Carbon stocks, soil respiration and microbial biomass in fire-prone tropical grassland, woodland and forest ecosystems

A thorough understanding of the role of microbes in C cycling in relation to fire is important for estimation of C emissions and for development of guidelines for sustainable management of dry ecosystems. We investigated the seasonal changes and spatial distribution of soil total, dissolved organic C (DOC) and microbial biomass C during 18 months, quantified the soil CO₂ emission in the beginning of the rainy season, and related these variables to the fire frequency in important dry vegetation types grassland, woodland and dry forest in Ethiopia. The soil C isotope ratios (δ¹³C) reflected the 15-fold decrease in the grass biomass along the vegetation gradient and the 12-fold increase in woody biomass in the opposite direction. Changes in δ¹³C down the soil profiles also suggested that in two of the grass-dominated sites woody plants were more frequent in the past. The soil C stock ranged from being 2.5 (dry forest) to 48 times (grassland) higher than the C stock in the aboveground plant biomass. The influence of fire in frequently burnt wooded grassland was evident as an unchanged or increasing total C content down the soil profile. DOC and microbial biomass measured with the fumigation-extraction method (C_mic) reflected the vertical distribution of soil organic matter (SOM). However, although SOM was stable throughout the year, seasonal fluctuations in C_mic and substrate-induced respiration (SIR) were large. In woodland and woodland-wooded grassland C_mic and SIR increased in the dry season, and gradually decreased during the following rainy season, confirming previous suggestions that microbes may play an important role in nutrient retention in the dry season. However, in dry forest and two wooded grasslands C_mic and SIR was stable throughout the rainy season, or even increased in this period, which could lead to enhanced competition with plants for nutrients. Both the range and the seasonal changes in soil microbial biomass C in dry tropical ecosystems may be wider than previously assumed. Neither SIR nor C_mic were good predictors of in situ soil respiration. The soil respiration was relatively high in infrequently burnt forest and woodland, while frequently burnt grasslands had lower rates, presumably because most C is released through dry season burning and not through decomposition in fire-prone systems. Shifts in the relative importance of the two pathways for C release from organic matter may have strong implications for C and nutrient cycling in seasonally dry tropical ecosystems.     

Dynamics of microbial biomass and nitrogen supply during primary succession on blastfurnace slag dumps in dry tropics

This paper reports the role of microbial biomass in the establishment of N pools in the substratum during primary succession (till 40-year age) in Blastfurnace Slag Dumps, an anthropogenically created land form in the tropics. Initially in the depressions in the slag dumps fine soil particles (silt+clay) accumulate, retaining moisture therein, and providing microsites for the accumulation of microbial biomass. In all sites microbial biomass showed distinct seasonality, with summer-peak and rainy season-low standing crops. During the summer season microbial biomass C ranged from 18.6 μg g⁻¹ in the 1-year old site to ca. 235 μg g⁻¹ in the 40-year old site; correspondingly, microbial biomass N ranged from 1.22 to 40 μg g⁻¹. On sites 2.5-years of age and younger, the microbial biomass N content accounted for more than 50% of the organic N in the soil, whereas the proportion of microbial biomass N was ca. 7% of organic N in 40-year old site. The strong correlation between microbial biomass and total N in soil indicated a significant role of microbes in the build-up of nitrogen during the initial stages of succession in the slag dumps. Though the organic N pool in the soil was low (594 mg kg⁻¹) even after 40 years of succession, the available N (NH₄-N and NO₃-N) contents in the soil were generally high through the entire age series (ca. 16-32 μg g⁻¹) during the rainy season (which supports active growth of the herbaceous community). The high mineral-N status on the slag dump was related with high N-mineralization rates, particularly in the young sites (20.6 and 13.9 μg g⁻¹ month⁻¹ at 1 and 2.5-year age). We suggest that along with the abiotic factors having strong effect on ecosystem functioning, the microbial biomass, an important biotic factor, shows considerable influence on soil nutrient build-up during early stages of primary succession on the slag dumps. The microbial biomass dynamics initiates biotic control in developing slag dumps ecosystem through its effect on nitrogen pools and availability.     

Soil microbial community characteristics along an elevation gradient in the Laguna Mountains of Southern California

We sampled soil at four sites in the Laguna Mountains in the western Sonoran Desert to test the effects of site and sample location (between or beneath plants) on fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and carbon substrate ulilization (Biolog) profiles. The four sites differed in elevation, soil type, plant community composition, and plant percent cover. Soil pH decreased and plant density increased with elevation. Fertile islands, defined as areas beneath plants with greater soil resources than bare areas, are present at all sites, but are most pronounced at lower elevations. Consistent with this pattern, fertile islands had the greatest influence on FAME and Biolog profiles at lower elevations. Based on the use of FAME biomarker and principal components analyses, we found that soil microbial communities between plants at the lowest elevation had proportionally more Gram-negative bacteria than all other soils. At the higher elevation sites there were few differences in FAME profiles of soils sampled between vs. beneath plants. Differences in FAME profiles under plants among the four sites were small, suggesting that the plant influence per se is more important than plant type in controlling FAME profiles. Since microbial biomass carbon was correlated with FAME number (r=0.85,P<0.0001) and with FAME named (r=0.88,P<0.0001) and total areas (r=0.84,P<0.0001), we standardized the FAME data to ensure that differences in FAME profiles among samples were not the result of differences in microbial biomass. Differences in microbial substrate utilization profiles among sampling locations were greatest between samples taken under vs. between plants at the two lower elevation sites. Microbial substrate utilization profiles, therefore, also seem to be influenced more by the presence of plants than by specific plant type.     

指纹图谱技术在动物肠道微生物多样性研究中的应用

随着分子生物技术的发展,不可培养微生物多样性研究的难题得到了解决。肠道微生物处于特殊的生态环境条件下,分子生物学技术的应用使得肠道微生物多样性的研究进入了一个崭新的阶段。本文主要介绍了基于16S rRNA基因片段的一些肠道微生物研究工作中常用的分子生物学分析方法,主要包括变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE),温度梯度凝胶电泳(TGGE),单链构象多态性(SSCP),限制性片段长度多态性(RFLP),放大片断长度多态性(AFLP)和随机扩增多态性DNA(RAPD)等指纹图谱技术。     

不同樱桃砧木根际微生物和养分的动态变化

研究樱桃年生长周期内不同樱桃砧木(大青叶、山樱、考特和马哈利)对根际微生物和养分动态变化的影响。结果表明,樱桃年生长周期内,各砧木根际微生物数量呈现先上升再下降的变化趋势,且均以细菌最多,放线菌次之,真菌最少。根际有机质和全氮呈先上升后下降又上升的变化趋势,全磷和全钾呈先上升后下降的变化趋势,碱解氮和速效磷呈逐步上升的变化趋势,速效钾呈先降低后上升的变化趋势,且各砧木根际各养分差异显著。4种樱桃砧木土壤营养水平基本能够满足樱桃生长的需要,但根际养分亏缺。因此,选择合适的樱桃砧木,有利于土壤微生物数量和养分的提高,从而为樱桃树生长创造良好的土壤生态环境。     

酶法降解与微生物发酵结合处理柑橘皮渣生产高蛋白饲料

以柑橘皮渣为原料,通过超微粉碎技术进行前处理,采用双酶法降解纤维素与微生物发酵法生产高蛋白饲料.以可溶性蛋白质、还原性糖为考察指标,研究果胶酶与纤维素酶添加量、体系pH值、酵母接种量、发酵时间等因素对发酵终产品的影响,通过正交试验优化确定最佳生产工艺.结果表明,在50℃时,果胶酶添加量0.06 g/100g、纤维素酶添加量0.02 g/100g、pH值5.0下酶解皮渣1.0 h,可得还原性糖含量适宜、酵母利用度高的皮渣液.同时调节该酶解液pH值为4.0,酵母接种量为10.0％(V/V),35℃发酵5d,可得可溶性蛋白含量为101.9 mg,/L的高蛋白饲料.     

Soil respiration is not limited by reductions in microbial biomass during long-term soil incubations

Declining rates of soil respiration are reliably observed during long-term laboratory incubations. However, the cause of this decline is uncertain. We explored different controls on soil respiration to elucidate the drivers of respiration rate declines during long-term soil incubations. Following a long-term (707 day) incubation (30 °C) of soils from two sites (a cultivated and a forested plot at Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI, USA), soils were significantly depleted of both soil carbon and microbial biomass. To test the ability of these carbon- and biomass-depleted (“incubation-depleted”) soils to respire labile organic matter, we exposed soils to a second, 42 day incubation (30 °C) with and without an addition of plant residues. We controlled for soil carbon and microbial biomass depletion by incubating field fresh (“fresh”) soils with and without an amendment of wheat and corn residues. Although respiration was consistently higher in the fresh versus incubation-depleted soil (2 and 1.2 times higher in the fresh cultivated and fresh forested soil, respectively), the ability to respire substrate did not differ between the fresh and incubation-depleted soils. Further, at the completion of the 42 day incubation, levels of microbial biomass in the incubation-depleted soils remained unchanged, while levels of microbial biomass in the field-fresh soil declined to levels similar to that of the incubation-depleted soils. Extra-cellular enzyme pools in the incubation-depleted soils were sometimes slightly reduced and did not respond to addition of labile substrate and did not limit soil respiration. Our results support the idea that available soil organic matter, rather than a lack microbial biomass and extracellular enzymes, limits soil respiration over the course of long-term incubations. That decomposition of both wheat and corn straw residues did not change after major changes in the soil biomass during extended incubation supports the omission of biomass values from biogeochemical models.     

井窖式移栽不同栽植深度对烤烟前期生长发育的影响

为探明井窖式移栽不同栽植深度对烟株前期生长发育的影响,在贵阳龙岗基地开展了田间试验。结果表明,移栽后35 d,烟苗生长点距井窖口6 cm处理烟株农艺性状表现最好,生物量、根系活力最高,根系发育最好,综合效应系数最大。井窖式移栽适合的栽植深度以烟苗生长点距井窖口6 cm最为适宜,有利于烟株前期地上部生长、根系发育及干物质积累。     

烟杆生物质燃灰替代硫酸钾的研究

[目的]为了研究不同替代比例的烟杆生物质燃灰对烟叶质量的影响.[方法]设置1个对照和3个处理,对烟叶的农艺性状、常规化学成分与经济效益进行对比分析.[结果]不同代替比例的烟杆生物质燃灰对烟株生长有不同的影响,主要对烤烟的最大叶面积与项叶面积有较大影响;随着烟叶着生部位的降低,烟杆生物质燃灰的不同替代比例对化学成分的影响逐渐增强;其中,T3处理相比对照可以提高产值8 717.72 元/hm2.[结论]生产上,可以通过添加一定比例的生物质燃灰代替硫酸钾肥料以提高烟叶品质,充分提高生物质燃料的利用率.     

干湿交替灌溉改善稻田根际氧环境进而促进氮素转化和水稻氮素吸收

[目的]阐明不同水氮管理模式下水稻根际内外氧环境变化特征及其对土壤碳氮转化和水稻氮吸收利用的影响,以期从稻田"根际氧环境"调控角度揭示适宜水氮耦合促进水稻生长和提高氮素利用效率的内在机制.[方法]在长期定位试验基础上,采用根箱模拟培养以及Unisense微电极系统和15N同位素示踪相结合的研究方法,以常规粳稻日本晴和常...