Soil health in agricultural systems

Soil health is presented as an integrative property that reflects the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural intervention, so that it continues to support both the agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services. The major challenge within sustainable soil management is to conserve ecosystem service delivery while optimizing agricultural yields. It is proposed that soil health is dependent on the maintenance of four major functions: carbon transformations; nutrient cycles; soil structure maintenance; and the regulation of pests and diseases. Each of these functions is manifested as an aggregate of a variety of biological processes provided by a diversity of interacting soil organisms under the influence of the abiotic soil environment. Analysis of current models of the soil community under the impact of agricultural interventions (particularly those entailing substitution of biological processes with fossil fuel-derived energy or inputs) confirms the highly integrative pattern of interactions within each of these functions and leads to the conclusion that measurement of individual groups of organisms, processes or soil properties does not suffice to indicate the state of the soil health. A further conclusion is that quantifying the flow of energy and carbon between functions is an essential but non-trivial task for the assessment and management of soil health.     

Abundance of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers – Possible bioindicator for soil monitoring

Many soil functions are driven by soil microorganisms and they have therefore been identified as appropriate indicators for monitoring of soil status. Genetic profiling of the bacterial ammonia oxidizing community was recently top-scored as soil biological indicator (Ritz et al., 2009). However, ammonia oxidation is not only performed by bacteria, but also ammonia oxidizing archaea. Based on the suggested niche differentiation between these two groups and findings that they are susceptible to environmental change in soil ecosystems at varying scales, we suggest that the abundance of these two communities rather than community profiling of the ammonia oxidizing bacteria could serve as a relevant and cost-effective bioindicator for soil monitoring.     

Soil properties that impact yeast and actinomycete numbers in sandy low nutrient soils

To explore the beneficial qualities or detrimental consequences of cultureable soil yeasts, it is important to understand which physicochemical soil properties most impact populations of these unicellular fungi in their natural habitat. The goal of this study was to determine which soil properties dictate yeast numbers in pristine sandy, low nutrient soils within a semi-arid region. A correlation matrix of the data obtained for 19 different environmental variables indicated a negative correlation between soil pH and yeast numbers. Using general regression models, it was demonstrated that soil pH and copper concentration were the 2 variables that correlated best with soil yeast counts in these soils. However, soil moisture content was found to be the environmental factor with the most impact on cultureable actinomycetes and heterotrophic microbes. The study also demonstrated that divalent cation availability might impact the size of both yeast and prokaryote populations in these soils.     

Calibration of Watermark soil moisture sensors for soil matric potential and temperature

Rapid, accurate, and automated measurement of soil matric potential is desirable. Evidence suggested that the Watermark resistance block might be an appropriate and inexpensive tool, so we conducted an evaluation of its relevant characteristics. A number of these blocks were calibrated under laboratory conditions to determine their individual and aggregate responses to soil matric potential, soil type, and temperature. We found that the temperature response could be expressed as a single equation, valid for all tested blocks, but comparison against matric potential revealed that each block had a characteristic response. Furthermore, block responses were different in two soils and, for a given soil, not necessarily reproducible. Given these limitations, these sensors are probably useful only as relative indicators of soil water status.     

Organic Matter and Water Addition Enhance Soil Respiration in an Arid Region

Climate change is generally predicted to increase net primary production, which could lead to additional C input to soil. In arid central Asia, precipitation has increased and is predicted to increase further. To assess the combined effects of these changes on soil CO₂ efflux in arid land, a two factorial manipulation experiment in the shrubland of an arid region in northwest China was conducted. The experiment used a nested design with fresh organic matter and water as the two controlled parameters. It was found that both fresh organic matter and water enhanced soil respiration, and there was a synergistic effect of these two treatments on soil respiration increase. Water addition not only enhanced soil C emission, but also regulated soil C sequestration by fresh organic matter addition. The results indicated that the soil CO₂ flux of the shrubland is likely to increase with climate change, and precipitation played a dominant role in regulating soil C balance in the shrubland of an arid region.     

Mycorrhizas and soil structure

In addition to their well-recognized roles in plant nutrition and communities, mycorrhizas can influence the key ecosystem process of soil aggregation. Here we review the contribution of mycorrhizas, mostly focused on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), to soil structure at various hierarchical levels: plant community; individual root; and the soil mycelium. There are a suite of mechanisms by which mycorrhizal fungi can influence soil aggregation at each of these various scales. By extension of these mechanisms to the question of fungal diversity, it is recognized that different species or communities of fungi can promote soil aggregation to different degrees. We argue that soil aggregation should be included in a more complete 'multifunctional' perspective of mycorrhizal ecology, and that in-depth understanding of mycorrhizas/soil process relationships will require analyses emphasizing feedbacks between soil structure and mycorrhizas, rather than a uni-directional approach simply addressing mycorrhizal effects on soils. We finish the discussion by highlighting new tools, developments and foci that will probably be crucial in further understanding mycorrhizal contributions to soil structure.     

Prevalence of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens Isolates in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) area soils and home kitchens

In the United States and Europe, food poisoning due to Clostridium perfringens type A is predominantly caused by C. perfringens isolates carrying a chromosomal enterotoxin gene (cpe). Neither the reservoir for these isolates nor the point in the food chain where these bacteria contaminate foods is currently understood. Therefore, the current study investigated whether type A isolates carrying a chromosomal cpe gene are present in two potential reservoirs, i.e., soil and home kitchen surfaces. No C. perfringens isolates were recovered from home kitchen surfaces, but most surveyed soil samples contained C. perfringens. The recovered soil isolates were predominantly type A, but some type C, D, and E soil isolates were also identified. All cpe-positive isolates recovered from soil were genotyped as type A, with their cpe genes on cpe plasmids rather than the chromosome. However, two cpe-positive soil isolates did not carry a classical cpe plasmid. Both of those atypical cpe-positive soil isolates were sporulation capable yet failed to produce C. perfringens enterotoxin, possibly because of differences in their upstream promoter regions. Collectively these results suggest that neither soil nor home kitchen surfaces represent major reservoirs for type A isolates with chromosomal cpe that cause food poisoning, although soil does appear to be a reservoir for cpe-positive isolates causing non-food-borne gastrointestinal diseases.     

Using the methods of statistical analysis to determine the safe content of oil products in gray forest soil

This paper presents an algorithm for determining the content of oil products in remediated soil that is safe for plants and microorganisms. The algorithm includes laboratory modeling of the remediation of soil samples that contain different amounts of soil products, determination of the biological parameters that provide the integral characterization of the soil state in these samples, and analysis of the results on the basis of odds-ratio statistics, which allows one to determine the content of oil products, starting from which the state of an oil-contaminated soil has no significant difference from a control soil.     

甘孜州炉霍县不同植被土壤微生物特性初步研究

研究了四川省甘孜州炉霍县不同植被条件下土壤微生物群落的分布状况及两种土壤酶活情况。结果表明,不同植被条件下,土壤微生物类群数量存在差异,草甸土壤微生物群落比森林覆盖土壤的微生物群落多。在同一土壤中,细菌、真菌、放线菌数量随土层深度的增加而降低,0~20cm土层微生物数量高于20~40cm的土层。土壤酶活在土壤剖面中的分布随深度增加而降低。     

Root Nitrogen Acquisition and Assimilation

Nitrogen (N) is the main mineral element in plant tissues and almost all of this nutrient is acquired from the soil by the roots. Nitrogen is available in many different forms in the soil, but the three most abundant forms are nitrate, ammonium and amino acids. The relative importance of these different soil N pools to a plant is difficult to measure and depends on many different environmental factors. Changes in the available amounts and imbalance in the supply of some N forms can even be toxic to plants and in extreme cases can lead to changes in the vegetation. However, the importance of this element for agriculture is reflected in the amounts of N-fertiliser applied to crops and this is a major cost (economic and environmental) for world agriculture. This review covers the molecular mechanisms that the plant uses for accessing these soil N pools and briefly includes consideration of the root N assimilatory pathways that exist in the plant. The soil forms of N that are used by plants depend on many factors, but a series of different transporter and assimilatory genes that can provide access to these pools have been identified. This information can now provide the molecular tools to identify the N sources accessed by a plant and the relative importance of these different pools.     

Simplified procedures for releasing and concentrating microorganisms from soil for transmission electron microscopy viewing as thin-sectioned and frozen-etched preparations.

A simplified procedure is presented for releasing and concentrating indigenous microbial cells from soil for viewing by transmission electron microscopy as thin sections or replicas of frozen-etched preparations. This procedure is compared with two others reported earlier, and their relative merits are discussed as concerns the choice of procedure for the cellular information desired from the soil. Freeze-etching showed that the cell types and size distributions for cells which have been released and concentrated from soil are in general agreement with those for cells in a crude soil slurry in which no attempt to release and concentrate cells was made. Microcolonies were present both in the crude slurry and in the discard soil debris centrifugation pellets from the cell release and concentration procedures. In contrast to the historic assumptions, these microcolonies, as well as some individual cells embedded in soil debris could not be broken up and (or) dislodged so that they would be washed from the soil. The relative numbers of these cells remaining with the soil debris, however, could not be quantitated in the present study.     

太湖流域丘陵区两种土地利用类型土壤水分分布控制因素

为探究太湖流域丘陵区典型土地利用类型(如竹林地和茶园)土壤水分的控制因素,在不同深度土壤水分定期观测的基础上,根据前7d降雨量将研究时段划分为干旱状态和湿润状态,利用分类与回归树(CART)方法得出不同干湿状态下土壤水分分布的主控因子,并借助典范对应分析(CCA)定量分析不同土地利用类型、不同土壤深度土壤水分格局与环境因子关系。结果表明:(1)高程、土地利用类型和土层厚度对土壤水分分布的相对贡献率最大,但在不同干湿状态下其影响程度存在差异;(2)干旱状态时土壤水分主要受高程、坡度、地形湿度指数(TWI)和剖面曲率等地形因素的作用,而土层厚度和粘粒也分别为0—20 cm和20—40 cm深度土壤水分的主控因子;(3)在湿润状态下,茶园0—20 cm土壤水分的主控因素为地形因子,在20—40 cm则以土壤性质为主,竹林地两个深度的土壤水分受地形和土壤性质的作用都很强,其中20—40 cm深度土壤水分与环境因子的关系较0—20 cm深度更为复杂。     

Soil moisture effects on uptake of metals by Thlaspi, Alyssum, and Berkheya

Most commonly used hyperaccumulator plants for phytoextraction of metals evolved on soils where moisture is limited throughout much of the year. As these plant species are commercialized for use, they are frequently moved from the point of evolution to locations where environmental conditions may be significantly different. Greatest among these potential differences is soil moisture. The objective of this study was therefore to determine whether these plants could grow in soils with much higher soil moisture and whether they would continue to hyperaccumulate metals as soils approach saturation. We examined extractable soil metal concentrations, plant growth, and metal accumulation for the Ni hyperaccumulators, Alyssum murale and Berkheya coddii and the Zn hyperaccumulators Thlaspi caerulescens cultivars AB300 and AB336. Non-hyperaccumulating control species for each were also examined. In general, extractable soil concentrations of Ni decreased with increasing soil moisture content. Few significant effects related to Zn extractability were observed for any of the soil moisture treatments. The biomass of all tested species was generally greater at higher soil moisture and inhibited at low soil moisture. Further, plants accumulated large amounts of metals from soil at higher soil moisture. Highest foliar concentrations of Zn or Ni were found at the two highest WHCs of 80 and 100%. These results show that hyperaccumulators grow well under conditions of high soil moisture content and that they continue to hyperaccumulate metals. Thus, growing Thlaspi, Alyssum, and Berkheya for commercial phytoextraction under nonnative conditions is appropriate and suggests that this technology may be applied to a wide and diverse range of soil types, climatic conditions, and irrigation regimes.     

Distribution of Cryptostigmata and Mesostigmata (Acari) within the litter and soil layers of two subtropical forests

Differences in the litter and soil of northern temperate and tropical and subtropical forest soil and soil faunas are noted. Analyses of the distribution and abundance of Cryptostigmata and Mesostigmata mites in the litter and soil of two Australian subtropical forests are presented. The faunal associations in the litter and soil of these forests are different. It is suggested that the litter and soil habitats of subtropical and tropical forests should be regarded as separate but connected habitats in relation to their fauna. This contrasts with the assumption, for temperate forests, that litter and soil communities are portions of a single system.     

The Effects of Some Chlorinated Hydrocarbons on Certain Soil Bacteria

S ummary . Some common soil bacteria have been shown to tolerate the presence of chlorinated hydrocarbon fumigants. Several of these bacteria indicated an ability to utilize the chemicals as carbon or energy sources. The breakdown of these fumigants may yield compounds either beneficial or detrimental to plants grown in treated soil. Such information is critical to plant disease control since these chemicals are used for the control of plant pathogens, primarily nematodes. It is suggested that the side effects of soil treatment by which plants are stimulated in their growth is a direct consequence of enhanced beneficial microbial activity.     

Relationships Among pH,Minerals, and Carbon in Soils from Tundra to Boreal Forest Across Alaska

Tundra and boreal forests in northern high latitudes contain significant amounts of carbon (C) in the soil, indicating the importance of clarifying controls on soil C dynamics in the region and their feedback effects on climate systems. In northern Alaska, variations in soil C processes are closely associated with variations in soil acidity within ecosystems; however, the reason for this association remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that it results from weathering and subsequent changes in soil geochemical characteristics, including minerals and adsorptive organic C. We sampled soils from 12 sites in Alaska along a 600-km transect from the Arctic Ocean to interior Alaska, spanning the biomes of tundra, tundra–boreal forest ecotone, and boreal forest. Mineral soil analyses revealed that soils with low pH have fewer base cations, more aluminum/iron minerals, and lower base saturation, indicating that weathering is a major function of these geochemical characteristics in the broad area over northern Alaska. Adsorbed organic C in soil presented strong correlations with Al and Fe minerals, soil pH, and soil total C and represented approximately 30–55% of total soil C, suggesting that soil C accumulation in the Alaskan ecosystems is strongly controlled by weathering-related changes in geochemical characteristics. An adsorption test supported these observations and illustrated a greater capacity for acidic soil to adsorb organic C. These findings demonstrate that variations in weathering-associated characteristics have a strong influence on the regional variation in C dynamics and biogeochemical consequences in the Alaskan ecosystems.     

城市化对土壤动物群落结构和多样性的影响

城市化进程加快带来的环境挑战正威胁着地球上的生物多样性。土壤动物是生物多样性的重要组成部分, 对维持土壤健康及城市生态系统稳定性具有重要意义。近年来, 城市土壤动物群落结构和多样性的研究已经取得了一定进展, 但是仍缺乏系统的总结和综述。基于此, 本文梳理归纳了国内外已有的相关文献, 总结了城市化影响土壤动物的主要途径, 并阐述了城市中不同体型大小的优势土壤动物类群对城市化的响应。本文建议未来应利用分子生物学手段深入解析城市土壤动物多样性, 明晰城市土壤食物网的结构与功能, 关注土壤动物群落的保护与恢复, 揭示城市土壤动物肠道微生物组特征, 并挖掘城市土壤动物抑制人类致病菌的潜力, 以期为城市生物多样性保护、生态系统稳定和人类健康维持提供相关科学依据。     

Nitrogen Fixation and Leaching of Biological Soil Crust Communities in Mesic Temperate Soils

Biological soil crust is composed of lichens, cyanobacteria, green algae, mosses, and fungi. Although crusts are a dominant source of nitrogen (N) in arid ecosystems, this study is among the first to demonstrate their contribution to N availability in xeric temperate habitats. The study site is located in Lucas County of Northwest Ohio. Using an acetylene reduction technique, we demonstrated potential N fixation for these crusts covering sandy, acidic, low N soil. Similar fixation rates were observed for crust whether dominated by moss, lichen, or bare soil. N inputs from biological crusts in northwestern Ohio are comparable to those in arid regions, but contribute substantially less N than by atmospheric deposition. Nitrate and ammonium leaching from the crust layer were quantified using ion exchange resin bags inserted within intact soil cores at 4 cm depth. Leaching of ammonium was greater and nitrate less in lichen than moss crusts or bare soil, and was less than that deposited from atmospheric sources. Therefore, biological crusts in these mesic, temperate soils may be immobilizing excess ammonium and nitrate that would otherwise be leached through the sandy soil. Moreover, automated monitoring of microclimate in the surface 7 cm of soil suggests that moisture and temperature fluctuations in soil are moderated under crust compared to bare soil without crust. We conclude that biological crusts in northwestern Ohio contribute potential N fixation, reduce N leaching, and moderate soil microclimate.     

Intensive agriculture reduces soil biodiversity across Europe

Soil biodiversity plays a key role in regulating the processes that underpin the delivery of ecosystem goods and services in terrestrial ecosystems. Agricultural intensification is known to change the diversity of individual groups of soil biota, but less is known about how intensification affects biodiversity of the soil food web as a whole, and whether or not these effects may be generalized across regions. We examined biodiversity in soil food webs from grasslands, extensive, and intensive rotations in four agricultural regions across Europe: in Sweden, the UK, the Czech Republic and Greece. Effects of land‐use intensity were quantified based on structure and diversity among functional groups in the soil food web, as well as on community‐weighted mean body mass of soil fauna. We also elucidate land‐use intensity effects on diversity of taxonomic units within taxonomic groups of soil fauna. We found that between regions soil food web diversity measures were variable, but that increasing land‐use intensity caused highly consistent responses. In particular, land‐use intensification reduced the complexity in the soil food webs, as well as the community‐weighted mean body mass of soil fauna. In all regions across Europe, species richness of earthworms, Collembolans, and oribatid mites was negatively affected by increased land‐use intensity. The taxonomic distinctness, which is a measure of taxonomic relatedness of species in a community that is independent of species richness, was also reduced by land‐use intensification. We conclude that intensive agriculture reduces soil biodiversity, making soil food webs less diverse and composed of smaller bodied organisms. Land‐use intensification results in fewer functional groups of soil biota with fewer and taxonomically more closely related species. We discuss how these changes in soil biodiversity due to land‐use intensification may threaten the functioning of soil in agricultural production systems.     

Soil drying as a model for the action of stress factors on the natural bacterial population

The drying of soil samples reduced the abundance (especially of predominant species) and the diversity of bacteria isolated from these samples, making easier the isolation of rare bacterial species. Some bacterial species that were minor before soil drying became dominant in dried soil samples. In general, soil drying allowed the diversity of soil bacteria to be determined more adequately. The bacteria that were isolated from dried soil samples turned out to be resistant to gamma radiation (with LD90 = 2.8-4.6 kGy) and desiccation. It is concluded that soil drying may serve as a model for the action of stress factors on natural bacterial populations. The hypothesis that periodic desiccation was the primary cause of formation of bacterial radioresistance in nature is discussed.