psoraleae, family Leguminosae) is indigenous to the Cape fynbos of South Africa and little is known about its symbiosis and/or adaptation. The aim of this study was to assess root nodulation and N₂ fixation in eight of the 50 Psoralea species, as well as the biodiversity of their associated nodulating microsymbionts. The eight species studied (namely, Psoralea pinnata, Psoralea aphylla, Psoralea aculeata, Psoralea monophylla, Psoralea repens, Psoralea laxa, Psoralea asarina and Psoralea restioides) all had round-shaped, determinate type (desmodioid) nodules, and data from ¹⁵N natural abundance showed that they obtained 60–88% of their N nutrition from symbiotic fixation. These Psoralea species also transported their fixed-N as ureides (allantoin and allantoic acid) in the xylem stream, a symbiotic trait that links them very closely to the tribe Phaseoleae. Bacteria isolated from root nodules of the eight Psoralea species varied in phenotypic characteristics, nodulation promiscuity, and N₂-fixing efficacy. Furthermore, 16S rDNA gene sequence data showed that Psoralea species can form root nodules with different soil bacteria, including Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium and Burkholderia strains. This is not only evidence of nodulation promiscuity, but also an indication of the species’ adaptation to the nutrient-poor, low-N, sandy acidic soils of the Cape fynbos.     

Biological nitrogen fixation at elevated temperature in different Azospirillum species and strains

Nitrogenase activity, nitrogenase synthesis, and the growth of four species of Azospirillum were examined at 30°C and 42°C. Azospirillum brasilense Sp 7 did not synthesize nitrogenase at 42°C nor was the enzyme stable at this temperature. In A. lipoferum 708 and A. brasilense 12S the nitrogenase activity was stable at 42°C but the synthesis of nitrogenase was reduced. In A. brasilense Sp 9 the nitrogenase activity was stable and showed the highest C₂H₂ reduction activity at 42°C.     

Response of nitrogen transformation to glucose additions in soils at two subtropical forest types subjected to simulated nitrogen deposition

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Soil nitrogen (N) transformation is an important phenomenon in forest ecosystems and it is regulated by carbon (C) input. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts...     

森林生态系统中土壤有机质组分的固态13C核磁共振波谱表征

Forest management practices such as prescribed burning and thinning in forest ecosystems may alter the properties of soil organic matter (SOM).In this study,surface soils from field plots in the Bankhead National Forest,Alabama,USA,were used to investigate possible SOM transformations induced by thinning and burning.Elemental analysis and solid-state 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CPMAS NMR) spectroscopy were used to characterize SOM fractions in whole soils,humic substances,and density fractions.Our data revealed that the changes in SOM fractions due to the repeated burning carried out in the forest ecosystem studied were involved mainly with alkyl C,O-alkyl C,and carbohydrate functional groups,implying that most prominent reactions that occurred involved dehydrogenation,de-oxygenation,and decarboxylation.In addition,burning and thinning might have also affected the distribution and composition of free and occluded particulate SOM fractions.The limited structural changes in SOM fractions suggested that low-intensity prescribed fire in the forest ecosystem studied will not create major structural changes in SOM fractions.     

Acidification and nutrient imbalance in forest soils subjected to nitrogen deposition

Emission of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and ammonia (NH₃) from a fertilizer factory and the resulting input of nitrates (NO₃ ^?) and ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) into the soil were the main reasons of nitrogen (N) cycle disturbance in forest ecosystems near Novgorod, North-Western Russia (50°31′ North, 31°17′ East). Total N atmospheric input was about 100 kg/ha annually. NH₃ was a dominant pollutant, causing the increase of atmospheric precipitation pH within the polluted region compared to background territories (6.0–6.5 and 4.5–5.0, respectively). Soil acidification through NH₄ ⁺ nitrification was observed. N-NO₃ ^? concentrations in soil solution reached 20–30 mg/l, and proton (H) production was equal to 4.1 keq/ha per warm season (from April to October). Compared with soil status in 1983, pH decrease by 0.2 pH units was found in A horizon. The content of exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) decreased by the factor of 2–3 and 1.5–2 in A and B horizons, respectively. Triple increase of exchangeable aluminium (Al) content was detected in A horizon. Through recent decrease of pollutant emission, the polluted territory is now a suitable subject for recovery studies.     

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.     

Effects of prescribed burning on distribution and abundance of birds in a closed-canopy oak-dominated forest, Missouri, USA

Prescribed, biennial burning in forest understory started in Cuivre River State Park, Missouri, USA, in the late 1980s to help restore the forest to conditions that existed prior to European settlement. Bird surveys were started in 1996 on two burned and two unburned sections of the park to determine what effects the burning and subsequent changes in vegetation were having on bird populations. Birds were sampled at 17 60-m radius point counts on each study area; each point was sampled twice per year during the main breeding period from 1996 through 2002. Total abundance and species richness differed among the four areas but no differences could be attributed to burning. Some individual species, however, differed in abundance and frequency of occurrence between burned and unburned areas. For example, Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea), Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus), and several species of woodpeckers were more abundant on burned areas; Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus), Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorous), Wood Thrush (Hylocicla mustelina) and Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) were among the species more abundant on unburned areas. As a consequence, overall community composition differed significantly between burned and unburned areas of the park, but did not differ between burned areas or between unburned areas. Prescribed burning was instituted to restore vegetation to presettlement conditions and has started to achieve that objective. Restoration also has affected and likely will continue to affect bird populations. Future maintenance of a full complement of bird species, including a number of neotropical migrants, will be dependent on presence of both burned and unburned forest habitat.     

Effects of prescribed burning and seasonal and interannual climate variation on nitrogen mineralization in a typical steppe in Inner Mongolia

Fires in grasslands significantly alter nutrient cycling processes. Seasonal climatic changes can interact with fire to further modify nutrient cycling processes. To investigate the effects of fire on soil nitrogen transformation processes and their seasonal change and interannual variability in a typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, we determined the rates of net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification over two growing seasons and a winter following a prescribed spring fire in May 2006. Fire significantly decreased rates of both net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification during the first growing season and winter following burning. Cumulative net nitrogen mineralization in unburned and burned plots in the 2006 growing season was 133% and 183% higher, respectively, than in the drier 2007 growing season. Nitrogen mineralization apparently occurred in winter and the cumulative net nitrogen mineralization from October 2, 2006, to April 27, 2007 in unburned and burned plots amounted to 1.18 ± 0.25 g N m⁻² and 0.51 ± 0.08 g N m⁻², respectively. Cumulative net nitrogen mineralization was higher in a wet 2006 than in a dry 2007 growing season, indicating that the net N mineralization rate was sensitive to soil moisture in a dry season. Our study demonstrated that a one-time prescribed fire decreased net N mineralization rates only for a short period of time after burning while interannual variation in climate had more significant effects on the process of nitrogen mineralization.     

Involvement of Bradyrhizobium japonicum denitrification in symbiotic nitrogen fixation by soybean plants subjected to flooding

Denitrification by Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroids contributes to nitric oxide (NO) production within soybean nodules in response to flooding conditions. However, the physiological relevance of NO production by denitrification in B. japonicum-Glycine max symbiosis is still unclear. In this work, soybean plants were inoculated with B. japonicum strains lacking the nirK or norC genes which encode the copper-containing nitrite reductase and the c-type nitric oxide reductase enzymes, respectively. 14 days flooding increased nodule number of plants inoculated with the WT and norC strains, but not of plants inoculated with the nirK mutant. However, nodule dry weight was not affected by 14 days flooding regardless of the strain used for inoculation. Supporting this observation, individual nodule growth was significantly higher in plants inoculated with nirK than those inoculated with WT or norC after 14 days flooding. Nodule functioning was strongly inhibited by flooding since leghemoglobin content of the nodules induced by any of the strains was significantly decreased after 7 or 14 days flooding compared to control plants. However, this effect was more relevant in nodules of plants inoculated with the WT or norC mutant than in those inoculated with the nirK mutant. Nitrogen fixation was also estimated by analyzing nitrogen content derived from biological nitrogen fixation in shoots, using the ¹⁵N isotope dilution technique. By using this approach, we observed that the negative effect of 14 days flooding on nitrogen fixation was more pronounced in plants inoculated with the norC mutant. However, nitrogen fixation of plants inoculated with nirK showed the highest tolerance to 14 days flooding. These findings allowed us to demonstrate the previously proposed hypothesis which suggests that NO formed by copper-containing nitrite reductase in soybean nodules, in response to flooding, has a negative effect on nitrogenase activity. We propose that inoculation of soybeans with a B. japonicum nirK mutant, which does not produce NO from nitrate, increases the tolerance of symbiotic nitrogen fixation to flooding.     

Evidence of short-term belowground transfer of nitrogen from Acacia mangium to Eucalyptus grandis trees in a tropical planted forest

The short-term belowground transfer of nitrogen from nitrogen-fixing trees to companion trees has never been studied in the field. A ¹⁵N pulse-labeling study was conducted in a mixed plantation of Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus grandis at the peak of leaf area, 26 months after planting. ¹⁵N–NO₃⁻ was injected into the stem of one big Acacia tree in three plots. ¹⁵N was traced over 2 months in the labeled Acacia tree as well as in neighboring Eucalyptus trees. For both species, young leaves were sampled, as well as fine roots and the rhizosphere at a distance of 0.75 m and 2.25 m from the labeled tree. The ¹⁵N atom% was also determined in the wood, bark, branches and total foliage of the 3 labeled Acacia trees and 9 Eucalyptus trees, 60 days after labeling. Most of the leaves, fine roots and rhizosphere samples of both species were ¹⁵N enriched from 5 days after labeling. The δ¹⁵N values were higher at a distance of 0.75 m than at 2.25 m in Acacia roots, but were similar at both distances in Eucalyptus roots and the rhizospheres. The wood and bark of Eucalyptus trees sampled at a distance of 6.2 m from the labeled Acacia trees were ¹⁵N enriched. This shows belowground N transfer from Acacia to Eucalyptus trees in the field during the first few days after labeling. This facilitation process may provide a significant amount of the nitrogen requirements of trees close to N-fixing trees in mixed forests.     

Use of aliette,a basipetally translocated antimicrobial compound,to enhance rhizophere colonization and nodulation by root-nodule bacteria

Summary A method was developed to improve the colonizing ability of inoculated strains of root-nodule bacteria using aliette (aluminum tris-O-ethyl phosphonate), a basipetally translocated fungicide. Aliette applied to seeds of alfalfa inoculated with an aliette-resistant strain of Rhizobium meliloti increased the numbers of R. meliloti in the rhizosphere after 3 but not 37 days, increased the number of nodules, and with some seed treatments, increased the growth of alfalfa. The enhanced colonization by R. meliloti as a result of seed treatment with aliette lasted for at least 31 days for alfalfa, although plant weights did not increase, Colonization by R. meliloti was further enhanced if seeds and foliage were treated with the fungicide. Coating seeds or sparaying the foliage with aliette also increased the number and weight of nodules and nitrogenase activity in soybeans inoculated with an aliette-resistant strain of Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The stimulation of B. japonicum in the rhizosphere and of nodulation was evident with successive plantings of soybeans if the seeds for each planting were treated with the chemical, but aliette did not increase the yield of inoculated soybeans in the subsequent plantings. With only the seeds of the first planting of inoculated soybeans treated with aliette, the numbers of B. japonicum in the rhizosphere of subsequent plantings were only occasionally greater and the numbers of nodules on the later plantings were not increased. We suggest that root colonization, nodulation, and N₂ fixation by Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium may be enhanced by the use of basipetally translocated antimicrobial compounds together with root-nodule bacteria that are resistant to those compounds.     

Soil solution and extractable soil nitrogen response to climate change in two boreal forest ecosystems

Several studies show that increases in soil temperature result in higher N mineralization rates in soils. It is, however, unclear if additional N is taken up by the vegetation or accumulates in the soil. To address this question two small, forested catchments in southern Norway were experimentally manipulated by increasing air temperature (+3°C in summer to +5°C in winter) and CO₂ concentrations (+200 ppmv) in one catchment (CO₂T-T) and soil temperature (+3°C in summer to +5°C in winter) using heating cables in a second catchment (T-T). During the first treatment year, the climate treatments caused significant increases in soil extractable NH₄ under Vaccinium in CO₂T-T. In the second treatment year extractable NH₄ in CO₂T-T and NO₃ in T-T significantly increased. Soil solution NH₄ concentrations did not follow patterns in extractable NH₄ but changes in soil NO₃ pools were reflected by changes in dissolved NO₃. The anomalous behavior of soil solution NH₄ compared to NO₃ was most likely due to the higher NH₄ adsorption capacity of the soil. The data from this study showed that after 2 years of treatment soil inorganic N pools increased indicating that increases in mineralization, as observed in previous studies, exceeded plant demand and leaching losses.     

Growth, nitrogen fixation and occurrence of epiphytic algae at different pH in the cultures of two species of Azolla

Change in biomass, nitrogenase activity, chlorophyll and type of epiphytic algal contamination were determined for Azolla microphylla and A. pinnata, as a function of pH. These studies were done in a polyhouse at a constant temperature. The growth rate increased till pH 6 in both species, but sharply declined at pHs 7, 8, and 9. A. microphylla showed better growth than A. pinnata at all the pHs studied. A similar trend was found for chlorophyll content. Nitrogenase activity too showed variation with pH. It was maximum at pH 5 for both A. microphylla and A. pinnata but significantly higher for A. microphylla than for A. pinnata. Algal contamination was also different in the two species. Oscillatoria, Lyngbya, Calothrix, Tolypothrix and Nostoc could grow as epiphytic algae on A. microphylla, whereas only green algae and Lyngbya grew on A. pinnata.     

Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a forest soil amended with purified tannins from different plant species

Tannins are purported to be an important factor controlling nitrogen cycling in forest ecosystems, and the ability of tannins to bind proteins in protein-tannin complexes is thought to be the primary mechanism responsible for these effects. In this study, we examined the influence of well-characterized tannins purified from five different plant species on C and N dynamics of a forest soil A horizon. Tannic acid, a commonly used and commercially available hydrolyzable tannin (HT), and cellulose were also included for comparison. With the exception of tannins from huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), the amendments increased respiration 1.4-4.0 fold, indicating that they were acting as a microbial C source. Tannic acid was significantly more labile than the five purified tannins examined in this study. All treatments decreased net N mineralization substantially, through greater N immobilization and decreased mineralization. The six tannins inhibited gross ammonification rates significantly more than cellulose. This suggests that added tannins had effects in addition to serving as an alternative C source. Tannins purified from Bishop pine (Pinus muricata) were the only tannins that significantly inhibited potential gross nitrification rates, however, rates were low even in the control soil making it difficult to detect any inhibition. Differences in tannin structure such as condensed versus HTs and the hydroxylation pattern of the condensed tannin B-ring likely explain differences observed among the tannin treatments. Contrary to other studies, we did not find that condensed tannins were more labile and less inhibitory than HTs, nor that shorter chained tannins were more labile than longer chained tannins. In addition to supporting the hypothesis that reduced N availability in the presence of tannins is caused by complexation reactions, our data suggests tannins act as a labile C source leading to increased N immobilization.     

Seasonal nitrogen changes in Alnus orientalis and Populus nigra and N2 fixation by exotic alder species in Syria

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted. The first was to study nodulation and N₂fixation of several introduced alder species (Alnus glutinosa, A. incana, A. rubra, and A. viridis) grown in soil from beneath Alnus orientalis. The second was to determine pattern of nitrogen (N) changes in leaves and bark of Alnus orientalis and Populus nigra natural stands during two successive years. Results showed that Frankia in soil from underneath Alnus orientalis nodulated and fixed nitrogen on roots of local alder as well as on roots of introduced alder species from distant and ecologically diverse localities. However, differences were found among species in the number of nodules formed and amount of nitrogen fixed. Percentages of nitrogen derived from atmosphere (%Ndfa) ranged from 5% in A. viridis to 66% in A. orientalis. Microscopic study of Alnus orientalis nodules showed the presence of vesicles, and Frankia belonging to Sp^‐ type. Foliar N concentration was higher in alder than in poplar. Total N concentration in alder leaves remained relatively constant at about 3% during summer, whereas N concentration in poplar decreased sharply in leaves and increased in bark. No substantial increase in N concentration was found in alder bark, and the fallen leaves were rich in N. During autumn, leaf N concentrations in poplar decreased by 43% and 51% for the first and the second year, respectively; whereas N concentrations in bark increased by 71 % and 100%. Total N concentrations in alder leaves decreased only by 8–16% while, values in the adjacent bark remained stable. In contrast to poplar, it seems that Alnus orientalis does not exhibit net leaf retranslocation to bark tissues.     

用15N富积标记和稀释法研究旱作水稻/花生间作系统中氮素固定和转移

采用花生叶片15N富积标记法和15N同位素稀释法两种标记方法研究了水稻 花生间作条件下花生的生物固氮以及花生向水稻的氮素转移。盆栽结果表明,两种方法都证明在水稻花生间作的共生期内发生了氮素转移,花生固氮量的2%～3.5%转移到水稻体内。同位素稀释试验还表明,间作对花生固氮有促进作用,能提高其固氮效率(BNF)。本文还对两种同位素标记方法的优缺点进行了讨论。