冻融季温带森林土壤真菌群落结构及功能类群对不同土壤有机碳输入的响应

根系与凋落物有机碳输入变化对土壤生物群落的影响研究是目前学术界关注的热点问题,但冻融季不同有机碳输入方式将对土壤真菌群落结构及功能类群产生何种影响尚不明确。土壤真菌群落是调节森林生态系统稳定性的重要因素,有助于维持生态系统生产力时间尺度的稳定性。为了探索冻融季温带森林土壤真菌群落对控制根系和凋落物有机碳输入方式的响应特征,通过在帽儿山生态站设置4种碳源输入控制处理植物残体添加去除(DIRT):去除凋落物仅根系输入处理、去除根系仅凋落物输入处理、无碳源输入处理和同时进行根系与凋落物输入处理,采用ITS rDNA高通量测序技术和FUNGuild功能预测平台,来分析控制根系和凋落物有机碳输入方式对温带森林土壤真菌群落结构和功能类群的影响。研究结果显示：(1)不同有机碳输入方式改变了土壤真菌类群的多度：与自然生长状态下有机碳输入方式相比,根系有机碳输入比凋落物有机碳输入对土壤真菌类群多度影响更明显,去除根系碳源输入处理使真菌群落中子囊菌门含量升高19.52%,担子菌门含量下降16.77%。(2)有机碳输入方式对土壤真菌群落功能类群产生影响：与自然生长状态下有机碳输入方式相比,去除根系碳源输入处...     

改变碳输入对亚热带人工林土壤微生物生物量和群落组成的影响

通过在亚热带杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)和米老排(Mytilaria laosensis)人工林中设置互换凋落物、去除凋落物、去除凋落物+去除根系和对照处理来分析改变地上、地下碳输入对人工林土壤微生物生物量和群落组成的影响。结果显示,改变地上、地下碳输入对土壤微生物生物量碳、氮的影响因树种而异。在米老排林中,土壤微生物生物量不受碳源的限制。而在杉木林中,加入米老排凋落物、去除凋落物和去除凋落物+去除根系3种处理中土壤微生物生物量碳、氮具有明显增加的趋势。磷脂脂肪酸分析结果显示,杉木林中,添加高质量的米老排凋落物后,革兰氏阳性细菌、阴性细菌、丛枝菌根真菌、放线菌和真菌群落生物量分别显著增加了24%、24%、53%、25%、28%,革兰氏阴性细菌和丛枝菌根真菌的相对丰度均有显著增加。与对照相比,杉木林中去除凋落物后革兰氏阳性细菌、阴性细菌、丛枝菌根真菌、放线菌和真菌群落生物量分别显著增加了22%、29%、44%、25%、52%,真菌与细菌比值显著增加了21%。但是,去除凋落物+去除根系处理对两个树种人工林土壤微生物群落组成均无显著影响。米老排和杉木林土壤微生物生物量碳、氮的季节变化格局不同,土壤养分有效性可能是驱动土壤微生物生物量季节变化的主要因子。未来研究需要关注凋落物和根系在不同树种人工林中对土壤微生物群落的相对贡献。     

改变碳输入对沂蒙山区典型次生林土壤微生物碳源代谢功能的影响

凋落物和根系向土壤的碳输入是森林生态系统的关键过程,输入量及组分的变化直接影响森林土壤碳汇功能和生产力。在沂蒙山区栎类天然次生林中,开展添加/去除凋落物及去除根系的定位控制试验。于控制试验开展21个月后,采用Biolog Eco微平板培养法,研究凋落物和根系对土壤微生物碳源代谢功能的影响。结果表明,凋落物倍增处理增加了土壤微生物碳源代谢功能,增加了对糖类和胺类的代谢能力。去除凋落物处理、去除根系处理和无输入处理都降低了土壤微生物碳源代谢功能。去除凋落物处理降低土壤微生物碳源代谢功能的幅度大于去除根系处理,表明当前条件下凋落物对土壤微生物碳源代谢功能的影响大于根系,但如果抛除掉去除根系处理中残留根系的影响,凋落物和根系对土壤微生物碳源代谢功能的相对大小可能会发生变化。土壤有机碳含量、铵态氮含量显著影响微生物碳源代谢多样性（P<0.05）,并与碳源代谢功能正相关。凋落物倍增处理通过增加土壤铵态氮和有机碳含量,增加微生物碳源代谢功能,去除凋落物处理和无输入处理通过降低土壤铵态氮和有机碳含量,降低微生物碳源代谢功能。结果深化了碳输入途径（地上凋落物与地下根系）和数量（凋落物倍增、凋落物去除与对照）对温带栎类天然次生林土壤碳代谢过程的认识。     

凋落物和根系去除对滨海沙地土壤微生物群落组成和功能的影响

通过在亚热带滨海防护林湿地松、尾巨桉、纹荚相思和木麻黄人工林中设置去除凋落物、去除根系和对照处理,分析改变地上、地下碳输入对沙地人工林土壤微生物生物量、群落结构和功能的影响.2015年9月,在处理设置一年后采集各处理样方0～10 cm土壤样品,分别采用磷脂脂肪酸分析方法和微孔板酶检测技术对土壤样品的微生物群落组成和6种酶活性进行测定.结果表明: 碳输入处理对土壤微生物生物量的影响因树种而异,并主要取决于凋落物和根系的质量.在尾巨桉林中,去除根系使得脂肪酸总量、革兰氏阳性细菌、革兰氏阴性细菌、真菌和放线菌生物量分别显著减少了31%、30%、32%、36%和26%,去除凋落物使得革兰氏阳性细菌、真菌和放线菌生物量显著减少了24%、27%和24%,而其他树种处理对微生物生物量无显著影响.碳输入处理对土壤微生物群落结构的影响主要表现为真菌丰度下降而放线菌丰度上升.不同树种的土壤酶活性对处理的响应表现不一致:湿地松、纹荚相思和木麻黄林分去除凋落物显著降低土壤中纤维素水解酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、酸性磷酸酶和乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶活性,去除根系仅分别降低和提高了湿地松和纹荚相思林β-葡萄糖苷酶的活性;湿地松、木麻黄人工林去除凋落物显著降低了多酚氧化酶和过氧化物酶活性;去除根系对所有树种土壤氧化酶活性影响不显著.不同树种的凋落物、根系特性是影响土壤微生物群落组成和酶活性的重要因子,碳输入处理造成的土壤温度、水分等微环境的改变也是土壤微生物性质变化的重要驱动力.     

去除根系和凋落物对滨海沙地3种防护林土壤碳氮库的短期影响

以福建长乐滨海沙地上3种人工林(尾巨桉、纹荚相思、木麻黄)土壤为研究对象,设置去除凋落物、去除根系和对照3种处理,观测1年后分析改变地上、地下有机质输入对沙地土壤碳氮储量、可溶性有机碳(DOC)氮(DON)和微生物量碳(MBC)氮(MBN)的影响。结果表明:不同树种人工林间土壤碳氮储量无显著差异;不同树种人工林间土壤活性碳氮组分差异显著,木麻黄土壤DOC含量显著高于纹荚相思,纹荚相思土壤DON显著高于木麻黄和尾巨桉,尾巨桉土壤MBN显著高于木麻黄和纹荚相思。改变地上地下有机质输入对滨海沙地土壤碳氮库有显著影响且这种影响随树种而异。去除凋落物后纹荚相思、木麻黄土壤碳储量分别下降38.0%、25.1%,氮储量分别下降12.9%、12.5%;去除凋落物后尾巨桉、纹荚相思、木麻黄土壤DOC分别下降37.5%、30.6%、52.9%,MBC分别下降31.0%、56.9%、29.7%,MBN分别下降50.7%、34.9%、42.2%;去除根系后尾巨桉、纹荚相思土壤MBC分别下降57.7%、15.4%。回归分析显示,滨海沙地土壤DOC、MBC与土壤碳储量呈显著正相关,土壤DOC和MBC分别能够解释土壤碳储量变化的47.7%和57.7%。研究表明:树种通过调控地上、地下输入影响可溶性有机碳氮和微生物量碳氮,进而影响土壤碳氮库。     

热带季节雨林与人工橡胶林土壤碳氮比较

选取我国西南部西双版纳地区的热带季节雨林和人工橡胶林为对象,比较了2006—2007年两种土地利用方式下凋落物输入、土壤总碳氮含量及活性碳、氮的季节性变化.结果表明:与热带季节雨林相比,橡胶林的地上年凋落物量较低,而地面凋落物残留量较高,反映了橡胶林凋落物分解速率(凋落物消失率常数值,K )较低;橡胶林凋落物和土壤的C/N比值较高,暗示了其林内有机物的可降解性较热带季节雨林弱;橡胶林表层土壤总有机碳、生物活性有机碳和微生物生物量碳含量只有热带季节雨林土壤的60%～70%,硝态氮含量较少,pH 值则比热带季节雨林土壤低1.1.说明热带季节雨林转变为橡胶林后,林内地上凋落物向土壤输入的碳、氮量减少,土壤碳、氮含量和有效性降低,并且土壤呈现酸化倾向.应制定合理的橡胶林土壤管理措施,阻止土壤质量的下降趋势,以维持橡胶林的生产可持续性.     

碳输入方式对森林土壤碳库和碳循环的影响研究进展

凋落物和植物根系是森林土壤有机碳的主要来源.综述了不同碳输入方式对土壤全碳、微生物生物量碳和可溶性有机碳等碳库组分及土壤呼吸影响的研究进展.不同地区、不同森林土壤有机碳对碳输入的响应程度不同,且采用添加和去除凋落物,以及去除根系方法(DIRT)对土壤碳的影响具有树种差异和区域差异.目前主要侧重于土壤呼吸和碳库组分的研究,亟需开展对土壤碳的结构类型和稳定性,以及土壤生物尤其是土壤动物的响应机制的相关研究.     

杉木与阔叶树叶凋落物混合分解对土壤活性有机质的影响

通过室内培养,研究了杉木叶凋落物及与桤木、刺楸和火力楠混合叶凋落物对土壤活性有机质的影响．结果表明：添加叶凋落物显著地增加了土壤微生物碳、氮及土壤呼吸强度和可溶性有机碳含量．其中,添加杉-阔混合叶凋落物对土壤活性有机质的增加效应大于纯杉木叶凋落物．在培养后期（第135天）,添加纯杉木叶凋落物和杉-阔混合叶凋落物处理土壤微生物碳含量分别比对照土壤高49％和63％,微生物氮高35％和75％,土壤呼吸强度高65％和100％,可溶性有机碳含量高66％和108％．添加叶凋落物对土壤微生物熵和微生物C／N的影响不显著（P〉0．05）．     

亚热带杉木和米老排人工林土壤呼吸对凋落物去除和交换的响应

在我国亚热带地区米老排(Mytilaria laosensis)和杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)人工林中设置去除凋落物、交换凋落物和对照3种处理,利用LI-8100对不同处理土壤呼吸速率进行为期14个月的连续观测。结果表明:与对照相比,去除和交换凋落物导致米老排人工林CO2年排放量显著减少29.8%和14.2%,杉木人工林则分别减少6.1%和增加37.8%。两种林分交换凋落物处理产生了不同程度的激发效应,米老排凋落物相对于杉木凋落物具有更大的激发效应。不同处理土壤呼吸速率均与土壤温度呈显著指数关系,与土壤含水量呈负相关,土壤温度和含水量的回归模型可以分别解释米老排人工林中去除、交换和对照处理土壤呼吸速率的68.9%、77.0%和69.6%,杉木人工林的53.0%、36.2%和63.8%。两种林分不同处理土壤呼吸速率与土壤可溶性有机碳含量、微生物生物量碳含量以及主要微生物种群生物量显著相关。米老排人工林去除和交换凋落物处理均降低了土壤呼吸的温度敏感性Q10值,而杉木林中仅去除凋落物降低了Q10值。研究表明,土壤呼吸对凋落物输入方式改变的响应因树种而异,这种差异与凋落物输入的数量和质量及其对土壤易变性有机碳含量和微生物生物量的影响有关。     

林冠氮添加和林下植被去除对杉木林土壤有机碳组分的影响

为探讨氮添加和林下植被管理对杉木人工林土壤有机碳组分的影响,以福建沙县官庄国有林场杉木人工林为对象,设置对照（CK）、林冠氮添加（CN）、林下植被去除（UR）、林冠氮添加和林下植被去除（CNUR）4个处理的野外控制实验,研究林冠氮添加和林下植被去除对土壤总有机碳、惰性有机碳、易氧化有机碳、颗粒有机碳、微生物生物量碳和水溶性有机碳的影响。结果表明：5年CN添加处理显著降低易氧化有机碳（10—20 cm）和微生物生物量碳（20—40 cm）含量,增加表层土壤颗粒有机碳占总有机碳的比例。UR处理对土壤有机碳组分的作用不显著,而CNUR处理显著降低表层土壤水溶性有机碳含量及其比例。土壤各有机碳组分均与土壤含水量、可溶性有机氮、微生物生物量氮和铵态氮呈显著正相关。研究表明,土壤活性有机碳比惰性有机碳对林冠氮添加（5年）的响应更敏感,且表现为中下层土壤响应大于表层土壤,短期氮添加能促进土壤活性有机碳的分解,而林下植被去除在短时间内可能通过改变土壤含水量和可利用氮减缓有机碳的分解与转化,从而补偿由于氮添加引起的土壤活性有机碳下降,未来需要通过长期氮添加实验进一步研究土壤有机碳动态变化的响应机制。     

川西高原季节性雪被覆盖下凋落物输入对土壤微生物数量及生物量的影响

为了了解季节性雪被覆盖下不同碳供应水平对高山土壤生态系统过程的影响,2010 年1 月-5 月在青藏高原东缘设计人工雪厚度梯度控制(0 cm, 30 cm, 100 cm)和凋落物添加(0 g, 5 g, 20 g 鲜卑花叶片)的原位试验,测定了土壤中的微生物数量和微生物生物量。研究发现,雪被覆盖能有效地绝缘大气和土壤,减少冻融交替的幅度和频次,显著增加了细菌和真菌数量,而对微生物生物量碳氮无明显影响。凋落物的输入降低了微生物生物量氮的含量,增加了细菌和真菌的数量。说明雪被覆盖和有机碳的输入可以通过影响冬季土壤微生物群落结构,从而对高山地区冬季生态系统过程产生实质性的影响。     

川西高山林线土壤活性碳、氮对短期增温的响应

随着温室效应的加剧,受低温限制的高山林线生态系统对全球气候变暖较为敏感,可能直接影响到植物的生长和土壤碳氮过程.本研究假设气候变暖会改变高山生态系统土壤活性碳氮含量,在四川省理县米亚罗高山生态系统定位站,采用开顶式模拟增温装置(OTC)模拟增温对土壤活性碳、氮的短期影响.分别于2017年4、7和10月,采集OTC以及对照样地(CK)内土壤有机层和矿质土壤层的原状土壤,测定土壤可溶性有机碳(DOC)、土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、土壤可溶性有机氮(DON)和土壤微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量.结果表明: 模拟增温使年均气温升高0.88 ℃,土壤有机层和矿质土壤层的年均温度分别提高0.48和0.23 ℃.模拟增温没有显著改变土壤有机质和含水量,但显著提高了矿质土壤层的pH值,同时显著降低了非生长季矿质土壤层的DOC、DON含量;季节变化对两个层次的DOC、DON和MBN含量有极显著影响,而MBC没有明显的季节动态;增温和季节交互作用对矿质土壤层的DOC和DON有显著影响.土壤有机层的MBC、MBN含量显著高于矿质土壤层.土壤活性碳、氮与土壤有机质和含水量呈极显著正相关,MBC、MBN与土壤pH呈极显著正相关,MBN与土壤温度呈显著负相关.     

26年长期施肥对土壤微生物量碳、氮及土壤呼吸的影响

研究长期小麦连作施肥条件下土壤微生物量碳、氮,土壤呼吸的变化及其与土壤养分的相关性。以陕西长武长期定位试验为平台,应用氯仿熏蒸-K2SO4提取法、碱液吸收法和化学分析法分析了长达26a不同施肥处理农田土壤微生物量碳、微生物量氮和土壤呼吸之间的差异及其调控土壤肥力的作用。长期施肥及种植作物,均能提高土壤微生物量碳、氮含量,尤其是施用有机肥,土壤微生物量碳、氮含量高于单施无机肥的处理,土壤呼吸量也提高15.91%—75.73%,而施用无机肥对于土壤呼吸无促进作用。土壤微生物生物量碳氮、土壤呼吸与土壤有机质、全氮呈极显著相关。长期有机无机肥配施可以提高土壤微生物量碳氮、土壤呼吸,氮磷肥与厩肥配施对提高土壤肥力效果最好。微生物量碳氮及土壤呼吸可以反映土壤质量的变化,作为评价土壤肥力的生物学指标。     

枯落物处理对格木林土壤碳氮转化和微生物群落结构的短期影响

以我国南亚热带格木人工纯林为研究对象,采用气压过程分离(BaPS)技术和磷脂脂肪酸(PLFAs)法研究了不同枯落物处理(对照、枯落物去除、枯落物加倍)下土壤碳氮转化速率和微生物群落结构的季节变化.结果表明:不同枯落物处理土壤呼吸和总硝化速率均呈现明显的季节动态,雨季显著高于旱季.枯落物处理初期,土壤呼吸和总硝化速率均随枯落物输入量的增加呈下降趋势,但随着枯落物处理时间的延长,二者随枯落物输入量的增加而增加.旱季不同枯落物处理土壤微生物PLFAs总量和各菌群PLFAs量均显著高于雨季,而雨季真菌PLFAs/细菌PLFAs明显高于旱季.在旱季,枯落物去除处理土壤微生物PLFAs总量、细菌PLFAs量、真菌PLFAs量和丛枝菌根真菌PLFAs量分别显著提高30.9%、28.8%、44.4%和31.6%.在雨季,枯落物去除处理细菌PLFAs量和丛枝菌根真菌PLFAs量分别显著降低10.6%和33.3%.土壤微生物群落结构受枯落物输入量处理和季节的双重影响,土壤微生物群落结构主要受土壤温度和铵态氮的影响.枯落物输入量处理在短期内显著影响了格木林土壤碳氮转化速率和微生物群落结构,这种影响因季节的不同而存在差异.     

Temporal variation in microbial and plant biomass during summer in a Mediterranean high-mountain dry grassland

Aims

We assessed the temporal changes on microbial biomass in relation to changes in soil moisture, dissolved organic carbon and plant biomass during the summer season in a Mediterranean high-mountain grassland.

Methods

Temporal variations were tested by two-way ANOVA. The relationships among microbial biomass, plant biomass, soil water content, soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon and total soil nitrogen during the summer season were assessed by means of structural equation modeling.

Results

Microbial biomass did not show variation, while dissolved organic carbon and root biomass decreased throughout the summer. Aboveground plant biomass peaked in the middle of the summer, when soil water content was at its minimum. Soil water content directly and negatively affected soil microbial biomass, and positively affected dissolved organic carbon. Moreover soil microbial biomass and dissolved organic carbon were negatively related. Plant biomass effects on soil microbial biomass were driven by root biomass, which indirectly affected soil microbial biomass through effects on soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen.

Conclusions

The temporal dynamic of microbial biomass during the summer season appeared to differ from previous observations in temperate alpine communities, and indicated the drought resistance of the microbial community during the summer in Mediterranean high-mountain grasslands. During the dry period, microbial biomass may play an alternative role in soil carbon conservation.     

Four years of litter input manipulation changes soil microbial characteristics in a temperate mixed forest

Aboveground litter not only is an important source of nutrients to soil microbes but also regulates the microclimate in topsoil. How the changes in aboveground litter quantity would affect the microbial biogeochemical cycles is still unclear. Here we conducted a litter input manipulation experiment in a temperate mixed forest to investigate how different amounts of litter input affect soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil respiration via their regulation on soil microbes. We found that although neither SOC stock nor soil CO₂ efflux was affected by litter manipulation, soil microbial characteristics had responded after four years of litter addition or removal treatments. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in the O horizon was higher in litter addition plots than in litter removal plots as a result of the changed availability of labile C under litter treatments. Both double litter and no litter treatments changed microbial compositions, which was probably due to the increased soil pH in no litter treatment and the increased labile C in double litter treatment. The null change in soil respiration could be attributed to the offset between the negative effect of decreased substrate and the positive effect of increased temperature on soil respiration in litter removal plots. Due to the important role of soil microbes in carbon cycling, the altered microbial properties under litter manipulation treatments suggested the inevitable changes in biogeochemical cycling in the long run and call for long-term studies on SOC dynamics in the future.

     

鼎湖山亚热带常绿针阔叶混交林凋落物及矿质氮输入对土壤有机碳分解的影响

2010年7-12月,选取鼎湖山国家级自然保护区亚热带针阔叶混交林,采用全因子控制试验,研究不同类型的凋落物(针叶和阔叶凋落物)添加及氮处理(加氮模拟氮饱和、减氮模拟根吸收)对表层(0～10 cm)和下层(20～30 cm)土壤有机质分解(呼吸)的影响.结果表明： 2010年7-11月间,两种凋落物的添加使土壤-凋落物系统的呼吸速率显著增加,但这种影响在12月消失.减氮和加氮处理均显著增加了土壤-凋落物系统的呼吸.叶凋落物短期内完全分解,对土壤碳分解和积累的影响十分有限,可能不是该系统中土壤有机质的主要来源.通过减少土壤可利用氮模拟根系对氮的吸收能够明显促进土壤有机质的分解.     

油松-辽东栎混交林地表凋落物与氮添加对土壤微生物生物量碳、氮及其活性的影响

2010年9月-2011年10月,在山西省灵空山油松和辽东栎混交林样地采取随机区组设计,研究了地表凋落物和氮添加处理对土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和微生物活性的影响.凋落物处理包括:剔除凋落物(N)、叶凋落物加倍(L)、枝果凋落物加倍(B)和混合凋落物加倍(LB);氮添加量分别为0(N0)、5 g· m-2·a-1(N1)和10 g·m-2·a-1(N2).结果表明:剔除地表凋落物且无氮添加时,油松和辽东栎混交林地的土壤有机碳(SOC)含量显著降低,其他试验处理间对SOC的影响无显著差异.土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、氮(MBN)及其活性(MR)的变化范围依次为:262.42 ～ 873.16 mg·kg-1、73.55 ～ 173.85 mg·kg-1和2.38～3.68mg·kg-1·d-1.MBC、MBN和MR两两间呈极显著正相关.氮添加对MBC、MBN和MR均无显著影响;凋落物处理对MR影响显著,表现为混合凋落物加倍处理的MR最高,叶凋落物加倍处理次之,剔除凋落物处理最低,而对MBC和MBN无显著影响.凋落物和氮添加处理在整个试验过程中未表现出交互作用.短期的氮添加处理和森林地表凋落物变化对土壤微生物过程的影响有限.     

Chemistry and Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Matter in a Temperate Coniferous Forest on Andic Soils: Effects of Litter Quality

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in transporting carbon and nitrogen from forest floor to mineral soils in temperate forest ecosystems. Thus, the retention of DOM via sorption or microbial assimilation is one of the critical steps for soil organic matter formation in mineral soils. The chemical properties of DOM are assumed to control these processes, yet we lack fundamental information that links litter quality, DOM chemistry, and DOM retention. Here, we studied whether differences in litter quality affect solution chemistry and whether changes in litter inputs affect DOM quality and removal in the field. The effects of litter quality on solution chemistry were evaluated using chemical fractionation methods for laboratory extracts and for soil water collected from a temperate coniferous forest where litter inputs had been altered. In a laboratory extraction, litter type (needle, wood, root) and the degree of decomposition strongly influenced solution chemistry. Root litter produced more than 10 times more water-extractable dissolved organic N (DON) than any other litter type, suggesting that root litter may be most responsible for DON production in this forest ecosystem. The chemical composition of the O-horizon leachate was similar under all field treatments (doubled needle, doubled wood, and normal litter inputs). O-horizon leachate most resembled laboratory extracts of well-decomposed litter (that is, a high proportion of hydrophobic acids), in spite of the significant amount of litter C added to the forest floor and a tendency toward higher mean DOM under doubled-Litter treatments. A lag in DOM production from added litter or microbial modification might have obscured chemical differences in DOM under the different treatments. Net DOM removal in this forest soil was strong; DOM concentration in the water deep in the mineral soil was always low regardless of concentrations in water that entered the mineral soil and of litter input manipulation. High net removal of DOM from O-horizon leachate, in spite of extremely low initial hydrophilic neutral content (labile DOM), coupled with the lack of influence by season or soil depth, suggests that DOM retention in the soil was mostly by abiotic sorption.     

A water-centred framework to assess the effects of salinity on the growth and yield of wheat and barley

We conducted a field experiment in two alpine meadows to investigate the short-term effects of nitrogen enrichment and plant litter biomass on plant species richness, the percent cover of functional groups, soil microbial biomass, and enzyme activity in two alpine meadow communities. The addition of nitrogen fertilizer to experimental plots over two growing seasons increased plant production, as indicated by increases in both the living plant biomass and litter biomass in the Kobresia humilis meadow community. In contrast, fertilization had no significant effect on the amounts of living biomass and litter biomass in the K. tibetica meadow. The litter treatment results indicate that litter removal significantly increased the living biomass and decreased the litter biomass in the K. humilis meadow; however, litter-removal and litter-intact treatments had no impact on the amounts of living biomass and litter biomass in the K. tibetica meadow. Litter production depended on the degree of grass cover and was also influenced by nitrogen enrichment. The increase in plant biomass reflects a strong positive effect of nitrogen enrichment and litter removal on grasses in the K. humilis meadow. Neither fertilization nor litter removal had any impact on the grass biomass in the K. tibetica meadow. Sedge biomass was not significantly affected by either nutrient enrichment or litter removal in either alpine meadow community. The plant species richness decreased in the K. humilis meadow following nitrogen addition. In the K. humilis meadow, microbial biomass C increased significantly in response to the nitrogen enrichment and litter removal treatments. Enzyme activities differed depending on the enzyme and the different alpine meadow communities; in general, enzyme activities were higher in the upper soil layers (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) than in the lower soil layers (20–40 cm). The amounts of living plant biomass and plant litter biomass in response to the different treatments of the two alpine meadow communities affected the soil microbial biomass C, soil organic C, and soil fertility. These results suggest that the original soil conditions, plant community composition, and community productivity are very important in regulating plant community productivity and microbial biomass and activity.