祁连山3种典型生态系统土壤微生物活性和生物量碳氮含量

 测定分析了祁连山高寒草甸、山地森林和干草原土壤中微生物活性、生物量碳氮含量。结果显示：就土壤微生物生物量碳含量,森林比干草原和高寒草甸中分别高60%和120%以上,干草原比高寒草甸中高40%以上(p<0.05)。就土壤微生物生物量氮含量,0～5 cm土层,森林比高寒草甸和干草原中分别高64%和111%以上,高寒草甸比干草原中高29%;5～15 cm土层,森林比干草原和高寒草甸中分别高7%和191%以上,干草原比高寒草甸中高171% 以上(p<0.05)。森林和干草原中土壤微生物生物量碳比例比高寒草甸中高32%以上,0～5和5～15 cm土层,森林和干草原中土壤微生物生物量氮比例比高寒草甸中高150%以上（p<0.05）。就土壤微生物活性,0～5和5～15 cm土层,森林和高寒草甸比干草原中高26%以上;15～35 cm土层,森林比干草原和高寒草甸中高28%以上 (p<0.05)。土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量与有机碳含量及微生物生物量氮含量和比例与微生物生物量碳含量和比例呈现正相关（r²>0.30,p<0.000 1）。土壤微生物生物量氮含量、微生物生物量碳氮含量比例、微生物活性与土壤pH值呈显著负相关,土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量及其比例、微生物活性与土壤湿度呈正相关。说明祁连山3种生态系统土壤中微生物生物量和活性受气候要素、植被、有机碳、pH值和湿度等因素 的共同影响。     

不同形态和水平的氮添加对内蒙古草甸草原土壤净氮矿化潜力的影响

由全球变化和工农业生产引发的大气氮沉降增加已经对生态系统结构和功能产生了不可忽视的影响, 但是氮沉降的组成成分存在多种形态, 不同形态的氮对生态系统的结构与功能的影响是否有差异目前还不清楚。因此, 该研究选择内蒙古草甸草原开展不同形态和不同水平的外源氮添加试验, 每年添加5种不同形态的氮肥, 包括: 尿素、碳酸氢铵、硝酸铵、硫酸铵、缓释尿素, 添加量分别为: 0 (N0)、2 (N2)、5 (N5)、10 (N10)、20 (N20)及50 (N50) g·m ^-2·a ^-1, 均为纯氮添加量。通过野外原位取土、室内控制温度和水分(25 ℃和60%田间持水量)的培养试验测定土壤净氮矿化(mg·kg ^-1·h ^-1)潜力、土壤微生物呼吸(μg·g ^-1·h ^-1)潜力、土壤微生物生物量碳(氮)(mg·kg ^-1)的潜力以及土壤碳(g·kg ^-1)、氮(g·kg ^-1)、磷(g·kg ^-1)含量等指标, 研究添加不同形态和不同水平的氮对土壤净氮矿化潜力的影响。试验结果表明: (1)短期内不同形态、不同水平的氮添加改变了土壤中无机氮的含量、铵态氮和硝态氮的累积量, 并且表现出铵态氮肥的促进作用比硝态氮肥更加显著, 铵态氮的累积显著提高了土壤净氮矿化潜力, 短期铵态氮和硝态氮的累积可增加微生物和植物对有效氮的快速固持; (2)不同形态、不同水平氮添加导致土壤微生物活性发生改变, 包括土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)含量、微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量及其碳氮比(MBC:MBN), 并且在低水平氮添加下显著增强土壤微生物的呼吸速率, 高水平氮添加显著降低微生物呼吸速率和呼吸熵; (3)不同形态、不同水平氮添加短期内对土壤含水量、土壤有机碳含量、土壤全磷含量、土壤全氮含量无显著影响, 但是高水平氮添加不仅提高了速效磷的含量, 而且导致土壤迅速酸化。室内培养净氮矿化潜力的结果进一步验证了内蒙古草甸草原受氮限制, 添加中低水平的氮可以通过提高土壤微生物的活性而增加该地区草原土壤的净氮矿化潜力, 从而提高草地生产力。     

高寒草甸退化对祁连山土壤微生物生物量和氮矿化速率的影响

为深入了解高寒草甸退化对草原生态系统中土壤微生物碳氮量、土壤氮矿化及土壤微生物相关酶的变化特征,以祁连山东缘4个不同退化程度(未退化、轻度退化、中度退化和极度退化)的高寒草甸为研究对象,采集了深度为0—10 cm的土壤样品,并对不同退化程度高寒草甸中植物因子、土壤理化性质、土壤氨化速率、土壤硝化速率、土壤净氮矿化速率以及转化氮素的相关酶和微生物进行了相关研究。结果表明:(1)随退化程度的加剧,高寒草甸土壤中氨化速率和净氮矿化速率逐渐降低,硝化速率逐渐升高;(2)高寒草甸的退化降低了有关氮素转化相关酶,如土壤蛋白酶、脲酶、亮氨酸氨基肽酶的活性,而β-乙酰葡糖胺糖苷酶的活性呈先下降后上升趋势,且在极度退化草地活性最高;(3)随退化程度的加剧,高寒草甸土壤中微生物生物量碳和氮的含量逐渐降低,同时土壤基础呼吸、土壤微生物熵和代谢熵的指数也呈下降趋势。RDA分析表明,高寒草甸中氨化速率和净氮矿化速率与微生物生物量碳、微生物生物量氮、土壤基础呼吸、植物高度、植被盖度、地上生物量、蛋白酶、脲酶以及亮氨酸氨基肽酶呈显著正相关,而硝化速率则表现为负相关性。因此,高寒草甸退化对土壤微生物特性以及氮素转化和循环具有重要影响。     

模拟火干扰对森林土壤微生物活性及氮矿化的影响

火干扰产生热能从而诱导土壤有机质的化学氧化,改变碳和氮转换,对土壤的结构与功能产生严重影响,影响程度取决于火强度、火干扰持续时间和热渗透。在湖南省株洲市高枧林场选取马尾松次生林火烧迹地,按两种土壤、3个温度和3种土壤水势进行试验设计与方差分析,探讨火干扰对土壤微生物及氮矿化的影响。结果表明:无机氮的浓度与火强度和初始土壤有机质含量呈正相关关系;火干扰后短期内土壤碳和氮浓度较高,微生物生物量碳和潜在可矿化氮较低,温度和土壤水势对基础呼吸速率没有显著影响;当土壤温度达160℃时,未受火干扰土壤中潜在可矿化氮浓度迅速不稳定增加,温度达350℃时破坏90%的非微生物组织;土壤加热后水势对氮矿化过程有显著影响,水势越高,潜在可矿化氮损失越大,火干扰土壤的含水量与硝态氮之间呈正相关关系;培养14d期间,土壤火灾历史、热处理和土壤水势对微生物活性、碳和氮矿化有显著影响,-1.5 MPa水势下加热到380℃后两种土壤的微生物生物量碳含量最高,土壤水势和可溶性糖呈负相关关系;水势和火干扰之间的交互作用显著影响微生物活性和氮转换,低水势土壤中的微生物生物量碳、可溶性糖和潜在可矿化氮浓度较高。     

水分对武夷山草甸土壤有机碳激发效应的影响

水分是影响土壤有机碳激发效应的重要因子,但水分如何影响山地草甸土有机碳激发效应尚不清楚。本试验以武夷山高海拔(2130 m)山地草甸土为研究对象,通过室内添加¹³C标记的葡萄糖结合控制土壤水分(30%FWC和60%FWC,FWC为田间持水量),进行为期126 d的室内培养试验,定期测定CO₂浓度和¹³C-CO₂丰度值,研究不同水分条件下土壤有机碳矿化特征和激发效应的差异及其影响因素。结果表明: 山地草甸土碳矿化随着水分增加而增加。不同土壤水分山地草甸土激发效应随培养时间延长呈现逐渐降低的趋势,低含水量土壤激发效应显著大于高含水量土壤,培养结束时低含水量土壤累积激发碳量比高含水量土壤高61.4%。与低含水量土壤相比,高含水量土壤由葡萄糖矿化产生的CO₂量较多,且低含水量土壤的累积激发碳量与葡萄糖矿化量的比值显著大于高含水量土壤,说明高含水量土壤微生物更多地矿化外源添加的葡萄糖,且激发效率较低,最终高含水量土壤激发效应小于低含水量土壤。相关分析表明,土壤激发效应与土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、微生物生物量碳与氮比值(MBC/MBN)和NH₄⁺-N变化量呈显著正相关,说明低含水量条件会通过改变山地草甸土壤微生物数量和组成,进而提高土壤微生物对氮的“挖掘”,最终增加激发效应。因此,全球气候变化背景下若山地草甸土壤水分降低可能会增加通过激发效应引起的碳损失。     

氮沉降下纳帕海草甸植被与土壤变化对微生物生物量碳氮的影响

为探明高原草甸土壤微生物对短期氮沉降的响应,以纳帕海典型高寒草甸云雾薹草群落为对象,野外原位布设低氮(5 g N·m^-2·a^-1)、中氮(10 g N·m^-2·a^-1)和高氮(15 g N·m^-2·a^-1)3种施氮处理,研究氮沉降引起高寒草甸植物多样性及土壤性质变化对微生物生物量碳氮的影响。结果表明：氮添加显著增加土壤微生物生物量碳氮及其熵值,中氮处理下微生物生物量碳增量最高,达139.3%;微生物生物量碳氮的垂直变化表现为沿土层显著降低,降幅为24.1%～75.1%。氮添加显著提高群落地上生物量,降低Shannon和Simpson多样性,变幅达6.6%～65.4%;氮添加显著降低土壤pH,增加土壤有机质、全氮、铵态氮和硝态氮含量,且在中氮处理下变幅(7.0%～511.1%)最大;土壤pH随土层加深而增大,而其他理化指标则沿土层加深而显著减少,变幅达19.5%～91.2%。结构方程模型表明,土壤铵态氮、硝态氮和有机质对微生物生物量起促进作用,而土壤pH和植...     

内蒙古草甸草原土壤理化性质和微生物学特性对刈割与氮添加的响应

频繁的刈割和氮输入增加是导致草地生态系统退化的重要原因.土壤微生物学特性作为评估土壤质量的重要生物学指标,对草地刈割和氮输入增加的响应规律仍不十分明确.本研究依托内蒙古呼伦贝尔草原刈割复合氮添加野外实验平台,分析了土壤理化性质、土壤微生物生物量、土壤呼吸和土壤酶对刈割、氮添加的响应及其生长季动态变化.结果表明: 刈割显著降低了土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷和土壤呼吸(基础呼吸和底物诱导呼吸),与刈割后导致的水分限制及碳限制有关.刈割显著降低了氮磷获取酶(N-乙酰-β-D-葡萄糖苷酶和酸性磷酸单酯酶)的活性,符合“资源分配假说”.氮添加显著降低土壤pH值,但土壤微生物生物量对氮添加和pH降低均无显著响应,表明氮输入增加引起的土壤酸化不是影响微生物生物量的主要因素.氮添加对土壤呼吸和酶活性也无显著影响,与以往在典型草原的大多数研究结果不一致.刈割和氮添加复合处理显著降低了土壤微生物生物量磷,但提高了土壤中有效磷含量,降低了酸性磷酸酶活性.微生物生物量碳、氮、磷和土壤呼吸等的相关参数均在7月最高,这与夏季高温多雨有关.土壤酶活性在春夏季较高,生长季末期较低.这表明在该草甸草原,刈割将导致土壤碳氮磷养分失衡,从而加剧草原退化;而氮添加在短期内并未对土壤微生物生物量和活性产生显著影响.     

萘对川西亚高山森林土壤呼吸、可溶性有机质和微生物生物量的影响

通过原位控制试验,研究了萘对川西亚高山森林土壤动物抑制效率、土壤呼吸、可溶性有机质和微生物生物量的影响.结果表明:萘施用显著抑制了大型和中小型土壤节肢动物的个体密度和类群数量,个体密度分别下降76.3%~78.5%和83.3%~84.8%,类群数量分别降低48.3%~56.1%和45.8%~58.3%.萘处理与对照的土壤呼吸速率季节动态呈单峰曲线,分别以2月和8月为最低值和最高值,而且未受萘施用的显著影响.与对照相比,萘处理显著降低了8月和10月土壤可溶性碳和可溶性氮含量,以及4月和8月微生物生物量碳,增加了4月的微生物生物量碳氮比.萘处理和采样时间的交互作用显著影响了微生物生物量碳和微生物生物量氮,但对土壤动物个体密度和类群数量以及可溶性碳含量影响不显著.总体上,萘作为抑制剂,在川西亚高山森林土壤能够有效地抑制土壤动物节肢动物,且并未显著影响土壤呼吸,但对土壤碳氮组分造成了不同程度的影响.     

氮添加对苏北沿海杨树人工林土壤活性有机碳库的影响

大气氮沉降成为目前全球性的环境问题之一,氮的沉降可能显著影响森林土壤碳循环过程。从2012年5月起,对东台林场3种林龄(5、9、15年生)黑杨派无性系I-35杨(Populus deltoides CL‘35’)人工林进行野外模拟氮沉降试验,探讨氮沉降对不同林龄杨树人工林土壤活性有机碳的影响。经过1年施氮试验后,5和9年生杨树人工林的土壤微生物生物量碳随着氮沉降水平的增加呈现出先增加后减少的趋势;而15年生林分在不同氮处理下,土壤微生物生物量碳均有所增加;3种林龄在不同氮处理下土壤可溶性有机碳含量随着氮浓度的增加而增加。土壤微生物生物量碳与可溶性有机碳之间以及这二者与土壤全氮、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮、铵态氮、硝态氮之间存在显著相关。试验表明,氮沉降可能增加土壤活性有机碳含量,从而影响杨树人工林土壤碳动态。     

水分和温度对若尔盖湿地和草甸土壤碳矿化的影响

土壤碳矿化及其温度和水分敏感性是研究生态系统碳循环的重要指标。本文以若尔盖高寒湿地和草甸为对象,在不同水分（70%,100%,130%饱和含水量（SSM））和温度（5,10,15,20,25℃）培养下定期测定土壤碳矿化速率（或土壤微生物呼吸速率）,探讨水分和温度对高寒湿地和草甸土壤碳矿化的影响,为揭示未来暖干化对若尔盖地区碳贮存及其碳汇功能的潜在影响提供科学依据。实验结果表明：增温显著促进了高寒湿地和草甸土壤碳矿化,而水分过高会抑制土壤碳矿化;此外,高寒湿地土壤碳矿化速率高于高寒草甸。土壤水分和草地类型对土壤碳矿化温度敏感性（Q10）的影响比较复杂。高寒草甸Q10随水分升高而显著升高,培养7天时的Q10变化趋势为70% SSM（1.21）< 100% SSM（1.76）< 130% SSM（2.80）,培养56天的Q10从1.17上升为4.53。高寒湿地的Q10在培养7天差异不显著,但整个56天培养期内Q10随水分升高而显著增加。在评估暖干化对若尔盖地区碳贮量和碳汇功能的影响时,应更加重视高寒草甸和高寒湿地Q10对水分和温度变化的不同响应。     

The effects of biomass removal and N additions on microbial N transformations and biomass at different vegetation types in an old-field ecosystem in northern China

There is an increasing demand for the sustainable management of old-field communities in northern China, which have developed on abandoned cropland on formerly converted natural steppe sites, to regain forage yield, biodiversity, and soil fertility. In thus study we examined how two management options—clipping and nitrogen (N) addition—may affect net >microbial N mineralization (ammonification?+?nitrification), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and microbial respirations (MR) in grass dominated, herb dominated, and grass-herb mixed patches in an old-field community in northern China.Topsoil (0–10 cm) net N mineralization rate was 177% and 69% higher in mixed grass and herb patches (patch B) as compared to unmixed grass (patch A) or herb (patch C) patches, respectively. Topsoil MBN was significantly different among the three patches with the highest value for soils taken from umixed grass patches. However, patches with mixed grass and herb or herb dominated patches had 12% higher microbial respiration (MR) than unmixed grass patch. Clipping and N addition had no effects on net N mineralization or MBC, but both treatments decreased MBN and MR and increased the ratio between microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N (MBC/MBN) in the growing season. Incubation of soil cores under optimal water and temperature conditions in the laboratory showed that the response of microbial N transformations in soils under different vegetation patches to experimental N addition and clipping was limited by soil water availability. Our results strongly highlight the need to further study the importance of belowground C supply as a control of microbial N cycling processes. It also suggests that during the restoration process of degenerated croplands N cycling rates are stimulated, but that the magnitude of this stimulation is modulated by plant community composition of the old-fields.     

Stability of above-ground and below-ground processes to extreme drought in model grassland ecosystems: Interactions with plant species diversity and soil nitrogen availability

Extreme drought events have the potential to cause dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and function, but the controls upon ecosystem stability to drought remain poorly understood. Here we used model systems of two commonly occurring, temperate grassland communities to investigate the short-term interactive effects of a simulated 100-year summer drought event, soil nitrogen (N) availability and plant species diversity (low/high) on key ecosystem processes related to carbon (C) and N cycling. Whole ecosystem CO₂ fluxes and leaching losses were recorded during drought and post-rewetting. Litter decomposition and C/N stocks in vegetation, soil and soil microbes were assessed 4 weeks after the end of drought. Experimental drought caused strong reductions in ecosystem respiration and net ecosystem CO₂ exchange, but ecosystem fluxes recovered rapidly following rewetting irrespective of N and species diversity. As expected, root C stocks and litter decomposition were adversely affected by drought across all N and plant diversity treatments. In contrast, drought increased soil water retention, organic nutrient leaching losses and soil fertility. Drought responses of above-ground vegetation C stocks varied depending on plant diversity, with greater stability of above-ground vegetation C to drought in the high versus low diversity treatment. This positive effect of high plant diversity on above-ground vegetation C stability coincided with a decrease in the stability of microbial biomass C. Unlike species diversity, soil N availability had limited effects on the stability of ecosystem processes to extreme drought. Overall, our findings indicate that extreme drought events promote post-drought soil nutrient retention and soil fertility, with cascading effects on ecosystem C fixation rates. Data on above-ground ecosystem processes underline the importance of species diversity for grassland function in a changing environment. Furthermore, our results suggest that plant–soil interactions play a key role for the short-term stability of above-ground vegetation C storage to extreme drought events.     

Predominant role of water in regulating soil and microbial respiration and their responses to climate change in a semiarid grassland

Climate change can profoundly impact carbon (C) cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. A field experiment was conducted to examine responses of total soil and microbial respiration, and microbial biomass to experimental warming and increased precipitation in a semiarid temperate steppe in northern China since April 2005. We measured soil respiration twice a month over the growing seasons, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), microbial respiration (MR) once a year in the middle growing season from 2005 to 2007. The results showed that interannual variations in soil respiration, MR, and microbial biomass were positively related to interannual fluctuations in precipitation. Laboratory incubation with a soil moisture gradient revealed a constraint of the temperature responses of MR by low soil moisture contents. Across the 3 years, experimental warming decreased soil moisture, and consequently caused significant reductions in total and microbial respiration, and microbial biomass, suggesting stronger negatively indirect effects through warming‐induced water stress than the positively direct effects of elevated temperature. Increased evapotranspiration under experimental warming could have reduced soil water availability below a stress threshold, thus leading to suppression of plant growth, root and microbial activities. Increased precipitation significantly stimulated total soil and microbial respiration and all other microbial parameters and the positive precipitation effects increased over time. Our results suggest that soil water availability is more important than temperature in regulating soil and microbial respiratory processes, microbial biomass and their responses to climate change in the semiarid temperate steppe. Experimental warming caused greater reductions in soil respiration than in gross ecosystem productivity (GEP). In contrast, increased precipitation stimulated GEP more than soil respiration. Our observations suggest that climate warming may cause net C losses, whereas increased precipitation may lead to net C gains in the semiarid temperate steppe. Our findings highlight that unless there is concurrent increase in precipitation, the temperate steppe in the arid and semiarid regions of northern China may act as a net C source under climate warming.     

内蒙古温带草原土壤微生物生物量碳的空间分布及驱动因素

【目的】探索内蒙古温带草原土壤微生物生物量碳的空间分布特征以及驱动因素。【方法】在内蒙古自治区境内沿着年均温、年降水梯度选择17个草原样点,在土壤剖面上分0-10 cm、10-20 cm、20-40 cm、40-60 cm、60-100 cm五层,分别采集土壤样品,测定土壤微生物生物量碳以及主要的环境和生物影响因子,分析不同草地类型以及不同土壤深度土壤微生物生物量碳的差异,探索非生物因子和生物因子对土壤微生物量碳的影响。【结果】草甸草原土壤微生物量碳最高,典型草原次之,荒漠草原最低。在0-10 cm土壤中,草地类型间的微生物量碳变异系数高于草甸草原和典型草原,低于荒漠草原;在0-100 cm土壤中,草甸草原样点间的微生物量碳的变异系数低于典型草原和荒漠草原。土壤微生物量碳与年降水、土壤含水量、粘粒含量、土壤养分元素、地上生物量、地下生物量呈显著正相关,与年均温和土壤p H值呈显著负相关关系。随着土壤深度的增加,土壤微生物量碳显著减少,非生物因子与微生物量碳的相关性减弱,草地类型间以及同一草地类型不同样点间的变异系数增加。0-10 cm土壤微生物量碳与10-40 cm土壤微生物量碳的相关指数高于0.5,与40-100 cm的土壤微生物量碳的相关指数小于0.3。【结论】内蒙古温带草原土壤微生物量碳的垂直分布呈现一定的规律性,且非生物因子对微生物量碳的影响也呈现垂直减弱的规律。     

Root-Parasitic Nematodes Enhance Soil Microbial Activities and Nitrogen Mineralization

Obligate root-parasitic nematodes can affect soil microbes positively by enhancing C and nutrient leakage from roots but negatively by restricting total root growth. However, it is unclear how the resulting changes in C availability affect soil microbial activities and N cycling. In a microplot experiment, effects of root-parasitic reniform nematodes (Rotylenchulus reniformis) on soil microbial biomass and activities were examined in six different soils planted with cotton. Rotylenchulus reniformis was introduced at 900 nematodes kg^–1 soil in May 2000 prior to seeding cotton. In 2001, soil samples were collected in May before cotton was seeded and in November at the final harvest. Extractable C and N were consistently higher in the R. reniformis treatments than in the non-nematode controls across the six different soils. Nematode inoculation significantly reduced microbial biomass C, but increased microbial biomass N, leading to marked decreases in microbial biomass C:N ratios. Soil microbial respiration and net N mineralization rates were also consistently higher in the nematode treatments than in the controls. However, soil types did not have a significant impact on the effects of nematodes on these microbial parameters. These findings indicate that nematode infection of plant roots may enhance microbial activities and the turnover of soil microbial biomass, facilitating soil N cycling. The present study provides the first evidence about the direct role of root-feeding nematodes in enhancing soil N mineralization.     

模拟增温对西藏高原高寒草甸土壤供氮潜力的影响

过去几十年青藏高原呈现显著的增温趋势,冬季增温幅度显著高于生长季的季节非对称特征。气候变暖会对生态系统氮素循环产生重要影响,但关于全年增温与冬季增温对高寒生态系统氮循环的不同影响仍缺乏研究。在青藏高原高寒草甸区开展模拟增温试验,研究季节非对称增温对高寒草甸生态系统氮循环的影响。该试验布设于2010年7月,设置3种处理(不增温、冬季增温与全年增温)。研究结果发现,开顶箱增温装置造成了小环境的暖干化:显著提高了地表空气温度和表层土壤温度,降低了表层土壤含水量。冬季增温会加剧土壤中氮素的流失,所以在经历了冬季增温后土壤氮含量显著降低;在生长季节,土壤氮素周转速率受土壤水分的调控,在降雨较少的季节,增温引起的土壤含水量降低会抑制土壤氮周转速率。对于土壤微生物量而言,高寒草甸土壤微生物量碳表现出明显的季节动态,在生长季旺盛期较低,在生长季末期和初冬季节反而较高,这说明为了降低对土壤养分的竞争,高寒草甸植物氮吸收与土壤微生物氮固持在时间上存在分离。研究结果表明,冬季增温导致的土壤养分含量变化会影响随后生长季植物群落的生产力、结构组成与碳氮循环等过程,对生态系统过程产生深远的影响。     

15N enrichment as an integrator of the effects of C and N on microbial metabolism and ecosystem function

Organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are essential for heterotrophic soil microorganisms, and their bioavailability strongly influences ecosystem C and N cycling. We show here that the natural ¹⁵N abundance of the soil microbial biomass is affected by both the availability of C and N and ecosystem N processing. Microbial ¹⁵N enrichment correlated negatively with the C : N ratio of the soil soluble fraction and positively with net N mineralization for ecosystems spanning semiarid, temperate and tropical climates, grassland and forests, and over four million years of ecosystem development. In addition, during soil incubation, large increases in microbial ¹⁵N enrichment corresponded to high net N mineralization rates. These results support the idea that the N isotope composition of an organism is determined by the balance between N assimilation and dissimilation. Thus, ¹⁵N enrichment of the soil microbial biomass integrates the effects of C and N availability on microbial metabolism and ecosystem processes.     

Nitrogen mineralization in native cultivated and abandoned fields in shortgrass steppe

We conducted a set of in situ incubations to evaluate patterns of N availability among dominant land uses in the shortgrass steppe region of Colorado, USA, and to assess recovery of soil fertility in abandoned fields. Replicated 30 d incubations were performed in 3 sets of native (never cultivated), abandoned (cultivated until 1937), and currently cultivated, fallow fields. Net N mineralization and the percentage of total N that was mineralized increased in the order: native, abandoned, cultivated. Higher soil water content in fallow fields is the most likely reason for greater mineralization in cultivated fields, while higher total organic C and C/N ratios in native and abandoned fields may explain differences in mineralization between these land uses. Recovery of soil organic matter in abandoned fields appears to involve accumulation of soil C and N under perennial plants, but probable methodological artifacts complicate evaluation of the role of individual plants in recovery of N availability. Higher N mineralization and turnover in cultivated fields may make them more susceptible to N losses; recovery of N cycling in abandoned fields appears to involve a return to slower N turnover and tighter N cycling similar to native shortgrass steppe.     

Soil microbial properties and plant growth responses to carbon and water addition in a temperate steppe: the importance of nutrient availability

Background

Global climatic change is generally expected to stimulate net primary production, and consequently increase soil carbon (C) input. The enhanced C input together with potentially increased precipitation may affect soil microbial processes and plant growth.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To examine the effects of C and water additions on soil microbial properties and plant growth, we conducted an experiment lasting two years in a temperate steppe of northeastern China. We found that soil C and water additions significantly affected microbial properties and stimulated plant growth. Carbon addition significantly increased soil microbial biomass and activity but had a limited effect on microbial community structure. Water addition significantly increased soil microbial activity in the first year but the response to water decreased in the second year. The water-induced changes of microbial activity could be ascribed to decreased soil nitrogen (N) availability and to the shift in soil microbial community structure. However, no water effect on soil microbial activity was visible under C addition during the two years, likely because C addition alleviated nutrient limitation of soil microbes. In addition, C and water additions interacted to affect plant functional group composition. Water addition significantly increased the ratio of grass to forb biomass in C addition plots but showed only minor effects under ambient C levels. Our results suggest that soil microbial activity and plant growth are limited by nutrient (C and N) and water availability, and highlight the importance of nutrient availability in modulating the responses of soil microbes and plants to potentially increased precipitation in the temperate steppe.

Conclusions/Significance

Increased soil C input and precipitation would show significant effects on soil microbial properties and plant growth in the temperate steppe. These findings will improve our understanding of the responses of soil microbes and plants to the indirect and direct climate change effects.