Soil Microbial Abundance Research Articles

Stronger warming effects on microbial abundances in colder regions.

Soil microbes play critical roles in regulating terrestrial carbon (C) cycle and its feedback to climate change. However, it is still unclear how the soil microbial community and abundance respond to future climate change scenarios. In this meta-analysis, we synthesized the responses of microbial community and abundance to experimental warming from 64 published field studies. Our results showed that warming significantly increased soil microbial abundance by 7.6% on average. When grouped by vegetation or soil types, tundras and histosols had the strongest microbial responses to warming with increased microbial, fungal, and bacterial abundances by 15.0%, 9.5% and 37.0% in tundra, and 16.5%, 13.2% and 13.3% in histosols, respectively. We found significant negative relationships of the response ratios of microbial, fungal and bacterial abundances with the mean annual temperature, indicating that warming had stronger effects in colder than warmer regions. Moreover, the response ratios of microbial abundance to warming were positively correlated with those of soil respiration. Our findings therefore indicate that the large quantities of C stored in colder regions are likely to be more vulnerable to climate warming than the soil C stored in other warmer regions.

Increasing aridity reduces soil microbial diversity and abundance in global drylands

Soil bacteria and fungi play key roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, yet our understanding of their responses to climate change lags significantly behind that of other organisms. This gap in our understanding is particularly true for drylands, which occupy ∼41% of Earth´s surface, because no global, systematic assessments of the joint diversity of soil bacteria and fungi have been conducted in these environments to date. Here we present results from a study conducted across 80 dryland sites from all continents, except Antarctica, to assess how changes in aridity affect the composition, abundance, and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi. The diversity and abundance of soil bacteria and fungi was reduced as aridity increased. These results were largely driven by the negative impacts of aridity on soil organic carbon content, which positively affected the abundance and diversity of both bacteria and fungi. Aridity promoted shifts in the composition of soil bacteria, with increases in the relative abundance of Chloroflexi and α-Proteobacteria and decreases in Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Contrary to what has been reported by previous continental and global-scale studies, soil pH was not a major driver of bacterial diversity, and fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota. Our results fill a critical gap in our understanding of soil microbial communities in terrestrial ecosystems. They suggest that changes in aridity, such as those predicted by climate-change models, may reduce microbial abundance and diversity, a response that will likely impact the provision of key ecosystem services by global drylands.

Variations in snow depth modify N-related soil microbial abundances and functioning during winter in subalpine grassland

In alpine and arctic ecosystems, the snowpack has been shown to insulate soils from the winter climatic harshness. Ongoing climate change modifies snowpack quantity and quality, but the consequences of these changes on the soil functioning remain largely unknown. We benefited from a subalpine landscape of the French Alps where, 700 years ago, agricultural practices led to the formation of terraces. Subsequently, on each terrace, snow thickness patterns significantly differed between the bank and the front areas inducing strong divergence in their soil microclimatic conditions. Using this framework, we measured abundances and activities of nitrifiers and denitrifiers, together with a set of environmental variables, on three grassland terraces between December and May to test the following hypotheses: (i) soil N-related microbial abundances and activities are sensitive to soil microclimatic variations and differ along the terrace snow depth gradient during winter, (ii) a thicker snowpack favors higher abundances and activities, and (iii) the driving forces for nitrification and denitrification abundances and activities vary along the snow depth gradient. Our results showed significantly and changing N-related microbial activities and abundances during winter despite partly frozen soils, and suggested the selection and/or adaptation of psychrophilic microbial communities. Moreover, activities as well as abundances of nitrifiers and denitrifiers were significantly higher under a weak or absent snowpack during winter, and mostly related to soil water content and soil surface temperature according to our models. We suggest that strongly variable soil abiotic conditions at the front stations enabled the release of nutrients from soil organic and inorganic compounds favoring psychrophilic bacterial abundances and activities. Contrastingly, a thicker and permanent snowpack maintained circum-zero soil temperatures during winter which limited the microbial community's turnover and release of organic and inorganic N. This created N-limited conditions and N-competition between microbial populations resulting in lower abundances and activities. Overall, changes in the snowpack depth strongly affect the soil microbial functioning of subalpine grasslands with potential consequences on nutrient dynamic and other trophic levels.

Controls and dynamics of biochar decomposition and soil microbial abundance, composition, and carbon use efficiency during long-term biochar-amended soil incubations

The process-level understanding of biochar-C decomposition and microbial utilization in soils is poorly understood as well as how these dynamics vary across different addition rates and soil types. We present results from a 30-month laboratory incubation, where oak-derived biochar was added at 0, 1, 5, 10, and 20 % rate by weight to four soils varying in soil properties. We determined biochar-C loss using natural abundance 13C isotope coupled to measurements of CO2 efflux. We measured microbial abundance, composition, and C use efficiency (CUE) using phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers and 13C labeled glucose, respectively. After 30 months, the amount of the remaining biochar-C was insignificantly different between different biochar addition rates, suggesting that biochar-C loss is proportional to biochar addition rates. In soils with higher C contents (i.e., >1.5 %), biochar decomposition rates appeared to slow down after initial fast decomposition; while biochar decomposition rates followed one-pool model for soils with lower C. Soil microbial composition significantly changed at 10 or 20 % addition rate after 30 months, which was correlated with the increase in soil C/N. The highest CUE was found at 1 or 5 %, depending on soil types.

Effects of Conservation Agriculture and Fertilization on Soil Microbial Diversity and Activity

Soil microbial communities perform critical functions in ecosystem processes. These functions can be used to assess the impact of agricultural practices on sustainable crop production. In this five-year study, the effect of various agricultural practices on soil microbial diversity and activity was investigated in a summer rainfall area under South African dryland conditions. Microbial diversity and activity were measured in the 0–15 cm layer of a field trial consisting of two fertilizer levels, three cropping systems, and two tillage systems. Using the Shannon–Weaver and Evenness diversity indices, soil microbial species richness and abundance were measured. Microbial enzymatic activities: β-glucosidase, phosphatase and urease, were used to evaluate ecosystem functioning. Cluster analysis revealed a shift in soil microbial community diversity and activity over time. Microbial diversity and activity were higher under no-till than conventional tillage. Fertilizer levels seemed to play a minor role in determining microbial diversity and activity, whereas the cropping systems played a more important role in determining the activity of soil microbial communities. Conservation agriculture yielded the highest soil microbial diversity and activity in diversified cropping systems under no-till.

Characterization of culturable bacterial endophytes and their capacity to promote plant growth from plants grown using organic or conventional practices.

Plants have a diverse internal microbial biota that has been shown to have an important influence on a range of plant health attributes. Although these endophytes have been found to be widely occurring, few studies have correlated agricultural production practices with endophyte community structure and function. One agricultural system that focuses on preserving and enhancing soil microbial abundance and biodiversity is organic farming, and numerous studies have shown that organically managed system have increased microbial community characteristics. Herein, the diversity and specificity of culturable bacterial endophytes were evaluated in four vegetable crops: corn, tomato, melon, and pepper grown under organic or conventional practices. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from surface-sterilized shoot, root, and seed tissues and sequence identified. A total of 336 bacterial isolates were identified, and grouped into 32 species and five phyla. Among these, 239 isolates were from organically grown plants and 97 from those grown conventionally. Although a diverse range of bacteria were documented, 186 were from the Phylum Firmicutes, representing 55% of all isolates. Using the Shannon diversity index, we observed a gradation of diversity in tissues, with shoots and roots having a similar value, and seeds having the least diversity. Importantly, endophytic microbial species abundance and diversity was significantly higher in the organically grown plants compared to those grown using conventional practices, potentially indicating that organic management practices may increase endophyte presence and diversity. The impact that these endophytes could have on plant growth and yield was evaluated by reintroducing them into tomato plants in a greenhouse environment. Of the bacterial isolates tested, 61% were found to promote tomato plant growth and 50–64% were shown to enhance biomass accumulation, illustrating their potential agroecosystem application.

Long-term responses of plant growth, soil microbial communities and soil enzyme activities to elevated CO2 and neighbouring plants

Tree neighbourhoods can complicate the prediction of plant belowground responses to elevated CO2. We studied the effects of elevated CO2 on the root traits, soil microbial communities, and microbial extracellular enzyme activities in the rhizospheres of Abies faxoniana saplings grown alone or with different neighbouring species. A. faxoniana (alone), A. faxoniana grown with dwarf bamboo (Fargesia rufa), and A. faxoniana grown with biocrusts were exposed to ambient or to CO2-enriched air (ambient+350μmolmol−1) for six years. The CO2×neighbourhood interaction significantly affected A. faxoniana saplings growth, soil microbial communities, and soil enzyme activities. Elevated CO2 had relatively little effect on plant and microbial biomass and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles in saplings grown alone. However, increased ectomycorrhizal colonization was observed in the roots of these saplings. Results suggested that the growth of saplings grown with biocrusts under elevated CO2 conditions was obtained by the enhanced soil microbial characteristics, whereas the positive effects of elevated CO2 on ectomycorrhizal fungi colonization in saplings grown alone could not delay or alleviate the progressive nitrogen (N) limitation as is evidenced by similar plant biomass under elevated and ambient CO2 treatments. In contrast, elevated CO2 significantly decreased the growth of A. faxoniana in the presence of dwarf bamboo, and this reduction was accompanied by decreased soil and leaf N concentrations, microbial biomass carbon (C) and N, labile C, and total PLFA. We propose that the depletion of the C pool and the reduction in the soil microbial metabolic activities in saplings grown with dwarf bamboo may limit the rates of decomposition to release nutrients from organic matter for plant growth. These results suggest that neighbouring plants have belowground feedback that potentially contributes to plant performance. On the other hand, the results of the present study also showed that the responses of soil organic C to elevated CO2 are different in the presence and absence of neighbours and dependent on neighbour identity. Only mesocosms with biocrust had a tendency to maintain more soil organic C by increased soil microbial community abundance. Our results also highlight the value of studying elevated CO2 effects on aboveground–belowground associations to improve the prediction of subalpine ecosystem functioning under climate changes.

Functional and structural responses of soil N-cycling microbial communities to the herbicide mesotrione: a dose-effect microcosm approach.

Microbial communities driving the nitrogen cycle contribute to ecosystem services such as crop production and air, soil, and water quality. The responses to herbicide stress of ammonia-oxidizing and ammonia-denitrifying microbial communities were investigated by an analysis of changes in structure-function relationships. Their potential activities, abundances (quantitative PCR), and genetic structure (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) were assessed in a microcosm experiment. The application rate (1 × FR, 0.45μgg(-1) soil) of the mesotrione herbicide did not strongly affect soil N-nutrient dynamics or microbial community structure and abundances. Doses of the commercial product Callisto® (10 × FR and 100 × FR) or pure mesotrione (100 × FR) exceeding field rates induced short-term inhibition of nitrification and a lasting stimulation of denitrification. These effects could play a part in the increase in soil ammonium content and decrease in nitrate contents observed in treated soils. These functional impacts were mainly correlated with abundance shifts of ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) and Archaea (AOA) or denitrifying bacteria. The sustained restoration of nitrification activity, from day 42 in the 100 × FR-treated soils, was likely promoted by changes in the community size and composition of AOB, which suggests a leading role, rather than AOA, for soil nitrification restoration after herbicide stress. This ecotoxicological community approach provides a nonesuch multiparameter assessment of responses of N-cycling microbial guilds to pesticide stress.

Linkage of N2O emissions to the abundance of soil ammonia oxidizers and denitrifiers in purple soil under long-term fertilization

Microbial nitrification and denitrification are responsible for the majority of soil nitrous (N2O) emissions. In this study, N2O emissions were measured and the abundance of ammonium oxidizers and denitrifiers were quantified in purple soil in a long-term fertilization experiment to explore their relationships. The average N2O fluxes and abundance of the amoAgene in ammonia-oxidizing bacteria during the observed dry season were highest when treated with mixed nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer (NPK) and a single N treatment (N) using NH4HCO3as the sole N source; lower values were obtained using organic manure with pig slurry and added NPK at a ratio of 40%:60% (OMNPK),organic manure with pig slurry (OM) and returning crop straw residue plus synthetic NH4HCO3fertilizer at a ratio of 15%:85% (SRNPK). The lowest N2O fluxes were observed in the treatment that used crop straw residue(SR) and in the control with no fertilizer (CK). Soil NH4+provides the substrate for nitrification generating N2O as a byproduct. The N2O flux was significantly correlated with the abundance of the amoA gene in ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (r = 0.984, p < 0.001), which was the main driver of nitrification. During the wet season, soil nitrate (NO3−) and soil organic matter (SOC) were found positively correlated with N2O emissions (r = 0.774, p = 0.041 and r = 0.827, p = 0.015, respectively). The nirS gene showed a similar trend with N2O fluxes. These results show the relationship between the abundance of soil microbes and N2O emissions and suggest that N2O emissions during the dry season were due to nitrification, whereas in wet season, denitrification might dominate N2O emission.

Nutrient Cycling and Soil Health in Organic Cropping Systems - Importance of Management Strategies and Soil Resilience

&lt;p&gt;Organic field crop systems are characterized by complex rotations with high spatial and temporal vegetative diversity, an enhanced use of legumes, and reduced external nutrient (nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) use. At the same time, a core premise of certified organic agriculture is that this farming system provides benefits to soil health via enhanced microbial diversity. The following short review, drawing primarily upon selected studies from North America, examines the impact of farming systems, and various management strategies within these, on soil organic matter, N and P dynamics, and soil microbial and macrofaunal abundance and diversity. Organic cropping systems are shown to provide benefits with respect to reduced farm N and P surpluses, in combination with maintenance of soil organic matter and improved soil health. However, soil health benefits appear consistently achieved only for larger soil organisms partly due to the resilience of the soil microbial community. Recent research examining soil P dynamics and P uptake in relation to legume biological N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; fixation and bacterial and mycorrhizal community diversity provide evidence of the resilience of the soil microbial community with respect to functionality, if not diversity of microbial community composition. These latter results may challenge organic agriculture core premises of consistent benefits to soil health via enhanced microbial diversity, but in its place may lead to an improved understanding of how specific cropping practices and production system intensity overall, rather than farming system per se, influences both nutrient cycling and soil ecosystem functioning.&lt;/p&gt;

16S rRNA-based bacterial community structure is a sensitive indicator of soil respiration activity

Understanding the relationships between soil respiration activity (SRA) and soil microbial community abundance and composition is pivotal for soil respiration prediction, modelling and management. This study aimed to assess value of the bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA)- or ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-related indices (BRIs) in relation to SRA. Soil samples collected from a Tibetan alpine meadow were amended with different amounts of glutamate to establish a SRA gradient. Several BRIs including 16S rDNA copies, rRNA copies, the ratio of 16S rRNA copies to 16S rDNA copies and 16S rDNA- or rRNA-based community structure were analysed using real-time PCR or terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Except 16S rRNA copies and the ratio of 16S rRNA copies to 16S rDNA copies, all of the BRIs significantly correlated with the SRA. However, the 16S rRNA-based bacterial community structure explained 72.7 % of the SRA variations, which clearly outperformed all other BRIs. The results imply that the 16S rRNA-based bacterial community structure provides a sensitive and robust BRI to support future studies on the relationships between SRA and microbial communities.

Evaluation of the ecotoxicological impact of the organochlorine chlordecone on soil microbial community structure, abundance, and function.

The insecticide chlordecone applied for decades in banana plantations currently contaminates 20,000 ha of arable land in the French West Indies. Although the impact of various pesticides on soil microorganisms has been studied, chlordecone toxicity to the soil microbial community has never been assessed. We investigated in two different soils (sandy loam and silty loam) exposed to different concentrations of CLD (D0, control; D1 and D10, 1 and 10 times the agronomical dose) over different periods of time (3, 7, and 32 days): (i) the fate of chlordecone by measuring (14)C-chlordecone mass balance and (ii) the impact of chlordecone on microbial community structure, abundance, and function, using standardized methods (-A-RISA, taxon-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR), and (14)C-compounds mineralizing activity). Mineralization of (14)C-chlordecone was inferior below 1 % of initial (14)C-activity. Less than 2 % of (14)C-activity was retrieved from the water-soluble fraction, while most of it remained in the organic-solvent-extractable fraction (75 % of initial (14)C-activity). Only 23 % of the remaining (14)C-activity was measured in nonextractable fraction. The fate of chlordecone significantly differed between the two soils. The soluble and nonextractable fractions were significantly higher in sandy loam soil than in silty loam soil. All the measured microbiological parameters allowed discriminating statistically the two soils and showed a variation over time. The genetic structure of the bacterial community remained insensitive to chlordecone exposure in silty loam soil. In response to chlordecone exposure, the abundance of Gram-negative bacterial groups (β-, γ-Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Bacteroidetes) was significantly modified only in sandy loam soil. The mineralization of (14)C-sodium acetate and (14)C-2,4-D was insensitive to chlordecone exposure in silty loam soil. However, mineralization of (14)C-sodium acetate was significantly reduced in soil microcosms of sandy loam soil exposed to chlordecone as compared to the control (D0). These data show that chlordecone exposure induced changes in microbial community taxonomic composition and function in one of the two soils, suggesting microbial toxicity of this organochlorine.

The effect of biochar and its interaction with the earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus on soil microbial community structure in tropical soils.

Biochar effects on soil microbial abundance and community structure are keys for understanding the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and organic matter turnover, but are poorly understood, in particular in tropical areas. We conducted a greenhouse experiment in which we added biochars produced from four different feedstocks [sewage sludge (B1), deinking sewage sludge (B2), Miscanthus (B3) and pine wood (B4)] at a rate of 3% (w/w) to two tropical soils (an Acrisol and a Ferralsol) planted with proso millet (Panicum milliaceum L.). The interactive effect of the addition of earthworms was also addressed. For this purpose we utilized soil samples from pots with or without the earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus, which is a ubiquitous earthworm in tropical soils. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) measurements showed that biochar type, soil type and the presence of earthworms significantly affected soil microbial community size and structure. In general, biochar addition affected fungal but not bacterial populations. Overall, biochars rich in ash (B1 and B2) resulted in a marked increase in the fungi to bacteria ratio, while this ratio was unaltered after addition of biochars with a high fixed carbon content (B3 and B4). Our study remarked the contrasting effect that both, biochar prepared from different materials and macrofauna, can have on soil microbial community. Such changes might end up with ecosystem-level effects.

Differences in thallus chemistry are related to species‐specific effects of biocrust‐forming lichens on soil nutrients and microbial communities

Summary It is well‐known that vascular plants have species‐specific effects on soil properties. However, little is known on how individual species forming biocrusts, communities dominated by lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria that are prevalent in many ecosystems world‐wide, affect microbial communities and soil variables related to nutrient cycling. We evaluated the relationship of six biocrust‐forming lichens (Buellia epipolia, Diploschistes diacapsis, Fulgensia subbracteata, Psora decipiens, Squamarina cartilaginea and Squamarina lentigera) with microbial abundance and multiple variables associated with soil nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) cycling and storage. We also evaluated whether the composition of lichen tissues (contents in C, N, P and polyphenols) is related to the C, N, P availability and microbial abundance in soils. Finally, we assessed what lichen species positively and negatively relate to soil fertility compared to bare ground areas without biocrusts. We found contrasted C, N, P availability and soil microbial abundance under the different biocrust‐forming lichens. Interestingly, inorganic P and amino acids were the most important factors differentiating lichen microsites. These differences in nutrient availability seem to be related to the C, N and P composition of the lichen tissues. For example, soils under D. diacapsis and P. decipiens, which had the lowest and highest C, N and P contents in their tissues, respectively, had the lowest and highest nutrient availability, respectively. We also found contrasted soil microbes abundance under the different soil lichens. For instance, F. subbracteata and D. diacapsis were negatively related to the abundance of bacteria compared to bare ground areas. Our results support the idea that, as found with vascular plants, biocrust‐forming lichens have species‐specific effects on soil microbial communities and C, N and P cycling. Thus, continuing considering biocrusts as a unique entity will only add confusion to our knowledge of how they control nutrient availability and microbial abundance in the ecosystems where this key community is prevalent.

An ecosystem approach to assess soil quality in organically and conventionally managed farms in Iceland and Austria

Abstract. Intensive agricultural production can be an important driver for the loss of long-term soil quality. For this reason, the European Critical Zone Observatory (CZO) network adopted four pairs of agricultural CZO sites that differ in their management: conventional or organic. The CZO sites include two pairs of grassland farms in Iceland and two pairs of arable farms in Austria. Conventional fields differed from the organic fields in the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. Soils of these eight farms were analysed in terms of their physical, chemical, and biological properties, including soil aggregate size distribution, soil organic matter contents, abundance of soil microbes and soil fauna, and taxonomic diversity of soil microarthropods. In Icelandic grasslands, organically farmed soils had larger mean weight diameters of soil aggregates than the conventional farms, while there were no differences on the Austrian farms. Organic farming did not systematically influence organic matter contents or composition, nor soil carbon and nitrogen contents. Also, soil food web structures, in terms of presence of trophic groups of soil organisms, were highly similar among all farms, indicating a low sensitivity of trophic structure to land use or climate. However, soil organism biomass, especially of bacteria and nematodes, was consistently higher on organic farms than on conventional farms. Within the microarthropods, taxonomic diversity was systematically higher in the organic farms compared to the conventional farms. This difference was found across countries and farm, crop, and soil types. The results do not show systematic differences in physical and chemical properties between organic and conventional farms, but confirm that organic farming can enhance soil biomass and that microarthropod diversity is a sensitive and consistent indicator for land management.

Are there links between responses of soil microbes and ecosystem functioning to elevated CO2, N deposition and warming? A global perspective.

In recent years, there has been an increase in research to understand how global changes' impacts on soil biota translate into altered ecosystem functioning. However, results vary between global change effects, soil taxa, and ecosystem processes studied, and a synthesis of relationships is lacking. Therefore, here we initiate such a synthesis to assess whether the effect size of global change drivers (elevated CO2, N deposition, and warming) on soil microbial abundance is related with the effect size of these drivers on ecosystem functioning (plant biomass, soil C cycle, and soil N cycle) using meta-analysis and structural equation modeling. For N deposition and warming, the global change effect size on soil microbes was positively associated with the global change effect size on ecosystem functioning, and these relationships were consistent across taxa and ecosystem processes. However, for elevated CO2, such links were more taxon and ecosystem process specific. For example, fungal abundance responses to elevated CO2 were positively correlated with those of plant biomass but negatively with those of the N cycle. Our results go beyond previous assessments of the sensitivity of soil microbes and ecosystem processes to global change, and demonstrate the existence of general links between the responses of soil microbial abundance and ecosystem functioning. Further we identify critical areas for future research, specifically altered precipitation, soil fauna, soil community composition, and litter decomposition, that are need to better quantify the ecosystem consequences of global change impacts on soil biodiversity.

Effects of regenerating vegetation on soil enzyme activity and microbial structure in reclaimed soils on a surface coal mine site

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of reclaimed scenarios on soil enzyme activities and microbial community in a reclaimed surface coal mine on the Northwest Loess Plateau of China. Soil samples were collected from a bare land (CK), and a plantation (PL) and four mixed forests (MF1-4). Soil physicochemical characteristics, four enzyme activities and microbial abundance and T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism) profiles were measured. Effects of reclaimed scenarios on soil nutrients content, enzyme activities and microbial community were pronounced. Soil organic carbon could be well used to predict the major differences in enzyme activities, and microbial abundance and composition. Soil enzyme activities were more significantly correlated with fungal abundance than bacterial and archaeal ones. The higher soil nutrient content, enzyme activities, and microbial abundance and diversity were from mixed forests and the lowest ones were from CK, which suggested mixed forests would be feasible scenarios in semi-arid Loess Plateau. Soil bacteria, archaea and fungi evolved with reclaimed process, but the influences of reclaimed scenarios on each domain of microbial abundance, diversity and composition were different. These findings suggested that soil bacteria, archaea and fungi play different ecological roles during restoration process.

Effects of biochar, earthworms, and litter addition on soil microbial activity and abundance in a temperate agricultural soil

Biochar application to arable soils could be effective for soil C sequestration and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Soil microorganisms and fauna are the major contributors to GHG emissions from soil, but their interactions with biochar are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of biochar and its interaction with earthworms on soil microbial activity, abundance, and community composition in an incubation experiment with an arable soil with and without N-rich litter addition. After 37 days of incubation, biochar significantly reduced CO2 (up to 43 %) and N2O (up to 42 %), as well as NH4 +-N and NO3 −-N concentrations, compared to the control soils. Concurrently, in the treatments with litter, biochar increased microbial biomass and the soil microbial community composition shifted to higher fungal-to-bacterial ratios. Without litter, all microbial groups were positively affected by biochar × earthworm interactions suggesting better living conditions for soil microorganisms in biochar-containing cast aggregates after the earthworm gut passage. However, assimilation of biochar-C by earthworms was negligible, indicating no direct benefit for the earthworms from biochar uptake. Biochar strongly reduced the metabolic quotient qCO2 and suppressed the degradation of native SOC, resulting in large negative priming effects (up to 68 %). We conclude that the biochar amendment altered microbial activity, abundance, and community composition, inducing a more efficient microbial community with reduced emissions of CO2 and N2O. Earthworms affected soil microorganisms only in the presence of biochar, highlighting the need for further research on the interactions of biochar with soil fauna.

Soil application of biochar produced from biomass grown on trace element contaminated land

Trace element (TE) contamination of soils is a worldwide problem. However, although not considered safe anymore for food production without clean-up, many of these soils may still be used to produce biomass for non-food purposes such as biochar. Exploring the suitability of such biochar for the amendment of low-fertility soil, we investigated growth and metal accumulation of ryegrass (Lolium perenne, var. Calibra) as well as soil microbial abundance on a non-contaminated soil after amendment with biochar from birch (Betula pendula) wood produced on TE contaminated soil in comparison to a treatment with birch wood biochar originating from non-contaminated soil. Biochars were produced from both feedstocks by pyrolysis at two temperatures: 450 and 700 °C. During the pyrolysis, in contrast to Cu, Fe, Mg, K, Mn and P, the elements Cd, Pb, S and Na volatilized. The root biomass of the biochar treated plants was lower than that of the non-amended plants, while that of the shoot was higher. Plant shoot K and Zn concentrations were increased significantly by up to 7- and 3.3-fold respectively. For P, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu no significant increase in shoot concentration could be detected. Neither the TE-contaminated biochar, nor the non-contaminated biochar had adverse effect on the bacterial community of the soil.

C mineralization and microbial activity in four biochar field experiments several years after incorporation

Most studies looking into the effect of amendment of biochar on soil microbial functioning employ short-term laboratory studies and probably describe relatively transient phenomena. Multi-year experiments, spanning beyond initial degradation of biologically labile biochar constituents, on the other hand are more scarce, although these are much needed to establish the medium-term effect of biochar on soil organisms. In the present study, soil was sampled from biochar-amended and control plots of four biochar field trials at Lincoln (UK), Rivignano, Rocca Bernarda and Beano in Italy. Air-dried pre-incubated soil samples were incubated at 15 °C for 8–9 weeks to follow-up carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. We then determined soil β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase enzyme activity, and used PLFA analysis to quantify the total soil microbial biomass and community structure. The analysis indicated that soil microbial activity was either not affected or inhibited to different extents in the biochar-amended plots. At Lincoln, with the highest application rate (49 t ha−1), an overall inhibition of all investigated measures of microbial activity, a lower sum of extracted PLFAs and lower fungal abundance were observed. On the other end at Beano, depth dispersion of biochar by deep tillage and a lower application rate (20 t ha−1) probably explain the absence of any significant effect on microbial activity in that experiment. At Rivignano and Rocca Bernarda, dehydrogenase activity was lower in the biochar amended soil and C-mineralization was lower as well for Rivignano. Interestingly, however, β-glucosidase activity and the sum of extracted PLFAs was not affected by biochar treatment. Several mechanisms could reconcile the different effect of biochar application on overall microbial activity on the one hand and microbial abundance and rate of cellulose degradation on the other. Biochar amendment led to a lowered or equal soil microbial activity and abundance in most field sites. In contrast to many short-term laboratory studies, it therefore seems unlikely that biochar would still function as a substrate 1–4 years after incorporation in the field.