Amino sugars and muramic acid—biomarkers for soil microbial community structure analysis

Characterizing functional and phylogenetic microbial community structure in soil is important for understanding the fate of microbially-derived compounds during the decomposition and turn-over of soil organic matter. This study was conducted to test whether amino sugars and muramic acid are suitable biomarkers to trace bacterial, fungal, and actinomycetal residues in soil. For this aim, we investigated the pattern, amounts, and dynamics of three amino sugars (glucosamine, mannosamine and galactosamine) and muramic acid in the total microbial biomass and selectively cultivated bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes of five different soils amended with and without glucose. Our results revealed that total amino sugar and muramic acid concentrations in microbial biomass, extracted from soil after chloroform fumigation varied between 1 and 27 mg kg⁻¹ soil. In all soils investigated, glucose addition resulted in a 50-360% increase of these values. In reference to soil microbial biomass-C, the total amino sugar- and muramic acid-C concentrations ranged from 1-71 g C kg⁻¹ biomass-C. After an initial lag phase, the cultivated microbes revealed similar amino sugar concentrations of about 35, 27 and 17 g glucosamine-C kg⁻¹ TOC in bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, respectively. Mannosamine and galactosamine concentrations were lower than those for glucosamine. Mannosamine was not found in actinomycete cultures. The highest muramic acid concentrations were found in bacteria, but small amounts were also found in actinomycete cultures. The concentrations of the three amino sugars studied and muramic acid differed significantly between bacteria and the other phylogenetic microbial groups under investigation (fungi and actinomycetes). Comparison between the amino sugar and muramic acid concentrations in soil microbial biomass, extracted after chloroform fumigation, and total concentrations in the soil showed that living microbial biomass contributed negligible amounts to total amino sugar contents in the soil, being at least two orders of magnitude greater in the soils than in the soil inherent microbial biomass. Thus, amino sugars are significantly stabilized in soil.     

Dynamics of soil microbial biomass and nitrogen availability in a flooded rice soil amended with different C and N sources

 A greenhouse experiment was conducted to compare effects of different C and N sources applied to a flooded soil on soil microbial biomass (SMB) C and N, extractable soil organic N (N_ORG), and NH₄ ⁺-N in relation to plant N accumulation of rice (Oryza sativa L.). In addition to a control without inputs (CON), four treatments were imposed receiving: prilled urea (PU), rice straw (RS), RS and PU (RS+PU), or Sesbania rostrata as green manure (SES). Treatments were arranged according to a completely randomized design with four replicates and further consisted of pots with and without transplanted rice. While plant effects on the SMB were relatively small, the application of organic N sources resulted in a rapid increase in SMB until 10 days after transplanting (DAT) followed by a gradual decline until 73 DAT. Plant N accumulation data in these treatments clearly indicated that the SMB underwent a transition from a sink to a source of plant-available soil N during the period of crop growth. Seasonal variation of the SMB was small in treatments without amendment of organic material (CON, PU) presumably due to a lack of available C as energy source. Extractable N_ORG was significantly affected by soil planting status and organic N source amendment, but represented only a small N pool with little temporal variation despite an assumed rapid turnover. Among the three treatments receiving the same amount of N from different sources, the recovery efficiency of applied N was 58% for PU and 28% for both RS+PU and SES treatments at 73 DAT. The N uptake of rice, however, was not driven by N availability alone, as most evident in the RS+PU treatment. We assume that root physiological functions were impeded after application of organic N sources. Received: 1 June 1999     

Experimental warming effects on the microbial community of a temperate mountain forest soil

Soil microbial communities mediate the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). The amount of carbon (C) that is respired leaves the soil as CO₂ (soil respiration) and causes one of the greatest fluxes in the global carbon cycle. How soil microbial communities will respond to global warming, however, is not well understood. To elucidate the effect of warming on the microbial community we analyzed soil from the soil warming experiment Achenkirch, Austria. Soil of a mature spruce forest was warmed by 4 °C during snow-free seasons since 2004. Repeated soil sampling from control and warmed plots took place from 2008 until 2010. We monitored microbial biomass C and nitrogen (N). Microbial community composition was assessed by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of ribosomal RNA genes. Microbial metabolic activity was estimated by soil respiration to biomass ratios and RNA to DNA ratios. Soil warming did not affect microbial biomass, nor did warming affect the abundances of most microbial groups. Warming significantly enhanced microbial metabolic activity in terms of soil respiration per amount of microbial biomass C. Microbial stress biomarkers were elevated in warmed plots. In summary, the 4 °C increase in soil temperature during the snow-free season had no influence on microbial community composition and biomass but strongly increased microbial metabolic activity and hence reduced carbon use efficiency.     

氮素浓度和水分对水稻土硝化作用和微生物特性的影响

为了明确不同氮素浓度和水分对土壤硝化作用和微生物特性的影响,特别是高氮素浓度下的响应特异性,以红壤水稻土为供试土壤,设置4个硫铵用量水平[0(CK)、120 mg(N).kg-1(A1)、600 mg(N).kg-1(A2)、1 200 mg(N).kg-1(A3)],调节土壤水分为饱和持水量(WHC)的40%、60%和80%,研究了短期内不同氮素浓度和不同水分条件下土壤硝化作用、微生物生物量碳和微生物功能多样性的变化。结果表明:在40%、60%和80%WHC水分条件时,硫铵A2、A3浓度处理土壤硝化率和硝化速率普遍较低,硫铵A1浓度处理硝化率和硝化速率随土壤含水量的升高而升高;同含水量时随硫铵用量的升高而显著降低。在40%、60%和80%WHC水分条件时,微生物生物量碳随硫铵浓度的升高而降低;同浓度硫铵用量水平时,微生物生物量碳的变化基本表现为:60%WHC80%WHC40%WHC。分析发现不同水分和硫铵处理之间存在交互作用。BIOLOG分析显示:不同氮素浓度和不同水分处理,60%WHC下A1处理的平均吸光值(AWCD)和Shannon、Simpson、McIntosh指数最大,其次为60%WHC的硫铵CK处理,而不同水分下硫铵A2、A3处理,其AWCD值和Shannon、Simpson、McIntosh多样性指数都较低,进一步说明过量施肥导致微生物活性降低。不同氮素浓度和水分条件下土壤微生物和生化性状不同,过量施用化肥后将有可能造成土壤微生物性状和生化功能衰减。     

外源腐解微生物的物种组合对土壤微生物群落结构及代谢活性的影响

本文采用饲料类芽孢杆菌(Paenibacillus pabuli,P)、深红紫链霉菌(Streptomyces violaceorubidus,S)和黄绿木霉(Trichoderma aureoviride,T),组合构建了3种单菌剂(P、S和T)、3种两菌种复合菌剂(PT、PS和ST)及1种3菌种复合菌剂(PST),并将之添加到红壤中,监测各菌剂添加后土壤总磷脂脂肪酸(PLFAs)量、特征微生物PLFAs百分含量、土壤呼吸速率及总代谢熵的变化,旨在探明外源腐解微生物的物种组合对土壤微生物群落结构和代谢活性的影响,进而为优化有机物分解菌剂种群配置提供参考。结果显示,添加单菌剂的P、S和T处理及添加两菌种复合菌剂的PT和PS处理,土壤微生物生物量显著增加,增幅17.2%~121.6%(P0.05)。添加外源腐解微生物后,各处理的土壤微生物群落的细菌百分含量基本稳定在79.6%~83.1%,真菌百分含量显著增加8.8%~50.6%;而放线菌百分含量除P和ST处理外,其他处理显著降低9.4%~69.8%。PLFAs数据的主成分分析表明,各外源菌剂处理与CK处理间的群落结构变异由小到大依次为:接种单菌剂的P、S和T处理,接种两菌种复合菌剂的PT、PS和ST处理,接种3菌种复合菌剂的PST处理。添加单菌剂的P、T处理以及添加两菌种复合菌剂的ST处理,在短期内影响了土壤微生物的对数生长,使土壤呼吸速率的峰值分别提高48.7%、53.7%和78.7%;且外源腐解微生物组合的物种数量越多,土壤微生物进入潜伏期所需的时间越长。从外源腐解微生物对土壤肥力的长期影响来看,两菌种复合菌剂ST的添加使土壤微生物代谢活性提高28.9%,因此该处理的土壤碳矿化量增加11.1%;添加单菌剂的S处理使土壤微生物代谢活性显著降低32.4%,因此该处理的土壤碳矿化量仅降低7.3%;而添加两菌种复合菌剂的PS处理和3菌种复合菌剂的PST处理,在保持代谢活性不变的情况下,其土壤碳矿化量也降低5.8%~8.7%,其原因有待进一步研究。综上所述,外源腐解微生物的添加会改变土壤微生物的群落结构及其生长轨迹,且随外源腐解微生物组合的物种数量增多这一干扰程度越大,而土壤微生物代谢活性与外源腐解微生物组合的物种数量无显著相关性。     

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

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

长期不同施肥条件下红壤性水稻土微生物群落结构的变化

以位于江西省红壤研究所内长期定位试验的水稻土(始于1981年)为研究对象,运用磷脂脂肪酸(phospholipid fatty acid,PLFA)和BIOLOG分析技术研究了不施肥(CK)、单施化肥(NPK)及有机肥与化肥混施(NPKM)三种施肥方式对土壤微生物群落结构的影响。结果表明:长期施化肥和有机肥与化肥混施处理的PLFA总量均高于未施肥处理,两者分别较未施肥处理高91%和309%;PLFA主成分分析(PCA)显示施肥促进了土壤微生物群落结构的变化,其中NPKM处理增加了革兰氏阴性细菌(G-细菌)、真菌、放线菌和原生动物的数量,NPK处理增加了革兰氏阳性细菌(G+细菌)的数量,不施肥处理较施肥处理提高了真菌/细菌比例,CK和NPK处理的微生物群落结构更为相似;各施肥处理间土壤的AWCD值(平均每孔颜色变化率,average well color development,AWCD)表明,NPKM处理能够促进土壤微生物群落对碳源的利用能力,进而增加土壤中微生物的整体活性,而NPK处理减弱了土壤微生物的活性。代谢功能多样性分析同时表明,NPKM处理增加了微生物群落的多样性,而NPK处理使土壤微生物的多样性降低;土壤PLFA与土壤养分的相关性分析显示,土壤总PLFA量与土壤有机质和全氮呈极显著相关(p0.01),与速效养分相关性不大。     

Nitrogen fertilization inhibits soil microbial respiration regardless of the form of nitrogen applied

We tested how amendments of different forms of nitrogen (N) affect microbial respiration rates by adding six different forms of N (NH₄NO₃, (NH₂)₂CO (urea), KNO₃, NH₄Cl, (NH₄)₂SO₄, Ca(NO₃)₂) to three distinct soils. All inorganic N forms led to a net reduction in microbial respiration, and the magnitude of the observed response (up to 60 % reduction) was consistent across all soils and negatively correlated with N concentration. Urea also reduced respiration rates in nearly all cases, but the effect was attenuated by the associated input of labile organic carbon. We observed decreases in respiration regardless of soil type, the specific N counter ion, N added as NH₄⁺ or NO₃⁻, or the effects of N form on soil pH, suggesting that decreases in respiration rates were mainly a direct result of the increase in soil N availability, rather than indirect effects caused by the form of N added.     

Long term tillage,cover crop,and fertilization effects on microbial community structure,activity: Implications for soil quality

Conservation agriculture practices, such as reduced tillage, cover crops and fertilization, are often associated with greater microbial biomass and activity that are linked to improvements in soil quality. This study characterized the impact of long term (31 years) tillage (till and no-till), cover crops (Hairy vetch- Vicia villosa and winter wheat- Triticum aestivum, and a no cover control), and N-rates (0, 34, 67 and 101 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil microbial community structure, activity and resultant soil quality calculated using the soil management assessment framework (SMAF) scoring index under continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production on a Lexington silt loam in West Tennessee.No-till treatments were characterized by a significantly greater (P < 0.05) abundance of Gram positive bacteria, actinomycetes and mycorrhizae fungi fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarkers compared to till. Saprophytic fungal FAME biomarkers were significantly less abundant (P < 0.05) under no-till treatments resulting in a lower fungi to bacteria (F:B) ratio. Key enzymes associated with C, N & P cycling (β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, and phosphodiesterase) had significantly higher rates under no-till relative to till, corresponding to significantly greater (P < 0.05) soil C and N, extractable nutrients (P, K and Ca) and yields. Mycorrhizae fungi biomarkers significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing N-rate and was significantly less (P < 0.05) under the vetch cover crop compared to wheat and no cover. Treatments under vetch also had significantly higher β-glucosaminidase and basal microbial respiration rates compared to wheat and no cover.Consequently, the total organic carbon (TOC) and β-glucosidase SMAF quality scores were significantly greater under no-till compared to till and under the vetch compared to wheat and no cover treatments, resulting in a significantly greater overall soil quality index (SQI).Our results demonstrate that long-term no-till and use of cover crops under a low biomass monoculture crop production system like cotton results in significant shifts in the microbial community structure, activity, and conditions that favor C, N and P cycling compared to those under conventional tillage practices. These practices also led to increased yields and improved soil quality with no-till having 13% greater yields than till and treatments under vetch having 5% increase in soil quality compared to no cover and wheat.     

Soil microbial biomass and nitrogen supply in an irrigated lowland rice soil as affected by crop rotation and residue management

 Processes that govern the soil nitrogen (N) supply in irrigated lowland rice systems are poorly understood. The objectives of this paper were to investigate the effects of crop rotation and management on soil N dynamics, microbial biomass C (C_BIO) and microbial biomass N (N_BIO) in relation to rice N uptake and yield. A maize-rice (M-R) rotation was compared with a rice-rice (R-R) double-cropping system over a 2-year period with four cropping seasons. In the M-R system, maize (Zea mays L.) was grown in aerated soil during the dry season (DS) followed by rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in flooded soil during the wet season (WS). In the R-R system, rice was grown in flooded soil in both the DS and WS. Three fertilizer N rates (0, 50 or 100 kg urea-N ha^–1 in WS) were assigned to subplots within the cropping system main plots. Early versus late crop residue incorporation following DS maize or rice were established as additional treatments in sub-subplots in the second year. In the R-R system, the time of residue incorporation had a large effect on NO₃ ^–-N accumulation during the fallow period and also on extractable NH₄ ⁺-N, rice N uptake and yield in the subsequent cropping period. In contrast, time of residue incorporation had little influence on extractable N in both the fallow and rice-cropping periods of the M-R system, and no detectable effects on rice N uptake or yield. In both cropping systems, C_BIO and N_BIO were not sensitive to residue incorporation despite differences of 2- to 3-fold increase in the amount of incorporated residue C and N, and were relatively insensitive to N fertilizer application. Extractable organic N was consistently greater after mid-tillering in M-R compared to the R-R system across N rate and residue incorporation treatments, and much of this organic N was α-amino N. We conclude that N mineralization-immobilization dynamics in lowland rice systems are sensitive to soil aeration as influenced by residue management in the fallow period and crop rotation, and that these factors have agronomically significant effects on rice N uptake and yield. Microbial biomass measurements, however, were a poor indicator of these dynamics. Received: 31 October 1997     

长期施肥对土壤微生物生物量碳、氮及矿质态氮含量动态变化的影响

利用位于陕西杨凌的17年长期定位试验研究了长期不施肥(CK)、单施化肥(F)、化肥配施有机肥(F+M)和化肥加秸秆还田(F+S)处理对小麦-玉米轮作体系中作物不同生长时期土壤微生物生物量碳、氮(SMBC、SMBN)和矿质态氮含量的影响。结果表明,0—10 cm土层土壤SMBC、SMBN和矿质态氮含量的变化范围分别为264.8~752.2、37.51~14.8和3.83~8.5 mg/kg。不同处理相比,F+M处理中各采样时期(小麦苗期、拔节期、灌浆期及玉米播种期、大喇叭口期、灌浆期和收获后)土壤SMBC和SMBN含量均为最高,分别为不施肥对照的1.382~.65和1.892~.50倍;F+S处理矿质态氮含量最高,SMBC和SMBN也高于F和CK处理,大部分采样时期的差异达显著水平(P0.05);与CK相比,长期单施化肥也使各时期SMBC和SMBN含量提高。在小麦拔节期到灌浆期的旺盛生长阶段各施肥处理土壤SMBN含量均下降,而矿质态氮含量变化不大,处于较低水平;在玉米大喇叭口期到灌浆期的旺盛生长阶段,F+M、F+S和F处理土壤矿质态氮含量显著下降,而SMBN含量均有所升高。表明在土壤矿质态氮含量较高时,作物首先利用矿质态氮,而在土壤矿质态氮含量处于较低水平时,微生物固持的氮素可能会释放出来供作物吸收利用。     

Contrasting soil microbial responses to fertilizers and herbicides in a canola-barley rotation

The combination of high input costs and low commodity prices is forcing some farmers to consider reducing crop inputs like seed, fertilizer and herbicides. In a field trial in which different canola (Brassica napus L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) inputs were subtracted from a full package, or added to an empty package, we studied the effects of full or reduced fertilizer and herbicide inputs on soil microbiological characteristics at two sites from 2005 to 2008. The full package consisted of a high-yielding crop variety seeded at an optimum rate, with fertilizers and herbicides applied at recommended rates. The empty package consisted of a less expensive, low-yielding crop variety seeded at a low rate, with no fertilizer or herbicide applied. Between these two extremes were treatments in which fertilizers or herbicides were applied at 50% of recommended rates or not at all. Each treatment was repeated year after year in the same plot, i.e., treatment effects were cumulative. Fertilizer effects on soil microbial biomass C (MBC), β-glucosidase enzyme activity and bacterial functional diversity (based on community-level physiological profiles) were usually positive. Reduced fertilizer application rates reduced the beneficial fertilizer effects. Significant herbicide effects on soil microbiological properties occurred less often, were smaller in magnitude than fertilizer effects, and were mostly negative. Reduced herbicide rates reduced the deleterious herbicide effects. These significant fertilizer and herbicide effects were observed in canola more than barley, and mostly in the final year of the study, indicating the cumulative nature of treatment effects over time. Therefore, repeated applications of agricultural inputs like fertilizers and herbicides can have more significant effects on soil biology and biological processes than single applications indicate.     

Shifting microbial community structure across a marine terrace grassland chronosequence, Santa Cruz, California

Changes in the biomass and structure of soil microbial communities have the potential to impact ecosystems via interactions with plants and weathering minerals. Previous studies of forested long-term (1000s - 100,000s of years) chronosequences suggest that surface microbial communities change with soil age. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of long-term soil microbial community dynamics, especially for non-forested ecosystems and in subsurface soil horizons. We investigated soil chemistry, aboveground plant productivity, and soil microbial communities across a grassland chronosequence (65,000-226,000 yrs old) located near Santa Cruz, CA. Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) initially increased to a maximum and then decreased for the older soils. We used polar lipid fatty acids (PLFA) to investigate microbial communities including both surface (<0.1 m) and subsurface (≥0.2 m) soil horizons. PLFAs characteristic of Gram-positive bacteria and actinobacteria increased as a fraction of the microbial community with depth while the fungal fraction decreased relative to the surface. Differences among microbial communities from each chronosequence soil were found primarily in the subsurface where older subsurface soils had smaller microbial community biomass, a higher proportion of fungi, and a different community structure than the younger subsurface soil. Subsurface microbial community shifts in biomass and community structure correlated with, and were likely driven by, decreasing soil P availability and Ca concentrations, respectively. Trends in soil chemistry as a function of soil age led to the separation of the biological (≤1 m depth) and geochemical (>1 m) cycles in the old, slowly eroding landscape we investigated, indicating that this separation, commonly observed in tropical and subtropical ecosystems, can also occur in temperate climates. This study is the first to investigate subsurface microbial communities in a long-term chronosequence. Our results highlight connections between soil chemistry and both the aboveground and belowground parts of an ecosystem.     

Changes in soil microbial community structure following the abandonment of agricultural terraces in mountainous areas of Eastern Spain

In Eastern Spain, almond trees have been cultivated in terraced orchards for centuries, forming an integral part of the Mediterranean forest scene. In the last decades, orchards have been abandoned due to changes in society. This study investigates effects of changes in land use from forest to agricultural land and the posterior land abandonment on soil microbial community, and the influence of soil physico-chemical properties on the microbial community composition (assessed as abundances of phospholipids fatty acids, PLFA). For this purpose, three land uses (forest, agricultural and abandoned agricultural) at four locations in SE Spain were selected. Multivariate analysis showed a substantial level of differentiation in microbial community structure according to land use. The microbial communities of forest soils were highly associated with soil organic matter content. However, we have not found any physical or chemical soil property capable of explaining the differences between agricultural and abandoned agricultural soils. Thus, it was suggested that the cessation of the perturbation caused by agriculture and shifts in vegetation may have led to changes in the microbial community structure. PLFAs indicative of fungi and ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs were higher in abandoned agricultural soils, whereas the relative abundance of bacteria was higher in agricultural soils. Actinomycetes were generally lower in abandoned agricultural soils, while the proportions of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhyzal fungi were, as a general trend, higher in agricultural and abandoned agricultural soils than in forests. Total microbial biomass and richness increased as agricultural < abandoned agricultural < forest soils.     

Changes in 15N abundance and amounts of biologically active soil nitrogen

 Estimation of the capacity of soils to supply N for crop growth requires estimates of the complex interactions among organic and inorganic N components as a function of soil properties. Identification and measurement of active soil N forms could help to quantify estimates of N supply to crops. Isotopic dilution during incubation of soils with added ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺ compounds could identify active N components. Dilution of ¹⁵N in KCl extracts of mineral and total N, non-exchangeable NH4₄ ⁺, and N in K₂SO₄ extracts of fumigated and non-fumigated soil was measured during 7-week incubation. Samples from four soils varying in clay content from 60 to 710 g kg^–1 were used. A constant level of ¹⁵N enrichment within KCl and K₂SO₄ extracted components was found at the end of the incubation period. Total N, microbial biomass C and non-exchangeable NH₄ ⁺ contents of the soils were positively related to the clay contents. The mineralized N was positively related to the silt plus clay contents. The active soil N (ASN) contained 28–36% mineral N, 29–44% microbial biomass N, 0.3–5% non-exchangeable NH₄ ⁺ with approximately one third of the ASN unidentified. Assuming that absolute amounts of active N are related to N availability, increasing clay content was related to increased N reserve for crop production but a slower turnover. Received: 7 July 1998     

Long-term tillage and rotation effects on soil microbial biomass,carbon and nitrogen

Summary Three mollisols, typical of the Palouse winter wheat region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, were analyzed for microbial biomass, total C and total N after 10 years of combined tillage and rotation treatments. Treatments included till, no-till and three different cereal-legume rotations. All crop phases in each rotation were sampled in the same year. Microbial biomass was monitored from April to October, using a respiratory-response method. Microbial biomass, total C and total N were highest under no-till surface soils (0–5 cm), with minimal differences for tillage or depth below 5 cm. Microbial biomass differences among rotations were not large, owing to the relative homogeneity of the treatments. A rotation with two legume crops had the highest total C and N. Microbial biomass was significantly higher in no-till surface soils where the current crop had been preceded by a high-residue crop. The opposite was true for the tilled plots. There was little change in microbial biomass over the seasons until October, when fresh crop residues and rains had a strong stimulatory effect. The seasonal pattern of biomass in no-till surface soils reflected the dry summer/winter rainfall climate of the region. The results of this study show that numerous factors affect soil microbial biomass and that cropping history and seasonal changes must be taken into account when microbial biomass data are compared.Scientific paper no. 7634     

喀斯特生态系统中乔木和灌木林根际土壤微生物生物量及其多样性的比较

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

Effect of microbial nitrogen immobilization during the growth period on the availability of nitrogen fertilizer for winter cereals

 Pot and field experiments were conducted to determine microbial immobilization of N fertilizer during growth periods of winter wheat and winter barley. In a pot experiment with winter wheat, Ca(¹⁵NO₃)₂ was applied at tillering [Zadok's growth stage (GS) 25)], stem elongation (GS 31) and ear emergence (GS 49). Rates of 100 mg N pot^–1, 200 mg N pot^–1 or 300 mg N pot^–1 were applied at each N application date. At crop maturity, ¹⁵N-labelled fertilizer N immobilization was highest at the highest N rate (3×300 mg N pot^–1). For each N-rate treatment about 50% of the total immobilized fertilizer N was immobilized from the first N dressing, and 30% and 20% of the total ¹⁵N immobilized was derived from the second and third applications, respectively. In field trials with winter wheat (three sites) and winter barley (one site) N was applied at the same growth stages as for the pot trial. N was also applied to fallow plots, but only at GS 25. N which was not recovered (neither in crops nor in soil mineral N pools) was considered to represent net immobilized N. A clear effect of N rate (51–255 kg N ha^–1) on net N immobilization was not found. The highest net N immobilization was found for the period between GS 25 (March) and GS 31 (late April) which amounted to 54–97% of the total net N immobilized at harvest (July/August). At GS 31, non-recovered N was found to be of similar magnitude for cropped and fallow plots, indicating that C from roots did not affect net N immobilization. Microbial biomass N (N_mic) was determined for cropped plots at GS 31. Although N_mic tended to be higher in fertilized than in unfertilized plots, fertilizer-induced increases in N_mic and net N immobilization were poorly correlated. It can be concluded that microbial immobilization of fertilizer N is particularly high after the first N application when crop growth and N uptake are low. Received: 6 July 1999     

Responses of nitrogen transformation and microbial community composition to nitrogen enrichment patch

Fertilization produces many nutrient patches that have been confirmed to affect root growth. However, it is not clear how nutrient transformation and microbial community composition are affected in an inorganic nutrient patch. In this experiment, a nitrogen enrichment patch was formed by the diffusion of a urea fertilizer layer in a specially-designed container. Responses of nitrogen transformation and microbial community composition to the nitrogen enrichment patch were investigated at different incubation times. Results showed that nitrogen status and microbial community composition were slightly affected in the control patch (CK patch). In the nitrogen enrichment patch, however, soil pH was significantly increased in most soil layers close to the urea fertilizer layer; NO₂⁻-N was the predominant form of mineral N, and its transformation to NO₃⁻-N was delayed. Microbial community composition shifted significantly, especially before day 28 of incubation. Principal components analysis (PCA) of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) patterns showed that the microbial community presented different sensitivity to high nitrogen concentration. Fungi (18:2ω6,9) showed the least sensitivity to high concentrations of NO₂⁻-N and NO₃⁻-N. Gram-positive bacteria showed the most sensitivity to NO₂⁻-N. Gram-negative bacteria (cy17:0, cy19:0, 18:1ω9, and 18:1ω7) and actinomycetes (10Me17:0 and 10Me18:0) presented similar responses to NO₂⁻-N and NO₃⁻-N. Results of this study indicate that changes in nitrogen transformation and microbial community composition are likely to occur in nitrogen enrichment patches, but the extent of those changes depend on the microbial species and the distance of soil layers from the urea layer.     

Nitrogen mineralization and microbial activity in permanent pastures amended with nitrogen fertilizer or dung

 Gross rates of soil processes and microbial activity were measured in two grazed permanent pasture soils which had recently been amended with N fertilizer or dung. ¹⁵N studies of rates of soil organic matter turnover showed gross N mineralization was higher, and gross N immobilization was lower, in a long-term fertilized soil than in a soil which had never received fertilizer N. Net mineralization was also found to be higher in the fertilized soil: a consequence of the difference between the opposing N turnover processes of N mineralization and immobilization. In both soils without amendments the soil microbial biomass contents were similar, but biomass activity (specific respiration) was higher in the fertilized soil. Short-term manipulation of fertilizer N input, i.e. adding N to unfertilized soil, or witholding N from previously fertilized soil, for one growing season, did not affect gross mineralization, immobilization or biomass size and activity. Amendments of dung had little effect on gross mineralization, but there was an increase in immobilization in both soils. Total biomass also increased under dung in the unfertilized soil, but specific respiration was reduced, suggesting changes in the composition of the biomass. Dung had a direct effect on the microbial biomass by temporarily increasing available soil C. Prolonged input of fertilizer N increases soil C indirectly as a result of enhanced plant growth, the effect of which may not become evident within one seasonal cycle. Received: 18 December 1998