滨海盐碱地刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)混交林土壤水盐动态

以固氮树种刺槐与绒毛白蜡、榆树、臭椿三树种的混交林及其纯林为研究对象,研究了刺槐与不同树种混交对土壤水分、盐分年动态变化的影响。研究结果表明：（1）刺槐与3个树种混交,刺槐臭椿混交林生长最好,均高于各自纯林。（2）混交林一定程度改善了土壤含水量及层次分布,土壤含水量整体趋势均表现出0～60 cm表层土中含水量高于各自纯林,而深层土壤含水量低的特点,只有8月份纯林和混交林的土壤含水量没有显著差别。不同树种在具体层次上略有差异;（3）混交林降低了土壤含盐量,改变了土壤盐分层次分布和年变化规律。不同月份间土壤含盐量随土壤深度、混交树种的变化而变化。深层土壤含盐量高,表层土壤含盐量低,混交林含盐量低于纯林且存在树种差异。混交林与纯林含盐量均雨季低,旱季高;但在某一具体月份各层次含盐量差别不大;不同土层含水量、含盐量与天然降水之间有明显的相关性,天然降水是混交林及纯林土壤水分的主要来源。     

基于林龄的滨海盐碱地杨树刺槐混交林土壤理化性质及草本植物多样性动态

以黄河三角洲滨海盐碱地不同林龄的杨树(Populus×Euramercana‘Neva’)、刺槐(Robinia pseucdoacacia)人工混交林及相应的纯林为研究对象,采用空间代时间的方法,研究了其不同林龄人工林林下植被特征与土壤理化性质变化。结果表明:(1)白茅(Imperata cylindrica)、猪毛菜(Salsola collina)、刺儿菜(Cirsium setosum)是滨海盐碱地人工林林下群落的优势种。(2)随着林分年龄(3年、7年、18年)的增加,杨树刺槐混交林及相应纯林Patrick指数及Margalef指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数及Pielou指数均表现出低-高-低的变化趋势,7年生时丰富度、草本多样性、均匀度最高。(3)杨树刺槐混交提高了林下草本物种组成及重要值,就纯林而言,刺槐林下植被物种多样性显著高于同龄杨树。(4)随着林龄的增大,杨树刺槐混交林及其纯林林下土壤p H值逐渐降低,杨树刺槐纯林土壤含盐量先增后减,杨树×刺槐混交林土壤含盐量依次递减;杨树刺槐混交林及其纯林林下土壤全磷含量呈先增加后减小趋势;杨树纯林及杨树×刺槐混交林全氮含量呈先减小后增加的趋势,刺槐纯林林下土壤全氮量呈连续增长的趋势;林龄间土壤p H、含盐量、全氮及全磷含量差异显著。(5)草本植物多样性相关指数与土壤含盐量呈极显著负相关,与土壤全磷量呈极显著正相关。     

黄河三角洲刺槐臭椿混交林与纯林土壤细菌群落结构和多样性特征分析

为研究黄河三角洲地区混交人工林土壤细菌群落特征,应用高通量测序技术,比较分析了刺槐臭椿混交林以及臭椿和刺槐纯林土壤细菌结构及多样性,并结合土壤理化性质进行分析。试验结果表明：在细菌门分类水平上,臭椿纯林、刺槐纯林、刺槐臭椿混交林土壤中分别检测出27、25、31门细菌,3种不同林分土壤中酸杆菌门、变形菌门、放线菌门、硝化螺旋菌门、绿弯菌门、浮霉菌门、芽单胞菌门、疣微菌门8种细菌是土壤中的主要细菌群落,其中酸杆菌门、变形菌门和放线菌门为优势细菌群落。不同类型人工林土壤中各门细菌相对丰度差异显著。混交林土壤细菌物种数和Shannon指数值分别为1910和9.1高于两种纯林。通过对土壤主要细菌群落与土壤理化性质进行主成分分析发现,3种不同林分之间在土壤细菌群落结构上有较高程度的分离,差异显著（P < 0.05）,有效磷含量与混交林土壤细菌群落有较强的正相关关系。因此可以得出结论,不同林分类型、土壤理化性质和细菌群落结构三者相互影响,刺槐臭椿混交增加了土壤细菌群落多样性,土壤理化性质在一定程度上影响土壤细菌结构和多样性。     

黄河三角洲刺槐白蜡混交对土壤细菌群落结构及多样性的影响

为探讨黄河三角洲刺槐白蜡混交对土壤细菌群落结构及多样性的影响,通过高通量测序技术分析比较了刺槐白蜡混交林及刺槐纯林、白蜡纯林土壤细菌群落结构及多样性。结果表明:(1)混交林与两种纯林土壤细菌群落共36门。酸杆菌门、变形菌门、放线菌门(相对丰度大于10%)为刺槐白蜡混交林与两种纯林土壤中共有的优势菌群;硝化螺旋菌门为刺槐纯林土壤中的优势菌群。不同人工林土壤中各门细菌相对丰度差异显著。(2)混交改变了土壤细菌群落结构,提高了细菌多样性。刺槐白蜡混交林土壤细菌物种数、Chao1指数、Shannon指数分别为1934.5、2629.1、9.1,显著高于两种纯林。(3)相关性分析表明,土壤含水量与放线菌门细菌呈显著正相关;pH与芽单胞菌门细菌呈极显著正相关,与酸杆菌门细菌呈显著负相关。细菌多样性与土壤含水量呈显著正相关,与速效钾、有机质含量呈显著负相关。研究表明,刺槐白蜡混交林土壤细菌群落结构与两种纯林之间有一定差异,多样性差异显著,刺槐白蜡混交改变细菌群落结构,提高细菌多样性。     

白榆-刺槐混交林叶片养分与光合生理特性

通过田间试验,测定了不同生长时期白榆、刺槐纯林及其不同比例混交林[白榆∶刺槐分别为1∶1(1B1C)、1∶2(1B2C)和2∶1(2B1C)]植物叶片的N、P含量、叶绿素(Chl)含量、光合气体交换参数和叶绿素荧光参数的变化.结果表明:5—9月,2种纯林和3种混交林植物叶片N、P含量均呈减小趋势,到植物生长末期,1B2C混交林中刺槐叶片的N含量和白榆叶片的P含量均较其纯林有明显提高;3种混交林中,白榆叶片的叶绿素含量明显高于刺槐,且1B2C混交的白榆叶片Chl值在7月达到最大;3种混交林刺槐和白榆的光合速率(Pn)均大于其纯林,1B2C混交的刺槐叶片Pn在7月达到18.54μmol.m-2.s-1;不同比例混交林刺槐叶片的蒸腾速率和气孔导度均较其纯林有明显改善,为1B2C1B1C2B1C.至9月,3种混交林中白榆叶片的PSII电子传递量子效率明显大于纯林;2种纯林与3种混交林叶片光化学淬灭系数差异较小,而纯林的非光化学淬灭系数显著高于1B2C混交林.白榆-刺槐混交林可以显著提高植物叶片的养分含量和光合作用能力,其最优混交比例为1B2C.     

黄土高原刺槐林地土壤水分垂直分布特征及其动态模型的建立

以位于黄土高原半干旱丘陵沟壑区的陕西省安塞县和半湿润残塬沟壑区的甘肃省泾川县为代表,研究了不同水分生态区刺槐林地土壤水分垂直分布特征;并在原有林地土壤水分入渗平衡模型的基础上,建立了林地土壤水分随时间、土壤深度变化的动态模型。结果表明:(1)不同水分生态区林地土壤水分垂直变化规律具有明显区别,泾川的土壤含水量峰值出现在20~40cm土层深处,后随着土层深度的增加逐渐降低,在200cm土层深度土壤含水量趋于稳定(11%左右);安塞的土壤含水量峰值出现在约60cm左右的土层,并在220cm深度土壤含水量趋于稳定(5.5%左右);说明泾川的土壤含水量高于安塞,安塞的降雨和林木根系耗水对土壤水分的影响程度和深度均大于泾川,且两地深层土壤水分含量不受降水和林木根系耗水等的影响。(2)利用降水在土壤中的入渗平衡模型能够很好地拟合黄土高原两地(泾川、安塞)刺槐林地的土壤水分垂直分布;并通过引入参数t(月份)建立了林地土壤水分随时间和土壤深度变化的动态模型,经验证该模型能够准确地刻画黄土高原不同水分生态区刺槐林地土壤水分的动态变化。     

黄土丘陵区辽东栎和刺槐树干液流时滞效应与蒸腾特征的关联性

运用Granier热扩散探针法,于2016年7-9月对半干旱黄土丘陵区天然次生林树种辽东栎和人工林树种刺槐的树干液流进行连续测定,并同步监测气象因子和土壤含水量,用错位相关法分析液流通量密度与空气水汽压亏缺日变化的时滞长度,研究2个树种不同径级个体在不同土壤水分条件下液流通量密度与蒸腾驱动因子之间的时滞效应.结果表明:辽东栎和刺槐液流通量密度的日变化节律与气象因子显著相关,空气水汽压亏缺峰值的出现较辽东栎树干液流通量密度滞后118.2 min,较刺槐树干液流通量密度滞后39.5 min;而光合有效辐射的峰值通常滞后于辽东栎12.4 min,提前于刺槐68.5 min.液流通量密度和空气水汽压亏缺的时滞长度与树种和土壤含水量显著相关,辽东栎、刺槐在土壤含水量较高时段的时滞长度分别大于土壤含水量较低时段32.2和68.2 min.时滞长度与径级的相关性整体上未达到显著水平,但在土壤含水量较低时段小径级刺槐的时滞长度大于大径级21.4 min,差异达到了显著水平.两树种液流通量密度与空气水汽压亏缺之间的时滞效应反映了对蒸腾驱动因子的敏感性,较好的土壤水分条件有利于液流通量密度提早达到峰值,较低土壤水分会导致树干液流对气象环境因子响应的敏感性降低;刺槐树干液流受土壤水分的影响更显著.     

杉木拟赤杨混交林林分生产力及生态效应研究

 本文从林分结构、生物量、群落特征、生产力、培肥土壤、涵养水源及林内小气候等方面对不同混交模式的杉木拟赤杨混交林及其纯林进行的研究结果表明：杉木拟赤杨是具有较高生产力和协调种间关系能力的针阔混交树种。7年生3:1带状混交林蓄积量和生物量分别比杉木纯林提高7.24％和18.22％,同时混交林还表现出比杉木纯林更好的培肥土壤、涵养水源、改善林内小气候等生态功能。应用AHP法进行不同混交模式的综合选择结果表明：3:1杉木拟赤杨带状混交模式是值得南方林区大力推广的杉阔混交模式。     

桉树与豆科植物混交种植对土壤速效养分的影响

比较了桉树纯林、厚荚相思纯林以及两者的行混交林与株混交林的土壤速效养分特征。结果表明,豆科纯林及行混交林的土壤硝态氮含量显著高于桉林,铵态氮的格局也相似,因而,桉树与豆科植物混交种植可以明显改善土壤氮素营养。土壤速效磷含量以桉纯林最高,不同季节速效磷含量以豆科林最低,含磷较高的桉树枯落物及其分解是桉林地表土壤速效磷较高的重要原因;而豆科植物产生的高氮土壤条件导致整个林分较快的生长,造成植物氮磷平衡失调,并由此增加了对土壤速效磷的吸收,从而导致豆科林土壤速效磷较低。不同林型土壤速效钾差别不大,豆科林土壤小幅度高于其它林型,而不同林型土壤速效硼含量也差别不大,但豆科林土壤小幅度低于其它林型,这可能是豆科林对钾与硼的需要与影响不同所致;在植物栽种后不久,土壤速效硼迅速下降至极低水平,然后逐年大幅度上升,这可能是植物从深层吸收土壤硼并通过凋落物转移至表土的效应;结果也显示,造林初期有必要施用适当硼肥。     

杉木观光木混交林细根的分布

对27年生混交比例为2行杉木和1行观光木的混交林和杉木纯林群落细根分布的研究表明,杉木和观光行间的杉木细根密度虽比极木行间的低8．5％,但观光木细根密度则高152．09％,其细根总密度比杉木与杉木行间的大10．43％。混交林中杉木各径级活动根密度呈单峰型分布,均以5－10cm土层最大,而观光木各径级各活细根主要分布在0－10cm土层内。纯林杉木各径活细根密度亦基本呈单峰型分布,但峰值出现在10－20cm或20－30cm土层。不同树种不同径级死细根的分布均与其各自的活细根分布相似。混交林中灌木细根密度在30－40cm的土层最大,而纯林中的灌木细根集中于0－10cm的表土层;混交林和纯林中的草木细根均集中在0－5cm土层。与纯林的相比,混交林中杉木细根主要分布的土层明显上移,表层土壤细根所占比重增大,有利于更好利用土壤养分和提高群落生产力。     

Linking soil bacterial biodiversity and soil carbon stability

Native soil carbon (C) can be lost in response to fresh C inputs, a phenomenon observed for decades yet still not understood. Using dual-stable isotope probing, we show that changes in the diversity and composition of two functional bacterial groups occur with this ‘priming'' effect. A single-substrate pulse suppressed native soil C loss and reduced bacterial diversity, whereas repeated substrate pulses stimulated native soil C loss and increased diversity. Increased diversity after repeated C amendments contrasts with resource competition theory, and may be explained by increased predation as evidenced by a decrease in bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies. Our results suggest that biodiversity and composition of the soil microbial community change in concert with its functioning, with consequences for native soil C stability.Substrate inputs can stimulate decomposition of native soil organic carbon (SOC; Kuzyakov et al., 2000), a phenomenon known as the ‘priming effect'' (Kuzyakov, 2010), and is considered large enough to influence ecosystem C balance (Wieder et al., 2013). Two functionally distinct groups of microorganisms are postulated to mediate priming: one that grows rapidly utilizing labile C, and one that grows slowly, breaking down recalcitrant SOC (Fontaine et al., 2003; Blagodatskaya et al., 2007). However, distinguishing these groups is technically challenging. Here, we used dual-stable isotope probing with ¹³C-glucose and ¹⁸O-water to identify bacteria in these two groups growing in response to single and repeated pulses of glucose. Organisms that utilize labile C for growth assimilate both ¹³C-glucose and ¹⁸O-water into their DNA, whereas organisms that grow using SOC incorporate only ¹⁸O-water. Differential isotope incorporation leads to a range of DNA densities separable through isopycnic centrifugation, which can then be characterized by sequencing (Radajewski et al., 2000).We sequenced fragments of bacterial 16S rRNA genes following single and repeated glucose pulses. We hypothesized that the single pulse of labile C would stimulate growth of opportunistic organisms, thus immobilizing nutrients and suppressing growth and diversity of the SOC-utilizing community, decreasing SOC decomposition (negative priming), a response analogous to that observed in plant communities in response to chronic N additions (Tilman, 1987; Clark and Tilman, 2008). We hypothesized that multiple glucose additions would stimulate growth of a more diverse bacterial community, including more native SOC-utilizing organisms that possess enzymes to decompose recalcitrant compounds, causing positive priming (Fontaine et al., 2003; Kuzyakov, 2010).Soil from a ponderosa pine ecosystem was amended weekly for 7 weeks with 500 μg C-glucose per gram soil (2.65 atom % ¹³C) in 100 μl deionized water or with 100 μl deionized water (n=5). Measurements of δ¹³C–CO₂ and [CO₂] enabled the partitioning of CO₂ into that derived from added glucose or from native SOC (C_SOC):where C_total is CO₂–C from glucose-amended samples, δ_total is the δ¹³C–CO₂ from glucose-amended samples, δ_glucose is the δ¹³C of the added glucose and δ_SOC is the δ¹³C–CO₂ evolved from the non-amended samples. Priming was calculated as the difference between SOC oxidation of the amended and non-amended samples. With this approach, any evolved CO₂ carrying the ¹³C signature of the added glucose is considered respiration of glucose, including ¹³C-labeled biomass and metabolites derived from prior glucose additions. Thus, this approach quantifies priming as the oxidation of SOC present at the beginning of the experiment, consistent with many other studies of priming (Cheng et al., 2003; De Graaff et al., 2010).In a parallel incubation for dual-stable isotope probing, the repeated-pulse samples received unlabeled glucose (500 μg C-glucose per gram soil) for 6 weeks while the non-amended and single-pulse samples received sterile deionized water. In week 7, samples received one of four isotope treatments (n=3): 97 atom % H₂ ¹⁸O (non-amended soil), 99 atom % ¹³C-glucose and 97 atom % H₂ ¹⁸O (single- and repeated-pulse soil), ¹²C-glucose and 97 atom % H₂ ¹⁸O (repeated-pulse soil) or ¹²C-glucose and H₂ ¹⁶O (repeated-pulse soil). After incubating for 7 days, soil was frozen at −40 °C. DNA was extracted, separated through isopycnic centrifugation, and two density ranges were sequenced for the bacterial 16S rRNA gene (Supplementary Figure 1): 1.731–1.746 g ml⁻¹ (hereafter called the SOC-utilizing community) and 1.759–1.774 g ml⁻¹ (hereafter called the glucose-utilizing community).Amplicons of the V3–V6 16S rRNA region were bar coded with broad-coverage fusion PCR primers and pooled before sequencing on a Genome Sequencer FLX instrument. These sequence data have been submitted to the GenBank database under accession number SRP043371. Data were checked for chimeras (Edgar et al., 2011), demultiplexed and quality checked (Caporaso et al., 2010). Taxonomy was assigned to genus at the ⩾80% bootstrap confidence level (Cole et al., 2009).We used the Shannon''s diversity index (H′), commonly used in microbial systems (Fierer and Jackson, 2006), to assess changes in microbial diversity. Analysis of variance was used to compare the amount of DNA within densities between isotope treatments (Supplementary Figure 2) and to test the effects of the treatments on the Shannon''s diversity (Figure 2) and Pielou''s evenness (Supplementary Figure 3) of the active bacterial communities, with post hoc Student''s t-tests, α=0.05. PRIMER 6 and PERMANOVA were used to create the nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination and to compare bacterial communities between glucose treatments and the two sequenced density ranges.The single pulse of glucose suppressed SOC oxidation, whereas repeated pulses increased SOC oxidation (Figure 1). Few experiments to date have examined priming in response to repeated substrate amendments (Hamer and Marschner, 2005; Qiao et al., 2014), even though in nature soil receives repeated substrate pulses from litterfall and rhizodeposition. Our results demonstrate the dynamic response of SOC decomposition to repeated labile C inputs.Open in a separate windowFigure 1Weekly priming rates calculated as the difference in SOC respired between glucose-amended and non-amended soil (n=5).Dual-stable isotope probing was able to separate the growing bacteria into two groups with distinct DNA densities (P<0.001, PERMANOVA; Figure 3a), indicating differential uptake of ¹³C-glucose and ¹⁸O-water. In response to the initial glucose addition, the diversity of the growing glucose- and SOC-utilizing bacterial communities declined compared with the non-amended community (P<0.001, t-tests; Figure 2), driven by a strong decrease in evenness (Supplementary Figure 3). In the SOC-utilizing community, where DNA was labeled with ¹⁸O only, the relative abundance of Bacillus increased 4.9-fold compared with the non-amended control to constitute 31.6% of the community (Figure 3b). Bacillus survives well under low-nutrient conditions (Panikov, 1995), and is able to synthesize a suite of extracellular enzymes capable of degrading complex substrates (Priest, 1977), traits that are conducive for using SOC for growth. In the glucose-utilizing community, where DNA was labeled with both ¹³C and ¹⁸O, Arthrobacter increased 67.7-fold relative to the non-amended control to constitute 75.5% of the growing bacteria (Figure 3b). In culture experiments, Arthrobacter can rapidly take up and store glucose for later use (Panikov, 1995) and here we find it dominating the high-density DNA fractions, signifying that it is using the labeled glucose to grow. The increased biomass of Arthrobacter may have resulted in greater resource competition, thus reducing the diversity of the growing community, as is frequently found in plant communities (Bakelaar and Odum, 1978; Clark and Tilman, 2008).Open in a separate windowFigure 2Shannon''s diversity index (H′) of the non-amended, single-pulse, and repeated-pulse treatments (n=3) in the SOC- (mid-density) and glucose-utilizing (high-density) communities. Treatments with the same letter are not significantly different from each other (Student''s t, α=0.05).Open in a separate windowFigure 3(a) Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination showing differences in growing bacterial communities at the genus taxonomic level in the SOC-utilizing (mid-density; open symbols) and glucose-utilizing (high-density; closed symbols) groups of non-amended (Δ), single-pulse (○) and repeated-pulse (□) treatments (n=3). (b) Pie charts of genera in the SOC- and glucose-utilizing communities of the single- and repeated-pulse treatments (n=3). Genera with relative abundances >5% are listed in the figure legend.After repeated glucose amendments, the diversity of the growing community recovered to non-amendment levels (Figure 2) without strongly dominant organisms (Figure 3b and Supplementary Figure 3). The higher diversity found after repeated glucose pulses may be explained by trophic interactions where predators graze on prey populations that have been enlarged by resource addition, suppressing competition between prey species and causing secondary mobilization of nutrients (Clarholm, 1985). The decrease in total bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies in the repeated-pulse—compared with the single-pulse—treatment (Supplementary Figure 4) supports predation as a potential mechanism explaining the observed diversity increase after repeated glucose pulses.The recovery of diversity after repeated glucose pulses contrasts with resource competition theory (Tilman, 1987). When chronic additions of a limiting resource are applied, species diversity and evenness typically decrease (Bakelaar and Odum, 1978; Clark and Tilman, 2008) because competitive organisms become dominant. We observed this after the single glucose pulse, but not after repeated pulses. This diversity response may be the result of community shifts facilitated by short bacterial life cycles and the tens to hundreds of generations expected during the 7-week incubation (Behera and Wagner, 1974). In contrast, systems on which most ecological theory is based (for example, plants) might achieve perhaps 20 generations in a multi-decadal field experiment (Bakelaar and Odum, 1978; Clark and Tilman, 2008). With more generations, more community dynamics can occur, including increased resource cascades in which extracellular enzymes, metabolites or lysed cells of one functional group increase substrates for another (Blagodatskaya and Kuzyakov, 2008). Our results highlight the opportunity to test ecological theories in microbial ecosystems (Prosser et al., 2007), particularly as the short life cycles of microbes makes them well suited for pursuing ecological questions in an evolutionary framework (Jessup et al., 2004).The priming effect is ubiquitous, yet its drivers remain elusive. Our results suggest that changes in the diversity and composition of the growing bacterial community contribute to priming, and thus that ecosystem properties such as soil C storage may be sensitive to soil microbial biodiversity.     

植物、土壤及土壤管理对土壤微生物群落结构的影响

土壤微生物是土壤生态系统的重要组成部分,对土壤微生物群落结构多样性的研究是近年来土壤生态学研究的热点。本文综述了有关植物、土壤类型以及土壤管理措施对土壤微生物群落结构影响的最新研究结果,指出植物的作用因植物群落结构多样性、植物种类、同种植物不同的基因型,甚至同一植物不同根的区域而异;而土壤的作用与土壤质地和有机质含量等因素有关;植物和土壤类型在对土壤微生物群落结构影响上的作用存在互作关系。不同的土壤管理措施对土壤微生物群落结构影响较大,长期连作、大量的外援化学物质的应用降低了土壤微生物的多样性;而施用有机肥、免耕可以增加土壤微生物群落结构多样性,有利于维持土壤生态系统的功能。     

Distinct impacts of reductive soil disinfestation and chemical soil disinfestation on soil fungal communities and memberships

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Soil disinfestation is an important agricultural practice to conquer soil-borne diseases and thereby ensure crop productivity. Reductive soil disinfestation...     

Available soil nitrogen in relation to fractions of soil nitrogen and other soil properties

The available N of 27 soils from England and Wales was assessed from the amounts of N taken up over a 6-month period by perennial ryegrass grown in pots under uniform environmental conditions. Relationships between availability and the distribution of soil N amongst various fractions were then examined using multiple regression. The relationship: available soil N (mg kg^–1 dry soil)=(N_min×0.672)+(N_inc×0.840)+(N_mom×0.227)–5.12 was found to account for 91% of the variance in available soil N, where N_min=mineral N, N_inc=N mineralized on incubation and N_mom=N in macro-organic matter. The N mineralized on incubation appeared to be derived largely from sources other than the macro-organic matter because these two fractions were poorly correlated. When availability was expressed in terms of available organic N as % of soil organic N (N_ao) the closest relationship with other soil characteristics was: N_ao=[N_inc×(1.395–0.0347×CN_mom]+[N_mom×0.1416], where CN_mom=CN ratio of the macro-organic matter. This relationship accounted for 81% of the variance in the availability of the soil organic N.The conclusion that the macro-organic matter may contribute substantially to the available N was confirmed by a subsidiary experiment in which the macro-organic fraction was separated from about 20 kg of a grassland soil. The uptake of N by ryegrass was then assessed on two subsamples of this soil, one without the macro-organic matter and the other with this fraction returned: uptake was appreciably increased by the macro-organic matter.     

The porosity of soil aggregates from bulk soil and from soil adhering to roots

Summary Total porosity and pore-size distribution (p.s.d.) were determined in soil aggregates taken in plots planted with maize and treated with farmyard manure and three rates of compost. Soil aggregates were collected from the soil adherent to the maize roots (root soil aggregates) and from bulk soil (bulk soil aggregates). Mercury intrusion porosimetry was used to evaluate the total porosity and the p.s.d. Treatments did not affect the total porosity of the bulk soil aggregates. The same was observed for the root soil aggregates. However the total porosity of the root soil aggregates was always lower than that of the bulk soil aggregates. The loss of total porosity was found to be due to a decrease in the percentage of larger pores with respect to the total.     

Estimating respiration of roots in soil: Interactions with soil CO2, soil temperature and soil water content

Little information is available on the variability of the dynamics of the actual and observed root respiration rate in relation to abiotic factors. In this study, we describe I) interactions between soil CO₂ concentration, temperature, soil water content and root respiration, and II) the effect of short-term fluctuations of these three environmental factors on the relation between actual and observed root respiration rates. We designed an automated, open, gas-exchange system that allows continuous measurements on 12 chambers with intact roots in soil. By using three distinct chamber designs with each a different path for the air flow, we were able to measure root respiration over a 50-fold range of soil CO₂ concentrations (400 to 25000 ppm) and to separate the effect of irrigation on observed vs. actual root respiration rate. All respiration measurements were made on one-year-old citrus seedlings in sterilized sandy soil with minimal organic material.Root respiration was strongly affected by diurnal fluctuations in temperature (Q₁₀ = 2), which agrees well with the literature. In contrast to earlier findings for Douglas-fir (Qi et al., 1994), root respiration rates of citrus were not affected by soil CO₂ concentrations (400 to 25000 ppm CO₂; pH around 6). Soil CO₂ was strongly affected by soil water content but not by respiration measurements, unless the air flow for root respiration measurements was directed through the soil. The latter method of measuring root respiration reduced soil CO₂ concentration to that of incoming air. Irrigation caused a temporary reduction in CO₂ diffusion, decreasing the observed respiration rates obtained by techniques that depended on diffusion. This apparent drop in respiration rate did not occur if the air flow was directed through the soil. Our dynamic data are used to indicate the optimal method of measuring root respiration in soil, in relation to the objectives and limitations of the experimental conditions.     

Harvester ant nests, soil biota and soil chemistry

Many ant species accumulate organic debris in the vicinity of their nests. These organic materials should provide a rich resource base for the soil biota. We examined the effect of harvester ant nests (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) on the soil community and soil chemistry. Ant nest soils supported 30-fold higher densities of microarthropods and 5-fold higher densities of protozoa than surrounding, control soils. The relative abundances of the major groups of protozoa differed as well: amoebae and ciliates were relatively overrepresented, and flagellates underrepresented, in ant nest versus control soils. Densities of bacteria and fungi were similar in the two soil types. Concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, phosphorus, and potassium were significantly higher in ant nest soils, while concentrations of magnesium, calcium, and water were similar in nest and control soils. Ant nest soils were marginally more acidic than controls. The results demonstrate that P. barbatus nests constitute a significant source of spatial heterogeneity in soil biota and soil chemistry in arid grasslands. Received: 17 March 1997 / Accepted: 10 June 1997     

Crop diversification reinforces soil microbiome functions and soil health

Plant and Soil - Intensive agriculture with continuous monocropping and massive chemical inputs has adversely affected belowground microbial composition and functions, resulting in soil sickness...     

The breakdown of malathion in soil and soil components

The disappearance of the organophosphorus insecticide, malathion, from a silt loam soil and from its organic and inorganic components was examined. Half-lives and the time taken for 90% decomposition in nonsterile, sodium azide-treated, and 2.5 Mrad-irradiated soils were similar (3/4–1 1/2 days and 4–6 days, respectively) but breakdown in autoclaved soils was negligible. Decay in nonsterile sand, silt, and clay minus organic matter fractions was 3–6 times slower than that recorded in the original soil. Breakdown of malathion in the clay plus organic matter fraction (organo-mineral complex) was rapid (half-life, 1 day), as was the case in the separated organic matter (half-life, 1 3/4 days). Filter-sterilized organic matter was not as effective in catalyzing the breakdown of malathion (half-life, 4 days), and no loss occurred from any of the autoclaved components. Irradiation doses of 2.5 and 5.0 Mrad had little influence on the ability of soil to degrade malathion. Thereafter, increases up to 20 Mrad had a more drastic, though far from totally inhibitory, effect. Our results suggest that either the colloidal organic matter itself, or a fraction associated with it, is the most important single factor concerned with the rapid breakdown of malathion in the soil studied. Direct microbial metabolism is a slower process and may have a significant role in malathion disappearance in coarsetextured soils low in colloidal organic matter. The catalytic component of the organic matter is suggested to be a stable exoenzyme and is supportive of reports by other workers. The quantitative effect of organo-mineral complex (containing the active degradative ingredient) additions to sand and silt fractions on the rate of subsequent malathion decay is also described.