The distribution and abundance of wheat roots in a dense,structured subsoil – implications for water uptake

We analysed the abundance, spatial distribution and soil contact of wheat roots in dense, structured subsoil to determine whether incomplete extraction of subsoil water was due to root system limitations. Intact soil cores were collected to 1.6 m below wheat crops at maturity on a red Kandosol in southern Australia. Wheat roots, remnant roots, soil pores and root–soil contact were quantified at fresh breaks in the soil cores. In surface soil layers (<0.6 m) 30–40% of roots were clumped within pores and cracks in the soil, increasing to 85–100% in the subsoil (>0.6 m), where 44% of roots were in pores with at least three other roots. Most pores contained no roots, with occupancy declining from 20% in surface layers to 5% in subsoil. Wheat roots clumped into pores contacted the surrounding soil via numerous root hairs, whereas roots in cracks were appressed to the soil surface and had very few root hairs. Calculations assuming good root–soil contact indicated that root density was sufficient to extract available subsoil water, suggesting that uptake is constrained at the root–soil interface. To increase extraction of subsoil water, genetic targets could include increasing root–soil contact with denser root hairs, and increasing root proliferation to utilize existing soil pores.     

小溪自然保护区非盐环境土壤中嗜盐和耐盐菌多样性

【目的】研究湖南小溪国家级自然保护区普通非盐环境(ordinary non-saline environment)土壤样品中可培养嗜盐及耐盐细菌(含放线菌)多样性。【方法】采用纯培养法和基于16S rRNA基因序列的系统发育分析对样品中嗜盐及耐盐细菌多样性进行研究。【结果】用补充5%-20%(w/v)NaCl的MA、ISP2、ISP5、NA和HAA培养基从土壤样品中分离到114株细菌,其中8株为中度嗜盐菌,19株为轻度嗜盐菌,87株为耐盐菌。根据形态观察和部分生理生化实验结果去冗余,选取61个代表性菌株进行基于16S rRNA基因序列的系统发育多样性分析。结果表明,这些菌株属于细菌域(Bacteria)的3个大的系统发育类群(门;phylum)(Actinobacteria,Firmicutes,Proteobacteria)的16个科、18个属,代表了41个物种。多数菌株属于Firmicutes门(38株,62.3%)和Actinobacteria门(18株,29.5%)。大多数菌株与其系统发育关系最密切的已知物种的典型菌株之间存在一定的遗传差异(16S rRNA基因序列相似性为96.9%-99.8%),其中有7个菌株(JSM070026,JSM081004,JSM081006,JSM081008,JSM083058,JSM083085,JSM084035)代表7个潜在新种(potential novel species)。【结论】研究结果表明,湖南小溪国家级自然保护区普通非盐环境土壤中存在较为丰富的可培养嗜盐及耐盐细菌多样性,并且潜藏着较多新的微生物类群(物种)。     

红海榄根际土壤来源的泡盛曲霉（Aspergillus awamori）F12及其代谢产物的抗菌活性分析

摘要：【目的】鉴定一株来自于红海榄根际土壤并具有分泌抑菌活性代谢产物的真菌菌株F12,并从其发酵液乙酸乙酯浸膏中分离抑菌活性成分。【方法】通过形态学观察以及ITS序列分析方法对菌株F12进行鉴定;利用色谱技术分离发酵液乙酸乙酯浸膏中的次生代谢产物,根据化合物的质谱、氢谱、碳谱以及理化性质确定其结构,并检测它们对细菌生长的抑制作用。【结果】菌株F12被鉴定为Aspergillus awamori strain F12;从其发酵液乙酸乙酯浸膏中分离到3种化合物：1,4-二甲氧基苯（1）、大黄素（2）和3,6-二苯甲基哌嗪-2,5-二酮（3）,其中化合物1属于在本属真菌中首次报道。化合物2对金黄色葡萄球菌和枯草芽孢杆菌的生长具有明显的抑制作用,最低抑菌浓度（MIC）分别为16ng/L和32ng/L,化合物1和3对上述菌株的生长无明显的抑制活性。【结论】首次发现从红海榄根际土壤中分离到的泡盛曲霉（Aspergillus awamori）菌株F12具有合成1,4-二甲氧基苯和大黄素的能力,其中后者对微生物的生长具有明显的抑制作用。     

Quantification of soil organic carbon sequestration potential in cropland: A model approach

Agroecosystems have a critical role in the terrestrial carbon cycling process. Soil organic carbon (SOC) in cropland is of great importance for mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide increases and for global food security. With an understanding of soil carbon saturation, we analyzed the datasets from 95 global long-term agricultural experiments distributed across a vast area spanning wide ranges of temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. We then developed a statistical model for estimating SOC sequestration potential in cropland. The model is driven by air temperature, precipitation, soil clay content and pH, and explains 58% of the variation in the observed soil carbon saturation (n=76). Model validation using independent data observed in China yielded a correlation coefficient R ² of 0.74 (n=19, P<0.001). Model sensitivity analysis suggested that soils with high clay content and low pH in the cold, humid regions possess a larger carbon sequestration potential than other soils. As a case study, we estimated the SOC sequestration potential by applying the model in Henan Province. Model estimations suggested that carbon (C) density at the saturation state would reach an average of 32 t C ha⁻¹ in the top 0–20 cm soil depth. Using SOC density in the 1990s as a reference, cropland soils in Henan Province are expected to sequester an additional 100 Tg C in the future.     

Mitigating the greenhouse gas balance of ruminant production systems through carbon sequestration in grasslands

Soil carbon sequestration (enhanced sinks) is the mechanism responsible for most of the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential in the agriculture sector. Carbon sequestration in grasslands can be determined directly by measuring changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and indirectly by measuring the net balance of C fluxes. A literature search shows that grassland C sequestration reaches on average 5 ± 30 g C/m2 per year according to inventories of SOC stocks and -231 and 77 g C/m2 per year for drained organic and mineral soils, respectively, according to C flux balance. Off-site C sequestration occurs whenever more manure C is produced by than returned to a grassland plot. The sum of on- and off-site C sequestration reaches 129, 98 and 71 g C/m2 per year for grazed, cut and mixed European grasslands on mineral soils, respectively, however with high uncertainty. A range of management practices reduce C losses and increase C sequestration: (i) avoiding soil tillage and the conversion of grasslands to arable use, (ii) moderately intensifying nutrient-poor permanent grasslands, (iii) using light grazing instead of heavy grazing, (iv) increasing the duration of grass leys; (v) converting grass leys to grass-legume mixtures or to permanent grasslands. With nine European sites, direct emissions of N2O from soil and of CH4 from enteric fermentation at grazing, expressed in CO2 equivalents, compensated 10% and 34% of the on-site grassland C sequestration, respectively. Digestion inside the barn of the harvested herbage leads to further emissions of CH4 and N2O by the production systems, which were estimated at 130 g CO2 equivalents/m2 per year. The net balance of on- and off-site C sequestration, CH4 and N2O emissions reached 38 g CO2 equivalents/m2 per year, indicating a non-significant net sink activity. This net balance was, however, negative for intensively managed cut sites indicating a source to the atmosphere. In conclusion, this review confirms that grassland C sequestration has a strong potential to partly mitigate the GHG balance of ruminant production systems. However, as soil C sequestration is both reversible and vulnerable to disturbance, biodiversity loss and climate change, CH4 and N2O emissions from the livestock sector need to be reduced and current SOC stocks preserved.     

Net greenhouse gas fluxes in Brazilian ethanol production systems

Biofuels are both a promising solution to global warming mitigation and a potential contributor to the problem. Several life cycle assessments of bioethanol have been conducted to address these questions. We performed a synthesis of the available data on Brazilian ethanol production focusing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon (C) sinks in the agricultural and industrial phases. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from fossil fuels, methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from sources commonly included in C footprints, such as fossil fuel usage, biomass burning, nitrogen fertilizer application, liming and litter decomposition were accounted for. In addition, black carbon (BC) emissions from burning biomass and soil C sequestration were included in the balance. Most of the annual emissions per hectare are in the agricultural phase, both in the burned system (2209 out of a total of 2398 kg C_eq), and in the unburned system (559 out of 748 kg C_eq). Although nitrogen fertilizer emissions are large, 111 kg C_eq ha^?1 yr^?1, the largest single source of emissions is biomass burning in the manual harvest system, with a large amount of both GHG (196 kg C_eq ha^?1 yr^?1). and BC (1536 kg C_eq ha^?1 yr^?1). Besides avoiding emissions from biomass burning, harvesting sugarcane mechanically without burning tends to increase soil C stocks, providing a C sink of 1500 kg C ha^?1 yr^?1 in the 30 cm layer. The data show a C output: input ratio of 1.4 for ethanol produced under the conventionally burned and manual harvest compared with 6.5 for the mechanized harvest without burning, signifying the importance of conservation agricultural systems in bioethanol feedstock production.     

长期施肥对黄淮海平原农田中小型土壤节肢动物的影响

在2008年9月和2009年2月,采用改良干漏斗方法(Modified Tullgren)对黄淮海地区长期定位施肥试验下中小型土壤节肢动物进行调查。试验包括氮磷钾(NPK)、氮磷(NP)、氮钾(NK)、磷钾(PK)、有机肥(OM)、1∶1化学氮肥与有机氮肥(OMNPK)和不施肥(CK)7个处理。结果表明:OM和OMNPK处理有利于提高土壤动物丰富度和多样性;NK处理不利于土壤动物的生存和发展,缺磷影响了土壤动物数量的增长;从优势类群弹尾目和蜱螨目来看,OM和OMNPK处理对弹尾目等节跳科、棘跳科和球角跳科的生长有利,而圆跳科在NPK处理下具有更高的数量;OMNPK处理对蜱螨目中气门亚目有显著的正效应,对前气门亚目和甲螨亚目也有一定的正向作用;氮肥对弹尾目没有表现出正相关关系,但在一定程度上增加了蜱螨目的数量。     

毛竹林土壤酶活性变化的海拔效应

在毛竹分布南缘的中亚热带与南亚热带气候过渡区,选择土壤类型、坡度、坡向、经营水平等一致的3个海拔高度(低海拔90～120m、中海拔360～400m、高海拔700～780m)毛竹林,对其土壤酶活性和物理、化学性质进行了测定。磷酸酶、蔗糖酶和脲酶活性分别为0.031～0.042、0.104～0.146和0.017～0.039mg·g-1.h-1,中海拔是3种酶活性显著变化的转折点。蛋白酶活性为0.248～0.259mg·g-1.h-1,随海拔的升高酶活性缓慢提高。过氧化氢酶活性为0.097～0.143mg·g-1.h-1,随海拔的升高酶活性显著上升。不同海拔高度毛竹林土壤物理性质对土壤酶活性无显著影响。土壤有机质、全氮、碱解氮含量与土壤酶活性呈显著或极显著正相关,pH值对土壤酶活性具正效应,海拔梯度上的土壤全磷、全钾、速磷、速钾含量对土壤酶活性影响不显著。不同种类土壤酶活性间呈显著或极显著相关,酶促反应具专一性和共同性特点。     

三亚市果蔬地重金属空间分布及其污染评价

通过野外调查采样,采用标准对比法和地累积指数法,评价了三亚市果蔬地表层土壤重金属的污染状况。结果表明:土壤中Hg、Cd、Cr、Pb和As5种重金属的积累不显著,其平均值均未超过国家环境质量二级标准(GB15618-1995);但Hg、Cd和Pb的平均值高于海南岛农用地的自然背景值,表明存在区域轻度污染;Cr、Hg、Pb和As4种重金属元素的变异系数均>1,表明土壤中Cr、Hg、Pb和As的分布极不均匀。同时,利用地理信息系统(GIS)Krging插值方法得到了5种重金属的空间分布图,显示出不同重金属元素的空间分异特征,为三亚市果蔬地的可持续开发利用提供指导。     

陡坡无土排岩场植被生态修复技术

针对无土陡坡排岩场特殊的立地条件,以城市污泥、粉煤灰等固体废弃物配制的人工土壤进行基质改良的基础上,以坑植式种植刺槐(Robina pseudoacacia)及棉槐(Amor-pha fruticosa),同时在种植坑中撒播牧草以培肥土壤,促进乔木生长固坡。结果表明,在人工土壤Ⅱ(粉煤灰∶城市污泥=1∶1)上种植的刺槐有较好的成活率(70%)和生长势,说明该修复技术在实现以废治废,变废为宝的同时,既解决了矿山废弃地修复中珍贵的土源问题,又改善了矿区生态环境。