Potential Microbial Activity Research Articles

Recovery of Soil Ammonia Oxidation After Long-Term Zinc Exposure Is Not Related to the Richness of the Bacterial Nitrifying Community

A soil sterilization-reinoculation approach was used to manipulate soil microbial diversity and to assess the effect of the diversity of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) on the recovery of the nitrifying community to metal stress (zinc). Gamma-irradiated soil was inoculated with 13 different combinations of up to 22 different soils collected worldwide to create varying degrees of AOB diversity. Two months after inoculation, AOB amoA DGGE based diversity (weighted richness) varied more than 10-fold among the 13 treatments, the largest value observed where the number of inocula had been largest. Subsequently, the 13 treatments were either or not amended with ZnCl2. Initially, Zn amendment completely inhibited nitrification. After 6 months of Zn exposure, recovery of the potential nitrification activity in the Zn amended soils ranged from <10 % to >100 % of the potential nitrification activity in the corresponding non-amended soils. This recovery was neither related to DGGE-based indices of AOB diversity nor to the AOB abundance assessed 2 months after inoculation (p > 0.05). However, recovery was significantly related (r = 0.75) to the potential nitrification rate before Zn amendment and only weakly to the number of soil inocula used in the treatments (r = 0.46). The lack of clear effects of AOB diversity on recovery may be related to an inherently sufficient diversity and functional redundancy of AOB communities in soil. Our data indicate that potential microbial activity can be a significant factor in recovery.

Large-scale controls on potential respiration and denitrification in riverine floodplains

Restoration measures of deteriorated river ecosystems generally aim at increasing the spatial heterogeneity and connectivity of these systems in order to increase biodiversity and ecosystem stability. While this is believed to benefit overall ecological integrity, consequences of such restoration projects on biogeochemical processes per se (i.e. ecosystem functioning) in fluvial systems are rarely considered. We address these issues by evaluating the characteristics of surface water connection between side arms and the main river channel in a former braided river section and the role and degree of connectivity (i.e. duration of surface water connection) on the sediment biogeochemistry. We hypothesized that potential respiration and denitrification would be controlled by the degree of hydrological connectivity, which was increased after floodplain restoration. We measured potential microbial respiration (SIR) and denitrification (DEA) and compared a degraded floodplain section of the Danube River with a reconnected and restored floodplain in the same river section. Re-establishing surface water connection altered the controls on sediment microbial respiration and denitrification ultimately impacting potential microbial activities. Meta-variables were created to characterize the effects of hydrology, morphology, and the available carbon and nutrient pools on potential microbial processing. Mantel statistics and path analysis were performed and demonstrate a hierarchy where the effects of hydrology on the available substrates and microbial processing are mediated by the morphology of the floodplain. In addition, these processes are highest in the least connected sites. Surface water connection, mediated by morphology regulates the potential denitrification rate and the ratio of N2O to N2 emissions, demonstrating the effects of restoration in floodplain systems.

Peatland Microbial Communities and Decomposition Processes in the James Bay Lowlands, Canada

Northern peatlands are a large repository of atmospheric carbon due to an imbalance between primary production by plants and microbial decomposition. The James Bay Lowlands (JBL) of northern Ontario are a large peatland-complex but remain relatively unstudied. Climate change models predict the region will experience warmer and drier conditions, potentially altering plant community composition, and shifting the region from a long-term carbon sink to a source. We collected a peat core from two geographically separated (ca. 200 km) ombrotrophic peatlands (Victor and Kinoje Bogs) and one minerotrophic peatland (Victor Fen) located near Victor Bog within the JBL. We characterized (i) archaeal, bacterial, and fungal community structure with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of ribosomal DNA, (ii) estimated microbial activity using community level physiological profiling and extracellular enzymes activities, and (iii) the aeration and temperature dependence of carbon mineralization at three depths (0–10, 50–60, and 100–110 cm) from each site. Similar dominant microbial taxa were observed at all three peatlands despite differences in nutrient content and substrate quality. In contrast, we observed differences in basal respiration, enzyme activity, and the magnitude of substrate utilization, which were all generally higher at Victor Fen and similar between the two bogs. However, there was no preferential mineralization of carbon substrates between the bogs and fens. Microbial community composition did not correlate with measures of microbial activity but pH was a strong predictor of activity across all sites and depths. Increased peat temperature and aeration stimulated CO2 production but this did not correlate with a change in enzyme activities. Potential microbial activity in the JBL appears to be influenced by the quality of the peat substrate and the presence of microbial inhibitors, which suggests the existing peat substrate will have a large influence on future JBL carbon dynamics.

Validating potential toxicity assays to assess petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity in polar soil

Potential microbial activities are commonly used to assess soil toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) and are assumed to be a surrogate for microbial activity within the soil ecosystem. However, this assumption needs to be evaluated for frozen soil, in which microbial activity is limited by liquid water (θ(liquid)). Influence of θ(liquid) on in situ toxicity was evaluated and compared to the toxicity endpoints of potential microbial activities using soil from an aged diesel fuel spill at Casey Station, East Antarctica. To determine in situ toxicity, gross mineralization and nitrification rates were determined by the stable isotope dilution technique. Petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil (0-8,000 mg kg(-1)), packed at bulk densities of 1.4, 1.7, and 2.0 g cm(-3) to manipulate liquid water content, was incubated at -5°C for one, two, and three months. Although θ(liquid) did not have a significant effect on gross mineralization or nitrification, gross nitrification was sensitive to PHC contamination, with toxicity decreasing over time. In contrast, gross mineralization was not sensitive to PHC contamination. Toxic response of gross nitrification was comparable to potential nitrification activity (PNA) with similar EC25 (effective concentration causing a 25% effect in the test population) values determined by both measurement endpoints (400 mg kg(-1) for gross nitrification compared to 200 mg kg(-1) for PNA), indicating that potential microbial activity assays are good surrogates for in situ toxicity of PHC contamination in polar regions.

Disconnect of microbial structure and function: enzyme activities and bacterial communities in nascent stream corridors

A fundamental issue in microbial and general ecology is the question to what extent environmental conditions dictate the structure of communities and the linkages with functional properties of ecosystems (that is, ecosystem function). We approached this question by taking advantage of environmental gradients established in soil and sediments of small stream corridors in a recently created, early successional catchment. Specifically, we determined spatial and temporal patterns of bacterial community structure and their linkages with potential microbial enzyme activities along the hydrological flow paths of the catchment. Soil and sediments were sampled in a total of 15 sites on four occasions spread throughout a year. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to characterize bacterial communities, and substrate analogs linked to fluorescent molecules served to track 10 different enzymes as specific measures of ecosystem function. Potential enzyme activities varied little among sites, despite contrasting environmental conditions, especially in terms of water availability. Temporal changes, in contrast, were pronounced and remarkably variable among the enzymes tested. This suggests much greater importance of temporal dynamics than spatial heterogeneity in affecting specific ecosystem functions. Most strikingly, bacterial community structure revealed neither temporal nor spatial patterns. The resulting disconnect between bacterial community structure and potential enzyme activities indicates high functional redundancy within microbial communities even in the physically and biologically simplified stream corridors of early successional landscapes.

Molecular- and cultivation-based analyses of microbial communities in oil field water and in microcosms amended with nitrate to control H2S production

Nitrate injection into oil fields is an alternative to biocide addition for controlling sulfide production ('souring') caused by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). This study examined the suitability of several cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods to assess potential microbial activities (sulfidogenesis and nitrate reduction) and the impact of nitrate amendment on oil field microbiota. Microcosms containing produced waters from two Western Canadian oil fields exhibited sulfidogenesis that was inhibited by nitrate amendment. Most probable number (MPN) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses of uncultivated produced waters showed low cell numbers (≤10(3) MPN/ml) dominated by SRB (>95% relative abundance). MPN analysis also detected nitrate-reducing sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NRSOB) and heterotrophic nitrate-reducing bacteria (HNRB) at numbers too low to be detected by FISH or denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In microcosms containing produced water fortified with sulfate, near-stoichiometric concentrations of sulfide were produced. FISH analyses of the microcosms after 55 days of incubation revealed that Gammaproteobacteria increased from undetectable levels to 5-20% abundance, resulting in a decreased proportion of Deltaproteobacteria (50-60% abundance). DGGE analysis confirmed the presence of Delta- and Gammaproteobacteria and also detected Bacteroidetes. When sulfate-fortified produced waters were amended with nitrate, sulfidogenesis was inhibited and Deltaproteobacteria decreased to levels undetectable by FISH, with a concomitant increase in Gammaproteobacteria from below detection to 50-60% abundance. DGGE analysis of these microcosms yielded sequences of Gamma- and Epsilonproteobacteria related to presumptive HNRB and NRSOB (Halomonas, Marinobacterium, Marinobacter, Pseudomonas and Arcobacter), thus supporting chemical data indicating that nitrate-reducing bacteria out-compete SRB when nitrate is added.

High specific activity in low microbial biomass soils across a no-till evapotranspiration gradient in Colorado

Abstract The need to identify microbial community parameters that predict microbial activity is becoming more urgent, due to the desire to manage microbial communities for ecosystem services as well as the desire to incorporate microbial community parameters within ecosystem models. In dryland agroecosystems, microbial biomass C (MBC) can be increased by adopting alternative management strategies that increase crop residue retention, nutrient reserves, improve soil structure and result in greater water retention. Changes in MBC could subsequently affect microbial activities related to decomposition, C stabilization and sequestration. We hypothesized that MBC and potential microbial activities that broadly relate to decomposition (basal and substrate-induced respiration, N mineralization, and β-glucosidase and arylsulfatase enzyme activities) would be similarly affected by no-till, dryland winter wheat rotations distributed along a potential evapotranspiration (PET) gradient in eastern Colorado. Microbial biomass was smaller in March 2004 than in November 2003 (417 vs. 231 μg g−1 soil), and consistently smaller in soils from the high PET soil (191 μg g−1) than in the medium and low PET soils (379 and 398 μg g−1, respectively). Among treatments, MBC was largest under perennial grass (398 μg g−1). Potential microbial activities did not consistently follow the same trends as MBC, and the only activities significantly correlated with MBC were β-glucosidase (r = 0.61) and substrate-induced respiration (r = 0.27). In contrast to MBC, specific microbial activities (expressed on a per MBC basis) were greatest in the high PET soils. Specific but not total activities were correlated with microbial community structure, which was determined in a previous study. High specific activity in low biomass, high PET soils may be due to higher microbial maintenance requirements, as well as to the unique microbial community structure (lower bacterial-to-fungal fatty acid ratio and lower 17:0 cy-to-16:1ω7c stress ratio) associated with these soils. In conclusion, microbial biomass should not be utilized as the sole predictor of microbial activity when comparing soils with different community structures and levels of physiological stress, due to the influence of these factors on specific activity.

Impact of seasonal sediment desiccation and rewetting on microbial processes involved in greenhouse gas emissions

AbstractThe response to spring desiccation and autumn (rainfall‐related) rewetting of sediment microbial functioning was investigated in a Mediterranean seasonal pond. Surface (0–2 cm depth) and subsurface (2–10 cm) sediments were sampled during the pond emptying, the dry period, and after a rain event, and characterized for potential microbial activities [substrate‐induced respiration (SIR), denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), and nitrification enzyme activity (NEA)]. Eddy covariance fluxes of CO2 were also measured as an integrated value of the respiration of the sediment. Our results showed that short‐term variations in the sediment water content can strongly affect the microbial functioning, whereas the metabolic structure of the microbial community was not strongly modified. The duration of the dry period influenced the intensity of microbial potentials and the surface layer responded differently from the subsurface layer, which was less affected by variations in water content. SIR and DEA were strongly stimulated during early summer desiccation of the sediment, while NEA was stimulated during late desiccation period. DEA and NEA potentials remained very high in sediment after 1 month of drought. Eddy covariance measurements confirmed that global CO2 fluxes were enhanced during early desiccation, decreased under dry conditions, and finally re‐enhanced after a rainfall. These results suggest that management of such ponds can influence CO2 and N2O emissions, and that some precautions in the management (limitation of dry‐wet alternations and duration of emptying) could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Influence of liquid water and soil temperature on petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity in Antarctic soil

Fuel spills in Antarctica typically occur in rare ice-free oases along the coast, which are areas of extreme seasonal freezing. Spills often occur at subzero temperatures, but little is known of ecosystem sensitivity to pollutants, in particular the influence that soil liquid water and low temperature have on toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) in Antarctic soil. To evaluate PHC toxicity, 32 locations at an aged diesel spill site in Antarctica were sampled nine times to encompass frozen, thaw, and refreeze periods. Toxicity was assessed using potential activities of substrate-induced respiration, basal respiration, nitrification, denitrification, and metabolic quotient as well as microbial community composition and bacterial biomass. The most sensitive indicator was community composition with a PHC concentration effecting 25% of the population (EC25) of 800 mg/kg, followed by nitrification (2,000 mg/kg), microbial biomass (2,400 mg/kg), and soil respiration (3,500 mg/kg). Despite changes in potential microbial activities and composition over the frozen, thaw, and refreeze period, the sensitivity of these endpoints to PHC did not change with liquid water or temperature. However, the variability associated with ecotoxicity data increased at low liquid water contents. As a consequence of this variability, highly replicated (n = 50) experiments are needed to quantify a 25% ecological impairment by PHCs in Antarctic soils at a 95% level of significance. Increases in biomass and respiration associated with changes in community composition suggest that PHC contamination in Antarctic soils may have irrevocable effects on the ecosystem.

Conversion of grassland to coniferous woodland has limited effects on soil nitrogen cycle processes

In the last century, conversion of native North American grasslands to Juniperus virginiana forests or woodlands has dramatically altered ecosystem structure and significantly increased ecosystem carbon (C) stocks. We compared soils under recently established J. virginiana forests and adjacent native C 4-dominated grassland to assess changes in potential soil nitrogen (N) transformations and plant available N. Over a 2-year period, concentrations of extractable inorganic N were measured in soils from forest and grassland sites. Potential gross N ammonification, nitrification, and consumption rates were determined using 15N isotope-dilution under laboratory conditions, controlling for soil temperature and moisture content. Potential nitrification rates ( V max) and microbial biomass, as well as soil physical and chemical properties were also assessed. Extractable NH 4 + concentrations were significantly greater in grassland soils across the study period ( P ≤ 0.01), but analysis by date indicated that differences in extractable inorganic N occurred more frequently in fall and winter, when grasses were senescent but J. virginiana was still active. Laboratory-based rates of gross N mineralization (ammonification) and nitrification were greater in grassland soils ( P ≤ 0.05), but only on one of four dates. Potential nitrification rates ( V max) were an order of magnitude greater than gross nitrification rates in both ecosystems, suggesting that nitrification is highly constrained by NH 4 + availability. Differences in plant uptake of N, C inputs, and soil microclimate as forests replace grasslands may influence plant available N in the field, as evidenced by seasonal differences in soil extractable NH 4 +, and total soil C and N accumulation. However, we found few differences in potential soil N transformations under laboratory conditions, suggesting that this grassland-to-forest conversion caused little change in mineralizable organic N pools or potential microbial activity.

Potential of the soil microbial biomass C to tolerate and degrade persistent organic pollutants

A 12-day incubation experiment with the addition of glucose to soils contaminated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was carried out in order to estimate the potential microbial activities and the potential of the soil microbial biomass C to degrade 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The microbial activities were affected in different ways depending on the type of pollutant. The soil organic matter also played an important role. The microbial activities were affected particularly by high concentrations of PAHs in the soils. Soil microorganisms in the PAHs contaminated soil used the added glucose to a lesser extent than in the non-contaminated soil, which in the contaminated soil resulted in a higher microbial biomass content during the first day of incubation. DDT, DDD and DDE, and PCB affected the soil microbial activities differently and, in comparison with control soils, decreased the microbial biomass C during the incubation. The increased microbial activities led to a significant decrease of PAH up to 44.6% in the soil long-term contaminated with PAHs, and up to 14% in the control soil after 12 days of incubation. No decrease of PAHs concentrations was observed in the soil which was previously amended with sewage sludges containing PAHs and had more organic matter from the sewage sludges. DDT and its derivates DDD and DDE decreased by about 10%, whereas the PCB contents were not affected at all by microbial activities. Studies on the microbial degradation of POPs could be useful for the development of methods focused on the remediation of the contaminated sites. An increase of soil microbial activities caused by addition of organic substrates can contribute to the degradation of pollutants in some soils. However, in situ biodegradation may be limited because of a complex set of environmental conditions, particularly of the soil organic matter. The degradability and availability of POPs for the soil microorganisms has to be estimated individually for each contaminated site.

Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, respiration and microbial biomass in freshly amended soils

The hydrolysis of the fluorescein diacetate (FDA), related to several soil hydrolases, has been utilised to estimate the potential microbial activity of soil freshly amended with a wide range of organic amendments and compared to the size and activity of soil microflora, measured by the microbial biomass C (B C) and CO2 evolution, respectively. Three different composting mixtures at different phases of the composting process were added to a semi-arid soil and incubated for 2 months under laboratory conditions. The addition of the organic amendment immediately increased B C and both measures of microbial activity (FDA and CO2 evolution). Highly significant correlations were found between FDA hydrolysis and B C for soil amended with the three composting mixtures (r = 0.81–0.96; P < 0.01), regardless of the origin, composition and degree of stability of the organic amendments. FDA hydrolysis, conversely to CO2 evolution, was unaffected by the disturbance caused by the soil amendment, indicating that the two parameters probably reflect different aspects of soil microbial activity. FDA hydrolysis could serve as an alternative estimation of the microbial biomass in freshly amended soils, despite the disturbance caused by the exogenous organic matter.

Fate of biuret 15N and its effect on net mineralisation of native soil N in forest soils

Biuret (C2H5N3O2) priming effect on mineralisation of native soil N has not been precisely quantified in previous studies, although it is a potential microbial activity regulator and slow-release N fertiliser. Following application of biuret at concentrations of 0 (B0) and 100 (B100) mg/kg (oven-dried) soil, we measured the dynamics of biuret-derived 15N in soil N pools, soil C mineralisation, and microbial biomass C in a sandy loam and a silt loam during a 112-day-long incubation to investigate the fate of biuret 15N and its effect on net mineralisation of native soil N. Biuret was decomposed faster in the sandy loam soil than the silt loam soil. In the sandy loam soil, the stabilised N pool was a strong sink for the biuret-derived 15N and accumulated about half of the applied 15N at the end of incubation. In the silt loam soil, 68% of the 15N applied was recovered in the NO3−-N pool and the stabilised N pool accumulated only about 25% of the applied 15N at the end of incubation. Biuret addition increased the turnover rate constant of soil organic matter and caused a real priming effect on net mineralisation of native soil N in both soils. The additional mineralisation of native soil N was 20.1 mg/kg (equivalent to 27.3 kg N/ha) in the sandy loam soil and 20.5 mg/kg (equivalent to 57.3 kg N/ha) in the silt loam soil. Biuret priming effect was related to the acceleration of soil organic matter decomposition by increased microbial activity at an early stage and the death/decay of microbes at a later stage of incubation. The native soil N released through the priming effect was partially from soil non-biomass organic matter and partially from soil microbial biomass.

Maturation of the intestinal digestion and of microbial activity in the young rabbit: Impact of the dietary fibre:starch ratio

The developmental changes of intestinal digestive potential and caecal microbial activity were described in suckling and weaned rabbits according to two feeding programmes. Two groups of thirteen litters were fed from 18 to 42 days old a “High” or a “Medium” NDF:starch ratio diet (resp. 2.7 vs 2.0, groups HL and ML) with similar protein and lipid levels, and from 42 to 70 days old the two groups were fed a “Low” NDF:starch ratio diet (1.7). From 25 to 32 days (weaning), the milk and solid feed intake were 22% and 41% higher in ML group ( P < 0.05), and the mortality by diarrhoea was 4 units lower ( P < 0.01). The whole tract digestive efficiency increased by 10% before weaning, and remained steady (organic matter) or decreased (lipids, protein) after weaning. Energy digestibility was 0.623 and 0.686 for High and Medium diets respectively. From 25 to 42 days, total enzymatic activity in intestinal content increased for chymotrypsin (5-fold, P < 0.001), lipase (10-fold, P < 0.001), amylase (17-fold, P < 0.01) and maltase (11-fold, P < 0.001), while trypsin doubled after weaning. The feeding programme only affected the amylase and maltase activities, that were higher in HL group ( P < 0.05). The volatile fatty acids concentration in the caecum was not significantly different among the groups, but it increased by 44% 10 days after weaning. The bacterial fibrolytic enzymes, increased by 30% after weaning and were similar among the two groups. The study revealed that the intestinal digestive maturation and the caecal microbial activity of the rabbit evolved markedly between 3 and 5 weeks of age, and was weakly affected when the NDF:starch ratio decreased from 2.7 to 2.0.

Do plant clumps constitute microbial hotspots in semiarid Mediterranean patchy landscapes?

Three semiarid Mediterranean patchy landscapes were investigated to test the existence of a microsite effect (i.e. plant canopy vs. inter-canopy) on soil microbial communities. Surface soil samples were independently taken from both microsites under naturally changing conditions of humidity and temperature through the year. In gypsiferous soils covered with a shrub steppe, improved physical and chemical soil properties were registered underneath the plant canopy, where the densest and most active microbial communities were also detected (e.g. microbial biomass C averaged 531 and 202 mg kg −1 in canopy and inter-canopy areas, respectively). In calcareous perennial tussock grasslands, either growing on soils over limestones or alluvial deposits, the microsite effect was not so marked. Soil humidity, temperature and total organic C were homogeneously distributed over the landscape conditioning their uniform microbial activity under field moisture conditions (ATP content averaged 853 and 885 nmol kg −1 in canopy and intercanopy areas, respectively). However, readily mineralizable C and microbial biomass C were preferentially accumulated in soils underneath the tussocks determining their larger potential microbial activity (e.g. C hydrolysis capacity under optimal conditions). In conclusion, plant clumps either functioned as microbial hotspots where enhanced microbially driven ecosystem processes took place or as microbial banks capable of undergoing a burst of activity under favourable climatic conditions. Our results provide experimental evidence of a non-patchy distribution of certain soil microbial properties in semi-arid Mediterranean patchy ecosystems.

Compaction of forest soil by logging machinery favours occurrence of prokaryotes

Soil compaction caused by passage of logging machinery reduces the soil air capacity. Changed abiotic factors might induce a change in the soil microbial community and favour organisms capable of tolerating anoxic conditions. The goals of this study were to resolve differences between soil microbial communities obtained from wheel-tracks (i.e. compacted) and their adjacent undisturbed sites, and to evaluate differences in potential anaerobic microbial activities of these contrasting soils. Soil samples obtained from compacted soil had a greater bulk density and a higher pH than uncompacted soil. Analyses of phospholipid fatty acids demonstrated that the eukaryotic/prokaryotic ratio in compacted soils was lower than that of uncompacted soils, suggesting that fungi were not favoured by the in situ conditions produced by compaction. Indeed, most-probable-number (MPN) estimates of nitrous oxide-producing denitrifiers, acetate- and lactate-utilizing iron and sulfate reducers, and methanogens were higher in compacted than in uncompacted soils obtained from one site that had large differences in bulk density. Compacted soils from this site yielded higher iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing and methanogenic potentials than did uncompacted soils. MPN estimates of H2-utilizing acetogens in compacted and uncompacted soils were similar. These results indicate that compaction of forest soil alters the structure and function of the soil microbial community and favours occurrence of prokaryotes.

Impact of atmospheric CO 2 and plant life forms on soil microbial activities

From the global change perspective, increase of atmospheric CO 2 and land cover transformation are among the major impacts caused by human activities. In this study, we are addressing the combined issues of the effect of CO 2 concentration increase and plant type on soil microbial activities by asking how annual and perennial plant groups affect soil microbial processes under elevated CO 2. The experimental design used a mix of species of different growth forms for both annuals and perennials. Our objective was: (1) to determine how two years of annual or perennial plant cover and CO 2 enrichment could affect Mediterranean soil microbial processes; (2) to test the resistance and the resilience of these soil functional processes after a natural perturbation. We determined the effects of 2 years atmospheric CO 2 enrichment on soil potential respiration (SIR), denitrification (DEA) and nitrification (NEA) activities. We could not find any significant effect of CO 2 increase on SIR, DEA and NEA. However, we found a strong effect of the plant cover type, i.e. annuals versus perennials, on the potential microbial activity related to N cycling. DEA and NEA were significantly higher in soil under annual plants while SIR was not significantly different. To determine whether these changes would survive a natural perturbation, we carried out a rain event experiment once the experimental treatments (i.e. different plant cover and atmospheric CO 2 concentration) were stopped. The soil potential respiration, as expressed by the SIR, was not affected and remained stable. DEA rates converged rapidly under annuals and perennials after the rain event. Under both annuals and perennials NEA increased significantly after the rain event but remained significantly higher in the soil with annual plants. The relative change of the soil microbial processes induced by annual and perennial plants was inversely related to the density and the diversity of the corresponding microbial functional groups.

Nutrient dynamics in interstitial habitats of low-order rural streams with different bedrock geology

We Studied water exchange, nutrient dynamics, and microbial activities between the Surface and interstitial habitats of six low-order streams with catchments dominated by agriculture during high and low water periods. In each stream, surface (open) water and interstitial water form downwelling and Upwelling zones were considered. Interstitial habitats of most streams acted as a sink for nitrate, but as a source for ammonium and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). The nitrate sink persisted in shallow sediments of downwelling zones, while the source of ammonium and SRP persisted in deeper sediments of upwelling zones, where organic matter was decomposed and microbial uptake was lower than the production of nutrients. Geology (granite versus schist substratum) was the main variable controlling the nutrient contents and the microbial activity within interstitial habitats due to varying sediment grain size and hydraulic properties. Schist streams had the finest sediment grain size and lowest hydrologic connectivity between Surface water and interstitial habitats, and had the highest potential microbial activities, especially for denitrification. Land-use of the catchments (percentage of forested area), channel morphology (river incision), and local characteristics of the benthic sediment (partial clogging) also influenced nutrient concentrations and microbial activities irrespectively of the geology of the catchment.

The effect of soil water content and microbial activity on restoring the structure of a Vertisol

Soils with high clay content are susceptible to structural damage, if they are intensively cultivated. The structure of soils of the Vertisol group has the tendency to restore as a result of wetting and drying. Samples of a remoulded clayey soil were exposed to seven successive wetting/drying (w/d) cycles, in order to study the change of some structural features of the newly formed aggregates. To assess the effect of soil water content and microbial activity, two different matric water potential ranges were used under sterile and non-sterile conditions. Aggregate size distribution depended on both the water potential range and microbial activity and approached to a steady state with increasing cycle number. The water stability of the 2–1 mm aggregates was affected by the activity of soil micro-organisms under wet conditions and by forces of mechanical nature when the soil was reaching dryness. All cases resulted in aggregates of reduced water stability with respect to the natural aggregates. The <50 μm aggregated particles initially preserved stability, but after a number of w/d cycles they collapsed at a rate, depending mainly on the water potential range.

Response of soil microbial biomass and community composition to chronic nitrogen additions at Harvard forest

Soil microbial communities may respond to anthropogenic increases in ecosystem nitrogen (N) availability, and the microbial response may ultimately feed back on ecosystem carbon and N dynamics. We examined the long-term effects of chronic N additions on soil microbes by measuring soil microbial biomass, composition and substrate utilization patterns in pine and hardwood forests at the Harvard Forest Chronic N Amendment Study. Functional and structural genes for important N cycling processes were studied using DNA community profiles. In the O horizon soil of both stands, N additions decreased microbial biomass C as determined by chloroform fumigation-extraction. Utilization of N-containing substrates was lower in N-treated pine soils than in the controls, suggesting that N additions reduced potential microbial activity in the pine stand. Counts of fungi and bacteria as determined by direct microscopy and culture techniques did not show a clear response to N additions. Nitrogen additions, however, strongly influenced microbial community DNA profiles. The ammonia monooxygenase gene ( amoA) generally was found in high N-treated soils, but not in control soils. The nifH gene for N 2-fixation was generally found in all soils, but was more difficult to amplify in the pine N-treated soil than the controls, suggesting that the population of N 2-fixers was altered by N additions. The 16S rDNA gene for Nitrobacter was found in all samples, but distinct differences among DNA profiles were observed in the pine B horizon in the control, low N, and high N-treated plots. Our findings indicate that chronic N additions decreased chloroform microbial carbon and altered microbial community profiles. These changes in microbial community structure may be an important component of the response of terrestrial ecosystems to human-accelerated N supply.