Measuring maximum root growth instead of longest root elongation in metal tolerance tests for grasses (Agrostis capillaris,Agrostis delicatula and Agrostis castellana)

Longest root elongation diminished significantly in the three species tested from 6 mm d^-1 to 3 mm d^-1 in 3 weeks. During this period S.D. increased considerably (from 49% to 112%, A. castellana), and accounted on the average for 68% (A. capillaris) till 94% (A. castellana) of the mean. Maximum root growth stabilized at 6 mm d^-1 and showed less variation in the measurements (S.D. 52% of the mean). Growth of the originally longest root approaches zero in all three species, in accordance with the natural cease of growth of roots in grasses fascicular root system. Measuring maximum root growth instead of longest root elongation is proposed for testing metal tolerance of grasses in sequential experiments.     

Growth characteristics and seasonal allocation patterns of biomass and nutrients in Carex species growing in floating fens

A soil incubation and short-term root growth experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of organic matter application on Al toxicity alleviation in a highly weathered acid soil. Ground leaves of a tree legume (Calliandra calothyrsus Meissn.), ground barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) straw, or CaCO₃ were mixed at various rates with A-horizon soil of a red podzolic soil (Epiaquic Haplustult) and incubated at 90% of field capacity for 4 or 10 weeks. After the incubation, a short term (48 h) root growth test was conducted using mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek), followed by the analysis of the solution and solid phases of the post-harvest soil. Adding either CaCO₃ or organic matter increased root length in mung bean largely by decreasing the activity of monomeric Al in the soil solution. With organic matter, the major mechanisms of this decrease were presumed to be precipitation of soluble Al and the formation of Al-organic matter complexes. The former effect was predicted from the pH increase accompanying the organic matter addition, the increase being larger with legume leaves which had the higher exchangeable and soluble Ca and Mg contents. The concentration of Al complexed with soluble organic matter also was shown to increase with increasing rate of organic matter addition, the effect again being larger with legume leaves. The sum of monomeric Al species activity and Al³⁺ activity was negatively correlated with relative root length for the organic matter and CaCO₃ treatments. However, indices which took into account the possible alleviation effects of basic cations in soil solution on Al toxicity provided an improvement in correlation with relative root length. The efficiency of the two organic amendments relative to CaCO₃ in decreasing Al toxicity was assessed by comparing the rates required to reduce Al³⁺ activity below 10 μ M, the value found to be associated with 90% relative root length for mung bean. The rates of CaCO₃, legume leaf and barley straw required to reach this critical value were 0.75, 14, and 42 t ha⁻¹ respectively.     

落叶松林土壤溶液吸光度与土壤碳、氮含量的相关性

通过4个土壤深度100个样品14个波长(250、254、260、265、272、280、285、300、340、350、365、400、436和465 nm)土壤溶液吸光度值和土壤碳(可溶性碳DOC、全碳SOC)、土壤氮(可溶性氮DON、全氮SON)的测定,旨在探讨土壤溶液吸光度指示土壤碳氮指标的可行性及土壤深度对其可能影响。结论如下:(1)表层土壤和深层土壤吸光度值均随波长增加而指数下降,但表层土壤吸光度值较高,下降速度较快,较低波长更有利于区分表层和深层土壤溶液吸光度差异;和深层土壤相比,表层0～20 cm土壤SOC、DON和SON与不同波长吸光度有更好的相关性,但DOC与不同波长吸光度的相关性表层和深层差异较小;(2)250～300 nm的8个吸光度值具有高度相关性,它们在分析土壤溶液吸光度变化时具有等效性;基于所有数据的拟合分析发现,低波长(如254 nm)吸光度与土壤SOC、DON和SON相关性最高(R2=0.53～0.59),而更高波长(340 nm及以上)相关性明显降低。但DOC与254、340、365和400 nm吸光度相关性相差不大(R2=0.25～0.33)。这些发现说明,土壤溶液吸光度值,特别是低波长(250～300 nm)可以表征落叶松林土壤碳、氮相关指标的变化,但是需要考虑不同碳氮指标以及不同土层之间的差异。     

Interacting effects of pH,aluminium and base cations on growth and mineral composition of the woodland grasses Bromus benekenii and Hordelymus europaeus

The influence of base cation concentrations on pH and aluminium sensitivity of the woodland grasses Bromus benekenii and Hordelymus europaeus was studied in flowing solution culture experiments. Plants were exposed to low pH (3.9, experiment 1) and Al concentrations of 19 and 37 M (experiment 2) at two base cation (Ca+Mg+K) levels, all within the ranges measured in natural forest soil solutions. Elevated base cation concentrations ameliorated both H and Al toxicity, as indicated by increased root and shoot growth. In the third experiment, interactions between pH (4.3 and 4.0) and Al (0 and 19 M) were investigated. It was shown that the combined toxicity effects of H and Al were not greater than the separate H or Al effects. Tissue concentrations of base cations and Al increased with increasing concentrations in the solution, but were also influenced by the base cation : Al ratio. Relating the experimental evidence with the composition of forest soil solutions suggests an important role of soil pH and Al in controlling the distribution of the two species. Growth conditions also differ at various soil depths. Concentrations of free cationic Al were higher and base cation concentrations lower at 5–10 cm than at 0–5 cm soil depth. Increasing base cation concentrations may protect roots from both H and Al injury during periods of drought when concentrations of most elements increase in the soil solution, whereas molar ratios between base cations, H and Al remain unchanged.     

Reversibility of damages to forest floor plants by episodes of elevated hydrogen- and aluminium-ion concentrations in the soil solution

Herbs and grasses may episodically be exposed to elevated concentrations of potentially toxic elements as H⁺ and Al³⁺ due to considerable temporal variability in the chemical composition of soil solutions in the uppermost layer of the soil profile. Greenhouse experiments were performed to test the effect of episodes of different length (1 and 2 weeks) and concentrations of H⁺ and Al³⁺ (pH 3.8, 4.0, 4.2 and 4.5; 0, 20 and 70 M Al) on root and shoot growth, designed to elucidiate the reversibility of growth inhibition. Three forest floor species were studied-Galium odoratum and Lamium galeobdolon, having similar pH distribution ranges in the field and Poa nemoralis which also occurs at slightly lower pH. The plants were grown for 5 weeks (episode and recovering time) in a synthetic soil solution in a flowing solution system without recirculation. The species reacted in three different ways. Galium odoratum was the most sensitive species and seemed to be irreversibly damaged (ceased growth) by 2 week episodes of pH4.0 and Al20 M at pH4.2. Lamium galeobdolon was about equally sensitive during the episodes but it had a much greater ability to recover. Poa nemoralis was rather insensitive to the episode treatments tested. It is concluded that episodes of elevated H⁺ and Al³⁺ concentrations may be decisive for plant performance. It is therefore important to consider the extreme environmental conditions which plants may be exposed to in the field, in addition to long-term averages of e.g. soil solution concentration of potentially toxic elements, when studying species distribution and performance in relation to soil chemical properties.     

Changes in species richness and composition in European acidic grasslands over the past 70 years: the contribution of cumulative atmospheric nitrogen deposition

Our study investigates the negative impact of nitrogen (N) deposition on species richness in acidic grasslands, based on a temporal comparison of vegetation data spanning a period of almost 70 years. We compiled a large data base of plots assigned to the Violion caninae grassland type, composed of managed, but unfertilized semi-natural grasslands on nutrient-poor, acidic soils. In total 1114 plots, mainly from Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, were compiled, dating back to 1939. Environmental site information included geographical and soil (mean Ellenberg values) variables as well as estimates of cumulative N and sulphur (S) deposition since 1939. Statistical analyses were carried out separately for the data subsets from the three regions. In all regions, the vegetation differentiation was mainly related to soil acidity and nutrient availability, as well as to the year of sampling and the cumulative amounts of N and S deposition. Plot-species richness of vascular plants and bryophytes (analysed for Great Britain only) decreased with time and analyses suggest these are affected by various factors, notably soil pH, but also latitude and cumulative N deposition. The latter explained more of the variation in species number than the year of sampling and cumulative S deposition, which supports the interpretation that the decline in species richness is mainly caused by increasing N availability and less by altered management and soil acidification. For Great Britain and Germany, cumulative N deposition showed a strong negative relationship with several biodiversity measures, especially the proportion of dicots, whereas it was positively related to the proportion of grass species. In general, our results give temporal evidence for the negative effect of N deposition on species richness in semi-natural vegetation.     

Organic matter chemistry and dynamics in clear-cut and unmanaged hardwood forest ecosystems

Forest harvesting alters the organic matter cycle by changing litter inputs and the decomposition regime. We hypothesized that these changes would result in differences in organic matter chemistry between clear-cut and uncut watershed ecosystems. We studied the chemistry of soil organic matter (SOM), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil solutions and stream samples in clear-cut and uncut sites at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire using DOC fractionation techniques and solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.Alkyl-C (aliphatic compounds) and O-alkyl-C (carbohydrates) were the largest C fractions in soil and dissolved organic matter at Hubbard Brook. Alkyl-C ranged from 29–48% of soil C, 25–42% of soil solution C, and 22–42% of streamwater DOC. Carbohydrates comprised 32–49%, 36–43%, and 29–60% of C in soils, solutions, and streamwater, respectively. In both soils and soil solutions, the carbohydrate fraction decreased with increasing soil depth, while the aromaticity of organic matter increased with depth. There were no significant differences in the structural chemistry of SOM between clear-cut and uncut watersheds.The aromatic-C fractions in soil solutions at the clear-cut site ranged from 12–16%, approximately 40% greater than at the uncut site (8.5–11%). Thus, clear-cutting has resulted in the leaching of more highly decomposed organic matter, and depletion of more aliphatic compounds in the soluble organic pool. Because DOC fluxes are small compared to the SOM pool, large differences in soil solution chemistry do not substantially alter the overall composition of SOM. While the organic chemistry of stream DOC varied greatly among 3 sampling dates, there were no obvious clear-cutting effects. Thus, temporal variations in flowpaths and/or in-stream processes appear to be more important than disturbance in regulating the organic carbon chemistry of these streams.     

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.     

亚热带森林不同植物及器官来源的可溶性有机质输入对土壤激发效应的影响及其作用机理

外源有机物的输入可以通过正负激发效应影响土壤有机碳(SOC)的矿化。然而, 当前的研究较少考虑不同植物及器官来源可溶性有机质(DOM)输入对土壤激发效应的影响及其作用机理。该研究以武夷山森林土壤为研究对象, 以室内培养的方式向土壤中添加¹³C标记青冈(Cyclobalanopsis glauca)、杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)、木莲(Manglietia fordiana)和相思(Acacia confusa)这4种植物的根和叶来源DOM, 研究不同植物及器官来源DOM输入对土壤激发效应的影响及其作用机理。主要结果: 不同植物及器官来源DOM添加初期加快了SOC的矿化, 呈现正激发效应, 随后转为负激发效应。从整个培养期(90天)的累积激发效应来看, DOM的输入均抑制了SOC的矿化, 使其矿化量减少22%-49%, 其中青冈根DOM输入使SOC的矿化量减少最多, 而由木莲叶DOM输入减少的SOC矿化量最少。DOM输入引起的土壤激发效应强度受不同植物器官影响明显, 具体表现在植物根来源DOM输入所引起的土壤激发效应强度显著高于植物叶来源DOM输入所引起的激发效应强度(相思除外)。DOM的输入总体上提高了土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)含量、土壤β-葡萄糖苷酶活性、纤维素酶活性以及土壤有效氮含量, 而对微生物群落组成无明显影响。从结构方程模型来看, DOM输入所引起的土壤激发效应主要受土壤微生物对外源碳的利用(¹³C-MBC)、纤维素酶活性以及土壤有效氮含量的影响, 这些因子的变化可解释植物叶来源DOM和根来源DOM添加处理下土壤激发效应变化的68%和86%。该研究结果表明在土壤氮充足的条件下, DOM的输入可以通过提高微生物生物量、土壤酶活性来加快分解所添加的外源有机物, 从而减少了对SOC的分解。因此, 在该研究中“底物优先利用”是土壤激发效应的主要作用机理。     

不同植被类型下红壤pH和交换性酸的剖面特征

研究湘南红壤丘陵区11种植被类型下施肥区域和未施肥区域红壤剖面(0～100 cm)pH及交换性酸的变化特征.结果表明: 施肥区域0～60 cm土层土壤的pH大小顺序为茶园<花生地<柑橘园,交换性酸含量大小为花生地≤柑橘园<茶园;种植茶树和花生后,表层(0～40 cm)相对底层(60～100 cm)均产生酸化,pH分别降低0.55和0.17,而种植柑橘后,土层间无显著差异.未施肥区域中,植被恢复区0～40 cm土层pH大小为白檵木林≤湿地松林<板栗园<白茅草地,交换性酸含量大小为白茅草地<板栗园<白檵木林≤湿地松林;天然林区0～20 cm土层中次生林和油茶林的pH均显著低于马尾松林0.34和0.20个单位,马尾松林和次生林交换性酸含量显著低于油茶林.与裸地相比,未施肥区域除白茅草地外,其他植被类型均加速了表层土壤酸化,其中天然次生林酸化最严重,pH降低0.52;未施肥区域除天然次生林外,其他植被类型均提高了深层土壤pH,其中白茅草地提升效果最显著,pH升高0.43.无论施肥区域还是未施肥区域,整体上随着土层深度的增加,植被类型或施肥对土壤酸度的影响越来越小.     

亚热带地区阔叶林与杉木林土壤活性有机质比较

通过对亚热带3个地区地带性阔叶林和杉木林土壤活性有机质的比较,分析森林类型变化及杉木连栽对土壤有机碳和养分含量的影响.结果表明：地带性阔叶林转变为杉木林后,土壤总有机碳含量下降27.8%～52.1%、腐殖酸碳下降32.2%～52.8%、胡敏酸下降36.4%～59.0%、富里酸下降29.7%～50.0%;杉木连栽也使土壤总有机碳和腐殖质含量下降.森林类型改变和杉木连栽对土壤活性有机质的影响更明显.杉木林取代阔叶林后,土壤微生物生物量碳、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机碳和可溶性有机氮含量的最大降幅分别为61.8%、38.2%、43.3%和69.0%;与第1代杉木林相比,第2代杉木林土壤微生物生物量碳、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机碳和可溶性有机氮含量的最大降幅分别为34.7%、29.3%、30.4%、18.4%.经相关性分析,除冷水浸提有机氮外,土壤活性有机质与养分含量之间具有密切的相关关系.     

亚热带典型林分对表层和深层土壤可溶性有机碳、氮的影响

林分类型是影响土壤可溶性有机碳、氮库大小的重要因素,但目前对其研究主要集中在表层土壤(0～10 cm).本研究以亚热带地区天然林、毛竹林、格式栲人工林和杉木人工林为对象,用3种不同的浸提方式(冷水、热水和KCl溶液)提取表层(0～10 cm)和深层(40～60 cm)土壤中可溶性有机碳(DOC)和有机氮(DON),研究林分类型对表层和深层土壤可溶性有机碳、氮库的影响.结果表明: 林分类型对表层土壤DOC及其占土壤总有机碳(TOC)的比重有显著影响,深层土壤受林分类型的影响不显著;不同林分土壤DON含量仅在表层土壤存在显著差异,在深层土壤差异不显著.林分间土壤微生物生物量碳的差异仅在表层土壤达到显著水平.DON占土壤总氮(TN)的比重在各林分表层和深层土壤间差异均不显著.3种浸提方法得到的DOC和DON库大小顺序为热水>KCl>冷水,不同浸提方法得到的DOC库及DON库的相关性均达到显著水平,表明冷水、热水和KCl溶液浸提得到的有机碳、氮库含有相似组分.冷水和热水浸提方法得到的表层土壤DOC和DON含量及DOC占TOC比重在天然林和毛竹林均显著大于格式栲和杉木人工林,表明天然林和毛竹林土壤可溶性有机碳、氮含量高于格式栲和杉木人工林,更有利于土壤肥力的恢复.     

红壤丘陵区水田和旱地土壤可溶性有机碳矿化对水分的响应

以亚热带红壤丘陵区典型水田和旱地土壤为研究对象,向土壤中添加¹⁴C标记稻草,培养30 d后,提取与原位土壤中结构相似的¹⁴C可溶性有机碳(DOC);将¹⁴C DOC加入水田和旱地土壤中,并设置45%、60%、75%、90%和105%田间持水量(WHC)5个水分梯度,在标准状态下(25 ℃)培养100 d,监测¹⁴C DOC在土壤中的矿化过程.结果表明: 培养100 d后,两种土壤中28.7%～61.4%的标记DOC被矿化为CO₂,且5个水分条件下,水田土壤DOC的矿化率均显著高于旱地,这主要是由于水田土壤DOC的结构组成比旱地土壤更简单.好气条件(56%～75%WHC)有利于两种土壤DOC的分解,淹水条件(105%WHC)则有利于DOC的积累.土壤处于好气条件(45%～90%WHC)时,DOC的生物可分解率及易分解态所占比例均随着含水量的增加而增加.100 d内,水田和旱地易分解态DOC分别占其累积矿化量的80.5%～91.1%和66.3%～72.4%,说明DOC的生物可分解率主要由其易分解态组分所占比例决定.     

氮沉降对杉木人工幼林土壤溶液可溶性有机物质浓度及光谱学特征的影响

为探究氮沉降对亚热带杉木人工幼林土壤溶液可溶性有机物质(DOM)浓度及光谱学特征的影响,采用负压法,对0～15和15～30 cm土层土壤溶液DOM进行了2年的动态监测及光谱学特征研究.结果表明:氮沉降显著减少了各土层土壤溶液可溶性有机碳(DOC)浓度,增加了芳香化指数(AI)及腐殖化指数(HIX),但对可溶性有机氮(DON)无显著影响.土壤溶液DOM浓度存在明显的季节变动,夏秋季显著高于春冬季.傅里叶红外光谱结果表明,森林土壤溶液DOM在6个区域的相似位置存在吸收峰,其中1145～1149 cm^-1的吸收峰最强.三维荧光光谱表明,DOM主要以类蛋白质物质(Ex/Em=230 nm/300 nm)和微生物降解产物(Ex/Em=275 nm/300 nm)为主,施氮使0～15 cm土层类蛋白质物质减少.氮沉降可能主要是通过降低土壤pH、抑制土壤碳矿化和刺激植物生长等途径显著抑制土壤溶液DOC浓度,而表层被抑制的DOC成分以类蛋白质物质和羧酸盐物质为主.氮沉降短期可能有利于土壤肥力的储存,但随着氮沉降量的积累,土壤中营养物质将难以得到有效利用.     

Plant species richness in continental southern Siberia: effects of pH and climate in the context of the species pool hypothesis

Aim Many high‐latitude floras contain more calcicole than calcifuge vascular plant species. The species pool hypothesis explains this pattern through an historical abundance of high‐pH soils in the Pleistocene and an associated opportunity for the evolutionary accumulation of calcicoles. To obtain insights into the history of calcicole/calcifuge patterns, we studied species richness–pH–climate relationships across a climatic gradient, which included cool and dry landscapes resembling the Pleistocene environments of northern Eurasia. Location Western Sayan Mountains, southern Siberia. Methods Vegetation and environmental variables were sampled at steppe, forest and tundra sites varying in climate and soil pH, which ranged from 3.7 to 8.6. Species richness was related to pH and other variables using linear models and regression trees. Results Species richness is higher in areas with warmer winters and at medium altitudes that are warmer than the mountains and wetter than the lowlands. In treeless vegetation, the species richness–pH relationship is unimodal. In tundra vegetation, which occurs on low‐pH soils, richness increases with pH, but it decreases in steppes, which have high‐pH soils. In forests, where soils are more acidic than in the open landscape, the species richness–pH relationship is monotonic positive. Most species occur on soils with a pH of 6–7. Main conclusions Soil pH in continental southern Siberia is strongly negatively correlated with precipitation, and species richness is determined by the opposite effects of these two variables. Species richness increases with pH until the soil is very dry. In dry soils, pH is high but species richness decreases due to drought stress. Thus, the species richness–pH relationship is unimodal in treeless vegetation. Trees do not grow on the driest soils, which results in a positive species richness–pH relationship in forests. If modern species richness resulted mainly from the species pool effects, it would suggest that historically common habitats had moderate precipitation and slightly acidic to neutral soils.     

The Role of Dissolved Organic Carbon, Dissolved Organic Nitrogen, and Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in a Tropical Wet Forest Ecosystem

Although tropical wet forests play an important role in the global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles, little is known about the origin, composition, and fate of dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON) in these ecosystems. We quantified and characterized fluxes of DOC, DON, and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) in throughfall, litter leachate, and soil solution of an old-growth tropical wet forest to assess their contribution to C stabilization (DOC) and to N export (DON and DIN) from this ecosystem. We found that the forest canopy was a major source of DOC (232 kg C ha^–1 y^–1). Dissolved organic C fluxes decreased with soil depth from 277 kg C ha^–1 y^–1 below the litter layer to around 50 kg C kg C ha^–1 y^–1 between 0.75 and 3.5m depth. Laboratory experiments to quantify biodegradable DOC and DON and to estimate the DOC sorption capacity of the soil, combined with chemical analyses of DOC, revealed that sorption was the dominant process controlling the observed DOC profiles in the soil. This sorption of DOC by the soil matrix has probably led to large soil organic C stores, especially below the rooting zone. Dissolved N fluxes in all strata were dominated by mineral N (mainly NO₃⁻). The dominance of NO₃^– relative to the total amount nitrate of N leaching from the soil shows that NO₃^– is dominant not only in forest ecosystems receiving large anthropogenic nitrogen inputs but also in this old-growth forest ecosystem, which is not N-limited.     

The effect of phosphate rock dissolution on soil chemical properties and wheat seedling root elongation

Soils of the Appalachian region of the United States are acidic and deficient in P. North Carolina phosphate rock (PR), a highly substituted fluoroapatite, should be quite reactive in these soils, allowing it to serve both as a source of P and a potential ameliorant of soil acidity. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of PR dissolution on soil chemical properties and wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Hart) seedling root elongation. Ten treatments including nine rates of PR (0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg P kg^-1) and a CaCO₃ (1000 mg kg^-1) control were mixed with two acidic soils, moistened to a level corresponding to 33 kPa moisture tension and incubated for 30 days. Pregerminated wheat seedlings were grown for three days in the PR treated soils and the CaCO₃ control. Root length was significantly (P<0.05) increased both by PR treatments and CaCO₃, indicating that PR dissolution was ameliorating soil acidity. The PR treatments increased soil pH, exchangeable Ca, and soil solution Ca while lowering exchangeable Al and 0.01 M CaCl₂ extractable soil Al. Root growth in PR treatments was best described by an exponential equation (P<0.01) containing 0.01 M CaCl₂ extractable Al. The PR dissolution did not reduce total soil solution Al, but did release Al complexing anions into soil solution, which along with increased pH, shifted Al speciation from toxic to nontoxic forms. These results suggest that North Carolina PR should contribute to amelioration of soil acidity in acidic, low CEC soils of the Appalachian region.     

免耕覆盖对不同质地土壤水分与作物产量的影响

采用空间位移法,将河北省吴桥县3种质地(砂土、砂质壤土、砂质粘壤土)的原状土转移到同一地点,研究了华北平原免耕覆盖下3种质地土壤的水分特征与作物产量。试验于2010—2013年开展,地点设在河北省吴桥县中国农业大学吴桥实验站。结果表明:相对传统翻耕,免耕覆盖可以增加土壤体积含水量,且在砂质壤土上的保水效果比其他2种土质更明显;砂质粘壤土免耕覆盖处理0~20 cm土层土壤体积含水量较传统翻耕处理低,不同于其他2种土壤;根据试验前2年结果,免耕覆盖并未显著提高作物的水分利用效率,小麦季趋势较为一致,砂土、砂质壤土和砂质粘壤土免耕覆盖的WUE比翻耕分别低13.95%、9.76%和8.61%;玉米季不同土质的趋势有差异,其中砂土免耕覆盖处理的WUE比翻耕低6.45%,而砂质粘壤土免耕覆盖处理的WUE比翻耕高4.89%,但差异均不显著;3种土质下,免耕覆盖相对传统翻耕没有表现出增产优势,小麦产量比传统翻耕分别降低7.09%、4.26%和0.39%,玉米产量分别减少9.81%、4.11%和10.19%。本试验条件下,免耕覆盖措施在3种土质均具有较好的保水效果,但短期内没有表现出增产趋势。     

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.     

落叶松林土壤可溶性碳、氮和官能团特征的时空变化及与土壤理化性质的关系

土壤可溶性有机碳(DOC)、可溶性有机氮(DON)及其官能团特征在土壤碳、氮循环中作用非常重要。对25个不同年龄落叶松林样地、4个深度(0-20、20-40、40-60和60-80 cm)土壤DOC、DON、有机物官能团(芳香性、分子量和疏水性)特征指标(254、260、272 nm和280 nm的单位吸光度值SUVA:吸光度值/DOC含量)和土壤理化指标(土壤全碳SOC、全氮SON、pH值、电导率、容重)进行测定,旨在探究它们的时、空变化特征及与土壤理化指标相关关系。在空间尺度上,与SOC、SON一致,表层土壤DOC、DON多显著高于深层(P<0.05),但是4个单位吸光度值SUVA₂₅₄、SUVA₂₆₀、SUVA₂₇₂和 SUVA₂₈₀均不存在差异(P>0.05);在时间尺度上,仅表层土壤DOC、SOC 和SON随落叶松年龄显著线性增长(P<0.05),而深层DOC、SOC、SON、不同层土壤DON及各官能团指标均没有显著变化(P>0.05)。可见,土壤可溶性有机物内碳的累积(7 mg kg^-1 a^-1)是SOC累积的一部分(762 mg kg^-1 a^-1),但其DON及可溶性有机物芳香性比例、分子量大小及疏水性容量等官能团特征并未受落叶松生长时间以及土壤深度的显著影响。进一步回归分析表明这些官能团指标随土壤DOC含量增加而指数下降,深层土壤同时受DON显著影响。表层土壤DOC、DON与土壤SOC、SON、土壤电导率显著正相关(P<0.05),深层相关不显著(P>0.05),而官能团指标与土壤理化性质的相关性在各个土层均不显著,显示出表层土壤可溶性有机物的量,而不是官能团组成对土壤理化性质影响显著,而深层土壤可溶性有机物量对土壤理化性质不构成显著影响。对于从可溶性组分、官能团角度,分析落叶松人工林成长过程中土壤碳、氮时空变化具有科学意义。