Experimental Field Site Research Articles

Current developments in soil ecotoxicology and the need for strengthening soil ecotoxicology in Europe: results of a stakeholder workshop

BackgroundSoil is one of our most important resources and fulfills many ecological functions such as storage and filtration of water and nutrients, transformation of chemical compounds and nutrients, biomass production, and carbon storage. Such soil functions support ecosystem services provided by soils, which need to be protected to protect soil fertility. However, European soils often contain elevated concentrations of contaminants, putting biodiversity of soil organisms as well as the ecological functions and services at risk. To promote soil ecotoxicology in Switzerland, the Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology together with the Federal Office for Environment and the Federal Office for Agriculture organized a stakeholder workshop on 7 June 2018 with participants from research, governmental bodies, and associations. One goal of this workshop was to inform participants about currently available risk assessment approaches for soil, the soil risk assessment for plant protection products in Europe, available bioassays and bioindicators, and results of research projects on soil contaminants in Switzerland. Another goal was to discuss the needs for research in soil ecotoxicology in Switzerland and to identify next steps, potential projects, and future collaborations.ResultsThe main needs identified during the workshop were the establishment of (bio)indicators to measure soil fertility, functional parameters to determine soil functions, and the preservation of soil biodiversity. Another priority listed was the formation of a working group, which addresses the issue of the development of environmental quality standards for soil. The need for experimental field sites for implementing and testing new approaches or tools for assessing soil quality was also discussed.ConclusionThe next steps planned are two workshops with national and international experts in soil ecotoxicology to develop a soil monitoring concept for Switzerland and to find suitable bioindicators to evaluate soil fertility. Additionally, a literature review will be performed summarizing the current ecotoxicological state of the art with regard to the development of bioindicators in relation to the monitoring of plant protection products in Swiss soil, to evaluate their effects on soil fertility. Furthermore, all attendees agreed on the need for annual meetings or workshops where experts can present scientific results, participants can exchange information, and future projects and collaborations can be developed.

Veterinary pharmaceuticals and antibiotics in manure and slurry and their fate in amended agricultural soils: Findings from an experimental field site (Baix Empordà, NE Catalonia)

The fate and transport of 34 veterinary pharmaceuticals (PhACs) is investigated in swine slurry and dairy cattle manure-amended agricultural soils, from an experimental field site, by using both analytical and modelled data. Potential differences on PhACs fate, attributed to the application of distinct swine slurry fractions (total, solid, and liquid), are herein assessed for the first time. Surface and deep soil layers, up to a depth of 120 cm, were analyzed at different periods after an annual fertilization event. Using input data representing typical agricultural soil conditions and the PhACs concentration measured in organic fertilizers the transport of these pollutants was modelled for a period of 10 years, including the monitored annual fertilization event. Fluoroquinolone, tetracycline and pleuromutilin antibiotics, together with anti-helmintics and analgesic and anti-inflammatories, were detected in manure-amended soils, at average concentrations ranging from 0.078 to 150 μg/kg dw in surface layers, with the highest levels found in the fields fertilized with the swine slurry solid fraction. Even though severe disagreements were observed between experimental and simulated PhACs concentrations along the soil column, both approaches pointed out that target compounds strongly adsorb onto surface layers, showing limited mobility along the soil profile. Thus, repeated manure and slurry fertilizations will contribute in building up persistent PhACs residues in the uppermost layers of the soil, while leaching will be a minor process governing their fate towards the subsurface. The ecotoxicological risks posed by the occurrence of PhACs in soils were estimated to be low for terrestrial organisms. Nevertheless the antibiotic enrofloxacin showed some potential to induce negative effects to crops.

Isotopic evidence of biotrophy and unusual nitrogen nutrition in soil-dwelling Hygrophoraceae.

SummarySeveral lines of evidence suggest that the agaricoid, non‐ectomycorrhizal members of the family Hygrophoraceae (waxcaps) are biotrophic with unusual nitrogen nutrition. However, methods for the axenic culture and lab‐based study of these organisms remain to be developed, so our current knowledge is limited to field‐based investigations. Addition of nitrogen, lime or organophosphate pesticide at an experimental field site (Sourhope) suppressed fruiting of waxcap basidiocarps. Furthermore, stable isotope natural abundance in basidiocarps were unusually high in 15N and low in 13C, the latter consistent with mycorrhizal nutritional status. Similar patterns were found in waxcap basidiocarps from diverse habitats across four continents. Additional data from 14C analysis of basidiocarps and 13C pulse label experiments suggest that these fungi are not saprotrophs but rather biotrophic endophytes and possibly mycorrhizal. The consistently high but variable δ15N values (10–20‰) of basidiocarps further indicate that N acquisition or processing differ from other fungi; we suggest that N may be derived from acquisition of N via soil fauna high in the food chain.

Effects of combined organic manure and mineral fertilization on soil aggregation and aggregate-associated organic carbon in two agricultural soils

The effect of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer on soil aggregate size distribution and stability, and associated carbon (C) within aggregates varies greatly in previous studies because of the differences in soil conditions, cropping systems, and management practices. This study was conducted as two field fertilization experiments, with different cropping systems, under a subtropical climate in China. The two field experiment sites were located in Jinhua (established in April 2011) in the Jinqu basin in Zhejiang province and Jintan (established in October 2010) in the low-middle Yangtze River plain in Jiangsu province. Both experiments consisted of four treatments, including unfertilized (CK), mineral fertilizer nitrogen (N)–phosphorus (P)–potassium (K) (NPK), NPK plus straw (NPK + SR), and NPK plus cattle manure (NPK + FYM) or half NPK plus cattle manure (1/2NPK + FYM). Water stable aggregate size classes (>5, 2–5, 1–2, 0.5–1, 0.25–0.5, and <0.25 mm) and associated soil organic C (SOC) at 0–15 cm depth were measured. The mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), and water stable aggregates (WSA) > 0.25 mm were also determined. The results showed that aggregate-size distribution varied with soil types. Combined application of NPK and organic matter (straw residue or cattle manure), unlike the CK and NPK treatments, significantly increased the WSA >0.25 mm, MWD, and GMD, while obviously reducing the proportion of <0.25 mm aggregates. However, no differences in WSA >0.25 mm, MWD, GMD, and associated C were observed between CK and NPK at both sites. The addition of FYM to the NPK treatment yielded the highest SOC contents in bulk soil, and showed significantly higher associations of C within all size aggregates at both sites. In contrast, NPK + SR significantly increased SOC within aggregate classes (2–5 mm, 0.5–1 mm, 0.25–0.5 mm, and <0.25 mm) at Jinhua and (>5 mm and 1–2 mm) at Jintan compared to the CK and NPK treatments. Overall, the combined application of FYM and mineral NPK was the best sustainable management practice for the improvement of aggregate stability and SOC sequestration.

Impact of agricultural fertilization practices on organo-mineral associations in four long-term field experiments: Implications for soil C sequestration

Soil organic carbon (SOC) associated with minerals is considered to be one of the most fundamental long-term SOC storage strategies, but little research has integrated the organo-mineral complexes regulated by long-term fertilization. Here, soil samples under three fertilization treatments (Control, no fertilization; NPK, chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization; NPKM, NPK plus manure) from four 23–34 years long-term field experiment sites across China were examined. Chemical analyses indicated that vigorous iron (Fe) mobilization could be regulated by long-term fertilization regimes. Meanwhile, Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge fine structure (XANES) demonstrated that compared to NPK treated soils, NPKM treated soils contained significantly higher concentration of poorly crystalline ferrihydrite. Results from both the Fourier transform infrared combined with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy analyses (FTIR-2DCOS) and C 1 s X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that aliphatic carbohydrate might play an important role in binding exogenous Fe(III) in all tested four soils. In addition, greater amounts of aromatic C (the most resistant soil C fraction) were under long-term treated NPKM than NPK soils. Furthermore, multiple regression analyses showed a significantly positive relationship between poorly crystalline Fe minerals and SOC or aromatic C. Such relationships indicated that aromatic functional groups had been attached to the poorly crystalline Fe minerals, which could also be protected from being transformed to the crystalline counterpart. In conclusion, results from our integrated spectroscopic analyses have evidenced greater improvement of both poorly crystalline Fe minerals and aromatic C in organically fertilized than in chemically fertilized soils.

Responses to Potassium Application and Economic Optimum K Rate of Maize under Different Soil Indigenous K Supply

Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for maintaining crop productivity, but the economic benefit of K fertilizer often has been neglected. We collected a database from 60 maize field experimental sites in Northeast China between 2005 and 2012 to study the impacts of potassium (K) application rates on yield, K concentrations in grain and straw, plant K uptake, and to evaluate the economic optimum K rate (EOKR) for maize under different levels of soil indigenous K supply (IKS). The results showed that the average maize yield in Krec treatment (the recommended K rate) was highest and was 32.1% higher than that in K0 treatment (no K fertilization). Compared to K0, the application of K did not significantly increase grain K concentration, whereas it significantly increased K concentration in the straw. Plant K uptake in K150 treatment (150% of the recommended K rate) was higher than that in Krec treatment, but grain yield was lower than that in Krec treatment. Thus, the result indicates that luxury K absorption occurred in K150% treatment due to excessive K application. Thus, the application rate of K should be further optimized. Based on the modified Mitscherlich model, the average economic optimum K rate (EONR) was 135.24, 124.27, and 96.54 kg K2O/ha for the low, medium, and high levels of soil indigenous K supply (IKS), respectively. The average economic optimum yield (EOY) at a high IKS level was similar to the average yield in Krec treatment, whereas the EOKR could reduce by a K rate of 37.9–63.7 kg K2O/ha compared to Krec treatment. This study highlights the importance of K application to improve grain yield and provides a promising fertilizer recommendation method for minimizing fertilizer inputs and optimizing maize production.

Mechanisms of the development of water-conducting fracture zone in overlying strata during shortwall block backfill mining: a case study in Northwestern China

In this work, a shortwall block backfill mining (SBBM) technique is proposed for the recovery of residual corner coal pillars and irregular blocks left behind during the exploitation of coal mines, and a solution is provided for the risks associated with gangue piling and the loss of water resources owing to coal mining. Based on the theory of beams on elastic foundations, a mechanical analysis model was established for calculating the height of a water-conducting fracture zone (WCFZ) in the overlying strata of coal mines exploited using the SBBM technique. It was found that the key factors influencing the development of the WCFZ are the mining height, width of the protective coal pillars, backfill percentage, block length, and number of mining blocks. The relationships between these factors and the height of the WCFZ were obtained by incorporating the relevant parameters in the above-mentioned model. In the field experiment site, it was discovered that the minimum coal pillar width and goaf backfill percentage required to prevent the development of water-conducting fractures that could reach an aquifer are 5 m and 65%, respectively. Based on this result, the protective pillars of the site were designed to be 5 m wide, while the goaf backfill percentage was set as 80%. The borehole fluid method was used to measure the height of the WCFZ, which was found to be 26.8 m. This is consistent with the theoretical calculations (27.0 m) of this study, and thus, validates the reliability of the proposed mechanical model. The findings of this work will improve the recovery rate of residual coal resources in coal mining areas, and they are significant for the refinement of water conservation mining theories.

Functional Evaluation of Three Manure-Borne Indicator Bacteria Release Models with Multiyear Field Experiment Data.

Modeling the fate and transport of Escherichia coli is of substantial interest because of how this organism serves as an indicator of fecal contamination in microbial water quality assessment. The efficacy of models used to assess the export of E. coli from agricultural fields is dependent, in part, on submodels they utilize to simulate E. coli release from land-applied manure and animal waste. Although several release submodels have been proposed, they have only been evaluated and compared with data from laboratory or small plot E. coli release experiments. Our objective was to evaluate and compare performances of three manure-borne bacteria release submodels at field-scale: exponential release (EM), two-parametric Bradford and Schijven (B-S), and two-parametric Vadas-Kleinman-Sharpley (VKS); each was independently incorporated and tested as a submodel within the export model KINEROS2/STWIR, using E. coli. Dairy manure was uniformly applied via surface broadcasting once a year for six consecutive years on a 0.28 ha experimental field site. Two irrigation events followed each application: the first immediately followed the initial application and the second occurred one week later. Manure and soil samples were collected before and after irrigation, respectively, and manure, soil, and edge-of-field runoff samples were analyzed for E. coli. Model performance was evaluated with the Akaike criterion, coefficients of determination (R2), and root mean squared errors (RMSE) values. The percentage of exported manure-borne E. coli varied from 0.1% to 10% in most cases, generally reflecting the lag time between initiation of irrigation and initiation ofedge-of-field runoff. The export model performed better when using the VKS submodel which was preferred in 55% of cases. The B-S and EM submodels were preferred in 27% and 18% of cases, respectively. Two-parametric submodels were ultimately preferred over the single parameter submodel.

Slugs (Arionidae) benefit from nocturnal artificial illumination.

Artificial illumination increases around the globe and this has been found to affect many groups of organisms and ecosystems. By manipulating nocturnal illumination using one large experimental field site with 24 streetlights and one dark control, we assessed the impact of artificial illumination on slugs over a period of 4 years. The number of slugs, primarily Arionidae, increased strongly in the illuminated site but not on the dark site. There are several nonexclusive explanations for this effect, including reduced predation and increased food quality in the form of carcasses of insects attracted by the light. As slugs play an important role in ecosystems and are also important pest species, the increase of slugs under artificial illumination cannot only affect ecosystem functioning but also have important economic consequences.

Genome-wide association study dissects yield components associated with low-phosphorus stress tolerance in maize.

Phosphorus deficiencyin soil is a worldwide constraintthreatening maize production. Through a genome-wide association study, we identified molecular markers and associated candidate genes and molecular pathways for low-phosphorus stress tolerance. Phosphorus deficiency in soils will severely affect maize (Zea mays L.) growth and development, thus decreasing the final yield. Deciphering the genetic basis of yield-related traits can benefit our understanding of maize tolerance to low-phosphorus stress. However, considering that yield-related traits should be evaluated under field condition with large populations rather than under hydroponic condition at a single-plant level, searching for appropriate field experimental sites and target traits for low-phosphorus stress tolerance is still very challenging. In this study, a genome-wide association analysis using two natural populations was performed to detect candidate genes in response to low-phosphorus stress at two experimental sites representative of different climate and soil types. In total, 259 candidate genes were identified and these candidate genes are mainly involved in four major pathways: transcriptional regulation, reactive oxygen scavenging, hormone regulation, and remodeling of cell wall. Among these candidate genes, 98 showed differential expression by transcriptome data. Based on a haplotype analysis of grain number under phosphorus deficiency condition, the positive haplotypes with favorable alleles across five loci increased grain number by 42% than those without favorable alleles. For further verifying the feasibility of genomic selection for improving maize low-phosphorus tolerance, we also validated the predictive ability of five genomic selection methods and suggested that moderate-density SNPs were sufficient to make accurate predictions for low-phosphorus tolerance traits. All these results will facilitate elucidating genetic basis of maize tolerance to low-phosphorus stress and improving marker-assisted selection efficiency in breeding process.

Increased occurrence of heavy metals, antibiotics and resistance genes in surface soil after long-term application of manure

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of long-term application of pig manure on the accumulation of heavy metals, antibiotics and ARGs in surface soil sampled from the Jiaxing long-term field experimental site with three manure treatments, N-PM (0 kg/ha/y, dw), L-PM (7720 kg/ha/y, dw), and H-PM (11,580 kg/ha/y, dw), in 2013 and 2014. The results showed that most serious metal pollution of Zn and Cu was recorded in all manured samples in both years, and their contents exceeded the soil quality standards. Among the three tetracyclines, chlortetracycline was the predominant antibiotic detected with a range of 3.04–98.03 μg·kg−1 in 2013 and 28.67–344.74 μg·kg−1 in 2014 after long-term pig manure application. Q-PCR results showed that the average accumulation of ribosomal protection protein genes (tetM, tetO, tetQ and tetW) was lower than most of the efflux pump genes (tetA and tetG). The abundance of tet and sul genes of those sites with manure application was significantly higher than that of sites without manure application in both years. Metagenomics analysis of ARGs revealed that the abundance of multidrug resistance genes was the most abundant subtype, followed by fluoroquinolone, bacitracin, sulfonamide and tetracycline. There was a positive correlation between the levels of ARGs; soil organic matter, antibiotics, Cu, As, and Zn levels in both years. These results may shed light on the mechanism underlining the effects of long-term manure application on the occurrence and dissemination of ARGs in surface soil.

Antecedent and Post-Application Rain Events Trigger Glyphosate Transport from Runoff-Prone Soils

Recent environmental surveys report widespread detections of the herbicide glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] in surface waters, despite its strong immobilization and rapid biodegradation in soils. We performed four high-frequency sampling campaigns (from 2015 to 2017) following controlled spray applications on an experimental perennial grass field site with wetness-prone marginal soils. We monitored dissolved glyphosate concentrations in the outflow (runoff and shallow drainage) using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Rainfall-triggered outflow events occurred between 3 and 13 days following spray application. Outflow concentrations varied widely from nondetectable levels to 90 μg L–1, peaking during the first significant outflow event in each campaign and diminishing as flows subsided. Subsequent outflow peaks caused concentrations to increase again but to a lesser extent. Cumulative mass efflux in outflow across the different campaigns ranged from 0.06...

Acoustics of biologically active marine sediments

Biological organisms are prevalent on and near the seabed; however, most predictive theoretical models do not explicitly address the acoustic behavior of biologically active marine sediments. Sediment-acoustics models, such as those based on Biot theory or grain-shearing theory, allow for parameterization of various physical properties including bulk density, porosity, shear strength, or pore fluid viscosity, all of which can be modified by the presence of biological organisms or bioturbation. Other models can include the effects gas bubble distributions, which can also be associated with the presence of benthic biology, on compressional and shear wave propagation. In this paper, we examine sediment-acoustics models in comparison with data from various field experiments focused on infauna- and seagrass-bearing sediments. The model parameters are partially constrained by physical data from core samples collected at the field experiment sites. Empirical relations between the core data parameters and acoustic data will also be examined. [Work supported by ONR and ARL:UT IR&D.]

Inverse estimation of soil hydraulic properties and water repellency following artificially induced drought stress

Abstract Global climate change is projected to continue and result in prolonged and more intense droughts, which can increase soil water repellency (SWR). To be able to estimate the consequences of SWR on vadose zone hydrology, it is important to determine soil hydraulic properties (SHP). Sequential modeling using HYDRUS (2D/3D) was performed on an experimental field site with artificially imposed drought scenarios (moderately M and severely S stressed) and a control plot. First, inverse modeling was performed for SHP estimation based on water and ethanol infiltration experimental data, followed by model validation on one selected irrigation event. Finally, hillslope modeling was performed to assess water balance for 2014. Results suggest that prolonged dry periods can increase soil water repellency. Inverse modeling was successfully performed for infiltrating liquids, water and ethanol, with R2 and model efficiency (E) values both &gt; 0.9. SHP derived from the ethanol measurements showed large differences in van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) parameters for the M and S plots compared to water infiltration experiments. SWR resulted in large saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks ) decrease on the M and S scenarios. After validation of SHP on water content measurements during a selected irrigation event, one year simulations (2014) showed that water repellency increases surface runoff in non-structured soils at hillslopes.

Remote sensing of the lightning heating effect duration with ground-based microwave radiometer

Artificially triggered lightning events from May 26, 2017 to July 16, 2017 in Guangzhou Field Experiment Site for Lightning Research and Test (GFESL) were intentionally remotely sensed with a ground-based microwave radiometer for the first time in order to obtain the features of lightning heating effect. The microwave radiometer antenna was adjusted to point at a certain elevation angle towards the expected artificially triggered lightning discharging path. Eight of the 16 successfully artificially triggered lightning events were captured and the brightness temperature data at four frequencies in K and V bands were obtained. The results from data time series analysis show that artificially triggered lightning can make the radiometer generate brightness temperature pulses, and the amplitudes of these pulses are in the range of 2.0 K to 73.8 K. The brightness temperature pulses associated with 7 events can be used to estimate the duration of lightning heating effect through accounting the number of the pulses in the continuous pulse sequence and the sampling interval between four frequencies. The maximum duration of the lightning heating effect is 1.13 s, the minimum is 0.172 s, and the average is 0.63 s.

Deciphering the associations between soil microbial diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality driven by long‐term fertilization management

Abstract An increasing number of studies indicate that microbial diversity plays a crucial role in the mediation of ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) in natural ecosystems. However, this point remains mostly overlooked in managed ecosystems, especially in agriculture. Here, we compiled promising strategies for the targeted exploitation of the associations between microbial diversity and EMF of agricultural soils using samples from two long‐term (more than 30 years) experimental field sites in southern China. The two sites experienced a similar monsoon climate and fertilization management practices. We used high‐throughput amplicon sequencing, structural equation modelling and random forest analysis, to analyse our data and validate our hypotheses. We found that soil physiochemical properties and the C‐, N‐, P‐ and S‐cycle enzyme activities were increased with the increase in microbial diversity. Specifically, a positive linear relationship was observed between microbial diversity and EMF, which was mediated by long‐term fertilization management via changes in soil microbial communities and physiochemical properties. Random forest analysis and SEM showed that the important role of microbial diversity on EMF was maintained even when simultaneously taking multiple multifunctionality drivers (soil physiochemical properties, soil aggregation and enzymatic patterns) into account. In addition, microbial diversity, C‐cycle enzyme activity and pH value are feasible predictors of EMF; these factors were shown to be the main drivers of EMF of arable soils. Our findings suggest that there may be a limited degree of multifunctional redundancy in arable soils. The relationship we observed between microbial diversity and EMF suggests that management practices that foster more diverse soil microbial communities may have the potential to improve the functioning of agroecosystems. A plain language summary is available for this article.

鄱阳湖湿地土壤微生物群落结构沿地下水位梯度分异特征

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 鄱阳湖湿地土壤微生物群落结构沿地下水位梯度分异特征 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201705220946 作者: 作者单位: 中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所,中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所,中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所,中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所,中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所,中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（41471088）；地方合作项目（鄱阳湖水生态综合模型研究及开发） Variation in the distribution of soil microbial community structure along ground water level gradients in the Poyang Lake Wetland Author: Affiliation: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:为了揭示地下水位梯度对湿地土壤微生物群落的影响，在鄱阳湖典型碟形湖泊白沙湖洲滩湿地设置了200m×300m大样地，沿地下水位梯度划分4个样带（从湖岸到湖心依次为GT-A，GT-B，GT-C，GT-D），采集了不同梯度带的土壤样品，利用磷脂脂肪酸法分析其土壤微生物群落结构分异特征。结果表明，随着地下水位抬升，土壤pH和沙粒含量升高，而有机碳、容重、粘粒和粉粒含量降低。与地下水位最低的梯度（GT-A）相比，地下水位在地表上下波动（GT-D）时，土壤微生物量碳氮及其分配比例分别增加了2.82、4.30、5.77和7.15倍；土壤微生物总量、细菌生物量、放线菌生物量、革兰氏阳性细菌及革兰氏阴性细菌生物量分别增长了106.8%、117.2%、74.9%，107.9%和207.2%。洲滩地下水位梯度的升高增加了土壤微生物群落的环境压力，进而降低了其群落结构的多样性。土壤微生物群落结构组成与土壤pH、含水量、沙粒含量以及碳氮比呈显著相关关系，而土壤微生物商则主要受pH和土壤质地的影响。以上结果表明地下水位梯度所引起的土壤微环境变化对微生物量、土壤有机碳周转和群落结构均产生了深刻影响。 Abstract:To reveal the response of soil microbial community structure to the changes of ground water level, a 200m×300m field experimental site was setup in the beach of Baisha Lake, a typical shallow lake of the Poyang Lake Wetlands. This site included 4 ground water levels:GT-A, GT-B, GT-C, GT-D (moving from shore to center). Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) analysis was applied to determine the microbial community structure. Results showed when ground water level raised from GT-A to GT-D, soil pH and sand content increased and soil organic carbon (SOC), bulk density, clay and silt particle contents decreased. Compared to GT-A, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen(MBN), and their allocation ratio of GT-D were significantly more by 2.82, 4.30, 5.77 and 7.15 time. The abundances of total PLFAs, bacterial, actinomyces, gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria increased 106.8%, 117.2%, 74.9%, 107.9% and 207.2%. The raise in ground water level enhanced the environmental stress on the microbial community, resulting in a decrease in microbial bio-diversity. Soil pH, moisture, sand contents as well as the C:N ratio have significant correlations with PLFA signatures. Further, the microbial quotient (MBC/SOC) is mainly influenced by soil pH and texture. In summary, the results show significant effects of ground water level on both soil microbial biomass and community structure during the dry season. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Potential protease activity and organic nitrogen concentration are rapid tests and accurate indicators of N-availability in Tasmanian Eucalyptus nitens plantations

There are a variety of soil-based tests used to gauge the availability of N, with some of the more common tests being based on pools of inorganic N and/or N mineralization. Implicit assumptions of these tests are: 1) plants take up inorganic nitrogen compounds only, and 2) mineralisation is the rate-limiting step in producing available N. However, there is mounting evidence that 1) plants can take up organic nitrogen and 2) the rate-limiting step of nitrogen availability is more likely depolymerisation. The aim of this study was to test if pools of amino acids and potential protease activity could be used to predict nutrient limitation. To test this idea we set up nine experimental field sites with widely divergent nutrient availability. Sites were planted with the plantation tree species Eucalyptus nitens and we measured growth response to fertiliser to gauge the extent of nutrient limitation.Among the nine sites the size of growth responses to fertiliser were strongly correlated with potential protease activity and amino acid concentration. Data were consistent with the notion that depolymerisation (as indicated by protease activity) could be the rate-limiting step in generating available forms of N. We suggest that potential protease activity may be a useful indicator of nitrogen availability and could be used to tailor fertiliser supply to demand.

Evaluating agroclimatic constraints and yield gaps for winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) \u2013 A case study

Evaluating the effects of agroclimatic constraints on winter oilseed rape (WOSR) yield can facilitate the development of agricultural mitigation and adaptation strategies. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the WOSR yield and agroclimatic factors using the yield data collected from Agricultural Yearbook and field experimental sites, and the climate dataset from the meteorological stations in Hubei province, China. Five agroclimatic indicators during WOSR growth, such as ≥0 °C accumulated temperature (AT-0), overwintering days (OWD), precipitation (P), precipitation at an earlier stage (EP) and sunshine hours (S), were extracted from twelve agroclimatic indices. The attainable yield for the five yield-limiting factors ranged from 2638 kg ha−1 (EP) to 3089 kg ha−1 (AT-0). Farmers (Yfarm) and local agronomists (Yexp) have achieved 63% and 86% of the attainable yield (Yatt), respectively. The contribution of optimum fertilization to narrow the yield gap (NYexp) was 52% for the factor P, which was remarkably lower than the mean value (63%). Overall, the precipitation was the crucial yield-limiting agroclimatic factor, and restricted the effect of optimizing fertilization. The integrated data suggest that agricultural strategies of mitigation and adaptation to climatic variability based on different agroclimatic factors are essential for improving the crop yield.

Top-down control of carbon sequestration: grazing affects microbial structure and function in salt marsh soils.

Tidal wetlands have been increasingly recognized as long-term carbon sinks in recent years. Work on carbon sequestration and decomposition processes in tidal wetlands focused so far mainly on effects of global-change factors such as sea-level rise and increasing temperatures. However, little is known about effects of land use, such as livestock grazing, on organic matter decomposition and ultimately carbon sequestration. The present work aims at understanding the mechanisms by which large herbivores can affect organic matter decomposition in tidal wetlands. This was achieved by studying both direct animal-microbe interactions and indirect animal-plant-microbe interactions in grazed and ungrazed areas of two long-term experimental field sites at the German North Sea coast. We assessed bacterial and fungal gene abundance using quantitative PCR, as well as the activity of microbial exo-enzymes by conducting fluorometric assays. We demonstrate that grazing can have a profound impact on the microbial community structure of tidal wetland soils, by consistently increasing the fungi-to-bacteria ratio by 38-42%, and therefore potentially exerts important control over carbon turnover and sequestration. The observed shift in the microbial community was primarily driven by organic matter source, with higher contributions of recalcitrant autochthonous (terrestrial) vs. easily degradable allochthonous (marine) sources in grazed areas favoring relative fungal abundance. We propose a novel and indirect form of animal-plant-microbe interaction: top-down control of aboveground vegetation structure determines the capacity of allochthonous organic matter trapping during flooding and thus the structure of the microbial community. Furthermore, our data provide the first evidence that grazing slows down microbial exo-enzyme activity and thus decomposition through changes in soil redox chemistry. Activities of enzymes involved in C cycling were reduced by 28-40%, while activities of enzymes involved in N cycling were not consistently affected by grazing. It remains unclear if this is a trampling-driven direct grazing effect, as hypothesized in earlier studies, or if the effect on redox chemistry is plant mediated and thus indirect. This study improves our process-level understanding of how grazing can affect the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of semi-terrestrial ecosystems that may help explain and predict differences in C turnover and sequestration rates between grazed and ungrazed systems.