Soil Redox Conditions Research Articles

Trace Element Solubility in a Multimetal-Contaminated Soil as Affected by Redox Conditions

Redox conditions play an outstanding role in controlling the behaviour of trace elements in soil environments. They are not only sensitive to water saturation but also to soil temperature because many redox reactions are mediated by microorganisms. In this study, we investigated the influence of oxidising (oxygen predominant), weakly reducing (MnIII,IV reduction) and moderately reducing (FeIII reduction) conditions at three temperature regimes (7, 15 and 25 °C) on the solubility of ten trace elements. Multimetal-contaminated topsoil (pH 5.8) from a floodplain in Germany was investigated with the following aqua regia-soluble concentrations: Zn 903, Cu 551, Cr 488, Pb 354, Ni 93.5, As 35.7, Co 22.4, Sb 20.5, Cd 8.3 and Mo 6.5 mg kg−1. Soil suspensions were held at fixed redox potential in microcosm experiments, sampled at every third day and analysed for trace elements. Time to achieve weakly and particularly moderately reducing conditions was temperature dependent and increased in the order 25 °C < 15 °C < 7 °C. Under oxidising conditions, the solubility of the trace elements was low. Reductive dissolution of Mn oxides under weakly reducing conditions was accompanied by a release of Co and Mo. Reductive dissolution of Fe oxides (and of remaining Mn oxides) under moderately reducing conditions additionally led to a release of As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb, whereas Cu and Zn were hardly affected. Antimony revealed a different behaviour because, after a first increase, a continuous decrease in its concentration was observed soon after the onset of weakly reducing conditions. We conclude that soil temperature should be considered as a master variable, to distinguish between weakly and moderately reducing soil conditions, and that it is necessary to keep element-specific behaviour in mind when dealing with the effects of redox conditions in soils on trace element solubility.

Changes in nutrient concentration and carbon accumulation in a mediterranean restored marsh (Ebro Delta, Spain)

Eutrophication is now a serious environmental problem worldwide because it disrupts the metabolism of aquatic ecosystems. In the Ebro Delta, intensive rice farming during the 20th century has increased coastal eutrophication and caused ecological and economic impacts. Marsh restoration is as an effective economic and ecological tool to remove nutrients from agricultural runoff, thereby limiting coastal eutrophication impacts and also providing other ecosystem services. The objective of this experimental study was to assess overall N and P concentration reduction, C accumulation and Si buffering in an oligohaline restored marsh receiving nutrient and sediment inputs from river irrigation and rice field drainage waters under different water levels. We established the experimental restored marsh in abandoned deltaic rice fields from August 2009 to June 2012. The study of changes in nutrient concentration was performed in 2010 from June to November. The study of nutrient and carbon accumulation was performed from August 2009 to May 2011. We used two freshwater input type treatments (riverine irrigation and rice field drainage water) and three water level treatments (10, 20 and 30cm). Our results showed that higher water nutrient concentrations from rice fields caused significantly higher N- NH4+ and P- PO43− concentration reduction (80.76±1.8% and 17.99±3.92% respectively). There was also an export in TP and P- PO43− (−45.08±13.12 and −23.85±8.15%, respectively) in experimental marsh units receiving river irrigation waters. Significantly lower soil redox conditions and higher total maximum aboveground biomass in the IW treatment were associated with lower N- NO3− concentration reduction and higher Si-SiO2 concentration reduction (94.14±0.72% and 58.54±1.08% respectively) than the DW treatment. Higher sediment concentrations from rice fields were associated with higher C accumulation rates (126.10±6.25gm−2y−1) compared with experimental marsh units receiving river irrigation waters (99.44±8.23gm−2y−1). Higher water levels also increased significantly P- PO43− and Si-SiO2 concentration reduction and C accumulation rates within both water type treatments. Our experimental study showed how multiple mechanisms control N and P concentration reduction, Si buffering and C accumulation. Plant growth may decrease the ability to reduce the input concentration of N- NO3− possibly due to denitrification inhibition via plant oxygenation of marsh soils. Plant uptake may favor Si buffering in the restored marsh, although high water levels may also control Si buffering through higher residence time for diatom uptake. This study indicates that Mediterranean oligohaline restored marshes removed N and P using both river irrigation and rice field drainage waters and also provide C accumulation and Si buffering services. The use of agriculture runoff as a primary source of nutrient and sediment is beneficial for marsh restoration projects focused on C accumulation. In general, higher water levels (20–30cm) were better for nutrient concentration reduction and C accumulation, but higher water levels were also associated with lower plant biomass.

Effect of iron oxide reductive dissolution on the transformation and immobilization of arsenic in soils: New insights from X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The geochemical behavior and speciation of arsenic (As) in paddy soils is strongly controlled by soil redox conditions and the sequestration by soil iron oxyhydroxides. Hence, the effects of iron oxide reductive dissolution on the adsorption, transformation and precipitation of As(III) and As(V) in soils were investigated using batch experiments and synchrotron based techniques to gain a deeper understanding at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. The results of batch sorption experiments revealed that the sorption capacity of As(V) on anoxic soil was much higher than that on control soil. Synchrotron based X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping studies indicated that As was heterogeneously distributed and was mainly associated with iron in the soil. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that the primary speciation of As in the soil is As(V). These results further suggested that, when As(V) was introduced into the anoxic soil, the rapid coprecipitation of As(V) with ferric/ferrous ion prevented its reduction to As(III), and was the main mechanism controlling the immobilization of As. This research could improve the current understanding of soil As chemistry in paddy and wetland soils.

Integrated effects of organic, inorganic and biological amendments on methane emission, soil quality and rice productivity in irrigated paddy ecosystem of Bangladesh: field study of two consecutive rice growing seasons

Effects of different soil amendments were investigated on methane (CH4) emission, soil quality parameters and rice productivity in irrigated paddy field of Bangladesh. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with five treatments and three replications. The experimental treatments were urea (220 kg ha−1) + rice straw compost (2 t ha−1) as a control, urea (170 kg ha−1) + rice straw compost (2 t ha−1) + silicate fertilizer, urea (170 kg ha−1) + sesbania biomass (2 t ha−1 ) + silicate fertilizer, urea (170 kg ha−1) + azolla biomass (2 t ha−1) + cyanobacterial mixture 15 kg ha−1 silicate fertilizer, urea (170 kg ha−1) + cattle manure compost (2 t ha−1) + silicate fertilizer. The average of two growing seasons CH4 flux 132 kg ha−1 was recorded from the conventional urea (220 kg ha−1) with rice straw compost incorporated field plot followed by 126.7 (4 % reduction), 130.7 (1.5 % reduction), 116 (12 % reduction) and 126 (5 % reduction) kg CH4 flux ha−1 respectively, with rice straw compost, sesbania biomass, azolla anabaena and cattle manure compost in combination urea and silicate fertilizer applied plots. Rice grain yield was increased by 15 % and 10 % over the control (4.95 Mg ha−1) with silicate plus composted cattle manure and silicate plus azolla anabaena, respectively. Soil quality parameters such as soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, soil redox status and cations exchange capacity were improved with the added organic materials and azolla biofertilizer amendments with silicate slag and optimum urea application (170 kg ha−1) in paddy field. Integrated application of silicate fertilizer, well composted organic manures and azolla biofertilizer could be an effective strategy to minimize the use of conventional urea fertilizer, reducing CH4 emissions, improving soil quality parameters and increasing rice productivity in subtropical countries like Bangladesh.

Arsenic Distribution and Speciation near Rice Roots Influenced by Iron Plaques and Redox Conditions of the Soil Matrix

Elevated arsenic (As) concentrations in rice and the soil solution result from changes in soil redox conditions, influenced by the water management practices during rice cultivation. Microscale changes in redox conditions from rhizosphere to soil matrix affect the As speciation and Fe plaque deposition. In order to focus on the rhizosphere environment, we observed microscale distribution and speciation of As around the rhizosphere of paddy rice with X-ray fluorescence mapping and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. When the soil matrix was anaerobic during rice growth, Fe-plaque did not cover the entire root, and As(III) was the dominant arsenic species in the soil matrix and rhizosphere. Draining before harvest led the conditions to shift to aerobic. Oxidation of As(III) to As(V) occurred faster in the Fe-plaque than the soil matrix. Arsenic was scavenged by iron mottles originating from Fe-plaque around the roots. The ratio of As(V) to As(III) decreased toward the outer-rim of the subsurface Fe mottles where the soil matrix was not completely aerated. These results provide direct evidence that speciation of As near rice roots depends on spatial and temporal redox variations in the soil matrix.

Groundwater Level Effect on Redox Potential, on Cadmium Uptake and Yield of Soybean

In this greenhouse experiment, we investigated the effects of two constant groundwater levels: 10 cm groundwater level (GW-10) and 40 cm groundwater level (GW-40) and one change groundwater level, which was 40-10-40 cm (GW-40-10-40) on Cadmium (Cd) uptake and seed yield of Soybean plant in Cd contaminated soils (1.57 mg·kg-1). The experimental soil layer was made with gravel layer (14 cm), non-polluted soil (15 cm) and polluted soil (25 cm). The redox potential of every soil layer was measured from sowing to harvesting. The soil layer (10 – 40 cm) of GW-10 was always in reduction condition and that of GW-40 was always in oxidation condition. First 50 days of GW 40-10-40 were in oxidation and next 50 days in reduction and final 20 days again returned in oxidation condition. Soybean seed Cd concentration was significantly highest in GW-40-10-40 (1.16 ± 0.13 mg·kg-1) and lowest in GW-40 (0.81 ± 0.12 mg·kg-1). Cd concentration of stem was found significantly higher in GW-40 (1.7 ± 0.2 mg·kg-1) than GW-10 (0.91 ± 0.08 mg·kg-1) and GW-40-10-40 (1.28 ± 0.13 mg·kg-1). There was no significant difference in root Cd concentration among these 3 treatments. Main stem height of soybean plant and 100 seed weight of GW-40 were significantly higher than those of GW-10. The result revealed that, soil redox condition is an important factor for Cd uptake in soybean plant and seed yield of soybean. This study will help to manage the farming process more appropriately with the aim of minimizing uptake of Cd and other toxic metals in grain crops.

Influence of redox conditions and rice straw incorporation on nitrogen availability in fertilized paddy soils

Temporal nitrogen (N) availability in fertilized rice paddies is the result of a balance of processes, mainly the gross rates of N mineralization, microbial and abiotic immobilization, and N losses. Water and crop residue management practices often confound these established relationships making N the most difficult nutrient to manage in rice cropping systems. To investigate and quantify the interactive effects of soil redox conditions and straw incorporation on temporal fertilizer-N availability, we treated a paddy soil with enriched ammonium-15N and incubated for 160 days under flooded or non-flooded conditions, with or without the addition of rice straw. Changes in total available N as well as available and immobilized fertilizer-derived N (FDN) during incubation were evaluated. Under both oxic and waterlogged soils, about 45–53 % of applied N was rapidly immobilized. Whereas in the former most of this FDN was released contributing to the available N pool, flooded soils experienced significant losses from the soil/water system (≈ 67 % of applied N). Addition of rice straw enhanced N immobilization, particularly under flooded conditions, that also contributed to limiting losses. Moreover, turnover of this labile organic matter pool supplied significant amounts of available N towards the later stages of the incubation, partly compensating for the immobilization of fertilizer-N.

Controls on ecosystem and root respiration across a permafrost and wetland gradient in interior Alaska

Permafrost is common to many northern wetlands given the insulation of thick organic soil layers, although soil saturation in wetlands can lead to warmer soils and increased thaw depth. We analyzed five years of soil CO2 fluxes along a wetland gradient that varied in permafrost and soil moisture conditions. We predicted that communities with permafrost would have reduced ecosystem respiration (ER) but greater temperature sensitivity than communities without permafrost. These predictions were partially supported. The colder communities underlain by shallow permafrost had lower ecosystem respiration (ER) than communities with greater active layer thickness. However, the apparent Q10 of monthly averaged ER was similar in most of the vegetation communities except the rich fen, which had smaller Q10 values. Across the gradient there was a negative relationship between water table position and apparent Q10, showing that ER was more temperature sensitive under drier soil conditions. We explored whether root respiration could account for differences in ER between two adjacent communities (sedge marsh and rich fen), which corresponded to the highest and lowest ER, respectively. Despite differences in root respiration rates, roots contributed equally (∼40%) to ER in both communities. Also, despite similar plant biomass, ER in the rich fen was positively related to root biomass, while ER in the sedge marsh appeared to be related more to vascular green area. Our results suggest that ER across this wetland gradient was temperature-limited, until conditions became so wet that respiration became oxygen-limited and influenced less by temperature. But even in sites with similar hydrology and thaw depth, ER varied significantly likely based on factors such as soil redox status and vegetation composition.

Fractionation of U, Th, Ra and Pb from boreal forest soils by sequential extractions

To determine the mobility of natural radionuclides in boreal forest soil, a five-step sequential extraction procedure was carried out on soil samples taken from various depths down to 3m on Olkiluoto Island, Finland, where there are plans to construct a spent nuclear fuel disposal repository in the bedrock. The extracted fractions studied were exchangeable, acid-soluble, reducible, oxidizable and tightly bound. It was found that the extractability of most of the radionuclides studied was dependent on the sample grain size and depth. All the elements were concentrated in the smallest grain size samples (<0.063mm). The extraction behaviour of Th, however, did not vary with sample depth, and only about 10% of the Th was extracted by the time of the final extraction step. Stable Pb and 210Pb, as well as Ba and Ra concentrations were strongly correlated in the extractions. Radium and Ba were leached more readily than the other elements; approximately 17% of the total Ra was found in the first fraction extracted, representing exchangeable ions. Uranium was more mobile in the topsoil horizons than in the lower horizons. In the topsoil samples, an average of 51% of the extractable U was leached in the second extraction step, representing the elements soluble in weak acids, whereas only 13% of the U in the subsoil samples was extracted in this step. This is probably due to changes in soil redox conditions lower down the soil profile. The extraction behaviour of Pb and Fe also suggests the presence of more reducing conditions in the deeper soil horizons, because the percentage of extractable Pb and Fe in the oxidizable fraction increased with sample depth.

Electron donor capacity of reducing dissolved organic matter from crop residue decomposition as probed by chronoamperometry

Reducing dissolved organic matters (RDOMs) from the anaerobic decomposition of crop residue can greatly affect the physicochemical and biological properties of soils. Electrochemical methods that can effectively protect them from oxidation and rapidly obtain results, such as differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), have been applied to qualitatively analyzing properties of RDOMs. However, the donated amount of electrons from RDOMs as a capacity factor may be more crucial for evaluating their important roles. For the first time, matured chronoamperometry (CA) was applied to quantitatively determining the electron donor capacities of RDOMs in crop residue management. The electron donor capacities of RDOMs from green manure were much higher than those from rice straw, which indicated that the former had greater effect on the redox status and reactions of soil. Chronoamperometry was proposed as a practical and effective method to quantitatively characterize RDOMs from residue decomposition.

Selenium in the environment, metabolism and involvement in body functions.

Selenium () is a metalloid which is close to sulfur (S) in terms of properties. The Se concentration in soil varies with type, texture and organic matter content of the soil and with rainfall. Its assimilation by plants is influenced by the physico-chemical properties of the soil (redox status, pH and microbial activity). The presence of Se in the atmosphere is linked to natural and anthropogenic activities. Selenoproteins, in which selenium is present as selenocysteine, present an important role in many body functions, such as antioxidant defense and the formation of thyroid hormones. Some selenoprotein metabolites play a role in cancer prevention. In the immune system, selenium stimulates antibody formation and activity of helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells. The mechanisms of intestinal absorption of selenium differ depending on the chemical form of the element. Selenium is mainly absorbed in the duodenum and caecum by active transport through a sodium pump. The recommended daily intake of selenium varies from 60 μg/day for women, to 70 μg/day for men. In growing ruminants the requirements are estimated at 100 μg/kg dry matter and 200 μg/Kg for pregnant or lactating females. A deficiency can cause reproductive disorders in humans and animals.

Effects of soil water status on the spatial variation of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in tropical rain-forest soils in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract:To assess the effects of soil water status on the spatial variation in soil carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes, we examined these gas fluxes and environmental factors in a tropical rain forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Measurements of soil CO2, CH4and N2O fluxes were taken ten, nine, and seven times, respectively over 30 mo at 15 or 39 sampling point within 2-ha plot. Mean (± SE) value of spatially averaged CO2flux was 4.70 ± 0.19 μmol CO2m−2s−1and observed spatial variation in CO2flux was negatively related to the volumetric soil water content (VSWC) during the dry period. Over the wet period, extremely high CO2emissions were positively correlated with VSWC at some locations, suggesting that no spatial structure of CO2flux was because of such hot-spot CO2emissions. Flux of CH4was usually negative with little variation, with a mean value of –0.49 ± 0.15 mg CH4m−2d−1, resulting in the soil at our study site functioning as a CH4sink. Spatial variation in CH4flux was positively related to the VSWC throughout the entire study period (dry and wet). Some CH4hot spots were observed during dry periods, probably due to the presence of termites. Mean value of spatially averaged N2O flux was 98.9 ± 40.7 μg N m−2h−1and N2O flux increased markedly during the wet period. Spatially, N2O flux was positively related to both the VSWC and the soil N concentration and was higher in wet and anaerobic soils. These findings suggest that denitrification is a major contributor to high soil N2O fluxes. Additionally, analysis by adjusting confounding effects of time, location and interaction between time and location in mixed models, VSWC has a negative effect on CO2flux and positive effects on CH4and N2O fluxes. We found that soil water status was related temporally to rainfall and controlled greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from the soil at the study site via several biogeochemical processes, including gas diffusion and soil redox conditions. Our results also suggest that considering the biological effects such as decomposer activities may help to explain the complex temporal and spatial patterns in CO2and CH4fluxes.

Effect of long‐term swine‐manure application on soil hydraulic properties and heavy metal behaviour

This study evaluated the effect of 13 years of swine‐manure application on the changes in soil hydraulic properties, and as associated physicochemical properties, with a focus on heavy metal mobility. Various soil hydraulic properties were measured, including soil water retention (SWR), saturated field hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) and unsaturated field hydraulic conductivity (Kfunsat) using a disc infiltrometer. Heavy metal mobility was evaluated with a sequential extraction procedure. At 0–30 cm soil depth in the heavily manured plot (SMhigh plot), SWR at 0 to −100 kPa was significantly larger than in plots amended with a standard amount of manure (SMstd plot) or with chemical fertilizer (CF plot). Kfs and Kfunsat values in both manure‐amended plots were less than in the CF plot under dry soil conditions but greater than those of the CF plot under wet soil conditions. Furthermore, Kfs and Kfunsat did not necessarily increase with manure application rates. On the other hand, high‐mobility metal fractions, such as the exchangeable fraction of Zn, and the CH3CO2Na‐extractable fraction of Zn and Mn, and the metal–organic complex fractions of Zn, Cu and Mn, increased with the greater manure application rate. In addition, low‐mobility metal fractions, the organically bound fractions of Zn, Cu and Mn in the high SM plot and the easily reducible metal oxide fraction of Mn in both manure‐amended plots were probably affected and released into high‐mobility fractions. This indicated that manure application changed the soil redox conditions by improving the soil structure, depending on the water content of soil pores. Despite the reduction of Kfs and Kfunsat by heavy manure application, the transport of high‐mobility metal fractions with either surface water flow or infiltration water flow could be controlled by soil water content at the beginning of a rain or irrigation event.

Iron oxidation-reduction and its impacts on cadmium bioavailability in paddy soils: a review

Redox conditions in paddy soils may vary as they are submerged and drained during rice growth. This change may bring about reductive dissolution of iron (Fe) oxides and subsequent formation of secondary Fe-bearing minerals in rice paddies. The mobility and bioavailability of metal contaminants such as cadmium (Cd) in paddy soils are closely related to the chemical behaviors of Fe. Therefore, in this paper, advances in the study of paddy Fe redox transformations and their effects on Cd availability to rice are briefly reviewed. Current concepts presented in this review include the forms of Fe in paddy soils, the reactions involved in Fe oxidation-reduction, chemical factors affecting Fe redox processes, Cd availability to rice and the impacts of Fe transformation on Cd uptake and translocation in rice. Prospects for future research in this area are also discussed.

Iron(III) Coordination and Phosphate Sorption in Peat Reacted with Ferric or Ferrous Iron

The molecular bonding configuration of Fe(III) associated with organic matter (OM) in soils potentially affects its binding affinity, reducibility, mobility, and interactions with other cations and anions. Given that Fe(III) can be incorporated into soil OM either directly as Fe(III) or through oxidation of Fe(II), the coordination and reactivity of OM‐associated Fe(III) may depend on soil redox conditions. Our objective was to determine if the molecular coordination environment and phosphate sorption characteristics of OM‐associated Fe(III) depend on the pathway of Fe(III) incorporation. Pahokee peat soil material was reacted at pH 2.5 with either Fe(III) or Fe(II) at 300, 900, or 1200 mmol Fe kg−1 peat, equilibrated at pH 6.8 and oxidized. Extended x‐ray absorption fine structure and wavelet transform analyses indicated the presence of mononuclear Fe(III) coordinated with organic ligands in all samples along with polynuclear Fe‐hydroxide species at higher concentrations. The pathway of Fe incorporation did not significantly affect its local coordination environment or phosphate sorption isotherms. Our results suggest that OM‐associated Fe(III) formed under oxidized or reduced soil conditions would have similar molecular‐level coordination and be equally accessible for phosphate sorption.

Dynamics of methanogenesis and methanotrophy in tropical paddy soils as influenced by elevated CO2 and temperature interaction

Response of methanogenesis and methanotrophy to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) could be affected by changes in soil moisture content and temperature. In soil microcosms contained in glass bottles and incubated under laboratory conditions, we assessed the impact of elevated CO2 and temperature interactions on methanogenesis and methanotrophy in alluvial and laterite paddy soils of tropical origin. Soil samples were incubated at ambient (370 μmol mol−1) and elevated (600 μmol mol−1) CO2 concentrations at 25, 35 and 45 °C under non-flooded and flooded conditions for 60 d. Under flooded condition, elevated CO2 significantly increased methane (CH4) production while under non-flooded condition, only marginal increase in CH4 production was observed in both the soils studied and the increase was significantly enhanced by further rise in temperature. Increased methanogenesis as a result of elevated CO2 and temperature interaction was mostly attributed to decreased soil redox potential, increased readily mineralizable carbon, and also noticeable stimulation of methanogenic bacterial population. In contrast to CH4 production, CH4 oxidation was consistently low under elevated CO2 concentration and the decrease was significant with rise in temperature. The low affinity and high affinity CH4 oxidation were faster under non-flooded condition as compared to flooded condition. Admittedly, decreased low and high affinity CH4 oxidation as a result of elevated CO2 and temperature interaction was related to unfavorable lower redox status of soil and the inhibition of CH4-oxidizing bacterial population.

Responses of MethanogenmcrAGenes and Their Transcripts to an Alternate Dry/Wet Cycle of Paddy Field Soil

Intermittent drainage can substantially reduce methane emission from rice fields, but the microbial mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present study, we determined the rates of methane production and emission, the dynamics of ferric iron and sulfate, and the abundance of methanogen mcrA genes (encoding the alpha subunit of methyl coenzyme M reductase) and their transcripts in response to alternate dry/wet cycles in paddy field soil. We found that intermittent drainage did not affect the growth of rice plants but significantly reduced the rates of both methane production and emission. The dry/wet cycles also resulted in shifts of soil redox conditions, increasing the concentrations of ferric iron and sulfate in the soil. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that both mcrA gene copies and mcrA transcripts significantly decreased after dry/wet alternation compared to continuous flooding. Correlation and regression analyses showed that the abundance of mcrA genes and transcripts positively correlated with methane production potential and soil water content and negatively correlated with the concentrations of ferric iron and sulfate in the soil. However, the transcription of mcrA genes was reduced to a greater extent than the abundance of mcrA genes, resulting in very low mcrA transcript/gene ratios after intermittent drainage. Furthermore, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis revealed that the composition of methanogenic community remained stable under dry/wet cycles, whereas that of metabolically active methanogens strongly changed. Collectively, our study demonstrated a stronger effect of intermittent drainage on the abundance of mcrA transcripts than of mcrA genes in rice field soil.

Applicability of Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films for Measuring Mn in Soils and Freshwater Sediments

Manganese (Mn) is an essential plant nutrient, receiving increased attention due to significant deficiency problems in modern crop production. In aquatic sediments, Mn plays an important role in controlling the mobility of other elements due to its high redox sensitivity. Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) is recognized as one of the most promising techniques to assess plant availability of nutrients in soils and mobility in sediments. However, the appropriate conditions where DGT can be used to measure Mn in soils and sediments have not been thoroughly investigated. We deployed DGTs in soil, sediment, and solution to investigate the effect of pH and competition from Ca and Fe ions. We found that by using DGT it is possible to accurately measure Mn in soils at pH levels and Ca and Fe concentrations resembling those of normal and fertile agricultural soils. However, in acid soils at pH below 5.5, Mn measurements might be biased due to potential competition effects caused by Ca. Soil deployments showed that changes in soil redox conditions were closely reflected by the DGT based Mn measurements. This might enable a novel approach of using DGT to predict Mn mobility and plant availability in soils. In reducing aquatic sediments, high concentrations of ferrous ions can displace Mn from the resin-gel of the DGT device. We found this to be a significant problem with longer deployment times.

Soil and Water Characteristics in Restored Canebrake and Forest Riparian Zones1

Andrews, Danielle M., Christopher D. Barton, Randall K. Kolka, Charles C. Rhoades, and Adam J. Dattilo, 2011. Soil and Water Characteristics in Restored Canebrake and Forest Riparian Zones. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):772-784. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00555.x Abstract: The degradation of streams has been widespread in the United States. In Kentucky, for instance, almost all of its large streams have been impounded or channelized. A restoration project was initiated in a channelized section of Wilson Creek (Nelson Co., Kentucky) to return its predisturbance meandering configuration. A goal of the project was to restore the native riparian corridor with giant cane and bottomland forest species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of giant cane in riparian restoration and to compare water quality and soil attributes between restored cane and forested communities. Comparison of data to replicated sites of similar size in undisturbed upstream areas (control) was also examined to evaluate restoration success. Vegetation establishment was initially hindered by frequent flooding in 2004, but mean survival was good after two growing seasons with rates of 80 and 61% for forest and cane plots, respectively. Results showed an improvement in stream water quality due to restoration activities. Significant differences between the cane and forested plots in shallow groundwater dissolved oxygen, NO3−-N, NH4+-N, and Mn concentrations suggest that soil redox conditions were not similar between the two vegetation types. Retention and transformation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) within the restored riparian system also differed by vegetation treatment; however, both communities appeared to be advancing toward conditions exhibited in the control section of Wilson Creek.

Mosses influence phosphorus cycling in rich fens by driving redox conditions in shallow soils

Mosses play an integral role in the hydrologic regimes of ecosystems where they cover the soil surface, and thus affect biogeochemical cycling of elements influenced by soil oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, including the plant growth-limiting nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus (P). In rich fens where P often limits plant growth, we hypothesized that feedbacks between mosses and redox conditions would determine P availability to shallow-rooted forb species that constitute much of these wetlands' unusually high plant species diversity. In a moss removal experiment in three fens, forb tissue P and microbial P were greater while anion exchange membrane (AEM) resin P was lower where mosses occurred than where they were removed, suggesting both higher availability and greater demand for P in moss-covered soils. Coupled physicochemical and biological mechanisms drove moss effects on P cycling, ultimately through effects on soil oxygenation or reduction: higher redox potential underlying mosses corresponded to greater microbial activity, phosphatase enzyme activity, and colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), all of which can promote greater P availability to plants. These more oxidized soils stimulated: (1) greater microbial activity and root vigor; (2) correspondingly greater P demand via microbial uptake, forb uptake, and iron (Fe)-P reactions; and (3) greater P supply through soil and root phosphatase activity and AMF colonization. This work demonstrates that mosses improve vascular plant P acquisition by alleviating stresses caused by reducing conditions that would otherwise prevail in shallow underlying soils, thus providing a mechanism by which mosses facilitate plant species diversity in rich fens.