Microbial diversity and activity of disturbed soil in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

 The effects of intense grazing, seasonal drought, and fire on soil microbial diversity (substrate utilization) and activity in a northern Chihuahuan Desert grassland were measured in summer 1997, winter 1998, and spring 1998. Intense livestock grazing was initiated in winter 1995, burning occurred in August 1994, and drought stresses were imposed from October 1994 to June 1997. Microbial diversity was inferred from the carbon substrate utilization patterns in both gram (+) and gram (–) Biolog plates. Microbial activity was estimated by the activity of selected enzymes. Neither microbial diversity nor activity was affected by grazing. The interaction of intense grazing and stress sub-treatments only occurred in spring for one set of diversity measurements. The maximum microbial diversity and activity occurred in the winter-drought-stress sub-plots in summer and spring. Burning reduced microbial diversity and most enzyme activities as compared to the control in summer and spring. Microbial diversity was also lower in summer-drought-stress sub-plots than in the control in summer and spring. Microbial diversity was highest in summer, intermediate in winter, and lowest in spring. Microbial activity was generally higher in summer and lower in winter. It was concluded that substrate availability was the most important factor affecting the diversity and activity of soil microorganisms within a season. Soil moisture was not the factor causing differences in microbial diversity and activity among the stress treatments, but it was a predictor for some microbial responses under a particular stress. Received: 12 August 1999     

The microarthropod fauna associated with a deep rooted legume,Prosopis glandulosa,in the Chihuahuan Desert

Summary The rhizosphere microarthropod fauna of a woody, deep-rooted legume, Prosopis glandulosa, was sampled at four sites in the northern Chihuahuan Desert and compared with the rhizosphere microarthropod fauna of a co-dominant shrub, Larrea tridentata. Prostigmatid mites (Speleorchestes sp.,Neognathus sp., Rhagidia sp., Tydaeolus sp., Steneotarsonemus sp., Tarsonemus sp., Nanorchestes sp., Gordialycus sp.), the cryptostigmatid mites (Bankisonoma ovata and Passalozetes neomexicanus), the mesostigmatid (Protogamasellus mica), and the collembolan (Brachystomella arida) characterized the fauna at depths greater than 1 m. Microarthropods were recovered from soils at a depth of 13 m at the edge of a dry lake and at depths of 7 m in a dry wash which were pre-European man P. glandulosa habitats. In habitats where P. glandulosa is a recent invader, root depth and microarthropods were less than 3 m. In most habitats, population densites of microarthropods at depths 0.5 m were more than 100 times those at depths 0.5 m. Population densities of microarthropods associated with P. glandulosa growing at the edge of a dry wash were not significantly smaller at 0.5–1.0 m depth than at 0–0.5 m. The deep-rhizosphere microarthropod fauna is a reduced subset of the fauna of surficial soils, suggesting that this fauna plays a role in decomposition and mineralization processes functionally similar to that of microarthropods in surficial soils.     

Soil microarthropods as indicators of exposure to environmental stress in Chihuahuan Desert rangelands

 We studied soil microarthropod communities along livestock grazing disturbance gradients, inside and outside grazing exclosures, and on areas subjected to restoration efforts (herbicide and bulldozing) in order to test the suitability of mites as indicators of rangeland soil quality. We found that mite numbers generally increased with decreased grazing disturbance. Soil microarthropods appeared to respond to a complex of factors including soil compaction, depth to an impervious soil layer, below-ground vegetative biomass, and residual effects of herbicide. All of our study plots, except those that had been herbicide treated, were dominated by microbivorous mites of the family Nanorchestidae. The numerical responses of mites, especially nanorchestids, appeared to provide a sensitive indicator of ecosystem health in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland. Received: 29 December 1997     

Responses of soil microarthropods to changes in soil water availability in tallgrass prairie

 Changes in precipitation and soil water availability predicted to accompany global climate change would impact grasslands, where many ecosystem processes are influenced by water availability. Soil biota, including microarthropods, also are affected by soil water content, although little is known about how climate change might affect their abundance and distribution. The goal of this study was to examine soil microarthropod responses to altered soil water availability in tallgrass prairie ecosystems. Two separate experiments were done. The first utilized control and irrigated plots along a topographic gradient to examine the effects of soil water content on microarthropod densities. Microarthropods, mainly Acari, were significantly less abundant in irrigated plots and were generally less abundant at the wetter lowland sites. The second study utilized reciprocal core transplants across an east-west regional precipitation gradient. Large, intact cores were transplanted between a more mesic tallgrass site (Konza Prairie) and a more arid mixed-grass site (Hays) to determine the effects of different soil water regimes on microarthropod abundance and vertical distribution. Data from non-transplanted cores indicated greater total microarthropod densities at the drier Hays site, relative to the wetter Konza Prairie site. Data from the transplanted cores indicated significant effects of location on Acari densities in cores originating from Hays, with higher densities in cores remaining at Hays, relative to those transplanted to Konza. Acari densities in cores originating from Konza were not affected by location; however, oribatid mite densities generally were greater in cores remaining at Konza Prairie. These results confirm the importance of soil water content in affecting microarthropod densities and distributions in grasslands, and suggest complex, non-linear responses to changes in water availability. Received: 14 April 1998     

Subterranean termites: regulators of soil organic matter in the Chihuahuan Desert

Soil organic matter and the abundance of subterranean termites were measured at 89 locations spaced at 30-m intervals from the bottom to the top of a small desert watershed. There was no correlation between soil organic matter content and topographic position on the watershed. Analysis by autocorrelogram demonstrated that the soil organic matter content was randomly distributed on the watershed. There was a highly significant negative correlation between termite abundance and soil organic matter, r=–0.97. Soils characterized by horizon in soil pits within each vegetation type (soil type) showed some relationships to erosion-deposition areas on the watershed, with surface organic matter contents varying between 3.4% in the playa basin where termites were absent to 0.4% in a sparse shrubland on erosional soils. In the northern Chihuahuan Desert, subterranean termites appear to be responsible for most of the variation in soil organic matter.     

腾格里沙漠植被重建对土壤呼吸的影响

植被重建是防止和控制沙漠化的有效措施之一。为探讨腾格里沙漠植被重建对土壤呼吸的影响,利用Li-6400-09土壤呼吸室于2007年观测了1989年建立的植被重建区和流沙区土壤呼吸差异,并采用根系隔离法区分了植被重建区的土壤基础呼吸和根际呼吸。结果表明,植被重建18a显著影响了该区土壤CO2的释放过程,总土壤呼吸速率由流沙区的CO20.107±0.008μmolm-2s-1显著增加到植被区CO20.483±0.033μmolm-2s-1,而且出现了较为明显的季节波动。植被重建不但导致根际呼吸速率增加,而且影响了土壤基础呼吸速率。此外,植被重建区灌木的缀块状分布格局和养分的空间异质性导致了土壤呼吸的空间差异。     

内盖夫荒漠中小型土壤节肢动物群落的时空变化

Desert ecosystems are characterized by sparse vegetation that affects both abiotic parameters and soil biota along the soil profile.This study was conducted in 2010–2011 in a loess plain in the northern Negev Desert highlands, Israel, to test two main hypotheses:1) the abundance and diversity of microarthropods would vary seasonally in the top 30-cm soil layer, but would be relatively stable at soil depths between 30 and 50 cm and 2) soil microarthropods would be more abundant in soils under shrubs with large litter accumulations than under shrubs with less litter or bare soil. Soil samples were collected each season from the 0–50 cm profile at10-cm intervals under the canopies of Hammada scoparia and Zygophyllum dumosum and from the bare interspaces between them.Soil moisture and soil organic carbon in the top 30-cm layers varied seasonally, but there was little variation in the soil layers deeper than 30 cm. Soil mites were most abundant in the top 30-cm soil layer in autumn and winter, with the highest number of families found in winter. There were no differences in soil microarthropod abundance attributable to the presence or absence of shrubs of either species. The microarthropod communities of the microhabitats studied consisted of Acari, Psocoptera, and Collembola. The Acari were mostly identified to the family level and were dominated by Oribatida(55%) and Prostigmata(41%) in all seasons and microhabitats, while the psocopterans were most abundant in summer. These results are opposite to those obtained in other studies in similar xeric environments. Moreover, our findings were not in line with our hypothesis that a better microhabitat played a major role in microarthropod community composition, diversity, and density.     

Effects of repeated manure and fertilizer phosphorus additions on soil phosphorus dynamics under a soybean-wheat rotation

 Soil P availability and efficiency of applied P may be improved through an understanding of soil P dynamics in relation to management practices in a cropping system. Our objectives in this study were to evaluate changes in plant-available (Olsen) P and in different inorganic P (P_i) and organic P (P₀) fractions in soil as related to repeated additions of manure and fertilizer P under a soybean-wheat rotation. A field experiment on a Typic Haplustert was conducted from 1992 to 1995 wherein the annual treatments included four rates of fertilizer P (0, 11, 22 and 44 kg ha^–1 applied to both soybean and wheat) in the absence and presence of 16 t ha^–1 of manure (applied to soybean only). With regular application of fertilizer P to each crop the level of Olsen P increased significantly and linearly through the years in both manured and unmanured plots. The mean P balance required to raise Olsen P by 1 mg kg^–1 was 17.9 kg ha^–1 of fertilizer P in unmanured plots and 5.6 kg ha^–1 of manure plus fertilizer P in manured plots. The relative sizes of labile [NaHCO₃-extractable P_i (NaHCO₃-P_i) and NaHCO₃-extractable P₀ (NaHCO₃-P₀)], moderately labile [NaOH-extractable P_i (NaOH-P_i) and NaOH-extractable P₀ (NaOH-P₀)] and stable [HCl-extractable P (HCl-P) and H₂SO₄/H₂O₂-extractable P (resisual-P)] P pools were in a 1 : 2.9 : 7.6 ratio. Application of fertilizer P and manure significantly increased NaHCO₃-P_i and -P₀ and NaOH-P_i, and -P₀ fractions and also total P. However, HCl-P and residual-P were not affected. The changes in NaHCO₃-P_i, NaOH-P_i and NaOH-P₀ fractions were significantly correlated with the apparent P balance and were thought to represent biologically dynamic soil P and act as major sources and sinks of plant-available P. Received: 23 October 1997     

Ecological risks of the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in soil restoration: effects on the soil microarthropod populations

Experimental plots were laid out in a limestone quarry in Girona (Catalonia, Spain) to test the effects of sewage sludge on the soil microarthropod populations. Two different doses of sludge (7·5 per cent and 15 per cent) were applied to fertilize soil that was used to restore a quarry after opencast mining. Mean annual arthropod density increased when sludge was applied, but the 15 per cent dose caused an impoverishment of the community structure and a decrease of the soil oribatid diversity. Julidae (Diplopoda) and large predators of the mite family Parasitidae (Mesostigmata) were the most depressed taxa, whereas some groups depending on the availability or quality of organic matter (such as the immature Coleoptera or the Uropodidae), or on water availability (such as Collembola) were stimulated. Among the oribatids, Punctoribates sp. was the most depressed, whereas the more common little Oppias were significantly favoured. The application of sludge at a dose of 15 per cent must be avoided in order to preserve the soil biodiversity. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fatty acid patterns of phospholipids and lipopolysaccharides in the characterisation of microbial communities in soil: a review

 This review discusses the analysis of whole-community phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles and the composition of lipopolysaccharides in order to assess the microbial biomass and the community structure in soils. For the determination of soil microbial biomass a good correlation was obtained between the total amount of PLFAs and the microbial biomass measured with methods commonly used for determinations such as total adenylate content and substrate-induced respiration. Generally, after the application of multivariate statistical analyses, whole-community fatty acid profiles indicate which communities are similar or different. However, in most cases, the organisms accounting for similarity or difference cannot be determined, and therefore artefacts could not be excluded. The fatty acids used to determine the biomass vary from those which determine the community structure. Specific attention has to be paid when choosing extraction methods in order to avoid the liberation of fatty acids from non-living organic material and deposits, and to exclude the non-target selection of lipids from living organisms, as well. By excluding the fatty acids which were presumed to be common and widespread prior to multivariate statistical analysis, estimates were improved considerably. Results from principal component analysis showed that determining the levels of fatty acids present in both low and high concentrations is essential in order to correctly identify microorganisms and accurately classify them into taxonomically defined groups. The PLFA technique has been used to elucidate different strategies employed by microorganisms to adapt to changed environmental conditions under wide ranges of soil types, management practices, climatic origins and different perturbations. It has been proposed that the classification of PLFAs into a number of chemically different subgroups should simplify the evaluating procedure and improve the assessment of soil microbial communities, since then only the subgroups assumed to be involved in key processes would be investigated. Received: 24 August 1998     

Soil biota and soil properties in the surface rooting zone of mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) in historical and recently desertified Chihuahuan Desert habitats

Summary The woody legume, mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) has expanded from its historical habitats (playas and arroyos) to recently occupied grassland and dune habitats during the desertification of perennial grasslands in the Chihuahuan Desert. We studied historical and recently occupied sites, having hypothesized that the trophic structure and population density of soil microarthropods and nematodes associated with the surface root system of mesquite would differ in sites representing historical and recent habitats, and that the N mineralization potential would be lower in the recent habitats. Our results showed that net N mineralization potential did not differ significantly among the sites, even though soil nutrient concentrations and texture varied widely. Concentrations of organic C, N, and P were lowest in the recent dune habitat and highest at the playa. Very low concentrations of P in the dune and grassland soils implicated P as a limiting factor in these systems. The bacterial-feeding and omnivore-predator functional groups made up the largest fraction of the nematode community at most of the sites. The high density of plant-feeding nematodes at the playa indicated that herbivory is potentially most important at this site. Total microarthropod densities did not vary significantly among habitats, with Collembola densities highest in the mesquite dunes. Grazers were the dominant microarthropod functional group. While both C and N pool sizes were higher in the historical habitats, a higher substrate lability in the recent habitats appeared to support biota populations and N mineralization rates equivalent to those in the playa and arroyo. Differences in soil properties and biota among historical and recent mesquite habitats may be important for understanding the changes that have occurred in Chihuahuan Desert ecosystems during desertification.     

Effects of harvester ant (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Messor</Emphasis> spp.) activity on soil properties and microbial communities in a Negev Desert ecosystem

Harvester ants (Messor spp.) function as an essential link between aboveground resources and below-ground biota such as the microbial community. We examined changes in soil microbial biomass and functional diversity resulting from harvester ant (Messor spp.) activity in the Negev Desert, Israel. Abiotic and biotic soil parameters were recorded during two seasons—wet and dry—also representing food availability periods for the ants (low and high seed availability, respectively). Soil samples were collected monthly from the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm soil layers: (1) near the nest entrance, (2) under chaff piles, and (3) at a 2-m radius from the nest entrance (control). Harvester ant activity increased the percentage of organic matter, total soluble nitrogen, and microbial activity in nest-modified soils in comparison to the control soils. Higher CO₂ evolution was recorded in the low-seed season in ant nest soils than in the control soils. During the high-seed season, higher carbon dioxide evolution was recorded only at the nest entrance locations. There were no differences in microbial biomass between the low- and high-seed seasons, but highest microbial biomass was found under chaff in low-seed season and in nest soils in high-seed season. Microbial functional diversity was higher in nest-modified soils than in the control soils. This study suggests that the effect of harvester ant nests on soil fertility is due to increased microbial biomass and microbial activity in ant nest-modified soils.     

Phospholipid fatty acid profiles as indicators for the microbial community structure in soils along a climatic transect in the Judean Desert

 Analyses of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were used to assess variations in soil microbial biodiversity, community structure and biomass, and consequently, the soil microbial successions in time along the climate gradient of the Judean Desert. Principal component analysis of the PLFA data revealed that the degree of time- and space-related variations in PLFA composition and microbial community structure was high among the desert habitats. Significant shifts of specific groups of fatty acids caused by climatic variations were observed. The biomass represented by the total amounts of PLFAs indicated that the greater the average amount of precipitation, the higher the biomass. The results indicate that at least three different microorganism strategies were probably followed: (1) in soils with a high biomass during the rainy period, a significant biomass decrease occurred during the dry period, mainly due to an extraordinary decrease of Gram-negative bacteria as indicated by the decrease of typical monounsaturated fatty acids and hydroxy-substituted phospholipid fatty acids in semi-arid climates; (2) in soils with low biomass content during the rainy period, a significant increase of biomass during the dry period occurred, due mainly to the increase of eukaryotes, Gram-positive, and Gram-negative bacteria characterized by polyunsaturated, branched chain and some of the monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively; and (3) relatively low and constant biomass during the entire observation period in the more arid zones of the Judean Desert. Received: 12 January 1998     

Field simulation of wet and dry years in the Chihuahuan desert: soil moisture,N mineralization and ion-exchange resin bags

Irrigation and rain-out shelters were used to simulate precipitation patterns of wet and dry years in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. Irrigation provided approximately double the long-term average monthly precipitation. Rain was excluded during the wet season, July-October, to simulate a dry year. N net mineralization in laboratory incubations was undectable at calculated water potentials less than -1 MPa. Witb increasing moisture, mineralization gradually rose to the highest observed rates near field capacity. There was no mineralization maximum at moisture contents below field capacity. Irrigation significantly increased the water potential and rainfall exclusion reduced water potentials to less than-8 MPa. The general absence of important irrigation effects may have resulted from the high natural precipitation during the experiment or because irrigation inputs were insufficient to increase microbial activity during very dry periods. Precipitation exclusion reduced ion capture during the warm-wet season. After allowing precipitation inputs to resume, NH ₄ ⁺ -N capture was increased in the cool-dry seasons of both 1987–1988 and 1988–1989. NH ₄ ⁺ -N capture more than doubled that predicted from the overall covariance of moisture input and ion capture, suggesting increased availability of N. An unusually hot, dry period in May and June 1989 was followed by a threeto fourfold increase in the warm-wet season NO ₃ ^– +NO₂–N capture compared to 1988. These data suggest that short droughts of about 3 months in length (both simulated and natural) increased N availability relative to moisture availability.     

Effects of repeated metolachlor applications on its persistence in field soil and degradation kinetics in mixed microbial cultures

 The persistence of metolachlor, a soil-applied herbicide, was studied under field conditions involving repeated herbicide applications. The test field received four applications of metolachlor over an 8-month period, which included two cropping seasons. There was a trend for more rapid rates of degradation with increasing numbers of previous treatments, with fifty percent dissipation time (DT₅₀) of metolachlor declining from 18 days in the first spray to 2.5 days in the fourth spray. An effort was made to isolate the microbial population which had become acclimated to the herbicide from this field soil. A fungal community isolated from this soil showed the capacity to degrade up to 99.6% of the metolachlor within a span of 20 days. The bacterial community isolated could also degrade up to 81.5% of the metolachlor. Hence, this study clearly indicated that repeated applications of metolachlor to soil resulted in the generation of an adapted microbial population with an enhanced ability to degrade the applied herbicide. Received: 13 November 1998     

Defining the validity of a biochemical index of soil quality

 The native soils of Galicia (NW Spain) exhibit a biochemical equilibrium such that total soil N is a function of five biochemical and microbiological parameters: microbial biomass C, mineralized N, phosphomonoesterase, β-glucosidase and urease activities. To investigate whether the ratio of the total N calculated from biochemical soil properties (Nc) and the total N as measured by the Kjeldahl method (Nk; Nc/Nk) can be used as an index of soil quality, we determined these variables and consequently the ratio in three kinds of disturbed soils: an artificially Cu-contaminated soil, two lignite mine soils, and a number of arable soils. In none of the studied soils did the individual biochemical parameters respond consistently to the factors influencing soil quality, but in all cases soil degradation was reflected by the Nc/Nk value, which differed more or less markedly from 100%. Nc/Nk can therefore be used for the rapid evaluation of soil degradation, since it distinguishes among biochemically balanced soils, soils in a transient state of high microbiological and biochemical activity and degraded soils. It can also serve as a reliable basis for the rapid calculation of the "ecological dose" (ED₅₀) of soil pollutants. The use of Nc/Nk as an objective index of the biochemical quality of soils is recommended. Received: 20 December 1998     

Diversity surfaces and species wave fronts in a soil microarthropod assemblage: Adding the dimension of time

As a general rule, animal species of intermediate size within a given taxonomic group are most abundant in nature. It is not known if these patterns occur in small-bodied taxa, such as soil microarthropods, or how these patterns change through time. Here I show that Oribatida (Acari), the most abundant and diverse arthropod fauna of coniferous forest soils, exhibit this pattern. However, the pattern is more complex than reported for other arthropods. I analyzed the total species surface comprising 6613 individuals and 54 species by forest stand. The underlying pattern consists of 15-year stands and 30-year stands forming two distinct and separated maxima. These results suggest that assemblage patterns form early in the development of ecological communities, and that these patterns appear within the soil assemblage as waves propagating in species–abundance–body size space during forest development. These results also support the assertion that undescribed species will likely be of intermediate size within a group. This analysis contributes to investigations of biodiversity and body size relationships by adding the temporal dimension. Potential applications are in disturbance and indicator studies or other work where changes in assemblage structure are used as measures of disturbance or as response variables in manipulative studies.     

Effects of DDT and its metabolites on soil algae and enzymatic activity

 The persistence of DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] and its metabolites in soil, their toxicity to soil algae, and effects on microbial activities were studied in laboratory microcosms for 45 days. In non-sterile soils, removal of DDD [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] and DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene] was less than 3%, while 4–8% of applied DDMU [1-chloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene], DDA [2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetic acid] and DDT were lost. Added DDOH [2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethanol] was more labile, as 60% was degraded during the same period. Soil microalgae were not measurably affected by the compounds tested at 10–50 mg kg^–1, but at 100 mg kg^–1 soil, DDD, DBP (p,p′-dichlorobenzophenone) and DDA significantly reduced their growth. Phosphatase activity was not affected by DDT and its metabolites at the concentrations tested (≤50 mg kg^–1), but all compounds inhibited dehydrogenase activity at concentrations of 50 mg kg^–1 soil. The toxic effects of DDT and its metabolites were dose-related. Received: 9 January 1998     

荒漠草原沙漠化对土壤物理和化学特性的影响

以宁夏中北部荒漠草原不同沙漠化阶段(荒漠草地、固定沙地、半固定沙地、流动沙地)草地土壤为研究对象,研究不同沙漠化阶段土壤容重、孔隙度、土壤有机碳、全氮含量、碳密度、氮密度、NH4+-N和NO–3-N的变异规律,分析荒漠草原沙漠化对土壤物理和化学性质的影响。结果表明:固定沙地、半固定沙地和流动沙地0～30 cm土层土壤容重较荒漠草地分别升高了0.3%、2.9%和2.4%。土壤孔隙度随草地沙漠化加重整体表现为线性递减趋势。同一沙漠化阶段,随着土层深度的增加,土壤容重表现出先降低后升高趋势,而土壤孔隙度表现出相反的变化。随着荒漠草原沙漠化程度加剧,NH4+-N、NO–3-N、土壤有机碳、全氮含量和碳氮密度均呈线性下降趋势。与荒漠草地相比,流动沙地0～30 cm土层土壤NH4+-N、NO–3-N、土壤有机碳、全氮含量和碳氮密度分别降低了27.4%、31.8%、44.8%、56.7%、43.5%和55.7%。荒漠草原沙漠化破坏了土壤物理和化学性状。