Microbial C,N, and P relationships in moisture‐stressed soils of Potohar,Pakistan

In 11 rain‐fed arable soils of the Potohar plateau, Pakistan, the amounts of microbial‐biomass C (C_mic), biomass N (N_mic), and biomass P (P_mic) were analyzed in relation to the element‐specific total storage compartment, i.e., soil C_org, N_t, and P_t. The effects of climatic conditions and soil physico‐chemical properties on these relationships were highlighted with special respect to crop yield levels. Average contents of soil C_org, N_t, and P_t were 3.9, 0.32, and 0.61 mg (g soil)^–1, respectively. Less than 1% of P_t was extractable with 0.5 M NaHCO₃. Mean contents of C_mic, N_mic, and P_mic were 118.4, 12.0, and 3.9 µg (g soil)^–1. Values of C_mic, N_mic, P_mic, soil C_org, and N_t were all highly significantly interrelated. The mean crop yield level was closely connected with all soil organic matter– and microbial biomass–related properties, but showed also some influence by the amount of precipitation from September to June. Also the fraction of NaHCO₃‐extractable P was closely related to soil organic matter, soil microbial biomass, and crop yield level. This reveals the overwhelming importance of biological processes for P turnover in alkaline soils.     

The fate of soyabean photosynthetic carbon varies in Mollisols differing in organic carbon

The fate of photosynthetically‐fixed carbon (C) in the plant–soil–microbe continuum has received much interest because of its relevance to soil C and the global C cycle. However, information on the flow of this plant C below ground and its contribution to soil C sequestration in soils with contrasting organic C (C_org) is limited. In this study, soyabean (Glycine max L. Merr.) was grown in three Mollisols with low (1.04%), medium (2.90%) and high (5.05%) C_org, respectively. Plants were labelled with ¹³CO₂ to trace the photosynthetic C dynamics in the plant–soil system for up to 288 hours. The total amount of net fixed ¹³C by plants ranged from 66 to 78 mg pot^?1, and there was no difference between soils. The amount of ¹³C in soil organic matter (SOM) increased from 1.9 to 6.1 mg pot^?1 over time in the high‐C_org soil, while it showed a non‐significant change with 2.2 mg pot^?1 (on average) in the medium‐C_org soil, and decreased from 2.9 to 0.1 mg pot^?1 in the low‐C_org soil. In the low‐C_org soil, the amount of ¹³C in soil microbes decreased markedly over time, showing a fast turnover, and had a significant correlation (P ≤ 0.01) with ¹³C in the SOM pool. However, such a relationship was not significant in the soil with high or medium C_org. These results indicate that most of the root‐derived C in the low‐C_org soil is degraded quickly by microbial activity, while the greater input of the photosynthetic C to SOM in the high‐ and/or medium‐C_org soil can probably be attributed to physical sorption of root‐derived C by SOM and minerals, thus protecting it against microbial decomposition.     

Changes in the organic matter forms in chernozems of the Kamennaya Steppe under different land uses, locations, and hydromorphism degrees

The soils of the Kamennaya Steppe (Voronezh oblast) were studied. The rate of changes in the contents of C_org and the particular forms of organic matter (labile, microbial, and stable) were revealed in the quasi-natural soils of the fallows and shelterbelt and in the arable soils (rainfed farming for 12, 55, 85, and 115 yrs and irrigated farming for 40 yrs) of different positions on the watersheds and slopes. The effect of the increased soil moistening in the recent decades was also studied. In the upper 50 cm of the fallow soils that were not plowed since 1882, the relative C_org accumulation in the recent 30 yrs has amounted to 5%. The soils of the shelterbelt planted in 1903 were similar to the fallow soils. As compared to the soil of the unmown fallow, the C_org loss from the 1-m soil layer under the shelterbelt and the 12-year-old cropland were less than 9%; the losses from the plowed soils (used for 55–115 yrs) were 21–27% on the watersheds and 37–46% on the slopes. In the first decade, the rate of the Corg losses in the 0- to 20-cm layer of the cultivated chernozem was 120 g C/m². With the increasing duration of the soil plowing (from 55 to 115 yrs), the C_org losses decreased from 45 to 28 g C/m² per yr in the watershed soils and from 51 to 35 g C/m² per yr in the soils on the slopes. The maximum loss of C_org was found for the soils on slopes, waterlogged soils, and irrigated soils. In the slope soils, the C_org loss due to erosion was 9–18% of the total. In the upper horizons of the old agrogenic soils, compared to the soil of the unmown fallow, the C_ha/C_fa increased, since the content of fulvic acids (FA) faster decreased than that of the humic acids (HA); the C content of the nonhydrolyzable residue was reduced. The slope and waterlogged soils differed from the watershed soils in the smaller amounts of HA and FA and in the greater content of humin carbon. In the 0- to 20-cm layer of the soils studied, the rate of the basal respiration (BR) was 0.2–0.5 μg C/g soil per h, the content of the microbial biomass (C_micr) was 326–1073 μg C/g, and the share of C_micr amounted to 1.0–1.9%. These values were minimal in the irrigated soil and maximal in the fallow ones. A high correlation coefficient (r = 0.88–0.92) was found between the C_micr content and the BR, between the contents of C_org and HA, and between the contents of C_org and mobile C. The correlation coefficient between the contents of C_org and FA and C_org and humin C was 0.67.     

Influence of deer exclusion on soil nutrients in oak forests of a central European low mountain range

High densities of red deer can have severe impacts on soil nutrient status by removing the ground vegetation and enhancing erosion of the fertile soil layers. We compared four fenced deer exclosures with adjacent unfenced sites to evaluate the effect of deer grazing and trampling on the soil nutrient status (C_org, N_t, PO₄³⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺) in sloping oak forests of a central European low mountain range. The investigation was set up as a three‐factor randomized complete block design (RCBD) with the factors: ‘fencing’ (fenced/unfenced), ‘gradient’ (gentle/steep) and ‘aspect’ (windward/leeward). We hypothesized that exclusion of red deer by fencing would increase soil nutrient contents independent of slope gradient and aspect. Fencing increased the contents of C_org, N_t, Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻, but only at the windward sites. This effect was less pronounced at the gently sloping site than at the steep site, which exhibited the lowest contents of C_org, N_t and PO₄³⁻ of all sites. We did not find increased soil nutrients in the fenced exclosures at the leeward sites, neither at the steep nor at the gently sloping site. At both slope aspects nutrient contents (C_org, N_t, PO₄³⁻, K⁺) tended to be higher on the gentle than at the corresponding steep slopes. Our results suggest that red deer trampling and grazing enhance the loss of soil nutrients at predisposed sites such as windward locations with a high slope gradient. Only at such sites did the exclusion of red deer increase several soil nutrients. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil and nutrient losses due to root crops harvesting: a case study from southwestern Iran

Although root crops are widely cultivated in Iran, little is known about soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH). We assessed the annual exported soil, soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients from 47 farms under root crops in southwestern Iran. Soil losses for garlic, potato, sugar beet, radish and beetroot were estimated as 6.27, 2.52, 2.26, 4.10 and 6.95, Mg ha^?1, respectively, which on average was of the order of soil losses by water erosion in the watershed basins of Iran. Total N, P₂O₅ and K₂O losses were estimated as 36.61, 1.10 and 31.50 kg ha^?1 and their costs as 18.24, 0.74 and 19.93 USAlthough root crops are widely cultivated in Iran, little is known about soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH). We assessed the annual exported soil, soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients from 47 farms under root crops in southwestern Iran. Soil losses for garlic, potato, sugar beet, radish and beetroot were estimated as 6.27, 2.52, 2.26, 4.10 and 6.95, Mg ha^?1, respectively, which on average was of the order of soil losses by water erosion in the watershed basins of Iran. Total N, P₂O₅ and K₂O losses were estimated as 36.61, 1.10 and 31.50 kg ha^?1 and their costs as 18.24, 0.74 and 19.93 US$ ha^?1, respectively. For the whole country, total soil, N, P₂O₅, K₂O and SOM losses for garlic, potato and sugar beet were estimated as 731.7 × 10³, 836, 27, 476 and 14.5 × 10³ Mg, respectively (radish and beetroot were excluded due to no reliable data on their planted areas). Correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between soil properties and SLCH (except soil moisture content for radish and clay content for beetroot). The findings indicated that the exported soil, SOM and nutrients were at such levels that SLCH should be considered in soil erosion studies.     

Soil microbial biomass C and N along a climatic transect in the Mongolian steppe

The relationships of soil microbial biomass C (C_mic) or N (N_mic) with mean annual precipitation and temperature were studied along a climatic transect in the Mongolian steppe. Soil organic C (C_org) and total N (N_t), respiration rate, C_mic and N_mic at depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm decreased with increasing aridity. The contents of C_org and N_t in the 0- to 5-cm soil layers decreased linearly with precipitation reduction along the transect. C_mic and N_mic changes with precipitation were not linear, with higher changes between 330 and 128 mm mean annual precipitation. C_mic/C_org and N_mic/N_t increased with increasing aridity. The metabolic quotient qCO₂ of 0- to 5-cm soil layers was low between 330 and 273 mm precipitation. The relationship between the qCO₂ of the 0- to 5-cm soil layers and the mean annual precipitation was well fitted with a quadratic function y =0.0006x² –0.40x +86.0, where y is the qCO₂ (µmol CO₂-C mmol^–1 C_mic) and x is the mean annual precipitation (mm). C_org, N_t, C_mic, N_mic and respiration rate decreased exponentially with increasing mean annual temperature in both the 0- to 5- and 5- to 10-cm soil layers, and change rate was lower when the mean annual temperature was higher than 2.6°C. The close relationships of the mean annual precipitation or temperature with soil C_org, N_t, C_mic, N_mic, C_mic/C_org and qCO₂ indicate that each parameter can be calculated by determining the other parameters in this specific climatic range.     

Organic C levels of Ap horizons in North German Pleistocene sands as influenced by climate,texture, and history of land‐use

We evaluated the contents of organic carbon (C_org) of Ap horizons from 11 North German study areas along a Southeast to Northwest precipitation gradient with respect to their general levels and as related to C : N ratio, soil texture (clay content), bulk soil density, climate, and historical land‐use since 1780. The focus was on sandy soils, with the largest group of samples originating from 308 km² of the Fuhrberg catchment north of Hannover/Lower Saxony. Data from loess areas were used for comparisons. Major aims were (1) to quantify current C_org stocks, (2) to provide data on site‐specific, steady‐state C_org levels in old arable soils, and (3) to identify the main controls of C_org levels in the studied sands. The mean C_org content in sandy, well‐drained, old Ap horizons (uplands, > 200 years under cultivation, near steady‐state) increased with precipitation from < 8 g kg^—1 in the dry eastern parts of the study area (530 mm year^—1, 8.3°C) to 25 g kg^—1 in the moist Northwest (825 mm year^—1, 8.4°C). The C_org levels in lowlands which have been drained for more than 40 years were approximately 3 g kg^—1 higher than those of uplands under a similar climate. The factor clay content had no predictive value because low contents were associated with high C_org levels. Large proportions of refractory organic matter in sands resulting from specific features of historical land‐use and soil development (calluna heathland, heath plaggen fertilization, podzolization) appeared to be the most probable reason for such high C_org levels. However, the high C_org levels of these old arable sites were still exceeded by those of younger arable areas formerly under continuos grassland. A chrono‐sequence suggested that a period of about 100 years is necessary until a new steady‐state C_org level is established after conversion of grassland into arable land. Elevated C_org levels in current Ap horizons were also found for former woodland and heathland soils. The main conclusion is that sands can contain a lot of stable organic matter, sometimes more than finer textured soils.     

Characterization of the forest humus microbial community in a heavy metal polluted area

Various parameters of the soil microbial community may be used in soil quality evaluation and environmental risk assessment. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of different environmental factors on the characteristics of forest humus microbial communities, and to test which environmental factors most affect the gross microbial indices and physiological profiles of these communities. Samples were taken at 71 plots located in a heavily polluted area of the Krakowsko-Cze¸stochowska upland in southern Poland. The samples were analyzed for pH in KCl (pH_KCl), organic C (C_org), total N (N_t) and S (S_t), and for total and soluble Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations. The considered microbial parameters included basal respiration (BAS), microbial biomass (C_mic), C_mic-to-C_org ratio, and community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) studied using BIOLOG^® Ecoplates. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of humus properties on the microbial parameters. It indicated that S_t and C_org-to-N_t ratio were the most important factors positively affecting C_mic (β=0.15 and 0.11, respectively) and BAS (β=0.13 and 0.08, respectively). The C_mic-to-C_org ratio was related positively to S_t (β=0.12) but negatively to N_t (β=−0.08). The effects of pH_KCl and heavy metals on the gross microbial indices were significant but less important. The most important effect on microbial activity on BIOLOG^® plates and CLPPs was from pH_KCl. The other significant variables included S_t, C_org-to-N_t and interactions of heavy metals with pH_KCl. It was concluded that C_mic, C_mic-to-C_org and BAS might be good indicators of the general status of soil microbial communities, but their use in studying heavy metal effects may entail difficulties in separating the effects of other factors. The sensitivity of the BIOLOG^® test to pH_KCl suggests that it may be useful for studying the effects of acidification or liming on soil microbial communities. The significant effect of the interactions between heavy metals and other variables on physiological profiles indicated that high heavy metal content affects the metabolic functions of soil microbial populations.     

An evaluation of plant-available soil nitrogen in selected sandy soils by electro-ultrafiltration, KCl, and CaCl2 extraction methods

 Improving the precision in estimating the nitrogen (N) requirement for citrus trees on sandy soils is important for increasing N efficiency by the trees and minimizing potential losses of N in commercial citrus production areas. In this study, representative Florida soils were sampled from major citrus production areas and the electro-ultrafiltration (EUF) technique was used to measure the concentrations of total EUF-extractable nitrogen (EUF-N_t), ammonium-N (EUF-NH₄ ⁺–N) and nitrate-N (EUF-NO₃ ^––N). Available organic N (N_org) was calculated as: EUF-N_t–(NH₄ ⁺–N+NO₃ ^––N). The N concentrations in the EUF extraction were greater than those by the KCl or CaCl₂ method. The N_org fraction, estimated by the EUF method, varied from 4.4 to 40.8 mg kg^–1 soil, equivalent to 10 to 91 kg N ha^–1 (for the top 15 cm depth soil) and was positively correlated with the total soil N determined by the Kjeldahl method. The presence of appreciable amounts of N_org in these soils indicates that these soils contain high proportions of the total soil N in easily mineralizable N_org forms. This study demonstrates that the EUF-extractable organic bound N must be considered in developing N fertilizer recommendations for citrus. Received: 13 January 1999     

Veränderungen physikalischer Bodenmerkmale im „Statischen Düngungsversuch”︁ während einer Vegetationsperiode

Temporal variations of physical soil properties in the “Static Fertilization Experiment” The objective of the present paper was to observe short-term changes in physical soil properties of a differently fertilized loess-Chernozem. Samples were taken weekly from the plots with 17.2 g C_org kg^?1 (unfertilized) and 25.0 g C_org kg^?1 (NPK + farmyard manure) of the “Static Fertilization Experiment”, Bad Lauchstädt, and their moisture contents (θ), bulk densities (?_d) and particle densities (?_s) were determined. The soil moisture contents showed very similar variations in the two treatments. Clear differences between the unfertilized (≈ 16 Vol.-%) and the NPK + farmyard manure treatment (≈ 10 Vol.-%) only occurred during summer (means 25th–29th week). The values for ?_d were lower in the NPK + farmyard manure plot (mean: –0.10 g cm^?3). Similar short-term changes in ?_d were found in both treatments and correlated to both, organic matter contents and composition (C_org, N_t, C/N). These data, however, gave no indication of reasons for the short-term changes in particle densities up to 0.09 g cm^?3.     

施磷对麦/玉/豆套作体系土壤磷素变化的影响

小麦/玉米/大豆带状套作是四川省丘陵低山区主要旱地作物生产体系,了解该体系磷养分变化对优化磷肥管理和促进可持续生产有重要意义。本研究通过连续3年(2011—2013年)田间定位试验,设置P0、P1、P2、P3和P4共5个磷(P2O5)水平(玉米带分别为0 kg·hm-2、37.5 kg·hm-2、75 kg·hm-2、112.5 kg·hm-2、150 kg·hm-2,小麦-大豆带分别为0 kg·hm-2、45 kg·hm-2、90 kg·hm-2、135 kg·hm-2、180 kg·hm-2),探讨该体系中土壤全磷、速效磷、水溶性磷的变化规律和速效磷的年际变化。结果表明:在麦/玉/豆套作体系中施磷165 kg(P2O5)·hm-2(玉米带75 kg·hm-2,小麦-大豆带90 kg·hm-2),可以满足体系作物对磷的需求,基本达到磷的表观平衡,维持土壤速效磷含量在20 mg·kg-1左右。3年后5个磷水平下体系耕层土壤(0~20 cm)全磷变化量分别为-0.024 g·kg-1·a-1、-0.016 g·kg-1·a-1、0.016 g·kg-1·a-1、0.11 g·kg-1·a-1、0.15 g·kg-1·a-1,速效磷变化量依次为-1.2 mg·kg-1·a-1、-0.9 mg·kg-1·a-1、0.2 mg·kg-1·a-1、2.0 mg·kg-1·a-1和2.7 mg·kg-1·a-1。通过线性平台函数的模拟,该体系中玉米、小麦、大豆产量的土壤速效磷临界值分别为16.5 mg·kg-1、12.6 mg·kg-1和8.8 mg·kg-1。当土壤全磷含量低于0.55 g·kg-1时,土壤全磷每增加0.1 g·kg-1,土壤速效磷增加1.70 mg·kg-1;当土壤全磷大于0.55 g·kg-1,全磷每增加0.1 g·kg-1,土壤速效磷增加6.49 mg·kg-1。当土壤速效磷含量在40 mg·kg-1以下时,速效磷每增加1 mg·kg-1,水溶性磷增加0.017 mg·kg-1。综上,在麦/玉/豆体系磷肥管理中应该维持土壤全磷含量低于0.55 g·kg-1,同时速效磷含量在20 mg·kg-1左右,这样既可以保证作物产量和系统生产力又不会产生较大的环境威胁。     

Changes in the chemical composition of water percolating through the soil profile in a moderately polluted catchment

Throughfall (TF), stemflow (SF), soil solution below the organic layer (SS_org) and at 50 cm depth (SS₅₀), and output with stream water (SW) were measured and analyzed for four years in a moderately polluted forest catchment in southern Poland. The input of water with stemflow was ca. 6% of input with TF. However, due to higher concentrations of most ions in SF, the input of most elements with SF was from 8% to 9%. Sulphate (SO₄ ^2–), chloride (Cl^–) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) were the only ions steadily increasing in concentrations in water percolating through the soil profile. Nitrogen reached the forest floor mainly as ammonium (NH₄ ⁺). In the soil organic layer the NH₄ ⁺ concentration decreased, while concentrations of nitrate (NO₃ ^–) and hydrogen (H⁺) increased, probably due to nitrification. For NO₃ ^–, sodium (Na⁺) and calcium (Ca²⁺), the highest concentrations were found in SS_org and SW. This indicates both efficient cycling in the biotic pool of the ecosystem and intensive weathering processes in the mineral soil below the plant rooting zone. The latter was especially pronounced for Mg and Ca. Concentrations of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were the highest in SS_org and SS₅₀. As this was accompanied by a low pH and constant input of H⁺, NH₄ ⁺ and heavy metal ions to the catchment area, it may pose a serious threat to forest health.     

Effect of forest and soil type on microbial biomass carbon and respiration

The aim of study was to evaluate the variation of soil microbial biomass carbon (C_mic) and microbial respiration (M_R) in three types soil (Chromic Cambisols, Chromic Luvisols and Eutric Leptosols) of mixed beech forest (Beech- Hornbeam and Beech- Maple). Soil was randomly sampled from 0–10 cm layer (plant litter removed), 90 soil samples were taken. C_mic determined by the fumigation-extraction method and M_R by closed bottle method. Soil C_org, N_tot and pH were measured. There are significant differences between the soil types concerning the C_mic content and M_R. These parameters were highest in Chromic Cambisols following Chromic Luvisols, while the lowest were in Eutric Leptosols. A similar trend of C_org and N_tot was observed in studied soils. Two-way ANOVA indicated that soil type and forest type have significantly effect on the most soil characteristics. Chromic Cambisols shows a productive soil due to have the maximum C_mic, M_R, C_org and N_tot. In Cambisols under Beech- Maple forest the C_mic value and soil C/N ratio were higher compared to Beech-Hornbeam (19.5 and 4.1 mg C g^–1, and 16.3 and 3.3, respectively). This fact might be indicated that Maple litter had more easy decomposable organic compounds than Hornbeam. According to regression analysis, 89 and 68 percentage of C_mic variability could explain by soil C_org and N_tot respectively.     

Soil nitrogen fractions as influenced by sample preparation and extraction

Abstract

In order to evaluate the influence of extraction procedure on extractable nitrogen (N) fractions, fresh as well as dried soil samples were extracted with CaCl₂ at various temperatures (20,40,60, 80°C) for 30–120 minutes. Data obtained were compared with those from the electro‐ultra‐filtration (EUF) method. Increasing the drying temperature as well as the extraction temperature led to an increase in N_org content. The EUF and CaCl₂‐method produced comparable results for all N‐fractions (NO₃ ^‐, NH₄ ⁺, N_org) when an extraction temperature of 80°C was applied for two hours. Data presented suggested that the N_org fraction represented mainly the microbial biomass and may thus be considered as being easily available to plants.     

Temperature in relation to phosphorus nutrition in Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage plants [Brassica pekinensis (Lour) Rupr. cv. Nagaoka 50] were cultivated experimentally for two years (1993 and 1994) using a semi‐forcing technique of floating rowcovers, polyethylene (T₁), polypropylene (T₂), versus no floating row‐covers, control (T₀). Five samplings were made, taking four plants per each replication and total phosphorus (P) (P_total), inorganic P (P_i), and calculated organic P (P_org) were determined as well as foliar acid phosphatase activity (FAPA). The aerial and root temperatures of the treatments T₁ and T₂ exceeded those of T₀. The P_total concentration showed no significant variations with treatment, whereas the P_i concentrations increased in T_i and T₂ and P_org decreased in both treatments with respect to T₀. The FAPA was influenced a similar way as P_i, raising with temperature. The contents (mg plant^‐1) of P_tolal, P_i, and P_org were greater in T₁ and T₂ than in T₀, and this could be due to the fact that the highest temperatures (root and aerial zone) generated by the plastic rowcovers favored the absorption of P, thereby boosting FAPA and the fresh and dry weights, and yield.     

Microbial and enzyme properties of apple orchard soil as affected by long-term application of copper fungicide

Copper-based fungicides have been applied in apple orchards for a long time, which has resulted in increasing soil Cu concentration. However, the microbial and enzyme properties of the orchard soils remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of long-term application of Cu-based fungicides on soil microbial (microbial biomass carbon (C_mic), C mineralization, and specific respiration rate) and enzyme (urease, acid phosphatase, and invertase activities) properties in apple orchards. Soil samples studied were collected from apple orchards 5, 15, 20, 30, and 45 years old, and one adjacent forest soil as for reference. The mean Cu concentrations of orchard soils significantly increased with increasing orchard ages ranging from 21.8 to 141 mg kg⁻¹, and the CaCl₂-extractable soil Cu concentrations varied from 0.00 to 4.26 mg kg⁻¹. The soil mean C_mic values varied from 43.6 to 116 mg kg⁻¹ in the orchard soils, and were lower than the value of the reference soil (144 mg kg⁻¹). The ratio of soil C_mic to total organic C (C_org) increased from 8.10 to 18.3 mg C_mic g⁻¹ C_org with decreasing orchard ages, and was 26.1 mg C_mic g⁻¹ C_org for the reference soil. A significant correlation was observed between total- or CaCl₂-extractable soil Cu and soil C_mic or C_mic/C_org, suggesting that the soil Cu was responsible for the significant reductions in C_mic and C_mic/C_org. The three enzyme activity assays also showed the similar phenomena, and declined with the increasing orchard ages. The mean soil C mineralization rates were elevated from 110 to 150 mg CO₂-C kg⁻¹ soil d⁻¹ compared with the reference soil (80 mg CO₂-C kg⁻¹ soil d⁻¹), and the mean specific respiration rate of the reference soil (0.63 mg CO₂-C mg⁻¹ biomass C d⁻¹) was significantly smaller than the orchard soils from 1.19 to 3.55 mg CO₂-C mg⁻¹ biomass C d⁻¹. The soil C mineralization rate and the specific respiration rate can be well explained by the CaCl₂-extractable soil Cu. Thus, the long-term application of copper-based fungicides has shown adverse effects on soil microbial and enzyme properties.     

Soil organic carbon as affected by direct drilling and mulching in sugar beet – wheat rotations

The effect of conventional ploughing, mulching, and direct drilling on the soil organic C (soil C_org) contents through the soil profile and on total soil C_org stocks (0–45 cm) was investigated at five different German sites. All sites showed similar results: after 10–13 years, soil C_org contents in the surface soil (0–10 cm) were 15–71% and 33–42% higher under direct drilling and mulching, respectively, than under ploughing (8–18 g kg^?1). Under ploughing, the soil C_org contents were distributed homogenously through the soil profile. Either mulching or direct drilling resulted in 3–28% higher soil C_org stocks than ploughing (49–116 t ha^?1). However, the tillage management was no significant factor since the sites showed the effects to different extents but were the mathematical replications. Five to six years later, trends and values were similar. We concluded that the main effect of mulching or direct drilling was the stratification with higher soil C_org contents in the surface soil. Since this is a positive means for soil protection, we suggested that the use of mulching or direct drilling can contribute to a sustainable soil management in crop rotations with sugar beet which are characterized by a strong physical impact on the soil during harvest.     

Specific features of the ecological functioning of urban soils in Moscow and Moscow oblast

Urban soils (constructozems) were studied in Moscow and several cities (Dubna, Pushchino, and Serebryanye Prudy) of Moscow oblast. The soil sampling from the upper 10-cm-thick layer was performed in the industrial, residential, and recreational functional zones of these cities. The biological (the carbon of the microbial biomass carbon, C_mic and the microbial (basal) respiration, BR) and chemical (pH_water and the contents of C_org, heavy metals, and NPK) indices were determined in the samples. The ratios of BR to C_mic (the microbial respiration quotient, qCO₂) and of C_mic to C_org were calculated. The C_mic varied from 120 to 738 μg C/g soil; the BR, from 0.39 to 1.94 μg CO₂-C/g soil per hour; the C_org, from 2.52 to 5.67%; the qCO₂, from 1.24 to 5.28 μg CO₂-C/mg C_mic/g soil per h; and the C_mic/C_org, from 0.40 to 1.55%. Reliable positive correlations were found between the C_mic and BR, the C_mic and C_mic/C_org, and the C_mic and C_org values (r = 0.75, 0.95, and 0.61, respectively), as well as between the BR and C_mic/C_org values (r = 0.68). The correlation between the C_mic/C_org and qCO₂ values was negative (r = −0.70). The values of C_mic, BR, C_org, and C_mic/C_org were found to correlate with the ammonium nitrogen content. No correlative relationships were revealed between the determined indices and the climatic characteristics. The principal component analysis described 86% of the variances for all the experimental data and clearly subdivided the locations of the studied soil objects. The ANOVA showed that the variances of C_mic, C_org, and BR are controlled by the site location factor by 66, 63, and 35%, respectively. The specificity of the functioning of the anthropogenic soils as compared with their natural analogues was clearly demonstrated. As shown in this study, measurable biological indices might be applied to characterize the ecological, environmental-regulating, and productive functions of soils, including urban soils.     

Near-infrared spectroscopy for analysis of chemical and microbiological properties of forest soil organic horizons in a heavy-metal-polluted area

In industrial areas, heavy metals may accumulate in forest soil organic horizons, affecting soil microorganisms and causing changes in the chemical composition of the accumulated organic matter. The objectives of this study were to test the ability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect heavy metal effects on the chemical composition of forest soil O horizons and to test whether NIRS may be used to quantitatively determine total and exchangeable concentrations of Zn and Pb (Zn_t, Pb_t, Zn_ex, Pb_ex) and other chemical and microbial properties in forest soil O horizons polluted with heavy metals. The samples of O horizons (n = 79) were analyzed for organic C (C_org), total N and S (N_t, S_t), Zn_t, Pb_t, Zn_ex, Pb_ex, basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass (C_mic) and C_mic-to-C_org ratio. Spectra of the samples were recorded in the Vis-NIR range (400–2,500 nm). To detect heavy-metal-induced changes in the chemical composition of O horizons principal components (PC1–PC7) based on the spectral data were regressed against Zn_t + Pb_t values. A modified partial least squares method was used to develop calibration models for prediction of various chemical and microbial properties of the samples from their spectra. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between PC3 and PC5 (r = −0.27 and −0.34, respectively) and Zn_t + Pb_t values, indicating an effect of heavy metal pollution on the spectral properties of the O horizons and thus on their chemical composition. For quantitative estimations, the best calibration model was obtained for C_org-to-N_t ratio (r = 0.98). The models for C_org, N_t, and microbial properties were satisfactory but less accurate. NIRS failed to accurately predict S_t, C_org-to-S_t, Zn_t, Pb_t, Zn_ex, and Pb_ex.     

Energetic eco‐physiology of the soil microbiota in two landscapes of southern and northern Germany

Interactions between microbial communities and organic matter were analyzed for soils from the project regions ’︁Ecosystem Research in the Agricultural Landscape/FAM, Munich’ in southern Germany and ’︁Ecosystem Research in the Bornhöved Lake district’ from northern Germany using ratios between microbial biomass content (C_mic), microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and organic carbon content (C_org). In the agricultural soils in southern Germany, the qCO₂/C_org ratio differed significantly with respect to agricultural management in contrast to ecophysiological C_mic/C_org ratio. In addition, C_mic/C_org ratio decreased from 39 to 21 mg C_mic g^—1 C_org and qCO₂/C_org ratio increased from 72 to 180 mg CO₂‐C g^—1 C_mic h^—1 (g C_org g^—1 soil)^—1 with increasing soil depth. For the upper soil horizons from the landscape in northern Germany the two quotients differed significantly with reference to land use showing highest microbial colonization under grassland and lowest under beech forest. In contrast, C use efficiency was lowest in arable field under maize monoculture and highest in a wet grassland having a high organic C content.