Decomposition Of Organic Matter Research Articles

Characterization of Groundwater Geochemistry in an Esker Aquifer in Western Finland Based on Three Years of Monitoring Data

This study investigated the hydrogeochemistry of a shallow Quaternary sedimentary aquifer in an esker deposition in western Finland, where distinct spatial and temporal variability in groundwater hydrogeochemistry has been observed. Field investigation and hydrogeochemical data were obtained from autumn 2010 to autumn 2013. The data were analyzed using the multivariate statistical methods principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), in conjunction with groundwater classification based on the main ionic composition. The stable isotope ratios of δ18O and δD were used to determine the origin of the groundwater and its connection to surface water bodies. The groundwater geochemistry is characterized by distinct redox zones caused by the influence of organic matter, pyrite oxidation, and preferential flow pathways due to different hydrogeological conditions. The groundwater is of the Ca-HCO3 type and locally of the Ca-HCO3-SO4 type, with low TDS, alkalinity, and pH, but elevated Fe and Mn concentrations, KMnO4 consumption, and, occasionally, Ni concentrations. The decomposition of organic matter adds CO2 to the groundwater, and in this study, the dissolution of CO2 was found to increase the pH and enhance the buffering capacity of the groundwater. The mobility of redox-sensitive elements and trace metals is controlled by pH and redox conditions, which are affected by the pumping rate, precipitation, and temperature. With the expected future increases in precipitation and temperature, the buffering capacity of the aquifer system will enhance the balance between alkalinity from bioactivity and acidity from recharge and pyrite oxidation.

Salt marsh litter decomposition varies more by litter type than by extent of sea-level inundation

Salt marshes are among the most efficient blue carbon sinks worldwide. The fate of this carbon is uncertain due to limited knowledge about organic matter (OM) decomposition processes under sea-level rise. In an in-situ manipulative experiment, we compared salt marsh OM decomposition and quality across simulated sea-level scenarios (by modifying the inundation) and litter types (absorptive root, fine transportive root, leaves, and rhizomes of Halimione portulacoide) for 170 days. The litter decomposition varied only between the inundation treatments with the longest and shortest durations, while the decomposition differed significantly across litter types, with absorptive roots releasing up to 40% less carbon than other litters. Changes in lignin composition were minimal for absorptive roots and were unaffected by sea-level rise scenarios. Our study suggests that (i) current projections of sea-level rise are unlikely to decrease litter decomposition; (ii) separating litter types might lead to better assessments of salt marshes’ OM dynamics.

Effective Microbial Strategies to Remediate Contaminated Agricultural Soils and Conserve Functions

The growing global emphasis on sustainable agriculture has brought increased attention to the health and productivity of soils, especially through the lens of soil microbiology. Microbial communities in soil are essential for nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and maintaining overall soil health. However, agricultural practices, including synthetic fertilizers and intensive farming, have led to short time impacts in these microbial ecosystems, potentially threatening soil fertility and environmental quality. Agricultural expansion and food production generate waste and chemical inputs, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and herbicides, leading to significant environmental contamination. This scenario requires the implementation of remediation strategies that are both sustainable and energy efficient. In this context, microbiological processes present a much promising approach to mitigating the environmental impacts of soil pollution. Techniques such as bioremediation, which harness the natural metabolic capabilities of soil microorganisms, and bioaugmentation, which involves the introduction of specific microbial strains to increase degradation processes, are being explored. These approaches are vital for restoring soil health, contributing to environmental conservation and soil biodiversity, improving nutrient cycling, and promoting long-term agricultural productivity.

Spatio-temporal distribution and biotechnological potential of culturable yeasts in the intertidal sediments and seawater of Aoshan Bay, China.

Marine yeasts play a crucial role in marine microbial ecology, facilitating the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen in marine ecosystems, while also serving as important reservoirs of bioactive compounds with extensive applications in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and various industries. Intertidal flats, characterized by their complex ecological dynamics, are postulated to harbor a wealth of yeast resources. This study employed a culture-dependent approach to assess the diversity, spatio-temporal distribution, and biotechnological potential of yeast communities residing within the intertidal sediments and seawater of Aoshan Bay. A total of 392 yeast strains were identified from 20 distinct genera, encompassing 43 recognized species and four candidate novel species. Notably, 17 of these species were identified as novel occurrences in marine environments, underscoring the rich yeast biodiversity of the Aoshan Bay ecosystem, with Candida emerging as the dominant genus in both sedimentary and aqueous habitats. Yeast community composition exhibited significant spatial and temporal variation, with peak diversity and abundance observed in autumn, the subtidal zone, and the surface soil layer. No clear pattern, however, emerged linking these shifts to specific changes in community composition, highlighting the complex interactions between microbial communities, environmental variables, and anthropogenic disturbance. Although several yeast species isolated here have been previously recognized for their biotechnological potential, their diverse and abundant extracellular enzyme profiles were characterized, further highlighting their crucial role in organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling within the tidal ecosystem, as well as their potential applicability in the food, fine chemical, textile, and pharmaceutical industries.IMPORTANCEThis study presents groundbreaking insights into the yeast diversity of Aoshan Bay, offering invaluable information on their spatial and temporal distribution patterns, as well as their biotechnological potential in the tidal environment. The findings reveal that the eutrophic intertidal flat is a rich repository of yeasts with abundant extracellular enzymatic activity and an important role in nutrient cycling and decomposition processes. Also, these yeasts serve as crucial indicators of ecosystem health and function and are excellent candidates for biotechnological and industrial applications. Collectively, this study not only expands our knowledge of the diversity and distribution of intertidal yeasts but also highlights their promising potential for biotechnological applications.

Particle-attached bacterial communities are more susceptible to seasonal environmental fluctuations in mesotrophic than eutrophic tropical reservoirs.

Particle-attached bacterial (PAB) communities play pivotal roles in water organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and the natural self-purification processes. However, we know little about their responses to seasonal environmental fluctuations, under eutrophication in reservoir ecosystems. In this study, we studied the shifts of PAB communities to seasonal environmental fluctuations in tropical China. Trophic state index (TSI) indicated that the studied reservoirs ranged from mesotrophic to eutrophic state with a gradual increase in TSI from 31 to 58. In eutrophic reservoirs, Cyanobacteria, especially Raphidiopsis raciborskii, significantly increased in its relative abundance from wet to dry season, but Synechococcales and Microcystaceae decreased. In contrast, the relative abundance of Clostridia, Bacilli, Coriobacteriia, Enterobacteriales, and Vibrionales were more susceptible to seasonal environmental fluctuations in mesotrophic than eutrophic reservoirs. PAB co-occurrence relationships in mesotrophic reservoirs varied more greatly in response to seasonal environmental fluctuations, compared with eutrophic reservoirs, in terms of topological properties of connectedness, average degree, robustness and vulnerability. Our results further demonstrated that the seasonal stability of PAB co-occurrence relationships was strongly correlative with TSI through mediating key bacterial taxa and community biodiversity. We proposed that eutrophication dramatically reduced the seasonal variation of PAB community compositions and co-occurring relationships in reservoir ecosystems.

Migration and Transformation of Heavy Metals During the CO2-Assistant Thermal Treatment of Oily Sludge

Thermal treatment has significant advantages in resource recovery for oily sludge (OS). However, the instability of heavy metals (HMs) within the residue poses a considerable risk of secondary pollution. This study explored the migration and transformation of HMs from OS under varying conditions (i.e., temperature, constant-temperature duration time, and different ratios of O2 and CO2). The elevation of the pyrolysis temperature augmented the decomposition of organic matter and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). However, the increased temperature also diminished the stabilization of HMs, and facilitating the HM’s transfer to oil and gas, particularly for HMs (i.e., As and Pb) with low boiling points. The constant-temperature duration time exhibited a weak impact on HM transformation, but the internal heating mechanism of microwave pyrolysis promoted the stabilization of HMs through vitrification. The existing O2 with oxidizing properties facilitated the oxidation of organic matter and TPHs to CO2 and H2O, which also promoted the transformation of HMs into oxidized states for stabilization. Comparatively, CO2 promoted the thermal cracking and disrupted the stability of HMs to a certain extent. Above all, this work revealed the migration and transformation of HMs in OS varied with the thermochemical methods and possessed an important significance for the immobilization and stabilization of HMs.

Insight into the dynamics of protected and non-protected carbon pools in four soils with different land uses

Abstract Background and aims To provide insight into the patterns of soil organic matter decomposition, changes in the quantity of biopolymers and the correlation between them were followed using 2D correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) FTIR. Methods Soil organic matter fractions with different vegetation/land use (grass, spruce, oak and arable) were examined in a 1-year laboratory incubation. The non-protected organic matter fraction was calculated in terms of particulate organic matter (POM), the carbon stabilized in aggregates as S + A (sand + aggregates), and the mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) as the s + c (silt and clay) fraction. Results Forest soils (spruce, oak) exhibited high C and N accumulation in the POM fraction (48, 43% and 29, 22% for spruce and oak, respectively) due to the limited decomposition, caused by low pH and high soil C/N ratio. The 2DCOS analysis revealed that carbohydrate-protein and carbohydrate-lignin correlations could be observed most frequently during incubation. The carbohydrate-protein correlation was negative in all cases, for all fractions and for all vegetation types, which suggests biogeochemical linkage between these biopolymers. The temporal order of the spectral changes was widely varied for the vegetation types and especially for the SOM fractions. Lipid/Lignin → Carbohydrate or Lipid → Lignin/Carboxyl/Protein sequences were found for the protected carbon pools (S + A and s + c), possibly because of the readily available abundant N compounds present in MAOM. Conclusion Although lipids and lignin are considered as chemically stable materials that commonly remain constant during decomposition, these compounds were found to be very susceptible in all the fractions.

Reduced predation and energy flux in soil food webs by introduced tree species: Bottom‐up control of multitrophic biodiversity across size compartments

Abstract The introduction of non‐native tree species has become a global concern and may disrupt native communities and related ecosystem functions. Soil food webs regulate organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in forests with their feeding activities, but evaluating consequences of the introduction of tree species on soil invertebrates is challenging due to the complex trophic structure and wide range in body size of soil invertebrates. Here, we employed an energetic food web approach and estimated the energy flux in soil food webs using a four‐node model including soil meso‐ and macrofauna decomposers and predators. We examined pure and mixed stands of native European beech (Fagus sylvatica), introduced Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and native range‐expanding Norway spruce (Picea abies) across site conditions. Compared to native forests, introduced tree species reduced total fresh mass of macrofauna predators by 92% at sandy sites but not that of decomposers, suggesting trophic downgrading in soil food webs by Douglas fir. The energy flux in mixed forests was intermediate between respective monocultures, suggesting that tree mixtures mitigate potential negative impacts of introduced tree species on food web functioning. Across size classes, soil macrofauna responded more sensitively to changes in environmental conditions than soil mesofauna. Additionally, total energy flux positively correlated with species richness, pointing to the significance of soil biodiversity for trophic functionality. The energy flux through mesofauna outweighed that through macrofauna when considering energy loss to predators, highlighting the importance of mesofauna for decomposition processes in forest soil food webs. Overall, the study emphasizes the critical role of tree species composition, site conditions and soil biodiversity in driving energy flux through soil food webs and maintaining forest ecosystem functions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Characterization and mitigation measures for carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia emissions in dairy barns

The agricultural sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with dairy production being a significant source. In this context, the study aims to characterize CO₂, CH₄, and NH₃ emissions—key greenhouse gases in dairy barns—and to evaluate strategies for mitigating these emissions. Inside dairy barns, the primary sources of CO₂, CH₄, and NH₃ emissions are linked to the enteric processes of the animals and the waste deposited within the dairy barns. CO₂ mainly originates from animal respiration and the decomposition of organic matter. CH₄ is generated through enteric fermentation in the rumen and the anaerobic decomposition of manure. Additionally, NH₃ is released from the enzymatic breakdown of urea in urine. Mitigation efforts have shown promise within dairy barns through various approaches. Optimizing animal diets by incorporating supplements and controlling protein intake helps reduce methane production from enteric fermentation. Enhanced manure management practices, including separating feces and urine, adjusting manure pH, and increasing cleaning frequency, are effective in minimizing ammonia and methane emissions within dairy barns. Nevertheless, achieving significant emission reductions also requires effective waste management beyond the facilities. This study contributes to the ongoing dialogue on sustainable livestock production by addressing both emission sources and potential solutions in dairy farming.

Impacts of prescribed fire and mechanical shredding of aboveground vegetation for fire prevention on ecosystem properties, structure, functions and overall multi-functionality of a semi-arid pine forest

Ecosystem multi-functionality is a key concept when measured to protect forests from natural and anthropogenic disturbances, such as fire prevention techniques, must be adopted. Despite this importance, scarce studies have analysed the impacts of prescribed burning and aboveground vegetation management on ecosystem functions and overall multi-functionality. To fill this gap, this study has evaluated the changes in some ecosystem properties and structure (associated with soil characteristics and plant diversity, respectively), in important forest functions, and the overall ecosystem multi-functionality in a Mediterranean pine forest of Castilla La Mancha (Central Eastern Spain) under three site conditions: (i) undisturbed ecosystem; (ii) forest subjected to mechanical shredding of aboveground vegetation (hereafter “AVMS”); and (iii) forest treated as above and then with prescribed fire (“AVMS + PF”). The results of the study have shown that neither the PF nor AVMS have significantly modified the structure, properties and functions as well as the overall multi-functionality of the forest ecosystem. These slight impacts of the treatments are due to the low fire severity of the prescribed burning and the long time elapsed from the vegetation management. Among the studied ecosystem functions, organic matter decomposition (driven by the enzymatic activities and soil basal respiration), water cycle (influenced by soil water content and water infiltration), carbon stock (linked to soil organic matter) and biomass production decreased, when species richness and plant diversity increased. The study is useful to indicate the feasibility of forest management actions for fire prevention in delicate forest ecosystems of the Mediterranean environments.

Peatland Fungal Community Responses to Nutrient Enrichment: A Story Beyond Nitrogen.

Anthropogenically elevated inputs of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) can affect the carbon (C) budget of nutrient-poor peatlands. Fungi are intimately tied to peatland C budgets due to their roles in organic matter decomposition and symbioses with primary producers; however, the influence of fertilization on peatland fungal composition and diversity remains unclear. Here, we examined the effect of fertilization over 10 years on fungal diversity, composition, and functional guilds along an acrotelm (10-20 cm), mesotelm (30-40 cm), and catotelm (60-70 cm) depth gradient at the Mer Bleue bog, Canada. Simultaneous N and PK additions decreased the relative abundance of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi and increased ectomycorrhizal fungi and lignocellulose-degrading fungi. Fertilization effects were not more pronounced in the acrotelm relative to the catotelm, nor was there a shift toward nitrophilic taxa after N addition. The direct effect of fertilization significantly decreased the abundance of Sphagnum-associated fungi, primarily owing to the overarching role of limiting nutrients rather than a decline in Sphagnum cover. Increased nutrient loading may threaten peatland C stocks if lignocellulose-degrading fungi become abundant and accelerate decomposition of recalcitrant organic matter. Additionally, future changes in plant communities, strong water table fluctuations, and peat subsidence after long-term nutrient loading may also influence fungal functional guilds and depth-dependencies of fungal community structure.

Effect of biochar on the co-conversion of carbon-nitrogen and humification of kitchen waste composting process

Composting was an effective technique to treat kitchen waste into high-quality fertilizer or soil amendment. During the composting process of kitchen waste, different degradation rates of carbon and nitrogen resulted in carbon loss, nitrogen emission and low product quality. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms and effects of biochar (5%, 10% and 15%) on synergistic conversion of nitrogen and carbon and humification processes in kitchen waste composting. The findings revealed that the addition of 10% and 15% biochar prolonged the thermophilic phase (>55°C) by a minimum of three days compared to CK. Additionally, the final NH4+-N concentration in the 10% and 15% treatment groups exhibited a 66.7% reduction in comparison to the control. Besides, the 15% addition proved more efficacious in reducing the NH4+-N content. The increase in biochar facilitates the adsorption of ammonia nitrogen and influences the structure of the microbial community, especially Bacteroides and Pseudoxanthomonas, thus promoting nitrogen mineralisation and humification, which provides energy and carbon for the survival and metabolism of more microorganisms. The compost with 15% biochar exhibited higher levels of SBR1031, resulting in a 73.8% increase in the conversion of nitrogen to NO3--N compared to the control. The aforementioned behaviour facilitates a synergistic conversion of nitrogen and carbon. Therefore, the addition of biochar promotes synergistic carbon and nitrogen transformations in terms of nitrogen conservation, organic matter decomposition, microbial species and their interactions, which is essential for the production of value-added compost fertilizers.

Soil moisture determines the consistency of organic matter decomposition in field and lab test patterns

Litter decomposition serves as the primary process for soil organic matter formation and renewal. However, few studies have been conducted to validate field large-scale litter decomposition patterns. In this study, cotton strips and Solanum nigrum were used to explore the decomposition differences between standardized litter and conventional litter, along with the release of heavy metal Cadmium (Cd). The indoor characteristics of organic matter decomposition were further verified. After 6 months of Cd pretreatment, litter was placed on the surface of soil collected from 15 sites across the China for 3 months of lab tests. The results indicated that the decomposition rates of both litter types were regulated by soil moisture and generally showed a trend of deceleration from east to west, consistent with the field decomposition pattern. In addition, the mass loss of cotton strip was significantly lower than S. nigrum due to the higher Cd concentration. With the decomposition process, both litter types showed a decreasing trend in Cd concentration, especially the cotton strip. Interestingly, our study found soil factors had the highest relative influence on decomposition. A higher soil microbial moisture use efficiency in the mid-latitude region during litter decomposition may be attributed to the adaptability of microorganisms. Our research demonstrated the consistency of lab test patterns with the field experiments, emphasizing the distinctions between standardized and conventional litter. This study not only revealed the influence mechanism of soil moisture and Cd on litter decomposition rate but also emphasized the important role of microorganisms in the litter decomposition process, which provided a new perspective for a deeper understanding of the ecosystem carbon cycle and heavy metal pollution.

Stochastic Processes Dominate the Assembly of Soil Bacterial Communities of Land Use Patterns in Lesser Khingan Mountains, Northeast China

To meet the demands of a growing population, natural wetlands are being converted to arable land, significantly impacting soil biodiversity. This study investigated the effects of land use changes on bacterial communities in wetland, arable land, and forest soils in the Lesser Khingan Mountains using Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA sequencing. Soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were measured using standard methods, while microbial diversity was assessed through sequencing analysis. Our findings revealed that forest soils had significantly higher levels of total potassium (2.62 g·kg−1), electrical conductivity (8.22 mS·cm−1), urease (0.18 mg·g−1·d−1), and nitrate reductase (0.13 mg·g−1·d−1), attributed to rich organic matter and active microbial communities. Conversely, arable soils showed lower total potassium (1.94 g·kg−1), reduced electrical conductivity, and suppressed enzyme activities due to frequent tilling and fertilization. Wetland soils exhibited the lowest values primarily due to water saturation, which limits organic matter decomposition and microbial activity. Land use changes notably reduced microbial diversity, with conversion from forest to arable land leading to habitat loss. Forest soils supported higher abundances of Proteobacteria (37.59%) and Actinobacteriota (34.73%), while arable soils favored nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Wetlands were characterized by chemoheterotrophic and anaerobic bacteria. Overall, these findings underscore the profound influence of land use on soil microbial communities and their functional roles, highlighting the need for sustainable management practices.

Evaluation of Nong’an oil shale reservoir stimulation based on nitrogen injection

Reservoir stimulation for in-situ oil shale conversion employed hydraulic fracturing, as demonstrated in the Nong’an oil shale in-situ conversion project. This study examines the extent of reservoir stimulation and the associated changes in permeability. Hydraulic fracturing significantly increased the reservoir stimulation volume, raising the permeability in the stimulated area to 324.6 mD. Subsequent water replacement involved injecting lower-temperature nitrogen, which mitigated volume shrinkage and closed microfractures. However, this process reduced permeability by 80.54%, decreasing the seepage area to 2660.7 m3. The gas injection and mining process encompassed two stages: warming and cracking. The former aimed to enhance the drying of the formation in the stimulation area, restoring 22.87% of the permeability of the original area. The latter stage facilitated organic matter decomposition to release hydrocarbons, increasing the permeability of the reformed region to 704.842 mD. The reservoir-stimulated area can be categorized into cracking, high seepage, or low seepage zones, depending on the difficulty of injected gas flow and the extent of high-temperature influence.

Microplastics and silver nanoparticles compromise detrital food chains in streams through effects on microbial decomposers and invertebrate detritivores.

Abundance of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater ecosystems has become an emerging concern due to their persistence, toxicity and potential interactions with other contaminants. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), which share common sources with MPs (e.g., personal care products), are also a subject of concern. Thus, the high probability of co-occurrence of both contaminants raises additional apprehensions. This study assessed, for the first time, the impacts of MPs and Ag-NPs, alone or in mixtures, on stream detritus food webs. Physiological and ecological responses of aquatic fungal communities, invertebrate shredders (Allogamus sp.) and collectors (Chironomus riparius) were examined. Additionally, antioxidant enzymatic responses of microbes and shredders were analyzed to unravel the mechanisms of toxicity; also, neuronal stress responses of Allogamus sp. were assessed based on the activities of cholinesterases. Organisms were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of polyethylene MPs, extracted from a personal care product (0.1, 0.5 and 10 mg L-1), for 7 days, in the absence or presence of Ag-NPs (0.1 mg L-1 and 1 mg L-1). The exposure to both contaminants reduced the growth rates of all tested organisms. MPs, Ag-NPs, and their mixtures led to a decrease in leaf litter decomposition by fungi and shredders. The availability of fine particulate organic matter, released by the shredders, increased when exposed to these contaminants. The negative effects of these contaminants were further strengthened by the responses of antioxidant enzymes that revealed high level of oxidative stress in both fungi and Allogamus sp. Moreover, the activities of cholinesterases showed that Allogamus sp. were under neuronal stress upon exposure to both contaminants. The impacts in mixtures were stronger than those of individual contaminants suggesting interactive effects. Overall, our study showed adverse effects of MPs and Ag-NPs across trophic levels and indicated that they may compromise key processes, such as organic matter decomposition in streams.

The Impact of Beneficial Microorganisms on Soil Vitality: A Review

The paper summarizes the literature on the critical impact of beneficial microorganisms on soil vitality. Common soil microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, and viruses contribute significantly to enhancing soil fertility through processes such as nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization and mobilization, sulfur cycle, composting, and heavy metal remediation. Their abundance and biomass vary significantly across taxa within the uppermost 15 cm of soil, with bacteria dominating numerically and fungi contributing substantially to biomass. These microorganisms mediate essential biogeochemical cycles in soil, including carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles, by facilitating the decomposition of organic matter and recycling soil nutrients. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria like Rhizobium are prevalent symbionts capable of biologically fixing nitrogen. Additionally, bacteria such as Micrococcus spp., Enterobacter aerogens, Pseudomonas capacia, fungi including Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. japonicas, Penicillum spp., and actinomycetes like Streptomyces play crucial roles in phosphorus solubilization, making phosphorus available for plant uptake. This synthesis underscores the critical role of beneficial microorganisms in maintaining soil vitality. These organisms interact with plants through beneficial relationships, influencing soil fertility dynamics by enhancing nutrient availability, promoting plant growth, and controlling pathogens. The use of biofertilizers has emerged as a sustainable strategy to improve crop yields and restore soil fertility, reducing environmental impacts linked to chemical fertilizers. Understanding the intricate dynamics of soil-beneficial microorganism and their interactions with Plants are pivotal for optimizing agricultural practices, ensuring long-term soil health, and enhancing productivity in sustainable farming systems.

Natural Self-Purification of Creek Ecosystems: The Role of Foam Formation in Pollutant Absorption and Microbial Decomposition

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;" lang="EN">This study investigates the natural self-purification ability of a creek through the process of froth formation. The research focuses on the creek's capacity to clean itself by capturing and removing pollutants naturally. The problem addressed is the accumulation of organic and inorganic contaminants in the water, which poses a threat to the aquatic ecosystem. The proposed solution explores how naturally formed froth can act as an effective mechanism for trapping and eliminating a wide range of pollutants. The froth formation is driven by biological processes, including the decomposition of organic matter by fungi, bacteria, Archaea, Algae, Virsus, Protozoa and animal parasites. These processes release biological surfactants and biogas microbubbles, which, combined with dissolved air and pollutants, lead to the creation of froth enriched with contaminants. The findings confirm that the creek has a natural ability to purify itself, as the froth effectively absorbs and collects dissolved pollutants. This process reduces the organic load in the water, thereby improving water quality. The study demonstrates that froth formation is a vital subprocess in the self-purification of river ecosystems, particularly through microbial decomposition of organic material. This natural mechanism supports water treatment by enhancing the removal of contaminants. The research validates the hypothesis that the creek's froth formation plays a significant role in its self-cleaning process, offering insights into the potential for natural water purification methods.</span></p>

PEMBERDAYAAN PETERNAK MELALUI PELATIHAN PEMBUATAN PUPUK KOMPOS DESA SOROPIA KECAMATAN SOROPIA KABUPATEN KONAWE

Community service activities integrated with KKN-THEMATIC carried out by the UHO Faculty of Animal Husbandry Lecturer Team took place in Soropia Village, Soropia District, Konawe Regency. Compost is an organic fertilizer produced through the process of decomposition of organic materials, especially animal waste, by active microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The purpose of this service is to provide training and technology transfer in making compost. The methods used include delivering materials and demonstrations. In this activity, training in making compost was carried out by utilizing cow dung which is widely available around the Soropia Village settlement, which is then mixed with super decomposer EM4, rice husks, granulated sugar, and water. Through this training, the community is given knowledge about the use of waste from agriculture and livestock to be processed into useful products, especially in the fields of livestock and organic farming which are currently developing in Soropia Village. The farmers showed high enthusiasm during this activity and appreciated the service carried out, with the hope that similar activities can be continued in the future.

Organic carbon decomposition temperature sensitivity positively correlates with the relative abundance of copiotrophic microbial taxa in cropland soils

Revealing the relationships between the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition (Q10) and microbial communities is critical to predict ecosystem feedbacks to global warming. However, the relationships are still far from well understood, especially within the low latitude regions. To address this knowledge gap, soil samples were collected from >100 cropland sites in Southwest China, a region with highly diverse climatic and environmental conditions. The results showed that Q10 values substantially varied across the region, ranging from 1.85 to 6.81, with an average value of 3.27. They were significantly positively correlated with the contents of soil organic carbon, while negatively correlated with the ratios of soil dissolved organic carbon to total organic carbon content. This indicates that soils with high organic carbon contents are more vulnerable to global warming. Further analysis suggested that Q10 values were positively correlated with soil microbial respiration rates, fungal abundance, prokaryotic diversity, and the relative abundance of copiotrophic microbial lineages, but negatively correlated with the proportions of oligotrophic microbes and microbial co-occurrence network degree. The structural equation modeling analysis suggested that soil organic carbon and its quality, as well as microbial attributes were the main factors explaining the variation in Q10 values. The findings in this study highlight the crucial and complex roles of soil microbiome in determining ecosystem feedbacks to global warming.