添加生物质炭对红壤水稻土有机碳矿化和微生物生物量的影响

通过室内培育试验,研究了添加生物质炭对江西红壤水稻土有机碳矿化和微生物生物量碳、氮含量的影响。结果表明:红壤有机碳矿化速率在培育第2天达最大值后迅速降低,培养7天后下降缓慢并趋于平稳;添加生物质炭降低了土壤有机碳的矿化速率和累积矿化量,培养结束时,不加生物质炭的对照处理中有机碳的累积矿化量分别比添加0.5%和1.0%生物质炭的处理高10.0%和10.8%。此外,生物质炭的加入显著提高了土壤微生物生物量,添加0.5%生物质炭处理的土壤微生物生物量碳、氮含量分别比对照高111.5%～250.6%和11.6%～97.6%,添加1.0%生物质炭处理的土壤微生物生物量碳、氮含量分别比对照高58.9%～243.6%和55.9%～110.4%。相同处理中,干旱的水分条件下(40%田间持水量)微生物生物量要高于湿润的水分条件(70%田间持水量)。同时,添加0.5%和1.0%的生物质炭使土壤代谢熵分别降低2.4%和26.8%,微生物商减少了43.7%和31.7%。     

Microbial biomass and C mineralization in agricultural soils as affected by atrazine addition

This study examines the effects of atrazine on both microbial biomass C and C mineralization dynamics in two contrasting agricultural soils (organic C, texture, and atrazine application history) located at Galicia (NW Spain). Atrazine was added to soils, a Humic Cambisol (H) and a Gleyic Cambisol (G), at a recommended agronomic dose and C mineralization (CO₂ evolved), and microbial biomass measurements were made in non-treated and atrazine-treated samples at different time intervals during a 12-week aerobic incubation. The cumulative curves of CO₂–C evolved over time fit the simple first-order kinetic model [Ct = Co (1 − e ^−kt )], whose kinetic parameters were quantified. Differences in these parameters were observed between the two soils studied; the G soil, with a higher content in organic matter and microbial biomass C and lower atrazine application history, exhibited higher values of the total C mineralization and the potentially mineralizable labile C pool than those for the H soil. The addition of atrazine modified the kinetic parameters and increased notably the C mineralized; by the end of the incubation the cumulative CO₂–C values were 33–41% higher than those in the corresponding non-added soils. In contrast, a variable effect or even no effect was observed on the soil microbial biomass following atrazine addition. The data clearly showed that atrazine application at normal agricultural rates may have important implications in the C cycling of these two contrasting acid soils.     

生物碳对灰漠土有机碳及其组分的影响

土壤有机碳是影响土壤肥力和作物产量高低的决定性因子。以棉花秸秆为原料,在高温厌氧条件下热解制备生物碳,通过盆栽试验探讨了生物碳对新疆灰漠土有机碳及其组分的影响。试验设置3种生物碳:棉花秸秆分别在450℃、600℃和750℃下热解制备(以BC450、BC600和BC750表示);每种生物碳的施用量分别为5 g·kg-1、10 g·kg-1和20 g·kg-1(占土壤重量的比例);同时,以空白土壤为对照(CK)。结果表明:施用生物碳可促进小麦生长,两茬小麦的地上部干物质重均显著高于对照。施用生物碳可显著提高土壤总有机碳,且生物碳热解温度越高,施用量越大,提高作用越明显。各生物碳处理土壤易氧化碳含量均显著高于对照;生物碳低、中施用量处理(5 g·kg-1、10 g·kg-1)土壤水溶性有机碳含量显著高于对照,但高施用量处理(20 g·kg-1)与对照无显著差异;除BC750低施用量处理(5 g·kg1)外,其余各生物碳处理土壤微生物量碳含量也均显著高于对照。生物碳不同热解温度对土壤易氧化碳和微生物量碳含量的影响表现为BC450>BC600>BC750;但对土壤水溶性有机碳含量无显著影响。生物碳不同施用量对土壤易氧化碳的影响表现为10 g·kg-1≈20 g·kg-1>5 g·kg-1,水溶性有机碳含量为5 g·kg1≈10 g·kg-1>20 g·kg-1。生物碳对土壤微生物商的影响总体表现为:生物碳的热解温度越高,施用量越大,土壤微生物商越低。因此,合理的施用棉花秸秆生物碳可显著增加灰漠土有机碳储量,改变土壤有机碳组分,提高土壤生产力。     

Impact of cycloheximide addition on adenylates in soil

Cycloheximide inhibits specifically the ribosomal protein synthesis of eukaryotic cells, i.e. the metabolism of soil fungi. We measured cycloheximide effects on adenylates in 20 different soils (0-10 cm depth) from arable, grass and forest land with a large variety of soil properties. The aims were (1) to assess the interactions between cycloheximide effects and soil properties and (2) to prove the relationship between cycloheximide effects on ATP and the ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio, which is an indicator for the fungal proportion of the total microbial biomass. The adenylates ATP, ADP and AMP were measured 6 h after adding either 10 mg cycloheximide per gram soil in combination with 24 mg talcum per gram soil or 24 mg talcum per gram soil solely. The medians of the relative increases in AMP and ADP were 45 and 25% and the medians of the relative decreases in ATP and adenylates were −36 and −12%. These changes in adenylate composition lead to a cycloheximide-induced relative decrease in the adenylate energy charge level of 15%. The relative decrease in ATP content after cycloheximide addition was significantly correlated with the ATP-to-microbial biomass C ratio, but not with the ergosterol-to-microbial biomass C ratio. The absolute increase in ADP and the absolute decrease in ATP were affected by the clay content according to principal component analysis. The reduction of the ATP-to-microbial biomass C ratio indicates that this ratio had the potential of being an important ecotoxicological indicator of direct toxic effects of organic pollutants on soil microorganisms.     

Direct effects of litter decomposition on soil dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in a tropical rainforest

To clarify how litter decomposition processes affect soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil dissolved nitrogen (DN) dynamics, we conducted a field experiment on leaf litter and collected DOC and DN from the underlying soil in a tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed the first PCA axis (corresponding to degraded litter quantity and quality) explained 61.3% and 71.2% of variation in DOC and DN concentrations, respectively. Stepwise linear regression analysis indicated that litter carbon mass controlled DOC and hemicellulose mass controlled DN concentrations. Litter decomposition was the predominant factor controlling surface-soil DOC and DN dynamics in this tropical rainforest.     

Relationships between microbial indices in roots and silt loam soils forming a gradient in soil organic matter

Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) was grown in a greenhouse pot experiment on seven soils to answer the question whether the microbial colonisation of roots is related to existing differences in soil microbial indices. The soils were similar in texture, but differed considerably in soil organic matter, microbial biomass, and microbial community structure. Ergosterol and fungal glucosamine were significantly interrelated in the root material. This ergosterol was also significantly correlated with the average ergosterol content of bulk and rhizosphere soil. In addition, the sum of fungal C and bacterial C in the root material revealed a significant linear relationship with microbial biomass C in soil. The colonisation of roots with microorganisms increased apparently with an increase in soil microbial biomass. In the root material, microbial tissue consisted of 77% fungi and 23% bacteria. In soil, the fungal dominance was slightly, but significantly lower, with 70% fungi and 30% bacteria. Fungal glucosamine in the root material was significantly correlated with that in soil (r=0.65). This indicates a close relationship between the composition of dead microbial remains in soil and the living fraction in soil and root material for unknown reasons.     

Influence of soil phosphorus status and nitrogen addition on carbon mineralization from 14C-labelled glucose in pasture soils

 This study examines the effect of soil P status and N addition on the decomposition of ¹⁴C-labelled glucose to assess the consequences of reduced fertilizer inputs on the functioning of pastoral systems. A contrast in soil P fertility was obtained by selecting two hill pasture soils with different fertilizer history. At the two selected sites, representing low (LF) and high (HF) fertility status, total P concentrations were 640 and 820 mg kg^–1 and annual pasture production was 4,868 and 14,120 kg DM ha^–1 respectively. Soils were amended with ¹⁴C-labelled glucose (2,076 mg C kg^–1 soil), with and without the addition of N (207 mg kg^–1 soil), and incubated for 168 days. During incubation, the amounts of ¹⁴CO₂ respired, microbial biomass C and ¹⁴C, microbial biomass P, extractable inorganic P (P_i) and net N mineralization were determined periodically. Carbon turnover was greatly influenced by nutrient P availability. The amount of glucose-derived ¹⁴CO₂ production was high (72%) in the HF and low (67%) in the LF soil, as were microbial biomass C and P concentrations. The ¹⁴C that remained in the microbial biomass at the end of the 6-month incubation was higher in the LF soil (15%) than in the HF soil (11%). Fluctuations in P_i in the LF soil during incubation were small compared with those in HF soil, suggesting that P was cycling through microbial biomass. The concentrations of P_i were significantly greater in the HF samples throughout the incubation than in the LF samples. Net N mineralization and nitrification rates were also low in the LF soils, indicating a slow turnover of microorganisms under limited nutrient supply. Addition of N had little effect on biomass ¹⁴C and glucose utilization. This suggests that, at limiting P fertility, C turnover is retarded because microbial biomass becomes less efficient in the utilization of substrates. Received: 18 October 1999     

绿肥压青对粉垄稻田土壤微生物量碳和有机碳累积矿化量的影响

绿肥压青还田是调控现代集约化稻田土壤逆境的重要手段,为评估绿肥压青下粉垄耕作对稻田土壤微生物量碳和土壤有机碳累积矿化量的影响,设置早稻粉垄耕作与常规耕作2种耕作模式,不施肥和同等肥力条件下施化肥、单倍绿肥配施化肥和双倍绿肥配施化肥4种施肥处理,晚稻免耕常规施用化肥,开展双季稻周年大田应用试验。结果表明:单倍绿肥压青下,粉垄耕作能提高稻田土壤微生物量碳含量,可达常规耕作的2倍,能有效增加微生物对土壤碳素的利用率。增加绿肥压青量会提高粉垄耕作稻田土壤有机碳累积矿化量和矿化潜力,与施用化肥相比,单倍绿肥压青下早晚稻分别增加1.6%～32.8%和0.6%～16.6%,双倍绿肥压青下分别增加58.6%～70.9%和29.6%～38.4%。粉垄单倍绿肥压青会降低免耕晚稻齐穗期、收获期土壤呼吸强度,较常规耕作分别降低33.4%和38.7%,较粉垄耕作其他处理降低8.5%～31.4%。单倍绿肥压青下粉垄稻田土壤代谢商较常规耕作累积降低65.5%,与常耕相比,粉垄双倍绿肥压青和粉垄单一化肥的土壤代谢商分别累积增加20.3%和159.2%,粉垄双倍绿肥压青可有效缓解土壤代谢商的提升。微生物量碳含量与有机碳矿化激发效应呈负相关,绿肥压青还田下相关系数达0.44;累积矿化量和代谢商呈极显著正相关,粉垄耕作下相关系数达0.59。可见,绿肥粉垄耦合的模式可作为一种增加稻田土壤微生物量碳含量、减少部分生育时期土壤呼吸强度,增强土壤碳库稳定性及碳固持的重要调控技术措施。     

Effects of litter addition and warming on soil carbon, nutrient pools and microbial communities in a subarctic heath ecosystem

Climatic warming leads to the expansion of deciduous shrubs and trees in the Arctic. This leads to higher leaf litter inputs, which together with warming may alter the rate of carbon and nutrient cycling in the arctic ecosystems. We assessed effects of factorial warming and additional litter on the soil ecosystem of a subarctic heath in a 7-year-long field experiment. Fine root biomass, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total C concentration increased in response to warming, which probably was a result of the increased vegetation cover. Litter addition increased the concentration of inorganic P in the uppermost 5 cm soil, while decreasing the pool of total P per unit area of the organic profile and having no significant effects on N concentrations or pools. Microbial biomass C and N were unaffected by the treatments, while the microbial biomass P increased significantly with litter addition. Soil ergosterol concentration was also slightly increased by the added litter in the uppermost soil, although not statistically significantly. According to a principal component analysis of the phospholipid fatty acid profiles, litter addition differed from the other treatments by increasing the relative proportion of biomarkers for Gram-positive bacteria. The combined warming plus litter addition treatment decreased the soil water content in the uppermost 5 cm soil, which was a likely reason for many interactions between the effects of warming and litter addition. The soil organic matter quality of the combined treatment was also clearly different from the control based on a near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopic analysis, implying that the treatment altered the composition of soil organic matter. However, it appears that the biological processes and the microbial community composition responded more to the soil and litter moisture conditions than to the change in the quality of the organic matter.     

Interactions of NaCl and Na2SO4 on soil organic C mineralization after addition of maize straws

NaCl and Na₂SO₄ often dominate salt compositions in saline soils. While either salt alone affects soil organic matter mineralization, their interactions on soil organic matter dynamics are unknown. This study aimed to investigate interactive effects of the two salts on organic C mineralization and microbial biomass C of the saline soils after addition of maize straws. Both NaCl and Na₂SO₄ were applied at 0, 40 and 80 mmol Na kg⁻¹ soil and the incubation was undertaken at soil water content of 15% and 20% (w/w) in dark at 28.5 °C for 70 days. The study found significant interactions of NaCl and Na₂SO₄ on CO₂-C evolution during the early incubation periods—a suppressing effect at days 1-2 but a stimulating effect at days 6-8 and 17-20, and thereafter the salt interactions were influenced by water content. The interactions of water content with NaCl or Na₂SO₄ on CO₂-C evolution were observed through the incubation periods except days 1-2, showing that the salt effects were dependent on water content. Total CO₂ evolution over the 70-day-long incubation decreased with increasing NaCl but increased with increasing Na₂SO₄ compared to the nil-salted treatment. Salt interactions on soil microbial biomass C were observed at days 7, 21, but not at day 49. Microbial biomass C increased at day 7 in the soils treated with either NaCl or Na₂SO₄ but decreased where the two salts were combined. At day 21, microbial biomass C increased with NaCl but decreased with Na₂SO₄ regardless whether the counterpart salt was added. The results suggest that soil organic C mineralization can be affected by the interactions of NaCl and Na₂SO₄, possibly through the salt-induced changes in microbial biomass community structure.     

Relative role of soil nutrients vs. carbon availability on soil carbon mineralization in grassland receiving long-term N addition

High nitrogen (N) input often induces soil carbon (C) limitation, eutrophication of macronutrients, deficiency of base cations, and accumulation of toxic micronutrients. These changes are perceived to be critical factors in regulating soil C mineralization. Previous studies primarily focused on the individual effects of C, macronutrients, exchangeable base cations, and micronutrients on soil C mineralization. However, the relative importance of those factors in regulating soil C mineralization, especially in N-enriched ecosystems, remains unclear. To disentangle the relative contributions of aforementioned factors, lime and/or glucose were added to soils that were collected from a field experiment with historical N addition (6 years) at seven rates (0–50 g N m⁻² year⁻¹) in a grassland ecosystem. Lime and glucose were added to improve the soil C and key nutrient conditions. The responses of soil C mineralization rate to changes in soil C and macronutrients (N and P), exchangeable base cations (K⁺, Na⁺ and Mg²⁺), and micronutrients (Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺) were examined. We found that lime addition decreased soil micronutrients, while glucose addition improved the soil available P and exchangeable base cations, especially at high historical N addition rates. The soil C mineralization was weakly associated with changes in soil nutrients, including the availability of N, P, exchangeable base cations, and micronutrients, which were conventionally and previously considered as the vital drivers of soil C mineralization. However, soil C mineralization strongly increased with glucose-induced enhancement of C availability and the subsequent enhancement of microbial biomass under increasing N addition rates. Based on the Structural Equation Model, the standardized total effects of C, macronutrients (N and P), base cations and micronutrients on soil C mineralization were 0.86, − 0.29, 0.15 and − 0.08, respectively. Findings from this study demonstrated that the N-induced significant changes in soil nutrients (e.g., eutrophication of N and P, base cations deficiency and accumulation of toxic macronutrients) mediated soil C mineralization, with C availability being the most critical driver for C mineralization in N-enriched soil. This study provides insight into the mechanistic understanding of the relationship between N input and terrestrial C cycling.     

The role of Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda: Oniscidea) in litter decomposition and soil organic matter stabilization

We studied the effects of the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare on organic matter decomposition and stabilization in a long-term (65-week) laboratory experiment. We quantified the microbial activity in leaf litter (Acer pseudoplatanus) which did not come into contact with isopods, in A. vulgare feces produced from the same litter, and in unconsumed leftover of this litter. Freshly fallen leaf litter and up to 3 day old feces and leftover of litter were used. All materials were air dried immediately after collection and rewetted 1 day before use. Simultaneously, we measured how microbial activity in litter and feces are affected by fluctuations in humidity and temperature and by the addition of easily decomposed substances (starch and glucose).Microbial respiration was lower in feces than in litter or unconsumed leaf fragments. At the same time, moisture and temperature fluctuations and addition of glucose or starch increased respiration much more in litter than in feces. The results indicate that the processing of litter by A. vulgare reduces microbial respiration and reduces the sensitivity of microbial respiration to environmental fluctuations. ¹³C NMR spectra from feces indicated preferential loss of polysaccharide-carbon and accumulation of lignin with some modification to the aromatic-carbon. TMAH-Py-GC MS showed that lignin content was higher in feces than in litter and that lignin quality differed between the two substrates. Guaiacyl units were depleted in the feces, which indicated breakdown of guaiacyl associated with gut passage. As a conclusion, the results suggest that this common isopod greatly affects leaf litter decomposition. Decomposition of isopod feces in a long-term experiment is lower than litter decomposition which may support stabilization of organic matter in soil. This is caused mainly due to higher content of aromatic carbon in feces, which may cause its considerable resistance to bacterial degradation.     

Effects of long-term litter manipulation on soil carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in a temperate deciduous forest

Changes in above-ground litterfall can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests. In order to examine how above-ground litter inputs affect soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a temperate deciduous forest, we studied a 14-year-old small-scale litter manipulation experiment that included control, litter exclusion, and doubled litter addition at a mature Fagus sylvatica L. site. Total organic C (TOC), total N (TN) and total P (TP), total organic P (TOP), bioavailable inorganic P (Pi), microbial C, N and P, soil respiration and fine root biomass were analyzed in the A and in two B horizons. Our results showed that litter manipulation had no significant effect on TOC in the mineral soil. Litter addition increased the bioavailable Pi in the A horizon but had no significant effect on N in the mineral soil. Litter exclusion decreased TN and TP in the B horizon to a depth of 10 cm. In the A horizon of the litter exclusion treatment, TP, TOP and bioavailable Pi were increased, which is most likely due to the higher root biomass in this treatment. The high fine root biomass seems to have counteracted the effects of the excluded aboveground litter. In conclusion, our study indicates that aboveground litter is not an important source for C in the mineral soil and that P recycling from root litter might be more important than from above-ground litter.     

Effect of earthworm addition on soil nitrogen availability,microbial biomass and litter decomposition in mesocosms

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of adding two tropical earthworm species, Rhinodrilus contortus and Pontoscolex corethrurus, to mesocosms on the availability of mineral N (NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^– concentrations), soil microbial biomass (bio-N), and the decomposition rates of three contrasting leaf litter species, in a glasshouse experiment. The mesocosms were filled with forest soil and covered with a layer of leaf litter differing in nutritional quality: (1) Hevea brasiliensis (C/N=27); (2) Carapa guianensis (C/N=32); (3) Vismia sp., the dominant tree species in the second growth forest (control, C/N= 42); and, (4) a mixture of the former three leaf species, in equal proportions (C/N=34). At the end of the 97-day experiment, the soil mineral N concentrations, bio-N, and leaf litter weight loss were determined. Both earthworm species showed significant effects on the concentrations of soil NO₃ ^– (p<0.01) and NH₄ ⁺ (p<0.05). Bio-N was always greater in the mesocosms with earthworms (especially with R. contortus) and in the mesocosms with leaf litter of H. brasiliensis (6 µg N g^–1 soil), the faster decomposing species, than in the other treatments (0.1–1.6 µg N g^–1). Thus, earthworm activity increased soil mineral-N concentrations, possibly due to the consumption of soil microbial biomass, which can speed turnover and mineralization of microbial tissues. No significant differences in decomposition rate were found between the mesocosms with and without earthworms, suggesting that experiments lasting longer are needed to determine the effect of earthworms on litter decomposition rates.     

Effects of sulfuric,nitric, and mixed acid rain on litter decomposition,soil microbial biomass,and enzyme activities in subtropical forests of China

Acid rain pollution is changing gradually from sulfuric acid rain (SAR) to mixed acid rain (MAR) and then to nitric acid rain (NAR) with the rapidly growing number of motor vehicles. The influences of changed acid rain types on ecosystem functions, particularly on litter decomposition, remain unclear. Two dominant litter types from a coniferous forest and a broad-leaved forest were incubated in microcosms with original forest soils and treated by five types of acid rain with different SO₄²⁻ to NO₃⁻ ratios (1:0, 5:1, 1:1, 1:5, and 0:1). During a six-month incubation period, litter mass losses, soil microbial biomass, and enzyme activities were investigated. Results showed that various acid treatments inhibited litter decomposition, soil microbial biomass, and most enzyme activities, and the inhibitory effects of NAR were more significant than those of SAR and MAR. The resistance to external acid of microbial communities in broad-leaved forest was higher than that in coniferous forest. NAR and MAR treatments slowed down soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) mineralization by attenuating the correlations between litter mass losses and the enzymes involved in C, N, and P cycling. Results reveal that the ratio of SO₄²⁻ to NO₃⁻ in acid rain is an important factor which profoundly influences litter decomposition process. In the future, a decreasing ratio of SO₄²⁻ to NO₃⁻ in acid rain will be observed in subtropical forests. Thus, soil C would accumulate as a consequence of future acid precipitation, and this may seriously affect the balance of ecosystem C, N flux.     

不同植被类型对滨海盐碱土壤有机碳库的影响

对江苏滨海盐碱地5种不同植被类型土壤（0 ~ 40 cm）有机碳（SOC）含量、密度和表层（0 ~ 20 cm）土壤微生物量碳（SMBC）、可溶性有机碳（DOC）含量及其占总有机碳（TOC）的比例进行了分析。结果显示,随土层深度的增加,SOC含量降低,表层SOC密度占整个剖面的54.6% ~ 75.8%。表层SOC含量和密度分别介于2.02 ~ 9.61 g/kg和5.87 ~ 21.54 t/hm2,平均值分别为4.77 g/kg和12.56 t/hm2。随着原生植被群落的演替（光滩→盐蒿→茅草）,SOC、SMBC和DOC含量均依次增加。茅草荒地围垦后,稻-油轮作地和菊芋地表层SOC密度分别比茅草地的增加了55%（5.77 t/hm2）和107%（11.15 t/hm2）;稻-油轮作地的SMBC含量及SMBC/TOC比值下降,而菊芋地的上升;围垦后土壤DOC含量及DOC/TOC比值都明显下降。结果表明,滨海盐碱地SOC主要分布在表层,原生植被群落的顺行演替使SOC库容增加且活性增强,在盐荒地围垦初期（3年）,SOC库容增加但活性有所减弱。经估算,滨海盐碱非耕地具有较大的固碳潜力,但需要合理的耕作管理措施来保证农业生产的可持续发展并实现增汇减排的目标。     

Effects of nitrogen addition and litter properties on litter decomposition and enzyme activities of individual fungi

Litter decomposition is an important process of C and N cycling in the soil. Variation in the response of litter decomposition to nitrogen (N) addition (positive, negative or neutral) has been observed in many field studies. However, mechanism about variability in individual fungal species response to N addition has not yet been well demonstrated in the literature. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of N addition and litter chemistry properties on litter decomposition and enzyme activities of individual fungi. Three fungal species (Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Trichoderma) were isolated from a subtropical mixed forest soil. An incubation experiment was conducted using the individual fungi with two types of litter (leaf of Pinus massoniana and needle of Cryptocarya chinensis) and different N addition levels (0, 50 and 100 for N-deficient treatments, and 500 and 1000 μg N for N-excessive treatments). Cumulative CO₂-C, enzyme activities, and lignin and cellulose loss were measured during the incubation period of 60 days. Litter decomposition and enzyme activities significantly varied with the fungal species, while the N addition and litter types greatly affected fungal enzyme activities. The N treatments significantly increased lignin-rich needle decomposition by lignocellulose decomposers (Penicillium and Aspergillus) but did not affect their leaf decomposition. On the contrary, The N treatments stimulated leaf decomposition by cellulolytic species (Trichoderma) but did not affect its needle decomposition. Correlation analysis showed that lignin in the litter was the key component to affect litter decomposition. Activities of N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase and phenol oxidase were both positively correlated to litter decomposition. The fungi (Penicillium and Aspergillus) with higher production of N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase showed higher litter decomposition ability. The low N addition levels stimulated Penicillium and Aspergillus litter decomposition, but they still required more N source (e.g., litter N source) to support decomposition. Depressed fungal litter N uptake (lower N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activities) only occurred at the highest N addition level. Litter decomposition of Trichoderma depended more on external N and its litter decomposition capability was the lowest among the three species.     

Carbon mineralization in an organic soil, with and without added grass litter, from a high-CO2 environment at a carbon dioxide spring

Both CO₂-C production and the decomposability of grass leaf litter in a gley soil from a naturally occurring CO₂ spring were previously shown to be influenced by the atmospheric CO₂ concentrations under which the soil and litter were sampled. Here we investigate C mineralization in an organic soil from very high CO₂ environments (range 1220-3900 μl l⁻¹) at the same spring, and the effect of added leaf litter on CO₂-C production. Carbon mineralization in the organic soil was unusual in two respects: (1) the proportion of labile components was very high, with more than 11% of the initial soil C being metabolized to CO₂-C after 56 d at 25 °C; (2) rates of CO₂-C production in autumn samples increased on incubation, after an initial decline. Decomposition was initially more rapid in C3 Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog) than in C4 Pennisetum clandestinum (kikuyu) litter, but differed little in samples from different atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Overall, the effects of environmental variables on estimates of litter decomposability in the organic soil were similar to, although much less marked than, those in the gley soil. Results suggest that organic components in the organic soil were metabolized at least as readily as those of added litter during the later stages of the 56-d incubation.     

Effects of organic carbon and clay contents on structure-related properties of arable soils with high clay content

Understanding of factors governing soil structural features is necessary for managing key processes affecting crop productivity and environmental impacts of agriculture, for example, soil water balance, aeration, and root penetration. Organic matter is known to act as a major binding agent in soil aggregation and thus constitutes a central pillar in soil structure formation. However, knowledge of the structural role of organic matter or carbon (OC) in soils highly rich in clay-sized particles (<0.002 mm) is limited. In this study, the effects of clay and OC contents on aggregate stability, water holding capacity, near-saturated hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, and pore size distribution were assessed in cultivated fields with high clay content located in private crop production farms in southern Finland. Significant positive correlations were found between OC content and proportion of water stable aggregates and specific pore sizes from the range of 30 μm up to 1 mm diameter determined by image analysis. Porosities on a smaller size range derived from water retention measurements likewise showed a positive correlation with OC in <0.2 μm sizes. On the range of 0.2–1 μm, a negative relationship was observed, which induced a negative effect of OC on soil plant available water reserves. In line with the positive correlation between OC and larger soil pores, free water, representing the amount of water that can be drained by gravity, exhibited a positive relationship with OC suggesting that OC content can enhance aeration of soils with high clay content. Compared to OC, clay content tended to have an adverse effect on soil structural properties. Clay correlated negatively with pores larger than 30 μm, free water content, and extrapolated field saturated hydraulic conductivity. Further, our imaging results showed how saturated hydraulic conductivity was controlled by pore morphology, and there was a power law relationship between the conductivity and critical pore diameter. $K\propto d_c^2$ in agreement with the percolation theory. Overall, the structural impacts and hydrological implications of OC and clay in heavy clay soils vary by pore size ranges and their emergent practical impacts are thus not straightforward.     

Immobilization and mineralization of nitrogen in a saline and alkaline soil during microbial use of sugarcane filter cake amended with glucose

A 42-day incubation was conducted to study the effect of glucose and ammonium addition adjusted to a C/N ratio of 12.5 on sugarcane filter cake decomposition and on the release of inorganic N from microbial residues formed initially. The CO₂ evolved increased in comparison with the non-amended control from 35% of the added C with pure +5 mg g⁻¹ soil filter cake amendment to 41% with +5 mg g⁻¹ soil filter cake +2.5 mg g⁻¹ soil glucose amendment to 48% with 5 mg g⁻¹ soil filter cake +5 mg g⁻¹ soil glucose amendment. The different amendments increased microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N within 6 h and such an increase persisted. The fungal cell-membrane component ergosterol initially showed a disproportionate increase in relation to microbial biomass C, which completely disappeared by the end of the incubation. The cellulase activity showed a 5-fold increase after filter cake addition, which was not further increased by the additional glucose amendment. The cellulase activity showed an exponential decline to values around 4% of the initial value in all treatments. The amount of inorganic N immobilized from day 0 to day 14 increased with increasing amount of C added, in contrast to the control treatment. After day 14, the immobilized N was re-mineralized at rates between 1.3 and 1.5 μg N g⁻¹ soil d⁻¹ in the treatments being more than twice as high as in the control treatment. This means that the re-mineralization rate is independent of the actual size of the microbial residues pool and also independent of the size of the soil microbial biomass.