Using hydrogel and clay to improve the water status of seedlings for dryland restoration

The decomposition of soil organic matter is mediated by extracellular enzymes. The aim of this work was to identify the factors determining the activity and size of the mobile fraction of extracellular enzymes (laccase, Mn-peroxidase, endocellulase, cellobiohydrolase, ??-glucosidase, endoxylanase, ??-xylosidase, ??-glucosidase, chitinase, arylsulfatase, phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, alanine and leucine aminopeptidase) using a set of soils covering a wide range of physico-chemical properties. Organic matter content had a major effect on enzyme activity both in forest and grassland soils, while the effects of pH and humic compounds content were only important in forest soils, and the molecular mass of humic compounds and Ca content were only important in grasslands. Specific enzyme activity was either comparable between the soil types or higher in grasslands. With the exception of Mn-peroxidase and ??-glucosidase, the specific activities of all enzymes in arable fields under tillage were similar to those in grasslands. Mobility differed among the enzymes and ranged from <1% for arylsulfatase and phosphodiesterase up to 20?C40% for ??-glucosidase and aminopeptidases, with pH being the most important variable. These results demonstrate that the factors regulating enzyme activity are likely to be different in forest soils and grasslands and that enzyme mobility is a characteristic feature of each individual enzyme.     

鄱阳湖南矶湿地优势植物群落及土壤有机质和营养元素分布特征

湿地植物和土壤是承担湿地诸多生态功能的主要基质和载体,相互之间有着强烈的影响。湿地土壤影响植物的种类、数量、生长发育、形态和分布,湿地植物又影响土壤中元素的分布与变化。鄱阳湖湿地的植物和土壤的特征及由他们带来的候鸟栖息地价值都受到他们之间的相互作用以及湖泊水位不同频率和幅度波动的影响。研究鄱阳湖湿地植物和土壤的特征及其形成原因和相互关系。为此,从2010年10月到2011年10月,对鄱阳湖湿地不同水位梯度下分布的芦苇、南荻、苔草、虉草和刚毛荸荠5个优势植物群落中57个定点样方展开了月度植被调查并且对5个不同植物群落下的135个土壤样品进行了实验室分析,研究了鄱阳湖优势植物群落及湿地土壤中有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾含量的分布特征及其相互关系。研究结果表明,鄱阳湖湿地优势植物群落分布特征受湿地土壤元素分布特征、湖面水位波动及植物生长特性和土壤沉积及土壤养分的综合影响,呈现了沿水位和海拔梯度明显的条带状或弧状分布、从湖岸到湖心依次分布为:狗牙根群落、芦苇群落、南荻群落、苔草群落、虉草群落、刚毛荸荠群落,最后是水生植物。同时植物群落的组成和分布特征也随季节性水位涨落的变化而变化;土壤有机质及其他各元素含量特征受植物群落分布、水位波动规律及湿地土壤特性等各种因素的影响,呈现出相对一致的分布规律,在0—20cm土壤层含量较高,20cm层后随土壤深度的增加含量逐渐减小,减小的速度先快后慢直至40cm层后趋于稳定;不同植物群落对土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾的含量及变化具有很大的影响,不同植物群落下同种元素含量差异显著,并且各自随土壤深度和植物群落的变化呈现出层状、带状或弧状富集特征。不同植物群落对土壤养分元素含量影响程度不同,苔草群落对各元素吸收和滞留能力最强、影响最大,刚毛荸荠群落对土壤营养元素影响最弱。湿地植物群落和土壤之间彼此有着强烈的影响,其中植株的重量和土壤的SOC、TN及TP含量有非常显著的负相关关系,与土壤TK含量则有较强的正相关关系,同时,植株的重量和高度与土壤地下水埋深也有微弱的负相关关系。     

Different temperature sensitivity and kinetics of soil enzymes indicate seasonal shifts in C,N and P nutrient stoichiometry in acid forest soil

Acid forest soils in the Bohemian Forest in Central Europe are biogeochemically imbalanced in organic C, N and P processing. We hypothesized that these imbalances can be due to different temperature sensitivities of soil enzyme activities and their affinities to substrate in litter and organic soil horizons. We measured potential activities of five main soil enzymes (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, Leu-aminopeptidase, Ala-aminopeptidase, and phosphatase) responsible for organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition. We also modeled potential in situ enzyme activities and nutrient release based on continuous in situ temperature measurements. We determined basic kinetic parameters (K_m, V_max), enzyme efficiencies (k_cat) and temperature sensitivities (E_a and Q₁₀) according to Michaelis–Menten kinetic and modified Arrhenius models. Our results showed significant differences in substrate affinities between the litter and organic soil horizons. Higher aminopeptidase affinity (lower K_m) in the litter soil horizon can lead to leaching of peptidic compounds to lower soil horizons. β-Glucosidase and phosphatase showed high temperature response following the Arrhenius model. However, both aminopeptidases showed no or even decreased activity with increasing temperature. The aminopeptidase temperature insensitivity means that peptidic compounds are degraded at the same or even lower rate in warmer and colder periods of the year in acid forest soils. This imbalance results in different release of available nutrients from plant litter and soil organic matter which may affect bacterial and fungal community composition and nutrient leaching from these ecosystems.     

Microbial responses to nitrogen addition in three contrasting grassland ecosystems

The effects of global N enrichment on soil processes in grassland ecosystems have received relatively little study. We assessed microbial community response to experimental increases in N availability by measuring extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) in soils from three grasslands with contrasting edaphic and climatic characteristics: a semiarid grassland at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA (SEV), and mesic grasslands at Konza Prairie, Kansas, USA (KNZ) and Ukulinga Research Farm, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (SAF). We hypothesized that, with N enrichment, soil microbial communities would increase C and P acquisition activity, decrease N acquisition activity, and reduce oxidative enzyme production (leading to recalcitrant soil organic matter [SOM] accumulation), and that the magnitude of response would decrease with soil age (due to higher stabilization of enzyme pools and P limitation of response). Cellulolytic activities followed the pattern predicted, increasing 35–52% in the youngest soil (SEV), 10–14% in the intermediate soil (KNZ) and remaining constant in the oldest soil (SAF). The magnitude of phosphatase response did not vary among sites. N acquisition activity response was driven by the enzyme closest to its pH optimum in each soil: i.e., leucine aminopeptidase in alkaline soil, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase in acidic soil. Oxidative enzyme activity varied widely across ecosystems, but did not decrease with N amendment at any site. Likewise, SOM and %C pools did not respond to N enrichment. Between-site variation in both soil properties and EEA exceeded any treatment response, and a large portion of EEA variability (leucine aminopeptidase and oxidative enzymes), 68% as shown by principal components analysis, was strongly related to soil pH (r = 0.91, P < 0.001). In these grassland ecosystems, soil microbial responses appear constrained by a molecular-scale (pH) edaphic factor, making potential breakdown rates of SOM resistant to N enrichment.     

Soil organic matter molecular composition and state of decomposition in three locations of the European Arctic

Increased mineralization of the organic matter (OM) stored in permafrost is expected to constitute the largest additional global warming potential from terrestrial ecosystems exposed to a warmer climate. Chemical composition of permafrost OM is thought to be a key factor controlling the sensitivity of decomposition to warming. Our objective was to characterise OM from permafrost soils of the European Arctic: two mineral soils—Adventdalen, Svalbard, Norway and Vorkuta, northwest Russia—and a “palsa” (ice-cored peat mound patterning in heterogeneous permafrost landscapes) soil in Neiden, northern Norway, in terms of molecular composition and state of decomposition. At all sites, the OM stored in the permafrost was at an advanced stage of decomposition, although somewhat less so in the palsa peat. By comparing permafrost and active layers, we found no consistent effect of depth or permafrost on soil organic matter (SOM) chemistry across sites. The permafrost-affected palsa peat displayed better preservation of plant material in the deeper layer, as indicated by increasing contribution of lignin carbon to total carbon with depth, associated to decreasing acid (Ac) to aldehyde (Al) ratio of the syringyl (S) and vanillyl (V) units, and increasing S/V and contribution of plant-derived sugars. By contrast, in Adventdalen, the Ac/Al ratio of lignin and the Alkyl C to O-alkyl C ratio in the NMR spectra increased with depth, which suggests less oxidized SOM in the active layer compared to the permafrost layer. In Vorkuta, SOM characteristics in the permafrost profile did not change substantially with depth, probably due to mixing of soil layers by cryoturbation. The composition and state of decomposition of SOM appeared to be site-specific, in particular bound to the prevailing organic or mineral nature of soil when attempting to predict the SOM proneness to degradation. The occurrence of processes such as palsa formation in organic soils and cryoturbation should be considered when up-scaling and predicting the responses of OM to climate change in arctic soils.     

On the tropical soils; The influence of organic matter (OM) on phosphate bioavailability

Application of organic manure (OM) and crop residues in agricultural soils can potentially influence positively or negatively the availability of soil phosphorus (P) through soil mineralization, sorption, or desorption of soil-bound P. Traditionally, the addition of OM can reduce the capacity of the soil colloids to adsorb P, thus increasing the release of P in soil solution, but also added OM can increase the adsorption site and increase the fixation or sorption of P to soil colloids, thus reducing the availability of P in soil solution and loss to the environment. The highly weathered tropical soils (HWTS) are susceptible to P insufficiency because HWTS have high P adsorption and fixation; this is mainly due to high concentration of P adsorbent. The main P adsorbents in HWTS include Al, Fe, Ca, and clay minerals, which are principally the same binding or adsorbent for OM compounds, but in excess, are toxic (Al and Fe) to crops. Thus, the presence of OM in HWTS can compromise the adsorption and availability of P in agricultural soils following phosphatic fertilizer applications. In this study, the influence of OM on P adsorption and availability was characterized to have a clear understanding of how OM influences P availability in agricultural soils, especially in highly weathered tropical soil. It is clearly outlined that the application of OM and crop residues can positively or negatively influence the availability of P in agricultural soils for plant uptake and dictate the P that is available for loss to the environment. Thus, the addition of organic matter as a strategy to increase P bioavailability for plant uptake must be treated with care because their contribution is not strait forward to be positive in many agricultural soils.     

Influence of organic matter and solute concentration on nitrate sorption in batch and diffusion-cell experiments

Nitrate sorption potentials of three surface soils (soils-1-3) were evaluated under different solute concentrations, i.e. 1-100 mg L⁻¹. Batch and diffusion-cell adsorption experiments were conducted to delineate the diffusion property and maximum specific nitrate adsorption capacity (MSNAC) of the soils. Ho’s pseudo-second order model well fitted the batch adsorption kinetics data (R² > 0.99). Subsequently, the MSNAC was estimated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms; however, the best-fit was obtained with Langmuir isotherm. Interestingly, the batch adsorption experiments over-estimated the MSNAC of the soils compared with the diffusion-cell tests. On the other hand, a proportionate increase in the MSNAC was observed with the increase in soil organic matter content (OM) under the batch and diffusion-cell tests. Therefore, increasing the soil OM by the application of natural compost could stop nitrate leaching from agricultural fields and also increase the fertility of soil.     

西宁南山4种灌木根际和非根际土壤微生物、酶活性和养分特征

西宁南山区植被退化情况严重,人工造林植被恢复被看作是最有效的恢复手段,其中选择合适造林树种尤为关键。选择人工种植的唐古特白刺Nitraria tangutorum、柠条Caragana korshinskii、西北小蘗Berberis vernae和短叶锦鸡儿Caragana brevifolia共4种灌木树种造林试验区为研究对象,通过测定根际和非根际土壤微生物数量、酶活性及养分含量,综合比较种植4种灌木树种根际和非根际土壤肥力差异,科学评价其对土壤的改善效果。研究表明:(1)土壤微生物数量和酶活性总体呈现出根际高于非根际的规律,仅放线菌数量和脲酶活性出现了根际低于非根际现象。(2)土壤养分方面,4种灌木根际土壤和非根际土壤p H值、全N、全P、全K含量差异不显著,有机质、有效P、速效K含量均呈现出根际非根际,而碱解N则是根际非根际。(3)土壤酶活性与土壤微生物数量相关性不显著,土壤有机质含量与土壤细菌、真菌数量呈极显著正相关,有效P含量与土壤细菌、真菌和放线菌数量呈极显著正相关,速效K含量与过氧化氢酶、酸性磷酸酶活性呈显著正相关,全N、碱解N含量均与脲酶活性呈显著正相关。(4)从土壤肥力综合水平来看,根际非根际,其中根际土壤中西北小蘗柠条短叶锦鸡儿唐古特白刺,研究结果表明西北小蘗和柠条能大幅提高土壤肥力,改良土壤效果较好。     

Response of the microbial community to water table variation and nutrient addition and its implications for in situ preservation of organic archaeological remains in wetland soils

Wetland environments can preserve organic archaeological remains because of their anaerobic nature. The ongoing discovery of archaeological sites in wetlands is associated with a lack of funds for excavation and preservation. This situation has led to the consideration of preservation in situ the preferred option for dealing with the majority of waterlogged archaeological remains in England. To expand our understanding of the burial environment, we studied changes in environmental variables along with counts of total bacteria and microbial ¹⁴C-leucine assimilation down the soil profile at two wetlands in the North of England. Soil cores were sampled at five depth intervals between 10 and 100 cm. To test whether the addition of nutrients induces bacterial activity in the soil, inorganic phosphate and combined nitrogen were added to soil samples and the rate of ¹⁴C-leucine assimilation was recorded. Redox potential readings were positive above the water table and negative below. The total number of bacteria and the ¹⁴C-leucine assimilation rates differed among sites, but always decreased with increasing soil depth. Nutrient availability was limiting for the microbial communities in the upper soil horizons, but did not appear to limit those in the lower soil. These results allow a better understanding of the physico-chemical and microbiological conditions that potentially favour or inhibit the decomposition of organic archaeological remains at the studied wetlands.     

Using microbial communities and extracellular enzymes to link soil organic matter characteristics to greenhouse gas production in a tidal freshwater wetland

To gain a more mechanistic understanding of how soil organic matter (OM) characteristics can affect carbon mineralization in tidal freshwater wetlands, we conducted a long-term in situ field manipulation of OM type and monitored associated changes in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) production. In addition, we characterized microbial community structure and quantified the activity of several extracellular enzymes (EEA) involved in the acquisition of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Treatments included a plant litter addition, prepared using naturally-senescing vegetation from the site, and a compost amendment, designed to increase the concentration of aged, partially humified, OM. Both types of OM-amended soils had CO₂ production rates 40–50 % higher than unamended control soils, suggesting that the added OM had inherently higher quality and/or availability than the native soil OM. Rates of CO₂ production were not correlated with microbial community structure or EEA except a modest relationship with cellulose breakdown via the K_m of β-1,4-glucosidase. We interpret this lack of correlation to be a consequence of high functional redundancy of microorganisms that are capable of producing CO₂. Rates of CH₄ production were also influenced by OM quality, increasing by an order of magnitude with plant litter additions relative to compost-amended and control soils. Unlike CO₂, rates of CH₄ production were significantly correlated with the microbial community structure and with enzyme kinetic parameters (V_max and K_m) for both carbon (β-1,4-glucosidase, 1,4-β-cellobiosidase, and β-d-xylosidase) and nitrogen acquisition (leucyl aminopeptidase). The monophyletic nature of methanogenic archaea, combined with their reliance on a small select group of organic substrates produced via enzyme-mediated hydrolysis and subsequent bacterial fermentation, provides a basis for the strong links between microbial community structure, EEA, and CH₄ production. Our results suggest that incorporating microbial community structure and EEA into conceptual models of wetland OM decomposition may enhance our mechanistic understanding of, and predictive capacity for, biogeochemical process rates.     

Ecoenzymatic Stoichiometry in Relation to Productivity for Freshwater Biofilm and Plankton Communities

The degradation of detrital organic matter and assimilation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) by heterotrophic microbial communities is mediated by enzymes released into the environment (ecoenzymes). For the attached microbial communities of soils and freshwater sediments, the activities of β-glucosidase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase, and phosphatase show consistent stoichiometric patterns. To determine whether similar constraints apply to planktonic communities, we assembled data from nine studies that include measurements of these enzyme activities along with microbial productivity. By normalizing enzyme activity to productivity, we directly compared the ecoenzymatic stoichiometry of aquatic biofilm and bacterioplankton communities. The relationships between β-glucosidase and α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase were statistically indistinguishable for the two community types, while the relationships between β-glucosidase and phosphatase and β-glucosidase and leucine aminopeptidase significantly differed. For β-glucosidase vs. phosphatase, the differences in slope (biofilm 0.65, plankton 1.05) corresponded with differences in the mean elemental C:P ratio of microbial biomass (60 and 106, respectively). For β-glucosidase vs. leucine aminopeptidase, differences in slope (0.80 and 1.02) did not correspond to differences in the mean elemental C:N of biomass (8.6 and 6.6). β-N-Acetylglucosaminidase activity in biofilms was significantly greater than that of plankton, suggesting that aminosaccharides were a relatively more important N source for biofilms, perhaps because fungi are more abundant. The slopes of β-glucosidase vs. (β-N-acetylglucosaminidase + leucine aminopeptidase) regressions (biofilm 1.07, plankton 0.94) corresponded more closely to the estimated difference in mean biomass C:N. Despite major differences in physical structure and trophic organization, biofilm and plankton communities have similar ecoenzymatic stoichiometry in relation to productivity and biomass composition. These relationships can be integrated into the stoichiometric and metabolic theories of ecology and used to analyze community metabolism in relation to resource constraints.     

Diversity of cultivable Azotobacter in the semi-arid alfisol receiving long-term organic and inorganic nutrient amendments

Monitoring the biological processes and microbial diversity is essential for sustaining the soil health for long-term productivity. In the present study, the impact of long-term nutrient management systems on changes in Azotobacter diversity of Indian semi-arid alfisol was assessed. Three soils, i.e., unfertilized control, soils amended with organic manures (OM), and with inorganic chemical fertilizers (IC) from century-old experimental fields were evaluated for Azotobacter diversity by Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA). Bray–Curtis’s similarity index of the ARDRA data of the isolates was analyzed by non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results revealed that the long-term organically managed soil recorded significantly higher soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and total culturable bacterial counts, whereas the chemical fertilized and control soils remained unaffected. Though the Azotobacter population was significantly higher in OM soil than IC and control soils, the genetic diversity was unaffected due to long-term addition of either organic manures or inorganic chemical fertilizers. This result implies the importance of continuous addition of organic manures and also the optimal use of inorganic chemical fertilizers without disturbing the biological properties of the soil.     

不同土地利用类型下氮、磷在土壤剖面中的分布特征

在北京市东南郊大兴区采取了44处0～20cm,20～40cm,40～60cm,60～80cm,80～100cm5个不同深度的土壤剖面样品。按土地利用类型,采样点可分为农田、菜地、果园、林地、草地。土壤剖面中,由表层向深层,pH值升高,有机质、速效磷、全磷、硝态氮、全氮降低,且在20～40cm处有较大变化。表层土壤受土地利用影响,不同土地利用类型的土壤性质差别较大,尤以菜地土壤,pH为8.01低于其他类型土壤的平均值8.27,有机质、速效磷、全磷、硝态氮、全氮都高于其他类型的土壤,分别是其他类型土壤的110%～198%,355%～1629%,162%～224%,724%～1540%,130%～248%,速效磷和硝态氮远高于其他土壤。深层土壤性质差异不大,各项土壤性质差异随深度而变小,但菜地80～100cm处,硝态氮含量为18.8mgkg-1,是同深度其他类型土壤的175%～389%。土壤中硝态氮的积累情况,菜地>农田、果园、林地>草地。磷的积累与氮不同,速效磷在0～20cm大量积累,不同类型的土壤,速效磷积累差异显著,在40～60cm处,菜地速效磷含量是其他利用类型土壤的161%～602%;在80～100cm处,不同利用类型的土壤中速效磷无显著性差异。这一情况表明,菜地的过量施用氮、磷肥导致了土壤中的磷和氮大量积累,并以速效磷、硝态氮的形态向下淋溶并在深层土壤中积累。硝态氮在80～100cm的积累仍相当严重,有继续向下淋溶的可能,速效磷的淋溶在80～100cm处已较为微弱,其淋溶过程主要在0～60cm处。对速效磷和硝态氮的累积进行多元线性回归分析,发现速效磷与全磷含量有着良好的线性相关性,而与有机质和全氮含量关系不大。硝态氮则受土壤中pH、有机质和全氮3因素的共同影响。     

Carbon and nitrogen accretion in the topsoil of the Middle Ebro River Floodplains (NE Spain): Implications for their ecological restoration

This study aimed at evaluating the potential of floodplains in the Middle Ebro River (Spain) to accumulate organic carbon and nitrogen through sedimentation. Total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TN) in the top soil of riparian habitats and in the river sediments of one river reach were examined and related to landform and land use to gain insight in the current patterns of soil organic matter accumulation. Based on our results, the potential of floodplain soils as OM sinks was assessed to propose a rehabilitation framework which includes carbon and nitrogen accumulation.To achieve those goals, six categories of landform evolution, including crops and poplar groves, were defined using aerial photographs. The study plots (n = 18), one per category, were set in three areas of the study reach. Soil organic matter (SOM) quantity (TOC, TN) and quality (C:N, non-hydrolizable carbon) were characterized for each plot. With respect to the river sediments, the material deposited after one flood was analysed to estimate the relationship between grain size and organic matter (OM) content. It was used to infer the relative importance of allochthonous vs. autochthonous OM inputs in the top soil of the study plots. According to our results, landform evolution influences the quantity but not the quality of top soil OM in the Middle Ebro floodplains. Natural patches >60-year-old incorporated in situ produced organic matter and presented the highest OC and N stocks. In turn, sedimentation was the dominant process in SOM dynamics at younger natural patches. Furthermore, approximately half of the OC could be included within the passive pool. In any case, anthropogenic land use counteracts the ability of floodplain soils to act as nitrogen and carbon sinks; thus, the rehabilitation of the floodplain towards natural land covers is required.     

Seasonal variation in enzyme activities and temperature sensitivities in Arctic tundra soils

Arctic soils contain large amounts of organic matter due to very slow rates of detritus decomposition. The first step in decomposition results from the activity of extracellular enzymes produced by soil microbes. We hypothesized that potential enzyme activities are low relative to the large stocks of organic matter in Arctic tundra soils, and that enzyme activity is low at in situ temperatures. We measured the potential activity of six hydrolytic enzymes at 4 and 20 °C on four sampling dates in tussock, intertussock, shrub organic, and shrub mineral soils at Toolik Lake, Alaska. Potential activities of N‐acetyl glucosaminidase, β‐glucosidase, and peptidase tended to be greatest at the end of winter, suggesting that microbes produced enzymes while soils were frozen. In general, enzyme activities did not increase during the Arctic summer, suggesting that enzyme production is N‐limited during the period when temperatures would otherwise drive higher enzyme activity in situ. We also detected seasonal variations in the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of soil enzymes. In general, soil enzyme pools were more sensitive to temperature at the end of the winter than during the summer. We modeled potential in situβ‐glucosidase activities for tussock and shrub organic soils based on measured enzyme activities, temperature sensitivities, and daily soil temperature data. Modeled in situ enzyme activity in tussock soils increased briefly during the spring, then declined through the summer. In shrub soils, modeled enzyme activities increased through the spring thaw into early August, and then declined through the late summer and into winter. Overall, temperature is the strongest factor driving low in situ enzyme activities in the Arctic. However, enzyme activity was low during the summer, possibly due to N‐limitation of enzyme production, which would constrain enzyme activity during the brief period when temperatures would otherwise drive higher rates of decomposition.     

Initial differentiation of vertical soil organic matter distribution and composition under juvenile beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees

In a lysimeter experiment with juvenile beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) we studied the development of depth gradients of soil organic matter (SOM) composition and distribution after soil disturbance. The sampling scheme applied to the given soil layers (0–2 cm, 2–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–20 cm) was crucial to study the subtle reformation of SOM properties with depth in the artificially filled lysimeters. Due to the combination of physical SOM fractionation with the application of ¹⁵N-labelled beech litter and ¹³C-CPMAS NMR spectroscopy we were able to obtain a detailed view on vertical differentiation of SOM properties. Four years after soil disturbance a significant decrease of the mass of particulate OM (POM) with depth could be found. A clear depth distribution was also shown for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) within the SOM fractions related to bulk soil. The mineral fractions <63 µm clearly dominated C storage (between 47 to 60% of bulk soil C) and N storage (between 68 to 86% of bulk soil N). A drastic increase in aliphatic C structures concomitant to decreasing O/N-alkyl C was detected with depth, increasing from free POM to occluded POM. Only a slight depth gradient was observed for ¹³C but a clear vertical incorporation of ¹⁵N from the applied labelled beech litter was demonstrated probably resulting from faunal and fungal incorporation. We clearly demonstrated a significant reformation of a SOM depth profile within a very short time of soil evolution. One important finding of this study is that especially in soils with reforming SOM depth gradients after land-use changes selective sampling of whole soil horizons can bias predictions of C and N dynamics as it overlooks a potential development of gradients of SOM properties on smaller scales.     

Temperature response of permafrost soil carbon is attenuated by mineral protection

Climate change in Arctic ecosystems fosters permafrost thaw and makes massive amounts of ancient soil organic carbon (OC) available to microbial breakdown. However, fractions of the organic matter (OM) may be protected from rapid decomposition by their association with minerals. Little is known about the effects of mineral‐organic associations (MOA) on the microbial accessibility of OM in permafrost soils and it is not clear which factors control its temperature sensitivity. In order to investigate if and how permafrost soil OC turnover is affected by mineral controls, the heavy fraction (HF) representing mostly MOA was obtained by density fractionation from 27 permafrost soil profiles of the Siberian Arctic. In parallel laboratory incubations, the unfractionated soils (bulk) and their HF were comparatively incubated for 175 days at 5 and 15°C. The HF was equivalent to 70 ± 9% of the bulk CO₂ respiration as compared to a share of 63 ± 1% of bulk OC that was stored in the HF. Significant reduction of OC mineralization was found in all treatments with increasing OC content of the HF (HF‐OC), clay‐size minerals and Fe or Al oxyhydroxides. Temperature sensitivity (Q10) decreased with increasing soil depth from 2.4 to 1.4 in the bulk soil and from 2.9 to 1.5 in the HF. A concurrent increase in the metal‐to‐HF‐OC ratios with soil depth suggests a stronger bonding of OM to minerals in the subsoil. There, the younger ¹⁴C signature in CO₂ than that of the OC indicates a preferential decomposition of the more recent OM and the existence of a MOA fraction with limited access of OM to decomposers. These results indicate strong mineral controls on the decomposability of OM after permafrost thaw and on its temperature sensitivity. Thus, we here provide evidence that OM temperature sensitivity can be attenuated by MOA in permafrost soils.     

Differential effects of lichens,mosses and grasses on respiration and nitrogen mineralization in soils of the New Jersey Pinelands

In the New Jersey Pinelands, severely disturbed areas often do not undergo a rapid succession to forest; rather, a patchy cover of lichens, mosses and grasses persists for decades. We hypothesized that these plant covers affect soil microbial processes in different ways, and that these effects may alter the successional dynamics of the patches. We predicted that the moss and grass covers stimulate soil microbial activity, whereas lichens inhibit it, which may in turn inhibit succession. We collected soil cores from beneath each type of cover plus bare soil within two types of highly disturbed areas—sites subjected to hot wildfires, and areas mined for sand. Organic matter (OM) content, soil respiration and potential N mineralization were measured in the cores. Soils under mosses were similar to those under grasses; they accumulated more OM and produced more mineral N, predominantly in the form of ammonium, than either the bare soils or the soils beneath lichens. Mineralization under lichens, like that of the bare soils but unlike the soils beneath mosses or grasses, was dominated by net nitrification. These patterns were reproduced in experimentally transplanted moss and lichen mats. Mosses appear to create high-nutrient microsites via high rates of OM accumulation and production of ammonium, whereas lichens maintain low-nutrient patches similar to bare soil via low OM accumulation rates and production of mineral N predominantly in the mobile nitrate form. These differences in soil properties may explain the lack of vascular plant invasion in lichen mats, in contrast to the moss-dominated areas.     

Disjunct performance and distribution in the sedge Carex prasina

Efforts to understand species distributions and predict responses to environmental changes depend on specifying how the abiotic environment determines distributions. At landscape scales, it is critical to distinguish effects of environmental factors from other mechanisms such as competition and dispersal limitation. We examined how environmental factors affect the distribution and performance of the sedge Carex prasina across a 10-km² old-growth forest in southern Québec. We isolated the effects of soil characteristics by conducting a greenhouse experiment that assessed the performance of C. prasina on soils from a range of wetland habitats where it could potentially occur. This allowed us to compare how the species’ performance and its distribution across the landscape relate to the same soil characteristics. In the experiment, the biomass and leaf chlorophyll content of C. prasina increased with increasing soil organic matter (OM). Across the landscape, however, the species’ probability of occurrence and abundance decreased with increasing soil OM. C. prasina had similar biomass on soils from sites where it did and did not occur, but it had higher leaf chlorophyll content on soils from sites where it did not occur. We found no evidence that differential performance across environments determines the distribution of this species, as C. prasina tended to occur on soils where it showed reduced performance. Rather, other processes such as competition or dispersal limitation likely override any direct effects of the soil environment on distribution. Our results caution against the common assumption that the environments where a species tends to occur or be most abundant are the environments where it performs best. C. prasina presents a clear example of a species whose performance, at least along edaphic gradients, cannot explain its distribution. This example highlights the importance of distinguishing the relative roles of biotic and abiotic factors that shape species distributions across landscapes.     

Seasonal changes in the chemical quality and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter exported from soils to streams in coastal temperate rainforest watersheds

The composition and biodegradability of streamwater dissolved organic matter (DOM) varies with source material and degree of transformation. We combined PARAFAC modeling of fluorescence excitation–emission spectroscopy and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) incubations to investigate seasonal changes in the lability of DOM along a soil-stream continuum in three soil types: bog, forested wetland and upland forest. The percent BDOC ranged from 7 to 38% across all sites, and was significantly greater in soil compared to streamwater in the bog and forested wetland, but not in the upland forest. The percent BDOC also varied significantly over the entire sampling period in soil and streamwater for the bog and forested wetland, as BDOC peaked during the spring runoff and was lowest during the summer months. Moreover, the chemical quality of DOM in wetland soil and streamwater was similar during the spring runoff and fall wet season, as demonstrated by the similar contribution of protein-like fluorescence (sum of tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence) in soil water and in streams. These findings suggest that the tight coupling between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is responsible for the delivery of labile DOM from wetland soils to streams. The contribution of protein-like fluorescence was significantly correlated with BDOC (p < 0.001) over the entire sampling period indicating DOM is an important source of C and N for heterotrophic microbes. Taken together, our findings suggest that the production of protein-rich, labile DOM and subsequent loss in stream runoff might be an important loss of labile C and N from coastal temperate watersheds.