Drying-rewetting Cycles Research Articles

Bacterial growth at the high concentrations of magnesium sulfate found in martian soils.

The martian surface environment exhibits extremes of salinity, temperature, desiccation, and radiation that would make it difficult for terrestrial microbes to survive. Recent evidence suggests that martian soils contain high concentrations of MgSO₄ minerals. Through warming of the soils, meltwater derived from subterranean ice-rich regolith may exist for an extended period of time and thus allow the propagation of terrestrial microbes and create significant bioburden at the near surface of Mars. The current report demonstrates that halotolerant bacteria from the Great Salt Plains (GSP) of Oklahoma are capable of growing at high concentrations of MgSO₄ in the form of 2 M solutions of epsomite. The epsotolerance of isolates in the GSP bacterial collection was determined, with 35% growing at 2 M MgSO₄. There was a complex physiological response to mixtures of MgSO₄ and NaCl coupled with other environmental stressors. Growth also was measured at 1 M concentrations of other magnesium and sulfate salts. The complex responses may be partially explained by the pattern of chaotropicity observed for high-salt solutions as measured by agar gelation temperature. Select isolates could grow at the high salt concentrations and low temperatures found on Mars. Survival during repetitive freeze-thaw or drying-rewetting cycles was used as other measures of potential success on the martian surface. Our results indicate that terrestrial microbes might survive under the high-salt, low-temperature, anaerobic conditions on Mars and present significant potential for forward contamination. Stringent planetary protection requirements are needed for future life-detection missions to Mars.

Changes in soil respiration Q 10 during drying–rewetting along a semi-arid elevation gradient

Wetting induced increases in soil CO 2 efflux (R) from dry soils have been repeatedly reported, however little is known about the sensitivity of the pulse to temperature. To address this knowledge gap changes in temperature sensitivity of soil CO 2 efflux (Q 10) during repeated drying–rewetting (DW) events were experimentally quantified for soils collected both under canopy and interspace microenvironments at three elevations on Santa Rosa Mountain in southern California. Five field-replicated surface soil samples for each location were incubated at 13, 19, 25 and 31 °C. At each temperature, three consecutive DW cycles were performed by adding water to 40% water holding capacity. Instantaneous R was measured immediately after wetting and repeatedly until the soils were dry (< 2% of added water). Soil R responses were averaged above and below 20% WHC and considered as wet and dry fluxes, respectively. Wet and dry soil R responses were separately modeled using the Arrhenius equation and activation energy (E i) was determined using non-linear mixed-level modeling. Soil R at 25 °C (flux25) increased with elevation gradient with a decrease in required E i values. Negative relationship between flux25 and Q 10 supported the carbon-quality hypothesis, whereas, Q 10 values > 2 supported a temperature sensitive metabolic pulse throughout repeated DW events for soils across the mountain. Including variation in Arrhenius temperature kinetics with precipitation patterns has the potential to improve predictions of the precipitation pulse induced C loss across large spatiotemporal scales.

The effects of water potential on some microbial populations and decrease kinetic of organic carbon in soil treated with cow manure under laboratory conditions

The moisture content of the soil habitat is an important stress factor and effects on soil microbial population and activity. The objectives of this study were to test the effects of water potential on the decrease kinetic of soil organic carbon (OC), some microbial populations and their activities in a soil treated with cow manure. A semiarid soil was treated with raw cow manure (CM) at a rate of 20 g kg-1. Three water potentials established for soil incubation were: saturation (SAT, 0 bars), field capacity (FC, -0.3 bars), and permanent wilting point (PWP, -15 bars). Fourth irrigation treatment was drying-rewetting cycle (D-W) between -0.3 to -15 bars. After 0, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 90 days of incubation, soils were sampled for analysis. Colony forming units of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi and soil OC, basal respiration (BR) and substrate induced respiration (SIR) were measured. The effects of soil moisture, incubation time and their interactions on all of the studied properties and kinetic parameter for OC decrease were significant. The populations of bacteria and fungi were the highest in the soils incubated in DWC and PWP respectively. The population of bacteria decreased significantly with increasing time of incubation. The population of fungi was the lowest in soil incubated in SAT condition and decreased continuously. However fungal population in soil incubated in other moisture increased significantly with increasing time of incubation. The population of actinomycetes was the highest in soil incubated in SAT condition in the early stages of incubation but it was decreased significantly with increasing time in soils incubated in SAT, FC, and DWC. Soil BR and SIR were significantly higher in SAT condition and lower in PWP condition compared to those in other water potentials. However both BR and SIR decreased significantly during soil incubation. Soil OC was significantly higher in SAT and PWP conditions due to unsuitable soil aeration and moisture for OC mineralization. The power function equation was the best model for decrease kinetic of OC in soil incubated in SAT and PWP conditions. However the second order equation was the best model for decrease kinetic of OC in soil incubated in FC and DWC conditions.

Soil microbial biomass and activity response to repeated drying–rewetting cycles along a soil fertility gradient modified by long-term fertilization management practices

The effects of repeated drying–rewetting (DRW) cycles on the microbial biomass and activity in soils taken from long-term field experiment plots with different fertilization (FERT) management practice histories were studied. We investigated the hypothesis that soil response to DRW cycles differs with soil fertility gradient modified by FERT management practices. The soils were incubated for 51 days, after exposure to either nine or three DRW cycles, or remaining at constant moisture content (CMC) at field capacity. We found that both DRW and FERT significantly affected soil properties including NH 4–N, NO 3–N, dissolved organic C (DOC), microbial biomass C (Cmic), basal soil respiration rate (BSR), urease activity (URE) and dehydrogenase activity (DHD). Except for NH 4–N and BSR, variation in the properties was largely explained by FERT, followed by DRW, and then their interaction. Irrespective of the soils' FERT treatment, repeated DRW cycles significantly raised the DOC and Cmic levels compared with CMC, and the DRW cycles also resulted in a significant decline in BSR and URE and increase in DHD, probably because the organisms were better-adapted to the drying and rewetting stresses. The variations in soil biological properties caused by DRW cycles showed a significantly negative relationship with the soil organic C content measured prior to the start of the DRW experiments, suggesting that soils with higher fertility are better able to maintain their original biological functions (i.e., have a higher functional stability) in response to DRW cycles.

Rapid changes in carbon and phosphorus after rewetting of dry soil

Drying–rewetting (DRW) cycles are important for soil organic matter turnover; however, few studies have considered the short-term effects on nutrient availability. The pulses in soil respiration, extractable C, P and N pools were quantified after a single DRW cycle (ten sampling times over 49 h). Soil was pre-incubated with or without glucose (2.5 g kg−1) for 10 days to induce differences in the size and activity of the microflora and then either subjected to a single DRW cycle (7-day drying period) or kept constantly moist. A resin extractable P (Presin) method was used and compared to extraction of dissolved organic (DOP) and inorganic P (DIP) with a salt solution. The pulse in soil respiration, extractable organic C (EOC), Presin, DOP and DIP was immediate and greatest in the first 2 h. The Presin pulse was two to three times that measured by solution extraction (DIP). Also, Presin quantified temporal changes in P not apparent in DIP, indicating the advantage of anion-exchange membranes in quantifying short-term changes in P availability. The Presin pulse was smaller in the soil incubated with glucose showing that P pulses will be quantitatively smaller in a soil with an active microbial biomass. In contrast to P, pre-incubation with glucose did not alter EOC concentration or the pulse in EOC after rewetting. The Presin pulse had disappeared by 49 h after DRW despite continued elevated rates of respiration. The sustained increase in DIP following DRW may have implications for plant availability or environmental losses.

Drying–Rewetting Cycles Affect Fungal and Bacterial Growth Differently in an Arable Soil

Drying and rewetting is a frequent physiological stress for soil microbial communities; a stress that is predicted to grow more influential with future climate change. We investigated the effect of repeated drying-rewetting cycles on bacterial (leucine incorporation) and fungal (acetate in ergosterol incorporation) growth, on the biomass concentration and composition (PLFA), and on the soil respiration. Using different plant material amendments, we generated soils with different initial fungal:bacterial compositions that we exposed to 6-10 repetitions of a drying-rewetting cycle. Drying-rewetting decreased bacterial growth while fungal growth remained unaffected, resulting in an elevated fungal:bacterial growth ratio. This effect was found irrespective of the initial fungal:bacterial biomass ratio. Many drying-rewetting cycles did not, however, affect the fungal:bacterial growth ratio compared to few cycles. The biomass response of the microbial community differed from the growth response, with fungal and total biomass only being slightly negatively affected by the repeated drying-rewetting. The discrepancy between growth- and biomass-based assessments underscores that microbial responses to perturbations might previously have been misrepresented with biomass-based assessments. In light of this, many aspects of environmental microbial ecology may need to be revisited with attention to what measure of the microbial community is relevant to study.

Soil water potential effects on the cellulase activities of soil treated with sewage sludge

To better understand how water stress and availability affect the enzyme activity and microbial communities in soil, we measured the changes of organic carbon (OC), bacteria and fungi populations, and endoglucanase and exoglucanase activities in a semiarid soil treated with air-dried primary sewage sludge at a rate of 20 g/kg. The water potentials established for soil incubation were: saturation (SA, 0 bar), field capacity (FC, &amp;ndash;0.3 bar), and permanent wilting point (PWP, &amp;ndash;15 bar). An irrigation treatment was a drying-rewetting cycle (DWC) between &amp;ndash;0.3 to &amp;ndash;15 bars. After 0, 20, 60 and 90 days of incubation soils were sampled for analysis. The addition of sewage sludge increased soil OC, endoglucanase and exoglucanase activities significantly. The effects of soil moisture, incubation time and their interactions on OC, and endoglucanase and exoglucanase activities in soil were significant. During 20 days of incubation, OC, endoglucanase and exoglucanase activities decreased significantly. Soils incubated in DWC and FC compared to soils incubated in SA and PWP had lower OC contents due to organic matter mineralization. Organic C, exoglucanase and endoglucanase activities significantly increased with increasing soil water potential. The activities of exoglucanase and endoglucanase in soils incubated in SA were significantly higher than those in soils incubated in PWP.

The effects of water potential on some active forms of phosphorus in a calcareous soil amended with sewage sludge

Immobilization and mobilization reactions of soil phosphorus depend on biological properties of soil and these soil properties strongly depend on the soil water potential. The objective of this study was to test theeffects of water potential on some active forms of soil P. A semiarid soil classified as Calcic Haploxerept was treated with raw sewage sludge at a rate of 20 g kg-1. Water potentials established for soil incubation were: saturation (SA, 0 bar), field capacity (FC, -0.3 bar), and permanent wilting point (PWP, -15 bar). An irrigation treatment was dryingrewetting cycle (DWC) between -0.3 to -15 bars. After 0, 20, 60 and 90 days of incubation soils were sampled for analysis. The addition of sewage sludge increased soil total P, organic P, available P, microbial P, soluble and easily soluble P contents. The increase of soluble P was relatively higher. The effects of soil moisture, incubation time andtheir interaction on all active forms of soil P were significant. During 20 days of incubation, available P and soluble P decreased, whereas microbial P, easily soluble P and dicalcium phosphate increased significantly. After that, available P and easily soluble P increased continuously, but microbial P, soluble P and dicalcium phosphatefluctuated during incubation. Microbial P had negative and significant correlations with available P and easily soluble P. Soils incubated in DWC and FC compared to soils incubated in SA and PWP had significantly higher available P,soluble P and easily soluble P contents. However microbial P and dicalcium phosphate were significantly higher in soils incubated in higher water potential.

Drying–rewetting cycles and γ-irradiation effects on enzyme activities of distinct layers from a Quercus ilex L. litter

In a Mediterranean climate, water stress is one of the principal constraints on proper forest ecosystem functioning. Drought influences rates of organic matter degradation by affecting microbial growth and enzyme activities. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the effect of repeated drying–rewetting cycles on cellulase, alkaline phosphatase and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase activities of three distinct Quercus ilex L. litter layers, and (ii) to investigate the effect of these cycles on γ-irradiated litters in order to distinguish the abiotic influence on the fluctuations observed. Results, for all three layers, showed high correlations between litter water content and enzyme activities. Under mesocosm conditions, and using non-sterilized litter samples, cellulase, alkaline phosphatase, and FDA activities significantly decreased or increased during drying or rewetting cycles respectively. Significant differences were also found when evaluating the effect of litter depth on enzyme activities, the intermediate depth (OLv layer) generally being the most active. For γ-sterilized samples, FDA activity still fluctuated with drying–rewetting cycles. Assays showed that pre-humidification of γ-irradiated litter increased FDA activity two-fold in the first 30 min. All these results have shown that, following drying–rewetting cycles, some of the fluctuations occur independently of microbial growth, suggesting abiotic interactions, such as desorption, in combination with both solvatation status and conformational changes of enzymes.

Hydraulic redistribution may stimulate decomposition

Roots influence root litter decomposition through multiple belowground processes. Hydraulic lift or redistribution (HR) by plants is one such process that creates diel drying–rewetting cycles in soil. However, it is unclear if this phenomenon influences decomposition. Since decomposition in deserts is constrained by low soil moisture and is stimulated when dry soils are rewetted, we hypothesized that diel drying–rewetting, via HR, stimulates decomposition of root litter. We quantified the decomposition of root litter from two desert shrubs, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and Sarcobatus vermiculatus, during spring and summer in field soil core treatments designed to have abundant roots and high magnitude HR cycles (DenseRoot) or few roots and low magnitude HR (SparseRoot). To help explain our decomposition results, we not only evaluated HR, but multiple factors (i.e., soil moisture, soil temperature, dissolved soil organic C concentrations, and litter chemistry) that are often influenced by roots and regulate decomposition. Root length density in the DenseRoot treatment was at least four times higher than in the SparseRoot treatment for both Artemisia and Sarcobatus by the beginning of spring. During spring and summer, there was only one instance when decomposition rates differed between the treatments. This occurred in soils beneath Artemisia in the summer when decomposition rates were 25% higher in the DenseRoot than in the SparseRoot treatments. Of the factors evaluated, only a threefold increase in the magnitude of drying–rewetting cycles created by HR in the DenseRoot compared to the SparseRoot treatment coincided with this change in decomposition. Additionally, the lower soil Ψw present in the Artemisia DenseRoot treatment should have resulted in a decline in decomposition rates, but the presence of higher magnitude HR cycles seemed to nullify this effect. There was no evidence of this result in Sarcobatus soils, possibly due to Sarcobatus only creating HR cycles for a short period of time in the summer before soil Ψw dropped below −7 MPa. As hypothesized, our results suggest that the presence of high magnitude HR cycles stimulated decomposition. The most plausible mechanism for this stimulation; however, was not solely due to HR drying–rewetting cycles but HR creating a diel rhythm of root-driven water fluxes and rhizodeposition. These together heightened microbial activity and, subsequently, enhanced the decomposition of surrounding litter. Our findings are the first field data supporting suggestions that HR influences belowground ecosystem processes and demonstrates that this relationship is seasonally variable.

Soil CO 2 efflux and extractable organic carbon fractions under simulated precipitation events in a Mediterranean Dehesa

The magnitude of CO 2 efflux pulses after rewetting a dry soil is highly variable and the factors regulating these pulses are poorly understood. In this field experiment, we aimed to study the C dynamics after simulated summer rainstorms in a Mediterranean open holm oak woodland ( dehesa). We hypothesized that because the herbaceous cover is mostly dead during the summer in this ecosystem, the short-term CO 2 efflux (SR) after rewetting could mainly be explained by different measurable soil C fractions: i) K 2SO 4-extracted soil C (EOC); ii) microbial biomass C (MBC); or iii) chloroform-fumigated extracted C (CFE). On both grazed and abandoned dehesa sites, we simulated three summer rain events at two-week intervals and we measured SR discontinuously in three plots under tree canopy and in another three plots in open grassland. In each plot, C fractions and water content were estimated before (2 h) and after (36 h) each irrigation event. Following rewettings, SR increased up to ten times compared with non-irrigated plots. The CFE actually increased after rewetting in the first two irrigations but not in the third event, suggesting that the capacity of the soil to release labile organic C from soil aggregates or litter was reduced after each irrigation event. Overall, the C released as CO 2 in the first 24 h was related to the CFE existing before rewetting, which may help to explain the spatial variability in SR. However, the explained variability decreased after each irrigation, suggesting a change to a less labile composition of the CFE fraction as a consequence of multiple drying-rewetting cycles.

Carbon pulses but not phosphorus pulses are related to decreases in microbial biomass during repeated drying and rewetting of soils

Drying and rewetting cycles are known to be important for the turnover of carbon (C) in soil, but less is known about the turnover of phosphorus (P) and its relation to C cycling. In this study the effects of repeated drying-rewetting (DRW) cycles on phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) pulses and microbial biomass were investigated. Soil (Chromic Luvisol) was amended with different C substrates (glucose, cellulose, starch; 2.5 g C kg −1) to manipulate the size and community composition of the microbial biomass, thereby altering P mineralisation and immobilisation and the forms and availability of P. Subsequently, soils were either subjected to three DRW cycles (1 week dry/1 week moist) or incubated at constant water content (70% water filled pore space). Rewetting dry soil always produced an immediate pulse in respiration, between 2 and 10 times the basal rates of the moist incubated controls, but respiration pulses decreased with consecutive DRW cycles. DRW increased total CO 2 production in glucose and starch amended and non-amended soils, but decreased it in cellulose amended soil. Large differences between the soils persisted when respiration was expressed per unit of microbial biomass. In all soils, a large reduction in microbial biomass (C and P) occurred after the first DRW event, and microbial C and P remained lower than in the moist control. Pulses in extractable organic C (EOC) after rewetting were related to changes in microbial C only during the first DRW cycle; EOC concentrations were similar in all soils despite large differences in microbial C and respiration rates. Up to 7 mg kg −1 of resin extractable P (P resin) was released after rewetting, representing a 35–40% increase in P availability. However, the pulse in P resin had disappeared after 7 d of moist incubation. Unlike respiration and reductions in microbial P due to DRW, pulses in P resin increased during subsequent DRW cycles, indicating that the source of the P pulse was probably not the microbial biomass. Microbial community composition as indicated by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis showed that in amended soils, DRW resulted in a reduction in fungi and an increase in Gram-positive bacteria. In contrast, the microbial community in the non-amended soil was not altered by DRW. The non-selective reduction in the microbial community in the non-amended soil suggests that indigenous microbial communities may be more resilient to DRW. In conclusion, DRW cycles result in C and P pulses and alter the microbial community composition. Carbon pulses but not phosphorus pulses are related to changes in microbial biomass. The transient pulses in available P could be important for P availability in soils under Mediterranean climates.

Temporal variability of available P, microbial P and some phosphomonoesterase activities in a sewage sludge treated soil: The effect of soil water potential

Available P and enzyme activities strongly depend on the soil water potential. The objective of this study was to test the effects of water potential on soil available P, microbial biomass P(MBP) and some phosphomonoesterase activities. A semiarid soil classified as Calcic Haploxerept was treated with raw sewage sludge at a rate of 20 g kg-1. Four levels of irrigation (deionized water) were established for 90 days of incubation. Constant water potentials used for soil incubation were: saturation (SA, 0 bar), field capacity (FC, -0.3 bar), and permanent wilting point (PWP, -15 bar) in three treatments. An irrigation treatment was also drying-rewetting cycle (DWC) between -0.3 to -15 bars. After 0, 20, 60 and 90 days of incubation, soils were sampled for analysis. The addition of sewage sludge decreased soil pH and increased soil EC, organic C, total N, organic P, available P, MBP contents and phytase, alkaline and acid phosphatases activities significantly. The effects of soil moisture, incubation time and their interaction on soil available P, MBP and phosphomonoesterase activities were significant at different levels. During 20 days of incubation, available P and phosphatase activities decreased, whereas microbial P and phytase activity increased significantly. Thereafter, only available P increased and phytase activities decreased continuously, but microbial P, alkaline and acid phosphatase activities fluctuated during incubation. Soils incubated in DWC and FC compared to soils incubated in SA and PWP had higher available P contents. Microbial P and phosphomonoesterase activities increased with increasing soil water potentials significantly. The highest (38.7 mg kg-1) and lowest (28.9 mg kg-1) microbial P was measured in soil incubated in SA and PWP respectively. Correlation coefficient between available and microbial P was negative and significant. The activities of alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and phytase were higher and lower in soils incubated in SA and PWP, respectively.

Modeling Water Movement in Heterogeneous Water‐Repellent Soil: 2. A Conceptual Numerical Simulation

A new approach by Bachmann et al. describes the wetting behavior of soil with reduced wettability with a macroscopic dynamic contact angle concept. The contact angle (CA) is hysteretic and depends on both time and water content. A maximum CA is reached at the permanent wilting point and decreases during rewetting until achieving the minimum CA at a water content close to field capacity. To simulate water flow in a soil with dynamic wettability, we expand the van Genuchten parameterization of hydraulic properties to include the macroscopic CA. Both pore and pore‐surface properties can vary in space. We tested the new parameterization approach by simulating one drying–rewetting cycle in a forest soil profile. Our drying–rewetting cycle is a simplified scenario for a seasonal climate where a prolonged dry period is followed by a wet period. We could qualitatively reproduce many observations of water dynamics typically attributed to water‐repellent soils. The infiltration of water into hydrophobic soil created a distribution, fingering, and redistribution zone. With rewetting, the fingers slowly widened and finally dissipated. We further analyzed the sensitivity of the simulated water flow processes to the different wettability parameters. Fingers form where the average maximum CA is large (≥90°) but not in case of subcritical water repellency (average maximum CA &lt;90°). The magnitude of the critical water content and the degree of pore heterogeneity also influence the initiation and stability of fingers. The infiltration into the root zone and the drainage out of the soil profile are highly sensitive to the degree and persistence of water repellency.

Functional stability of microbial communities from long‐term stressed soils to additional disturbance

Functional stability, measured in terms of resistance and resilience of soil respiration rate and bacterial growth rate, was studied in soils from field plots that have been exposed to copper contamination and low pH for more than two decades. We tested whether functional stability follows patterns predicted by either the "low stress-high stability" or the "high stress-high stability" theory. Treatments consisting of soils with no or high copper load (0 or 750 kg/ha) and with low or neutral pH (4.0 or 6.1) were used. Stability was examined by applying an additional disturbance by heat (50 degrees C for 18 h) or drying-rewetting cycles. After heating, the respiration rate indicated that the soils without copper were less stable (more affected) than the soils with 750 kg/ha. Bacterial growth rate was more stable (resistant) to heat in the pH 6.1 than in the pH 4.0 soils. Growth rate was stimulated rather than inhibited by heating and was highly resilient in all soils. The respiration rate was less affected by drying-rewetting cycles in the pH 4.0 soils than in the pH 6.1 soils. Bacterial growth rate after drying-rewetting disturbance showed no distinct pattern of stability. We found that the stability of a particular process could vary significantly, depending on the kind of disturbance; therefore, neither of the two theories could adequately predict the response of the microbial community to disturbance.

Water uptake behavior of hydrogen-bonded PVPON-PAA LBL film.

Hydrogen-bonded films of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVPON) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were built on a silicon and quartz surface using the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly technique. Upon incubation, PVPON and PAA chains in the film can attain high-level miscibility and the film becomes homogeneous and transparent. TGA and elemental analysis indicate that the water content of the incubated PVPON-PAA film is only ∼4%. FT-IR proved that at high temperature these water molecules can be easily driven out of the film. When the incubated film was characterized with a spectrometer, it exhibited Fabry-Pérot fringes in the UV-visible-NIR spectrum. Such Fabry-Pérot fringes, sensitive to the change of water content in the film, were applied to study drying, drying-rewetting cycle, and humidity-responsive behavior of the film. The film exhibited reversible swelling-deswelling behavior during the incubation-heating cycles. The film thickness was found to decrease ∼10% upon drying. When the dry film was exposed to different humidity environments, it was found that the optical thickness of the film has a linear relationship with ambient humidity.

Káliumföldpát, savkezelés és száradás-nedvesedés hatása a talajoldat káliumkoncentrációjára

Experiments were carried out on an acidic, clay loam soil (Ragály) to study the release of potassium into the soil solution as affected by soil acidification and soil water content. Two replicates of air-dried samples were acidified with HCl solutions to various water contents: soil suspensions (at 1:10, 1:5, 1:2.5 and 1:1 soil:water ratios) and wet soil samples having water potentials of -0.1 kPa, -20 kPa and -100 kPa were prepared. Constant acid loads, corresponding to 0, 5, 12.5, 25, 37.5, 50 and 62.5 mmol H+/kg soil were applied to each soil water content series. At field capacity acid loads of 75, 87.5 and 100 mmol H+/kg soil were also applied. After one week of incubation the liquid phases were extracted by centrifugation with a rotor speed corresponding to -1500 kPa (equal to the conventional wilting point of plants). At constant soil water content, the potassium concentration in the liquid phase of the soil (cK) increased with decreasing pH according to an exponential relationship (cK = a e-bpH). The slope (b) was higher at low soil water contents. At constant acid load, the potassium concentration in the liquid phase increased with decreasing soil water content (q) according to a hyperbolic relationship cK = a' + b' {1 / (qq-qq')}, where q' denotes the gravimetric soil water content at -1500 kPa water potential. The slope (b') was higher at lower pH values. The combined effect of the matrix of changing acid load and soil water content gave a three-dimensional surface characterizing the plant available potassium concentration over a wide range of these parameters: ln cK (mg/L) = 4.79 - 0.66 pH + 9.79 {1/(qq-qq'); R2 = 0.87. A finely ground (&lt;100 mmm) feldspar mixture (80% orthoclase + 20% albite) was added as potassium source to the air-dried samples of a slightly acidic sandy soil in 0:1, 1:3 and 1:1 feldspar:soil ratios (Somogysárd). Two replicates of the control and feldspar-enriched soil samples were moistened to field capacity with HNO3 solutions of 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 mol/L concentrations (equal to acid loads of 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mmol H+/kg soil). The soil solution was extracted with the above centrifugation method. After feldspar application, the potassium concentration in the soil solution increased many times as compared with the control. Due to acid treatment the soil pH decreased by three units and the potassium concentration in the soil solution increased according to a saturation curve. Due to a two-unit decrease in soil pH, the potassium concentration increased threefold in the control and sixfold in feldspar-enriched (1:3) soil. This decrease in pH may take place due to root activity, promoting the dissolution of potassium minerals, and increasing potassium availability in the rhizosphere. The impact of drying-rewetting was also studied at the above feldspar:soil ratios. After one week of incubation the samples were kept in open vessels for one year, irrigated weekly with distilled water to field capacity, then the soil solution was extracted by centrifugation. The concentrations were compared to those measured in a soil solution obtained from soil not subjected to the drying-rewetting procedure. The potassium concentration decreased in the liquid phase of the soil with no added feldspar: presumably it entered more strongly bounded forms during the drying-rewetting cycles. In the feldspar-enriched soil, however, the potassium concentration in the soil solution increased, which may be the consequence of the slow dissolution of the feldspar mineral.

Degradation of atrazine and isoproturon in surface and sub‐surface soil materials undergoing different moisture and aeration conditions

The influence of different moisture and aeration conditions on the degradation of atrazine and isoproturon was investigated in environmental samples aseptically collected from surface and sub-surface zones of agricultural land. The materials were maintained at two moisture contents corresponding to just above field capacity or 90% of field capacity. Another two groups of samples were adjusted with water to above field capacity, and, at zero time, exposed to drying-rewetting cycles. Atrazine was more persistent (t(1/2) = 22-35 days) than isoproturon (t(1/2) = 5-17 days) in samples maintained at constant moisture conditions. The rate of degradation for both herbicides was higher in samples maintained at a moisture content of 90% of field capacity than in samples with higher moisture contents. The reduction in moisture content in samples undergoing desiccation from above field capacity to much lower than field capacity enhanced the degradation of isoproturon (t(1/2) = 9-12 days) but reduced the rate of atrazine degradation (t(1/2) = 23-35 days). This demonstrates the variability between different micro-organisms in their susceptibility to desiccation. Under anaerobic conditions generated in anaerobic jars, atrazine degraded much more rapidly than isoproturon in materials taken from three soil profiles (0-250 cm depth). It is suggested that some specific micro-organisms are able to survive and degrade herbicide under severe conditions of desiccation.

Impact of soil drying-rewetting stress on microbial communities and activities and on degradation of two crop protection products.

Prior to registration of crop protection products (CPPs) their persistence in soil has to be determined under defined conditions. For this purpose, soils are collected in the field and stored for up to 3 months prior to the tests. During storage, stresses like drying may induce changes in microbiological soil characteristics (MSCs) and thus may influence CPP degradation rates. We investigated the influence of soil storage-related stress on the resistance and resilience of different MSCs by assessing the impact of a single severe drying-rewetting cycle and by monitoring recovery from this event for 34 days. The degradation and mineralization of the fungicide metalaxyl-M and the insecticide lufenuron were delayed by factors of 1.5 to 5.4 in the dried and rewetted soil compared to the degradation and mineralization in an undisturbed reference. The microbial biomass, as estimated by direct cell counting and from the soil DNA content, decreased on average by 51 and 24%, respectively. The bulk microbial activities, as determined by measuring substrate-induced respiration and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, increased after rewetting and recovered completely within 6 days after reequilibration. The effects on Bacteria, Archaea, and Pseudomonas were investigated by performing PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes and reverse-transcribed 16S rRNA, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and terminal RFLP (T-RFLP) fingerprinting. Statistical analyses of RFLP and T-RFLP profiles indicated that specific groups in the microbial community were sensitive to the stress. In addition, evaluation of rRNA genes and rRNA as markers for monitoring the stress responses of microbial communities revealed overall similar sensitivities. We concluded that various structural and functional MSCs were not resistant to drying-rewetting stress and that resilience depended strongly on the parameter investigated.

Asynchronous fluctuation of soil microbial biomass and plant litterfall in a tropical wet forest

Carbon availability often controls soil microbial growth and there is evidence that at regional scales soil microbial biomass is positively correlated with aboveground forest litter input. We examined the influence of plant litterfall on annual variation of soil microbial biomass in control and litter-excluded plots in a tropical wet forest of Puerto Rico. We also measured soil moisture, soil temperature, and plant litterfall in these treatment plots. Aboveground plant litter input had no effect on soil microbial biomass or on its pattern of fluctuation. Monthly changes in soil microbial biomass were not synchronized with aboveground litter inputs, but rather preceeded litterfall by one month. Soil microbial biomass did not correlate with soil temperature, moisture, or rainfall. Our results suggest that changes in soil microbial biomass are not directly regulated by soil temperature, moisture, or aboveground litter input at local scales within a tropical wet forest, and there were asynchronous fluctuation between soil microbial biomass and plant litterfall. Potential mechanisms for this asynchronous fluctuation include soil microbial biomass regulation by competition for soil nutrients between microorganisms and plants, and regulation by below-ground carbon inputs associated with the annual solar and drying-rewetting cycles in tropical wet forests.