Effects of nitrogen deposition on the greenhouse gas fluxes from forest soils

Nitrogen (N) deposition can alter the rates of microbial N- and C- turnover, and thus can affect the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHG, e.g., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) from forest soils. The effects of N deposition on the GHG fluxes from forest soils were reviewed in this paper. N deposition to forest soils have shown variable effects on the soil GHG fluxes from forest, including increases, decreases or unchanged rates depending on forest type, N status of the soil, and the rate and type of atmospheric N deposition. In forest ecosystems where biological processes are limited by N supply, N additions either stimulate soil respiration or have no significant effect, whereas in “N saturated” forest ecosystems, N additions decrease CO₂ emission, reduce CH₄ oxidation and elevate N₂O flux from the soil. The mechanisms and research methods about the effects of N deposition on GHG fluxes from forest soils were also reviewed in this paper. Finally, the present and future research needs about the effects of N deposition on the GHG fluxes from forest soils were discussed.     

Interactive effects of wildfire and permafrost on microbial communities and soil processes in an Alaskan black spruce forest

Boreal forests contain significant quantities of soil carbon that may be oxidized to CO₂ given future increases in climate warming and wildfire behavior. At the ecosystem scale, decomposition and heterotrophic respiration are strongly controlled by temperature and moisture, but we questioned whether changes in microbial biomass, activity, or community structure induced by fire might also affect these processes. We particularly wanted to understand whether postfire reductions in microbial biomass could affect rates of decomposition. Additionally, we compared the short‐term effects of wildfire to the long‐term effects of climate warming and permafrost decline. We compared soil microbial communities between control and recently burned soils that were located in areas with and without permafrost near Delta Junction, AK. In addition to soil physical variables, we quantified changes in microbial biomass, fungal biomass, fungal community composition, and C cycling processes (phenol oxidase enzyme activity, lignin decomposition, and microbial respiration). Five years following fire, organic surface horizons had lower microbial biomass, fungal biomass, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations compared with control soils. Reductions in soil fungi were associated with reductions in phenol oxidase activity and lignin decomposition. Effects of wildfire on microbial biomass and activity in the mineral soil were minor. Microbial community composition was affected by wildfire, but the effect was greater in nonpermafrost soils. Although the presence of permafrost increased soil moisture contents, effects on microbial biomass and activity were limited to mineral soils that showed lower fungal biomass but higher activity compared with soils without permafrost. Fungal abundance and moisture were strong predictors of phenol oxidase enzyme activity in soil. Phenol oxidase enzyme activity, in turn, was linearly related to both ¹³C lignin decomposition and microbial respiration in incubation studies. Taken together, these results indicate that reductions in fungal biomass in postfire soils and lower soil moisture in nonpermafrost soils reduced the potential of soil heterotrophs to decompose soil carbon. Although in the field increased rates of microbial respiration can be observed in postfire soils due to warmer soil conditions, reductions in fungal biomass and activity may limit rates of decomposition.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from a Cu-contaminated soil remediated by in situ stabilization and phytomanaged by a mixed stand of poplar,willows, and false indigo-bush

Phytomanagement of trace element-contaminated soils can reduce soil toxicity and restore soil ecological functions, including the soil gas exchange with the atmosphere. We studied the emission rate of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O; the potential CH₄ oxidation; denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), and glucose mineralization of a Cu-contaminated soil amended with dolomitic limestone and compost, alone or in combination, after a 2-year phytomanagement with a mixed stand of Populus nigra, Salix viminalis, S. caprea, and Amorpha fruticosa. Soil microbial biomass and microbial community composition after analysis of the phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) profile were determined. Phytomanagement significantly reduced Cu availability and soil toxicity, increased soil microbial biomass and glucose mineralization capacity, changed the composition of soil microbial communities, and increased the CO₂ and N₂O emission rates and DEA. Despite such increases, microbial communities were evolving toward less GHG emission per unit of microbial biomass than in untreated soils. Overall, the aided phytostabilization option would allow methanotrophic populations to establish in the remediated soils due to decreased soil toxicity and increased nutrient availability.     

Elevated CO2 increases microbial carbon substrate use and nitrogen cycling in Mojave Desert soils

Identifying soil microbial responses to anthropogenically driven environmental changes is critically important as concerns intensify over the potential degradation of ecosystem function. We assessed the effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ on microbial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in Mojave Desert soils using extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs), community‐level physiological profiles (CLPPs), and gross N transformation rates. Soils were collected from unvegetated interspaces between plants and under the dominant shrub (Larrea tridentata) during the 2004–2005 growing season, an above‐average rainfall year. Because most measured variables responded strongly to soil water availability, all significant effects of soil water content were used as covariates to remove potential confounding effects of water availability on microbial responses to experimental treatment effects of cover type, CO₂, and sampling date. Microbial C and N activities were lower in interspace soils compared with soils under Larrea, and responses to date and CO₂ treatments were cover specific. Over the growing season, EEAs involved in cellulose (cellobiohydrolase) and orthophosphate (alkaline phosphatase) degradation decreased under ambient CO₂, but increased under elevated CO₂. Microbial C use and substrate use diversity in CLPPs decreased over time, and elevated CO₂ positively affected both. Elevated CO₂ also altered microbial C use patterns, suggesting changes in the quantity and/or quality of soil C inputs. In contrast, microbial biomass N was higher in interspace soils than soils under Larrea, and was lower in soils exposed to elevated CO₂. Gross rates of NH₄⁺ transformations increased over the growing season, and late‐season NH₄⁺ fluxes were negatively affected by elevated CO₂. Gross NO₃⁻ fluxes decreased over time, with early season interspace soils positively affected by elevated CO₂. General increases in microbial activities under elevated CO₂ are likely attributable to greater microbial biomass in interspace soils, and to increased microbial turnover rates and/or metabolic levels rather than pool size in soils under Larrea. Because soil water content and plant cover type dominates microbial C and N responses to CO₂, the ability of desert landscapes to mitigate or intensify the impacts of global change will ultimately depend on how changes in precipitation and increasing atmospheric CO₂ shift the spatial distribution of Mojave Desert plant communities.     

Effects of biochar application on soil greenhouse gas fluxes: a meta‐analysis

Biochar application to soils may increase carbon (C) sequestration due to the inputs of recalcitrant organic C. However, the effects of biochar application on the soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes appear variable among many case studies; therefore, the efficacy of biochar as a carbon sequestration agent for climate change mitigation remains uncertain. We performed a meta‐analysis of 91 published papers with 552 paired comparisons to obtain a central tendency of three main GHG fluxes (i.e., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) in response to biochar application. Our results showed that biochar application significantly increased soil CO₂ fluxes by 22.14%, but decreased N₂O fluxes by 30.92% and did not affect CH₄ fluxes. As a consequence, biochar application may significantly contribute to an increased global warming potential (GWP) of total soil GHG fluxes due to the large stimulation of CO₂ fluxes. However, soil CO₂ fluxes were suppressed when biochar was added to fertilized soils, indicating that biochar application is unlikely to stimulate CO₂ fluxes in the agriculture sector, in which N fertilizer inputs are common. Responses of soil GHG fluxes mainly varied with biochar feedstock source and soil texture and the pyrolysis temperature of biochar. Soil and biochar pH, biochar applied rate, and latitude also influence soil GHG fluxes, but to a more limited extent. Our findings provide a scientific basis for developing more rational strategies toward widespread adoption of biochar as a soil amendment for climate change mitigation.     

Effects of bio‐based residue amendments on greenhouse gas emission from agricultural soil are stronger than effects of soil type with different microbial community composition

With the projected rise in the global human population, agriculture intensification and land‐use conversion to arable fields is anticipated to meet the food and bio‐energy demand to sustain a growing population. Moving towards a circular economy, agricultural intensification results in the increased re‐investment of bio‐based residues in agricultural soils, with consequences for microbially mediated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, as well as other aspects of soil functioning. To date, systematic studies to address the impact of bio‐based residue amendment on the GHG balance, including the soil microorganisms, and nutrient transformation in agricultural soils are scarce. Here, we assess the global warming potential (GWP) of in situ GHG (i.e., CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) fluxes after application of six bio‐based residues with broad C : N ratios (5–521) in two agricultural soils (sandy loam and clay; representative of vast production areas in north‐western Europe). We relate the GHG emission to the decomposability of the residues in a litter bag assay and determined the effects of residue input on crop (common wheat) growth after incubation. The shift in the bacterial community composition and abundance was monitored using IonTorrent^TM sequencing and qPCR, respectively, by targeting the 16S rRNA gene. The decomposability of the residues, independent of C : N ratio, was proportional to the GWP derived from the GHG emitted. The soils harbored distinct bacterial communities, but responded similarly to the residue amendments, because both soils exhibited the highest mean GWP after addition of the same residues (sewage sludge, aquatic plant material, and compressed beet leaves). Our results question the extent of using the C : N ratio alone to predict residue‐induced response in GHG emission. Taken together, we show that although soil properties strongly affect the bacterial community composition, microbially mediated GHG emission is residue dependent.     

Woody biochar's greenhouse gas mitigation potential across fertilized and unfertilized agricultural soils and soil moisture regimes

Biochar has been widely researched as an important technology for climate smart agriculture, yet work is still necessary to identify the magnitude of potential greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and mechanisms involved. This study measured slow‐pyrolysis wood‐derived biochar's impact on GHG efflux, mineral N dynamics, and soil organic C in a series of two incubations across fertilized and unfertilized agricultural soils and soil moisture regimes. This research explored the magnitude of biochar's full GHG mitigation potential and drivers of such impacts. Results of this incubation indicate slow‐pyrolysis wood‐derived biochar has potential to provide annual emission reductions of 0.58–1.72 Mg CO₂‐eq ha^?1 at a 25 Mg ha^?1 biochar application rate. The greatest GHG mitigation potential was from C sequestration and nitrous oxide (N₂O) reduction in mineral N fertilized soils, with minimal impacts on N₂O emissions in unfertilized soils, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, and methane (CH₄) uptake. Analysis of mineral N dynamics in the bulk soil and on biochar isolates indicated that neither biochar impacts on net mineralization and nitrification nor retention of ammonium () on biochar isolates could explain biochar's N₂O reduction. Instead, biochar amendments exhibited consistent N₂O emission reductions relative to the N₂O emission in the control soil regardless of soil type and fertilization. Results across a soil moisture gradient suggest that woody biochar may aerate soils shifting redox conditions and subsequent N₂O production. Understanding the magnitude of biochar's GHG reduction potential and the mechanisms driving these effects can help inform biochar modeling efforts, explain field results and identify agricultural applications that maximize biochar's full GHG mitigation potential.     

Quantitative Isolation of Microbial DNA from Different Types of Soils of Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems

A novel procedure was developed for direct quantitative isolation of microbial DNA from soil. This technique was used to evaluate microbial DNA pools in soils of contrasting types (chernozems and brown forest soils) under different anthropogenic loads. A strong correlation was found between microbial biomass and DNA contents in soils of different types (R ²= 0.799). The ratio of soil CO₂ emission rate to the amount of extractable DNA in the soil was shown to reflect the physiological state of the soil microbial community; this ratio can be used as an ecophysiological parameter similarly to the metabolic quotient qCO₂.     

Contribution of litter layer to soil greenhouse gas emissions in a temperate beech forest

Background and aims

The litter layer is a major source of CO₂, and it also influences soil-atmosphere exchange of N₂O and CH₄. So far, it is not clear how much of soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emission derives from the litter layer itself or is litter-induced. The present study investigates how the litter layer controls soil GHG fluxes and microbial decomposer communities in a temperate beech forest.

Methods

We removed the litter layer in an Austrian beech forest and studied responses of soil CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes and the microbial community via phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA). Soil GHG fluxes were determined with static chambers on 22 occasions from July 2012 to February 2013, and soil samples collected at 8 sampling events.

Results

Litter removal reduced CO₂ emissions by 30 % and increased temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of CO₂ fluxes. Diffusion of CH₄ into soil was facilitated by litter removal and CH₄ uptake increased by 16 %. This effect was strongest in autumn and winter when soil moisture was high. Soils without litter turned from net N₂O sources to slight N₂O sinks because N₂O emissions peaked after rain events in summer and autumn, which was not the case in litter-removal plots. Microbial composition was only transiently affected by litter removal but strongly influenced by seasonality.

Conclusions

Litter layers must be considered in calculating forest GHG budgets, and their influence on temperature sensitivity of soil GHG fluxes taken into account for future climate scenarios.

     

Dynamics of soil biogeochemical gas emissions shaped by remolded aggregate sizes and carbon configurations under hydration cycles

Changes in soil hydration status affect microbial community dynamics and shape key biogeochemical processes. Evidence suggests that local anoxic conditions may persist and support anaerobic microbial activity in soil aggregates (or in similar hot spots) long after the bulk soil becomes aerated. To facilitate systematic studies of interactions among environmental factors with biogeochemical emissions of CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ from soil aggregates, we remolded silt soil aggregates to different sizes and incorporated carbon at different configurations (core, mixed, no addition). Assemblies of remolded soil aggregates of three sizes (18, 12, and 6 mm) and equal volumetric proportions were embedded in sand columns at four distinct layers. The water table level in each column varied periodically while obtaining measurements of soil GHG emissions for the different aggregate carbon configurations. Experimental results illustrate that methane production required prolonged inundation and highly anoxic conditions for inducing measurable fluxes. The onset of unsaturated conditions (lowering water table) resulted in a decrease in CH₄ emissions while temporarily increasing N₂O fluxes. Interestingly, N₂O fluxes were about 80% higher form aggregates with carbon placement in center (anoxic) core compared to mixed carbon within aggregates. The fluxes of CO₂ were comparable for both scenarios of carbon sources. These experimental results highlight the importance of hydration dynamics in activating different GHG production and affecting various transport mechanisms about 80% of total methane emissions during lowering water table level are attributed to physical storage (rather than production), whereas CO₂ emissions (~80%) are attributed to biological activity. A biophysical model for microbial activity within soil aggregates and profiles provides a means for results interpretation and prediction of trends within natural soils under a wide range of conditions.     

Annual burning of a tallgrass prairie inhibits C and N cycling in soil,increasing recalcitrant pyrogenic organic matter storage while reducing N availability

Grassland ecosystems store an estimated 30% of the world's total soil C and are frequently disturbed by wildfires or fire management. Aboveground litter decomposition is one of the main processes that form soil organic matter (SOM). However, during a fire biomass is removed or partially combusted and litter inputs to the soil are substituted with inputs of pyrogenic organic matter (py‐OM). Py‐OM accounts for a more recalcitrant plant input to SOM than fresh litter, and the historical frequency of burning may alter C and N retention of both fresh litter and py‐OM inputs to the soil. We compared the fate of these two forms of plant material by incubating ¹³C‐ and ¹⁵N‐labeled Andropogon gerardii litter and py‐OM at both an annually burned and an infrequently burned tallgrass prairie site for 11 months. We traced litter and py‐OM C and N into uncomplexed and organo‐mineral SOM fractions and CO₂ fluxes and determined how fire history affects the fate of these two forms of aboveground biomass. Evidence from CO₂ fluxes and SOM C:N ratios indicates that the litter was microbially transformed during decomposition while, besides an initial labile fraction, py‐OM added to SOM largely untransformed by soil microbes. Additionally, at the N‐limited annually burned site, litter N was tightly conserved. Together, these results demonstrate how, although py‐OM may contribute to C and N sequestration in the soil due to its resistance to microbial degradation, a long history of annual removal of fresh litter and input of py‐OM infers N limitation due to the inhibition of microbial decomposition of aboveground plant inputs to the soil. These results provide new insight into how fire may impact plant inputs to the soil, and the effects of py‐OM on SOM formation and ecosystem C and N cycling.     

Molecular investigations into a globally important carbon pool: permafrost‐protected carbon in Alaskan soils

The fate of carbon (C) contained within permafrost in boreal forest environments is an important consideration for the current and future carbon cycle as soils warm in northern latitudes. Currently, little is known about the microbiology or chemistry of permafrost soils that may affect its decomposition once soils thaw. We tested the hypothesis that low microbial abundances and activities in permafrost soils limit decomposition rates compared with active layer soils. We examined active layer and permafrost soils near Fairbanks, AK, the Yukon River, and the Arctic Circle. Soils were incubated in the lab under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Gas fluxes at ?5 and 5 °C were measured to calculate temperature response quotients (Q₁₀). The Q₁₀ was lower in permafrost soils (average 2.7) compared with active layer soils (average 7.5). Soil nutrients, leachable dissolved organic C (DOC) quality and quantity, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the soils revealed that the organic matter within permafrost soils is as labile, or even more so, than surface soils. Microbial abundances (fungi, bacteria, and subgroups: methanogens and Basidiomycetes) and exoenzyme activities involved in decomposition were lower in permafrost soils compared with active layer soils, which, together with the chemical data, supports the reduced Q₁₀ values. CH₄ fluxes were correlated with methanogen abundance and the highest CH₄ production came from active layer soils. These results suggest that permafrost soils have high inherent decomposability, but low microbial abundances and activities reduce the temperature sensitivity of C fluxes. Despite these inherent limitations, however, respiration per unit soil C was higher in permafrost soils compared with active layer soils, suggesting that decomposition and heterotrophic respiration may contribute to a positive feedback to warming of this eco region.     

森林土壤融化期异养呼吸和微生物碳变化特征

采用室内土柱培养的方法,研究在不同湿度(55%和80%WFPS,土壤充水孔隙度)和不同氮素供给(NH_4Cl和KNO_3,4.5 g N/m~2)条件下,外源碳添加(葡萄糖,6.4 g C/m~2)对温带成熟阔叶红松混交林和次生白桦林土壤融化过程微生物呼吸和微生物碳的激发效应。结果表明:在整个融化培养期间,次生白桦林土壤对照CO_2累积排放量显著高于阔叶红松混交林土壤。随着土壤湿度的增加,次生白桦林土壤对照CO_2累积排放量和微生物代谢熵(q_(CO_2))显著降低,而阔叶红松混交林土壤两者显著地增加(P0.05)。两种林分土壤由葡萄糖(Glu)引起的CO_2累积排放量(9.61—13.49 g C/m~2)显著大于实验施加的葡萄糖含碳量(6.4g C/m~2),同时由Glu引起的土壤微生物碳增量为3.65—27.18 g C/m~2,而施加Glu对土壤DOC含量影响较小。因此,这种由施加Glu引起的额外碳释放可能来源于土壤固有有机碳分解。融化培养结束时,阔叶红松混交林土壤未施氮处理由Glu引起的CO_2累积排放量在两种湿度条件下均显著大于次生白桦林土壤(P0.001);随着湿度的增加,两种林分土壤Glu引起的CO_2累积排放量显著增大(P0.001)。单施KNO_3显著地增加两种湿度的次生白桦林土壤Glu引起的CO_2累积排放量(P0.01)。单施KNO_3显著地增加了两种湿度次生白桦林土壤Glu引起的微生物碳(P0.001),单施NH_4Cl显著地增加低湿度阔叶红松混交林土壤Glu引起的微生物碳(P0.001)。结合前期报道的未冻结实验结果,发现冻结过程显著地影响外源Glu对温带森林土壤微生物呼吸和微生物碳的刺激效应(P0.05),并且无论冻结与否,温带森林土壤微生物呼吸和微生物碳对外源Glu的响应均与植被类型、土壤湿度、外源氮供给及其形态存在显著的相关性。     

Legacy effects override soil properties for CO2 and N2O but not CH4 emissions following digestate application to soil

The application of organic materials to soil can recycle nutrients and increase organic matter in agricultural lands. Digestate can be used as a nutrient source for crop production but it has also been shown to stimulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from amended soils. While edaphic factors, such as soil texture and pH, have been shown to be strong determinants of soil GHG fluxes, the impact of the legacy of previous management practices is less well understood. Here we aim to investigate the impact of such legacy effects and to contrast them against soil properties to identify the key determinants of soil GHG fluxes following digestate application. Soil from an already established field experiment was used to set up a pot experiment, to evaluate N₂O, CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes from cattle‐slurry‐digestate amended soils. The soil had been treated with farmyard manure, green manure or synthetic N‐fertilizer, 18 months before the pot experiment was set up. Following homogenization and a preincubation stage, digestate was added at a concentration of 250 kg total N/ha eq. Soil GHG fluxes were then sampled over a 64 day period. The digestate stimulated emissions of the three GHGs compared to controls. The legacy of previous soil management was found to be a key determinant of CO₂ and N₂O flux while edaphic variables did not have a significant effect across the range of variables included in this experiment. Conversely, edaphic variables, in particular texture, were the main determinant of CH₄ flux from soil following digestate application. Results demonstrate that edaphic factors and current soil management regime alone are not effective predictors of soil GHG flux response following digestate application. Knowledge of the site management in terms of organic amendments is required to make robust predictions of the likely soil GHG flux response following digestate application to soil.     

Drainage increases CO2 and N2O emissions from tropical peat soils

Tropical peatlands are vital ecosystems that play an important role in global carbon storage and cycles. Current estimates of greenhouse gases from these peatlands are uncertain as emissions vary with environmental conditions. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of managed and natural tropical peatland GHG fluxes: heterotrophic (i.e. soil respiration without roots), total CO₂ respiration rates, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes. The study documents studies that measure GHG fluxes from the soil (n = 372) from various land uses, groundwater levels and environmental conditions. We found that total soil respiration was larger in managed peat ecosystems (median = 52.3 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1) than in natural forest (median = 35.9 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1). Groundwater level had a stronger effect on soil CO₂ emission than land use. Every 100 mm drop of groundwater level caused an increase of 5.1 and 3.7 Mg CO₂ ha^?1 year^?1 for plantation and cropping land use, respectively. Where groundwater is deep (≥0.5 m), heterotrophic respiration constituted 84% of the total emissions. N₂O emissions were significantly larger at deeper groundwater levels, where every drop in 100 mm of groundwater level resulted in an exponential emission increase (exp(0.7) kg N ha^?1 year^?1). Deeper groundwater levels induced high N₂O emissions, which constitute about 15% of total GHG emissions. CH₄ emissions were large where groundwater is shallow; however, they were substantially smaller than other GHG emissions. When compared to temperate and boreal peatland soils, tropical peatlands had, on average, double the CO₂ emissions. Surprisingly, the CO₂ emission rates in tropical peatlands were in the same magnitude as tropical mineral soils. This comprehensive analysis provides a great understanding of the GHG dynamics within tropical peat soils that can be used as a guide for policymakers to create suitable programmes to manage the sustainability of peatlands effectively.     

Response of soil carbon dioxide fluxes,soil organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon to biochar amendment: a meta‐analysis

Biochar as a carbon‐rich coproduct of pyrolyzing biomass, its amendment has been advocated as a potential strategy to soil carbon (C) sequestration. Updated data derived from 50 papers with 395 paired observations were reviewed using meta‐analysis procedures to examine responses of soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes, soil organic C (SOC), and soil microbial biomass C (MBC) contents to biochar amendment. When averaged across all studies, biochar amendment had no significant effect on soil CO₂ fluxes, but it significantly enhanced SOC content by 40% and MBC content by 18%. A positive response of soil CO₂ fluxes to biochar amendment was found in rice paddies, laboratory incubation studies, soils without vegetation, and unfertilized soils. Biochar amendment significantly increased soil MBC content in field studies, N‐fertilized soils, and soils with vegetation. Enhancement of SOC content following biochar amendment was the greatest in rice paddies among different land‐use types. Responses of soil CO₂ fluxes and MBC to biochar amendment varied with soil texture and pH. The use of biochar in combination with synthetic N fertilizer and waste compost fertilizer led to the greatest increases in soil CO₂ fluxes and MBC content, respectively. Both soil CO₂ fluxes and MBC responses to biochar amendment decreased with biochar application rate, pyrolysis temperature, or C/N ratio of biochar, while each increased SOC content enhancement. Among different biochar feedstock sources, positive responses of soil CO₂ fluxes and MBC were the highest for manure and crop residue feedstock sources, respectively. Soil CO₂ flux responses to biochar amendment decreased with pH of biochar, while biochars with pH of 8.1–9.0 had the greatest enhancement of SOC and MBC contents. Therefore, soil properties, land‐use type, agricultural practice, and biochar characteristics should be taken into account to assess the practical potential of biochar for mitigating climate change.     

Management of nitrogen fertilizer application, rather than functional gene abundance, governs nitrous oxide fluxes in hydroponics with rockwool

Aims

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a strong greenhouse effective gas (GHG); the primary human source of N₂O is agricultural activities. Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization of agricultural land is now widely recognized as a major contributor. In soil, the microbial processes of nitrification and denitrification are the principal sources of N₂O. However, it remains poorly understood how conventional hydroponics influences GHG emission. Here, we compared GHG fluxes from soil and rockwool used for hydroponics under identical nutrient conditions.

Methods

Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum, momotaro) were grown in soil or by hydroponics using rockwool. In situ emissions of CH₄, CO₂, and N₂O, and the abundance of genes involved in nitrification and denitrification were measured during cultivation.

Results

Hydroponics with rockwool mitigated CO₂ emission by decreasing the microbial quantity in the rhizosphere. Dilution of the nutrient solution significantly decreased N₂O emission from rockwool. Although proliferation of nitrifiers or denitrifiers in the rhizosphere did not induce N₂O emission, reuse or long-term use of rockwool induced a 3.8-fold increase in N₂O emission.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that hydroponics has a lower environmental impact and that adequate fertilizer application, rather than bacterial control, governs N₂O fluxes in hydroponic cultivation using rockwool.     

Making a living while starving in the dark: metagenomic insights into the energy dynamics of a carbonate cave

Carbonate caves represent subterranean ecosystems that are largely devoid of phototrophic primary production. In semiarid and arid regions, allochthonous organic carbon inputs entering caves with vadose-zone drip water are minimal, creating highly oligotrophic conditions; however, past research indicates that carbonate speleothem surfaces in these caves support diverse, predominantly heterotrophic prokaryotic communities. The current study applied a metagenomic approach to elucidate the community structure and potential energy dynamics of microbial communities, colonizing speleothem surfaces in Kartchner Caverns, a carbonate cave in semiarid, southeastern Arizona, USA. Manual inspection of a speleothem metagenome revealed a community genetically adapted to low-nutrient conditions with indications that a nitrogen-based primary production strategy is probable, including contributions from both Archaea and Bacteria. Genes for all six known CO₂-fixation pathways were detected in the metagenome and RuBisCo genes representative of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle were over-represented in Kartchner speleothem metagenomes relative to bulk soil, rhizosphere soil and deep-ocean communities. Intriguingly, quantitative PCR found Archaea to be significantly more abundant in the cave communities than in soils above the cave. MEtaGenome ANalyzer (MEGAN) analysis of speleothem metagenome sequence reads found Thaumarchaeota to be the third most abundant phylum in the community, and identified taxonomic associations to this phylum for indicator genes representative of multiple CO₂-fixation pathways. The results revealed that this oligotrophic subterranean environment supports a unique chemoautotrophic microbial community with potentially novel nutrient cycling strategies. These strategies may provide key insights into other ecosystems dominated by oligotrophy, including aphotic subsurface soils or aquifers and photic systems such as arid deserts.     

Potential carbon release from permafrost soils of Northeastern Siberia

Permafrost soils are an important reservoir of carbon (C) in boreal and arctic ecosystems. Rising global temperature is expected to enhance decomposition of organic matter frozen in permafrost, and may cause positive feedback to warming as CO₂ is released to the atmosphere. Significant amounts of organic matter remain frozen in thick mineral soil (loess) deposits in northeastern Siberia, but the quantity and lability of this deep organic C is poorly known. Soils from four tundra and boreal forest locations in northeastern Siberia that have been continuously frozen since the Pleistocene were incubated at controlled temperatures (5, 10 and 15°C) to determine their potential to release C to the atmosphere when thawed. Across all sites, CO₂ with radiocarbon (¹⁴C) ages ranging between～21 and 24 ka bp was respired when these permafrost soils were thawed. The amount of C released in the first several months was strongly correlated to C concentration in the bulk soil in the different sites, and this correlation remained the same for fluxes up to 1 year later. Fluxes were initially strongly related to temperature with a mean Q₁₀ value of 1.9±0.3 across all sites, and later were unrelated to temperature but still correlated with bulk soil C concentration. Modeled inversions of Δ¹⁴CO₂ values in respiration CO₂ and soil C components revealed mean contribution of 70% and 26% from dissolved organic C to respiration CO₂ in case of two permafrost soils, while organic matter fragments dominated respiration (mean 68%) from a surface mineral soil that served as modern reference sample. Our results suggest that if 10% of the total Siberian permafrost C pool was thawed to a temperature of 5°C, about 1 Pg C will be initially released from labile C pools, followed by respiration of～40 Pg C to the atmosphere over a period of four decades.     

DOM对米槠次生林不同土层土壤微生物呼吸及其熵值的影响

可溶性有机质(Dissolved organic matter,DOM)作为土壤可溶性有机碳的重要来源,进入土壤之后通过改变土壤微生物数量和活性影响土壤矿化。DOM输入对土壤微生物呼吸和熵值的研究多集中在表层土壤,但对深层土壤微生物呼吸和熵值的影响关注较少。通过室内培养实验(120 d)研究米槠(Castanopsis carlesii)鲜叶DOM添加对表层土壤(0—10 cm)和深层土壤(40—60 cm)微生物呼吸及其土壤代谢熵和微生物熵的影响,为揭示DOM输入对亚热带森林土壤碳过程的影响提供理论依据。结果表明,在培养第1天,添加DOM的表层和深层土壤CO_2瞬时排放速率均显著高于对照(P0.001),分别是对照(不添加DOM)的3.58倍和6.93倍,之后显著下降。就累积排放量而言,无论是DOM添加处理还是对照,表层土壤显著大于深层土壤;在米槠鲜叶DOM添加后,表层土壤累积排放量显著大于对照的表层土壤(P0.001),但DOM添加处理深层土壤累积排放量与对照的深层土壤无明显差异。就微生物生物量碳而言,表层土壤微生物生物量碳含量在培养期间显著大于深层土壤。在整个添加DOM培养期间,表层土壤微生物生物量碳含量显著大于表层对照土壤,深层土壤微生物生物量碳含量显著大于深层对照土壤(第3天除外)。培养结束时(120 d),米槠鲜叶DOM添加处理下,表层土壤和深层土壤有机碳含量与第3天相比分别减少26%和19%。米槠鲜叶DOM添加处理后的深层土壤代谢熵(qCO_2)显著低于对照的深层土壤和DOM添加处理的表层土壤qCO_2(P0.001),说明外源DOM进入深层土壤后提高了土壤微生物对碳的利用效率。米槠鲜叶DOM添加处理后的深层土壤微生物熵是培养第3天的1.58倍,显著大于培养初期(P0.05),而DOM添加处理的表层土壤、对照的表层土壤与深层土壤的微生物熵分别是培养第3天的68%、79%和21%,说明DOM添加提高了深层土壤质量。