Effects of a crude oil spill on water quality and macrobenthos of a southeast Texas stream

On December 6, 1981 an oil spill of 160 barrels (25 440 liters) occurred in a small southeast Texas stream.Water quality changes, other than the presence of oil, were not evident until six months later when water temperature increased and stream flow ceased. This resulted in decreased dissolved oxygen and increased carbon dioxide concentrations. Responses of the benthic macroinvertebrate community included an increase in density of oligochaetes, decrease in numbers and taxa of chironomids, with eventual complete elimination, and low community diversity (% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaciikaiqacs% gagaqeaiaacMcaaaa!3848!\[(\bar d)\]). Decrease in oil concentration resulted in reversal of these responses. No clean water taxa were collected and complete recovery had not occurred 26 months after the spill when the study was terminated.     

Antibiofilm effect of mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids on carbon steel submitted to oil produced water

The objective of this study was to compare the potential of mono-rhamnolipids (mono-RML) and di-rhamnolipids (di-RML) against biofilm formation on carbon steel coupons submitted to oil produced water for 14 days. The antibiofilm effect of the RML on the coupons was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by epifluorescence microscopy, and the contact angle was measured using a goniometer. SEM analysis results showed that all RML congeners had effective antibiofilm action, as well as preliminary anticorrosion evaluation confirmed that all RML congeners prevented the metal deterioration. In more detail, epifluorescence microscopy showed that mono-RML were the most efficient congeners in preventing microorganism's adherence on the carbon steel metal. Image analyses indicate the presence of 15.9%, 3.4%, and <0.1% of viable particles in di-RML, mono/di-RML and mono-RML pretreatments, respectively, in comparison to control samples. Contact angle results showed that the crude carbon steel coupon presented hydrophobic character favoring hydrophobic molecules adhesion. We calculated the theoretical polarity of the RML congeners and verified that mono-RML (log P = 3.63) presented the most hydrophobic character. This had perfect correspondence to contact angle results, since mono-RML conditioning (58.2°) more significantly changed the contact angle compared with the conditioning with one of the most common surfactants used on oil industry (29.4°). Based on the results, it was concluded that rhamnolipids are efficient molecules to be used to avoid biofilm on carbon steel metal when submitted to oil produced water and that a higher proportion of mono-rhamnolipids is more indicated for this application.     

Biomass and production estimates of a fish community in a small South African estuary

The fish community of the small (17·5 ha) intermittently open East Kleinemonde estuary was sampled between 1994 and 1997 to estimate population size, standing stock, growth and productivity. The estuarine-spawning species were numerically more abundant ( n c . 750 000) but due to their small size contributed only 11·7% to the total biomass. The total annual productivity of all fishes in the estuary ( n c . 890 000), with a standing stock of 28·44 g m ⁻², was calculated at 55·89 g m⁻² year⁻¹. The small sparid Rhabdosargus holubi with a production estimate of 41·35 g m⁻² year⁻¹ accounted for <74% of the total fish production in this estuary.     

互花米草入侵对大型底栖动物群落垂直结构的影响

2012年8月,在浙江省玉环县漩门湾国家湿地公园,利用自制分层采样器,以5 cm为单位对0—25 cm泥层进行分层取样,研究潮间带互花米草滩涂和自然滩涂两种生境中大型底栖动物的垂直分布情况,以及互花米草入侵对大型底栖动物垂直结构的影响。两种生境中共获得大型底栖动物40种,其中软体动物18种,甲壳动物13种,环节动物4种,其他类群5种。在自然滩涂生境中获得的物种数为30种,互花米草生境为31种,两种生境的共有种有21种。互花米草和自然滩涂生境平均栖息密度分别为222.6株/m2和1052.8株/m2。研究结果表明:(1)大型底栖动物主要栖息在0—10 cm泥层深度;(2)大型底栖动物群落沿泥层深度存在分层分布现象;(3)互花米草入侵缩短了底栖动物的垂直分布距离,但对其主要栖息深度影响不大;(4)互花米草入侵改变了原来生境特征,导致大型底栖动物的群落结构发生变化。     

淇澳岛两种红树林区大型底栖动物群落比较

对珠海淇澳岛天然秋茄(Kandelia candel)与人工恢复无瓣海桑(Sonneratia apetala)两种红树林林地间大型底栖动物群落结构进行了比较研究.结果显示,天然秋茄林与人工无瓣海桑林林地大型底栖动物种类组成及数量分布都存在差异,秋茄林大型底栖动物平均生物量、栖息密度分别为668.64g·m^-2和8370个·m^-2,无瓣海桑林分别为511.64g·m^-2和4748个·m^-2.两个红树林剖面不同潮位带大型底栖动物结构存在差异,秋茄林生物量和栖息密度的最高值都在中潮带,主要是由节肢动物和软体动物所主导:无瓣海桑林栖息密度的最高值也是在中潮带,生物量变化比较不规则.两个红树林剖面大型底栖动物群落特征的季节变化较明显,生物量都是秋季处于最高水平:栖息密度都是冬季处于最高水平,秋季最低:生物多样性都是夏季处于最低,但最高值秋茄林剖面是在春季,而无瓣海桑林剖面则是秋季.研究结果表明,林地底质和盐度等生境条件以及红树林群落的高度、郁闭度和林下通风透光等生态特征的差异是造成红树林底栖动物群落差异的重要原因.     

Effects of naphthalene on microbial community composition in the Delaware estuary

The effects of naphthalene on microbial communities in the bottom boundary layer of the Delaware Bay estuary were investigated in microcosms using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with oligonucleotide probes. Three days after the addition of naphthalene, rates of bacterial production and naphthalene mineralization were higher than in no-addition controls and than in cases where glucose was added. Analyses using both DGGE and FISH indicated that the bacterial community changed in response to the addition of naphthalene. FISH data indicated that a few major phylogenetic groups increased in response to the glucose addition and especially to the naphthalene addition. DGGE also demonstrated differences in community composition among treatments, with four phylotypes being unique to naphthalene-amended treatments and three of these having 16S rRNA genes similar to known hydrocarbon degraders. The bacterial community in the naphthalene-amended treatment was distinct from the communities in the glucose-amended treatment and in the no-addition control. These data suggest that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may have large effects on microbial community structure in estuaries and probably on microbially mediated biogeochemical processes.     

Macrobenthic community structure before, during, and after implementation of the Clean Water Act in the Neches River estuary (Texas)

Community structure of macrobenthos in the industrialized, tidal Neches River was studied 12 years after implementation of phase III of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Result were compared with a 1971–72 study conducted before implementation of the CWA and a 1984–85 study conducted after implementation of phases I & II of the CWA. The permitted BOD waste load decreased 93% between the 1971–72 and 1984–85 studies, then increased 19% between 1984–85 and the current study. A total of 50 taxa were collected during the 1971–72 study, 104 during the 1984–85 study, and 110 during the current study. Numbers of taxa per collection at each station increased by a factor of at least two between the 1971–72 and 1984–85 studies and were significantly different at the 0.0001 level. Numbers of taxa per collection at each station were not significantly different between the 1984–85 and the current study (p=0.286). Minimum collection densities in 1984–85 were higher than maximum densities in 1971–72 and were significantly different at the 0.0001 level. Collection densities were not significantly different between the 1984–85 study and the current study (p=0.374). Shannon's annual and station collection diversity values significantly increased (p=<0.05) between the 1971–72 and 1984–85 studies, but not between the 1984–85 and the current study (p=>0.05). Dendrograms of Sorenson's similarity index between all pairs of stations were more alike between the 1971–72 and the current study than between the 1984–85 and the current study. Evidence of some organic enrichment at the upper stations was indicated by the dominance of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and depressed oxygen concentrations. Environmental quality in the river has greatly improved since implementation of the CWA in 1972. Most of the improvments were due to phases I & II of the CWA, with little apparent change since implementation of phase III.     

Macrobenthic community structure before and after pollution abatement in the Neches River estuary (Texas)

Macrobenthos and physicochemical conditions in the lower 39 km of the Neches River estuary were studied from August, 1984 to May, 1985. The results were compared with data collected in 1971–1972. Between 1972 and 1984 the permitted BOD waste load in the tidal Neches River was reduced from 123 125 kg d to 8717 kg d. River discharge and dissolved oxygen concentrations were consistently higher and salinity was lower, during the same seasons, during the 1984–1985 study. A total of 50 taxa of macrobenthos were collected in 1971–1972 and 104 taxa were collected in 1984–1985. The numbers of taxa per collection at each station in 1984–1985 were at least twice those found in 1971–1972. Minimum densities in 1984–1985 were much higher than the maximum densities in 1971–1972 at all stations. Patterns of dominance, Sorenson's similarity index, and diversity ( ) values indicated improved water quality in 1984–1985. Statistical analysis of macrobenthic diversity indicated significant differences between upper estuary and lower estuary stations in 1971–1972. No significant differences were found in 1984–1985. Significant differences in numbers of taxa, macrobenthos densities, and values between the two studies were found. Reductions of waste loads, increased river discharge, and deepening of the navigation channel were among the factors that probably contributed most to the changes in community structure of the macrobenthos observed.     

三元(碱-表面活性剂-聚合物)复合驱油藏采出水微生物群落特征

与水驱技术相比,向油藏中注入碱、表面活性剂和聚合物(简称三元复合驱,ASP)能大幅提高石油采收率,但这些驱油剂对油藏中微生物多样性与群落结构的影响尚亟待阐明,这对油田水质管理与腐蚀控制均具有的重要意义. 本研究采用高通量测序技术解析了大庆油田ASP油藏4口油井采出水中的微生物多样性与群落结构. 结果表明: ASP油藏采出水的pH高达9.65. 采出水中微生物Shannon多样性指数为2.00～3.56,采出井间菌群多样性存在差异. 在门、纲、属分类水平上,变形菌门(85.5%～98.3%)、γ-变形菌纲(83.7%～97.8%)、栖碱菌属(51.8%～82.5%)是绝对优势菌群. 共检测到12个属的潜在硫化氢产生菌,以硫磺单胞菌属丰度最高(0.4%～7.4%). 与已发表的水驱油藏研究结果相比,三元复合驱油藏采出水微生物群落组成独特,呈嗜/耐碱趋势,其多样性偏低,群落结构更单一.     

南麂列岛潮间带大型底栖动物群落优势种生态位

为了解南麂列岛潮间带大型底栖动物的群落特征及其物种间相互作用情况,于2012年5月至2013年2月对南麂列岛保护区内的12个资源位点(潮间带3个潮区的4个季节采样)进行了调查。共采集和鉴定出大型底栖动物354种,其中,18个优势种分别隶属于3门5纲12科。通过对优势种生态位的宽度、重叠度和相似比例的分析,发现:1)带偏顶蛤Modiolus comptus、条纹隔贻贝Septifer virgatus和异须沙蚕Nereis heterocirrata的生态位宽度较宽,均大于0.9;白条地藤壶Euraphia withersi和白脊藤壶Fistulobalanus albicostatus的生态位宽度则较窄,均小于0.5。2)各优势种群的生态位重叠度较低而生态位相似比例较高,生态位宽度值较高的物种对其他物种的生态位重叠值和生态位相似比例也较高,反之则较低。3)Bray-Curtis相似性聚类分析和非度量多维尺度排序(NMDS)结果表明,这些优势种基本属于同一生态类群,没有表现出明显的群落差异。经分析,潮间带大型底栖动物各优势种生态位宽度的分化是由于其对环境的适应能力和迁移能力的不同所导致的,而生态位重叠度较低情况的出现主要是由于各物种占据潮间带上不同的潮区,减小了种间竞争的压力。     

鸭绿江口近岸海域水质环境对冬季浮游动物群落结构的影响

定量分析滨海湿地近岸海域水质环境与浮游动物群落结构之间的关系对揭示海水水质环境健康状态具有重要意义。2019年12月在鸭绿江口湿地国家级自然保护区近岸海域开展了浮游动物和水环境因子调查,运用冗余分析和结构方程模型等方法探讨了水质环境对冬季浮游动物群落结构的影响。研究区共鉴定出浮游动物14种以及浮游幼虫5大类,桡足类最多占比52.63%;保护区不同功能分区间浮游动物群落结构总体差异不大,多样性指数、均匀度指数和丰富度指数平均值分别为1.34、0.51和0.59;浮游动物的种群分布与海水化学需氧量、溶解性无机氮、浮游植物群落多样性指数和铜元素含量关系显著;结构方程模型模拟结果表明,海水富营养化水平对浮游动物丰富度的效应系数为-0.26,具有显著的直接影响(P=0.01),重金属污染水平通过影响浮游植物丰富度(效应系数为-0.41,P<0.001)间接对浮游动物丰富度产生作用(间接效应系数为-0.2)。研究结果将有助于深化对海水环境和浮游动物群落结构协同演变过程的认识,为滨海湿地近岸海洋生态系统科学管理提供理论支撑。     

黄河干流与河口湿地生态需水研究进展

通过回顾黄河干流和河口湿地生态需水相关研究的发展历程及主要研究成果,从生态需水研究的研究对象及目标、研究内容、研究方法及应用等方面归纳总结了黄河干流和河口生态需水的研究现状和面临挑战。目前,有关黄河干流和河口湿地的生态需水方面的研究已取得一定的成果,对黄河流域生态需水基础理论基本规律的认识相对清晰,但对黄河干流和河口湿地生态系统认识的不足导致目前生态需水计算方法不统一,计算结果存在一定的误差,从而导致黄河生态需水在流域水资源配置与管理实践中难以达到预期结果。今后仍需在逐步积累的实测资料的基础上进行细化的生态需水研究,重点开展基于河流和湿地生态系统完整性的生态需水研究;基于生态-水文响应关系并综合其他保护目标的生态水文过程研究;还要考虑经济、社会、环境"三赢"的权衡以及未来水沙条件等因素的不确定性,寻求合理的能应用到实际水量配置方案中的生态需水量等。并将生态需水成果与黄河水量生态调度有效结合起来,在水量调度实践中予以论证。     

福建同安湾潮间带红树林生境与非红树林生境大型底栖动物群落比较

底栖动物群落是红树林生态系统多样性研究的重要内容之一。为了解大型底栖动物群落对高有机质含量和富营养的红树林生境的响应, 从2006年4月到2007年1月, 对福建省同安湾红树林生境和非红树林生境大型底栖动物群落及其时空变化进行了研究。我们在同安湾红树林种植区设置了凤林(FL)和山后亭(XA)两条断面, 每条断面在红树林内各设2个取样站(FL1, FL2, XA-A和XA-B), 林外各设1个取样站(FL3和XA-C)。底质研究结果显示凤林3个取样站(FL1, FL2和FL3)的有机质含量均超过底质污染评价标准的临界值3.4%, 且无论凤林还是山后亭, 红树林生境的有机质含量均要高过非红树林生境。共获得大型底栖动物91种, 其中在红树林生境内获得77种, 高于非红树林生境内获得的67种。红树林生境和非红树林生境的大型底栖动物平均栖息密度分别为4,445.8 inds/m2 和1,707.2 inds/m2, 平均生物量分别为51.1 g/m2 和 94.6 g/m2。独立样本t-检验结果显示, 红树林生境和非红树林生境大型底栖动物平均栖息密度和平均生物量均存在显著差异。研究结果指示红树林生境对于寡毛类生存(如在高耐有机污染中能大量繁殖的沼蚓)有积极作用。但由于邻近的非红树林林生境的水淹时间更长, 一些具有移动能力的软体动物和甲壳动物能迁移到更适合生存的非红树林生境中去。其他底质因子如盐度和土壤中值粒径等也会影响大型底栖动物群落变化。     

大庆油田油藏采出水的细菌群落结构

采用ARDRA (扩增性rDNA限制性酶切片段多态性分析)技术对大庆油田聚驱、水驱和过渡带3种油藏采出水中的细菌群落的基因组总DNA的16S rDNA克隆文库进行分析,研究了细菌群落结构.结果表明：随机挑取的596个阳性克隆可分为85个操作分类单元 (OTUs),其中聚驱、水驱和过渡带文库分别含有28、41和33个.通过对优势OTUs测序,并与GenBank进行序列比对,发现油藏采出水中的优势菌群为不动杆菌属、弓形杆菌属、厚壁菌门、假单胞菌属和硫磺单胞菌属.聚驱样品中细菌群落组成最简单,优势菌群为不动杆菌属,占库容的85%,假单胞菌属占7%;水驱样品中的优势菌群也是不动杆菌属,占库容的62%,假单胞菌属和硫磺单胞菌属各占20%和6%;过渡带文库的细菌群落的优势菌群为弓形杆菌属,占库容的50%,不动杆菌属和厚壁菌门各占19%和18%.     

Feeding patterns of the dominant benthic and demersal fish community in a temperate estuary

The diet and feeding relationships of the 12 most abundant benthic and demersal fish species of the Mondego Estuary, Portugal, were studied between June 2003 and May 2006. Fishes were caught during the night using a 2 m beam trawl. The stomach contents were analysed for prey identification, counting and weighing. According to prey importance in diets, three main feeding guilds were identified: (1) invertebrate feeders, (2) invertebrate and fish feeders and (3) plankton and invertebrate feeders. Besides these main feeding guilds, some fishes also presented fractions of algae and zooplankton in their stomach contents. The most abundant prey items were macroinvertebrates, with several polychaetes ( Nephtys spp., Capitellidae, Spionidae and Eunicidae), Corophium spp. and Crangon crangon among the dominant prey. Pomatoschistus spp. were the most preyed on fishes. Several fish species showed a tendency for a specialized diet, but almost all also showed some degree of opportunistic feeding by preying on other food resources. High diet overlap was found between some fish species, yet exploitative competition could not be concluded.     

灵昆岛潮间带大型底栖动物群落结构与生态位分析

2003年11月至2004年8月,在温州湾的灵昆岛东滩进行了大型底栖动物采样调查。共发现大型底栖动物33种,隶属7门8纲21科。主要为软体动物、节肢动物和环节动物多毛类,其中高潮带25种,中潮带30种,低潮带14种。通过对不同季节不同潮带的大型底栖动物密度数据进行成对t检验分析,结果认为各潮带的大型底栖动物密度分布有明显差异,而大型底栖动物密度的季节变化不明显。对定量取样中获得的21个物种以Shannon-W iener指数为基础进行了生态位宽度测定,以P ianka重叠指数为基础进行了生态位重叠值分析,结果表明日本沙蚕(N ereis jap on ica)、纽虫和线虫的生态位较宽,均为2.80以上,它们之间的生态重叠值也较高,均为0.90以上。以密度数据四次开方为基础,利用欧氏距离进行群落物种的系统聚类分析,结果表明21个物种可以分为三大类,即潮间带广布种、中高潮带常见种、狭布种和偶见种,通过非度量多维标度排序分析也支持以上结果。3类物种的生态位重叠值均有不同的表现,与物种的分布与数量相关。研究表明,物种生态宽度、物种之间的生态位重叠值与物种的分布与数量密切相关,反映了大型底栖动物群落中各物种对生境资源的利用能力的强弱。     

徐州市云龙湖大型底栖动物群落演变及环境影响因子分析

【目的】了解江苏省徐州市云龙湖大型底栖动物的群落结构及其环境影响因子,可以为保护云龙湖水生态环境提供依据。【方法】于2013—2017年对云龙湖大型底栖动物和水环境因子进行了调查。利用1/16 m2彼得逊采泥器采集大型底栖动物样品,同时利用有机玻璃采水器采集水样,每年的5月和10月各采样一次,共采样10次。利用3种群落多样性指数(Shannon-Wiener指数、Margalef物种丰富度指数、Pielou均匀度指数)评价云龙湖大型底栖动物的群落结构,选择ShannonWiener指数进行水质评价,并应用典型相关分析(CCA)得出大型底栖动物与环境因子之间的关系。【结果】云龙湖大型底栖动物群落结构简单,物种较少,3种群落多样性指数年际波动不大。云龙湖水质多年处于轻污染到中污染水平之间。优势物种中水丝蚓属的主要影响因子是总氮浓度,摇蚊幼虫的主要影响因子为高锰酸盐指数。【结论】云龙湖的水体有富营养化风险,应对云龙湖大型底栖动物的保护和水质改善给予足够重视。     

Effects of vegetation cover and precipitation on the process of sediment produced by erosion in a small watershed of loess region

With growing concerns over changes of the living environment and ecological environment, more and more scholars have focused their researches on understanding how vegetation covers and atmospheric conditions respond to soil erosion in watersheds. Former studies show that both the natural factors such as precipitation, vegetation, slope of terrain, soil properties and human activities are the main factors to affect the amount of sediment produced by erosion in the watershed, and there are special conditions of climate and soil that are unique to loess areas for water and soil conservations. Thus the relationships between soil erosion and vegetation and precipitation are very complicated and interesting. As a loess area, the Lergou watershed with the area of 12.1 km² lies in west of China. The watershed was a key area of high water and soil erosion forty years ago, but the area of vegetation cover has become larger because of highly effective methods of water and soil conservation. In the factors affecting the amount of sediment produced by erosion in the study area, which is more important for soil erosion: vegetation cover or precipitation? The experts, community has discussed this question for a long time. And the Lergou watershed has become the natural and ideal test watershed. Based on water observation data, climate data and NOAA/AVHRR NDVI images collected from 1982 to 2000 in the Lergou watershed of loess areas, analyses of the correlation and multi-variable regression were used to discuss the relationships among the amount of sediment produced by erosion, water indexes, precipitation factors and vegetation cover. The conclusions showed that with the increase of precipitation indexes and the decrease of plant indexes, and the amount of sediment produced by erosion in the study area would become larger. In order to distinguish the influences of erosion due to human activity and natural factors, the paper introduced multi-variable regression method by standardization data to determine the relative contributing ratio to soil erosions in the study area. The conclusions showed that the contributing ratio of vegetation cover and precipitation changes were 45.7% and 54.3%. It was obvious that the influences of precipitation were larger than those of vegetation for the soil erosion in the study area.     

Effects of vegetation cover and precipitation on the process of sediment produced by erosion in a small watershed of loess region

With growing concerns over changes of the living environment and ecological environment, more and more scholars have focused their researches on understanding how vegetation covers and atmospheric conditions respond to soil erosion in watersheds. Former studies show that both the natural factors such as precipitation, vegetation, slope of terrain, soil properties and human activities are the main factors to affect the amount of sediment produced by erosion in the watershed, and there are special conditions of climate and soil that are unique to loess areas for water and soil conservations. Thus the relationships between soil erosion and vegetation and precipitation are very complicated and interesting. As a loess area, the Lüergou watershed with the area of 12.1 km2 lies in west of China. The watershed was a key area of high water and soil erosion forty years ago, but the area of vegetation cover has become larger because of highly effective methods of water and soil conservation. In the factors affecting the amount of sediment produced by erosion in the study area, which is more important for soil erosion: vegetation cover or precipitation? The experts, community has discussed this question for a long time. And the Lüergou watershed has become the natural and ideal test watershed. Based on water observation data, climate data and NOAA/AVHRR NDVI images collected from 1982 to 2000 in the Lüergou watershed of loess areas, analyses of the correlation and multi-variable regression were used to discuss the relationships among the amount of sediment produced by erosion, water indexes, precipitation factors and vegetation cover. The conclusions showed that with the increase of precipitation indexes and the decrease of plant indexes, and the amount of sediment produced by erosion in the study area would become larger. In order to distinguish the influences of erosion due to human activity and natural factors, the paper introduced multi-variable regression method by standardization data to determine the relative contributing ratio to soil erosions in the study area. The conclusions showed that the contributing ratio of vegetation cover and precipitation changes were 45.7% and 54.3%. It was obvious that the influences of precipitation were larger than those of vegetation for the soil erosion in the study area.     

Microarray-based analysis of microbial functional diversity along an oil contamination gradient in oil field

To understand better the in situ microbial functional diversity under oil contamination stress, soils were sampled along a contamination gradient at an oil field in north-east China. Microbial community functional structure was examined with a functional gene array, termed GeoChip. Multivariate statistical analysis and meta-analysis were conducted to study the functional gene responses to oil concentrations. The total functional gene abundance and diversity decreased along the gradient of increasing contamination. The overall abundance of soil bacteria, archaea and fungi decreased to 10%, 40% and 80% of those in the pristine soil. Several functional genes in the families pgl, rbcL, nifH and nor and those encoding cellulase, laccase, chitinase, urease and key enzymes in metabolizing organic compounds were significantly decreased with oil contamination, especially under high contamination stress. However, a few genes encoding key enzymes for catechol, protocatechuate, and biphenyl degradation and in the gene families of nir, rbcL and pgl showed a significant increase at a medium level of oil contamination. Oil content and soil available nitrogen were found to be important factors influencing the microbial community structure. The results provide an insight into microbial functional diversity in oil-contaminated soils, providing potential information for on-site management and remediation measures.