The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change

The structural framework of soil mediates all soil processes, at all relevant scales. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity prevalent in most soils underpins the majority of biological diversity in soil, providing refuge sites for prey against predator, flow paths for biota to move, or be moved, and localized pools of substrate for biota to multiply. Just as importantly, soil biota play a crucial role in mediating soil structure: bacteria and fungi aggregate and stabilize structure at small scales (μm–cm) and earthworms and termites stabilize and create larger-scale structures (mm–m). The stability of this two-way interaction of structure and biota relations is crucial to the sustainability of the ecosystem. Soil is constantly reacting to changes in microclimates, and many of the soil–plant–microbe processes rely on the functioning of subtle chemical and physical gradients. The effect of global change on soil structure–biota interactions may be significant, through alterations in precipitation, temperature events, or land-use. Nonetheless, because of the complexity and the ubiquitous heterogeneity of these interactions, it is difficult to extrapolate from general qualitative predictions of the effects of perturbations to specific reactions. This paper reviews some of the main soil structure–biota interactions, particularly focusing on soil stability, and the role of biota mediating soil structures. The effect of alterations in climate and land-use on these interactions is investigated. Several case studies of the effect of land-use change are presented.     

石羊河下游盐渍化弃耕地植被演替与土壤养分相关性分析

以石羊河下游不同年代盐渍化弃耕地自然群落为对象,利用优势种群的消长和土壤养分的动态变化进行相关性分析,研究退耕地群落演替与土壤养分之间的动态变化以及相互关系。结果表明:1)植被类型一般经历3个阶段:田间杂草→荒漠草本→荒漠灌木,但群落演替可分为4个阶段:藜+田旋花群落(1～2年)→骆驼蒿群落(3～10年)→苏枸杞+黄毛头群落(10～40年)→黄毛头群落(顶极群落);2)土壤养分在整个植被演替过程中一般经历消耗-积累-消耗3个阶段,但速效钾不存在初期消耗阶段,演替后期土壤养分处于消耗状态,并逐渐接近本区域自然植被土壤养分;3)由于前期土壤养分处于消耗阶段,骆驼蒿种群对土壤养分的贡献不明显,其中与速效磷之间呈显著负相关,与速效钾呈显著正相关;苏枸杞种群与土壤养分呈正相关,其中与有机质、全氮、30～60cm速效钾相关性显著;而黄毛头种群与土壤养分之间呈显著负相关。黄毛头具有较强的适应性,可作为盐渍化弃耕地上的适宜引种物种,以调控和加速植物群落演替。     

Soil biota and invasive plants

Interactions between plants and soil biota resist invasion by some nonnative plants and facilitate others. In this review, we organize research and ideas about the role of soil biota as drivers of invasion by nonnative plants and how soil biota may fit into hypotheses proposed for invasive success. For example, some invasive species benefit from being introduced into regions of the world where they encounter fewer soil-borne enemies than in their native ranges. Other invasives encounter novel but strong soil mutualists which enhance their invasive success. Leaving below-ground natural enemies behind or encountering strong mutualists can enhance invasions, but indigenous enemies in soils or the absence of key soil mutualists can help native communities resist invasions. Furthermore, inhibitory and beneficial effects of soil biota on plants can accelerate or decelerate over time depending on the net effect of accumulating pathogenic and mutualistic soil organisms. These 'feedback' relationships may alter plant-soil biota interactions in ways that may facilitate invasion and inhibit re-establishment by native species. Although soil biota affect nonnative plant invasions in many different ways, research on the topic is broadening our understanding of why invasive plants can be so astoundingly successful and expanding our perspectives on the drivers of natural community organization.     

Single introductions of soil biota and plants generate long‐term legacies in soil and plant community assembly

Recent demonstrations of the role of plant–soil biota interactions have challenged the conventional view that vegetation changes are mainly driven by changing abiotic conditions. However, while this concept has been validated under natural conditions, our understanding of the long‐term consequences of plant–soil interactions for above‐belowground community assembly is restricted to mathematical and conceptual model projections. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that one‐time additions of soil biota and plant seeds alter soil‐borne nematode and plant community composition in semi‐natural grassland for 20 years. Over time, aboveground and belowground community composition became increasingly correlated, suggesting an increasing connectedness of soil biota and plants. We conclude that the initial composition of not only plant communities, but also soil communities has a long‐lasting impact on the trajectory of community assembly.     

长期施肥对水稻生长和抗虫性的影响: 解析土壤生物的贡献

合理施肥对保障土壤质量和粮食安全具有重要作用。有机肥促进土壤生物群落的发展已被认为是其优于化肥的重要方面, 然而有机肥影响下的土壤生物群落对作物生长的贡献却了解甚少。了解土壤生物因素对作物抗虫性的贡献不仅可以揭示施肥影响土壤功能的生物调控机制, 而且有助于制定土壤-作物的综合管理措施。本研究采集长期施用有机肥和化肥的水稻土, 通过制备灭活与否的土壤悬液, 在砂培条件下探究土壤生物群落对水稻生长及其抗虫性的影响。结果显示, 土壤生物群落和施肥措施均极显著地影响了土壤养分含量(P < 0.01)。土壤生物的存在降低了土壤铵态氮含量、水稻生物量、茎叶全氮含量以及褐飞虱(Nilaparvata lugens)生物量; 增加了土壤硝态氮含量、水稻的根冠比及水稻根系全氮、可溶性糖以及酚类含量(P < 0.05); 同时, 有机肥处理的土壤生物群落还能够促进水稻茎叶可溶性糖和酚类的合成。接入褐飞虱后, 土壤生物群落的存在显著降低了水稻整体的全氮含量, 促进了酚类的合成(P < 0.05)。研究结果表明, 土壤生物群落, 尤其是有机肥处理的土壤生物群落, 主要通过改变水稻养分向地下部的分配格局、增加根冠比、促进防御性代谢物质(如酚类)的合成来提高水稻地上部对害虫的 抗性。     

土壤生物多样性的研究概况与发展趋势

本文概括性地介绍了土壤生物类群的多样性及其在生态系统中的作用; 同时简要地回顾和比较了国内外在土壤生物学方面的研究动态, 分析了土壤生物学今后的发展趋势。鉴于土壤生物在生态系统中的重要性以及我国在土壤生物学研究方面的不足, 《生物多样性》本期刊登了一系列有关土壤生物的文章, 目的是为了使国内科学家对土壤生物多样性在生态系统中的作用有更好的认识, 并希望能够唤起更多的年轻学者加入到土壤生物学研究的行列, 以推动土壤生物学在我国的迅速发展并将土壤生物学的研究成果应用于国民经济的发展中。     

重金属污染土壤中生物间相互作用及其协同修复应用

土壤是人类赖以生存的物质基础。我国土壤重金属污染状况不容乐观,给人类健康构成严重威胁。生物修复重金属污染土壤被广泛认为是可持续的修复技术,但当前仍存在修复效率不高的科学瓶颈问题。土壤中生活着丰富的微生物、植物和动物,且这些生物之间存在着复杂的相互作用,并且通过物质循环和能量传递形成了错综复杂的食物网联系。土壤生物间的相互作用能深刻影响土壤中污染物的迁移转化和生物修复的效率,多元生物协同的修复技术集合了单一生物修复方法的优势,具有强化生物修复效果的巨大潜力。文中综述了土壤中微生物-植物-动物之间的相互作用,及其对土壤重金属迁移转化和生物修复效果的影响,并对定向调控土壤食物网结构、提高重金属污染土壤的生物修复效果、建立基于食物网的多元生物协同修复技术进行了展望。     

荒漠草原区弃耕地植被演替过程中植物群落生物量及土壤养分变化

采用空间变化代替时间变化的方法,以荒漠草原区不同年限(1、4、9、12和20年)弃耕地为对象,研究弃耕演替过程中植物群落生物量与土壤养分的变化特征.结果表明： 随弃耕年限的增加,弃耕地植物群落地上生物量呈先减少后增加的趋势,0～60 cm土层的土壤全氮、全磷和有机碳含量及碳密度均呈先增大后减小再增大的趋势,4年和20年弃耕地的土壤全氮、全磷含量达到峰值.弃耕演替过程中土壤全氮和有机碳含量对植物群落生物量的影响大于土壤容重和土壤全磷.     

Shift in competitive ability mediated by soil biota in an invasive plant

Understanding the shifts in competitive ability and its driving forces is key to predict the future of plant invasion. Changes in the competition environment and soil biota are two selective forces that impose remarkable influences on competitive ability. By far, evidence of the interactive effects of competition environment and soil biota on competitive ability of invasive species is rare. Here, we investigated their interactive effects using an invasive perennial vine, Mikania micrantha. The competitive performance of seven M. micrantha populations varying in their conspecific and heterospecific abundance were monitored in a greenhouse experiment, by manipulating soil biota (live and sterilized) and competition conditions (competition‐free, intraspecific, and interspecific competition). Our results showed that with increasing conspecific abundance and decreasing heterospecific abundance, (1) M. micrantha increased intraspecific competition tolerance and intra‐ vs. interspecific competitive ability but decreased interspecific competition tolerance; (2) M. micrantha increased tolerance of the negative soil biota effect; and (3) interspecific competition tolerance of M. micrantha was increasingly suppressed by the presence of soil biota, but intraspecific competition tolerance was less affected. These results highlight the importance of the soil biota effect on the evolution of competitive ability during the invasion process. To better control M. micrantha invasion, our results imply that introduction of competition‐tolerant native plants that align with conservation priorities may be effective where M. micrantha populations are long‐established and inferior in inter‐ vs. intraspecific competitive ability, whereas eradication may be effective where populations are newly invaded and fast‐growing.     

不同石漠化草地凋落物对土壤养分的贡献

凋落物是草地生态系统的重要组成部分和养分循环的重要途径,为探明草地凋落物对土壤养分的贡献,于2017年3月至2018年1月,采用土钻法、收集器法和分解袋法研究3种石漠化(潜在、中度和强度)草地凋落物的产量、组成、分解、养分释放及对石漠化的响应.结果表明:3种石漠化草地的凋落物组成以叶为主,占比84.39％—89.73％...     

Responses of soil biota to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ could have dramatic effects upon terrestrial ecosystems including changes in ecosystem structure, nutrient cycling rates, net primary production, C source-sink relationships and successional patterns. All of these potential changes will be constrained to some degree by below ground processes and mediated by responses of soil biota to indirect effects of CO₂ enrichment. A review of our current state of knowledge regarding responses of soil biota is presented, covering responses of mycorrhizae, N-fixing bacteria and actinomycetes, soil microbiota, plant pathogens, and soil fauna. Emphasis will be placed on consequences to biota of increasing C input through the rhizosphere and resulting feedbacks to above ground systems. Rising CO₂ may also result in altered nutrient concentrations of plant litter, potentially changing decomposition rates through indirect effects upon decomposer communities. Thus, this review will also cover current information on decomposition of litter produced at elevated CO₂. Summary Predictably, the responses of soil biota to CO₂ enrichment and the degree of experimental emphasis on them increase with proximity to, and intimacy with, roots. Symbiotic associations are all stimulated to some degree. Total plant mycorrhization increases with elevated CO₂. VAM fungi increase proportionately with fine root length/mass increase. ECM fungi, however, exhibit greater colonization per unit root length/mass at elevated CO₂ than at current atmospheric levels. Total N-fixation per plant increases in all species examined, although the mechanisms of increase, as well as the eventual benefit to the host relative to N uptake may vary. Microbial responses are unclear. The assumption that changes in root exudation will drive increased mineralization and facilitate nutrient uptake should be examined experimentally, in light of recent models. Microbial results to date suggest that metabolic activity (measured as changes in process rates) is stimulated by root C input, rather than population size (measured by cell or colony counts). Insufficient evidence exists to predict responses of either soil-borne plant pathogens or soil fauna (i.e., food web responses). These are areas requiring attention, the first for its potential to limit ecosystem production through disease and the second because of its importance to nutrient cycling processes. Preliminary data on foliar litter decomposition suggests that neither nutrient ratios nor decomposition rates will be affected by rising CO₂. This is another important area that may be better understood as the number of longer term studies with more realistic CO₂ exposures increase. Evidence continues to mount that C fixation increases with CO₂ enrichment and that the bulk of this C enters the belowground component of ecosystems. The global fate and effects of this additional C may affect all hierarchical levels, from organisms to ecosystems, and will be largely determined by responses of soil biota.     

Soil acidification reduces the effects of short‐term nutrient enrichment on plant and soil biota and their interactions in grasslands

Soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, and soil acidification have greatly increased in grassland ecosystems due to increased industrial and agricultural activities. As major environmental and economic concerns worldwide, nutrient enrichment and soil acidification can lead to substantial changes in the diversity and structure of plant and soil communities. Although the separate effects of N and P enrichment on soil food webs have been assessed across different ecosystems, the combined effects of N and P enrichment on multiple trophic levels in soil food webs have not been studied in semiarid grasslands experiencing soil acidification. Here we conducted a short‐term N and P enrichment experiment in non‐acidified and acidified soil in a semiarid grassland on the Mongolian Plateau. We found that net primary productivity was not affected by N or P enrichment alone in either non‐acidified or acidified soil, but was increased by combined N and P enrichment in both non‐acidified and acidified soil. Nutrient enrichment decreased the biomass of most microbial groups in non‐acidified soil (the decrease tended to be greatest with combined N and P enrichment) but not in acidified soil, and did not affect most soil nematode variables in non‐acidified or acidified soil. Nutrient enrichment also changed plant and microbial community structure in non‐acidified but not in acidified soil, and had no effect on nematode community structure in non‐acidified or acidified soil. These results indicate that the responses to short‐term nutrient enrichment were weaker for higher trophic groups (nematodes) than for lower trophic groups (microorganisms) and primary producers (plants). The findings increase our understanding of the effects of nutrient enrichment on multiple trophic levels of soil food webs, and highlight that soil acidification, as an anthropogenic stressor, reduced the responses of plants and soil food webs to nutrient enrichment and weakened plant–soil interactions.     

土壤生物及其对土壤生态学发展的影响

土壤生物区系、土壤生物多样性和全球变化已成为土壤生态学研究的肖沿领域,土壤生物以不同的方式改变着土壤的物理、化学和生物学特性,某一等级层次上的土壤生物群落的组成和结构可以对其它等级层次上的资源空间异质性产生影响,而这种空间异质性受到许多生物圈层－－土壤功能区域所维持。本文评价了土壤生物区系在土壤生态系统过程中的作用,论述了土壤生物多样性与生态系统功能的关系,讨论了土壤生态系统对全球变化的影响。     

Successful restoration of abandoned terraced vineyards and grasslands in Southern Switzerland

Extensively managed semi-natural grasslands represent species-rich habitats and therefore play a key role for the maintenance of biodiversity in agricultural areas. In marginal and poorly accessible areas, the traditional management of grassland is frequently abandoned, which leads to the spread of forest. In Southern Switzerland, terraced vineyards (a special grassland type) and terraced grasslands are part of the cultural heritage and local biodiversity hotspots. Yet, many of them are overgrown by forest. In the past years, several abandoned terraced vineyards and grasslands have been restored by removing the forest, rebuilding the walls and re-introducing the traditional management. We examined restoration success by assessing plant species richness, diversity and species composition in both the aboveground vegetation and soil seed bank in (1) restored, (2) abandoned for 25–50 years, and (3) permanently used areas of six terraced vineyards and six terraced grasslands. Plant species richness and diversity were reduced and species composition altered in the aboveground vegetation of abandoned vineyards and grasslands compared to the permanently used and restored ones. However, species richness, Shannon-diversity and species composition of the aboveground vegetation did not differ between restored and permanently used areas, indicating a successful restoration of the vegetation 10–15 years after restoration. In abandoned vineyards, species richness of plants emerging from the soil seed bank was slightly higher than in permanently used and restored vineyards. No difference in seedling species richness was found between abandoned, permanently used and restored terraced grasslands. Our results showed that the soil seed bank played a minor role for the re-establishment of the above-ground vegetation. We assume that the large species pool in the surroundings and the presence of dispersal vectors are essential for the successful passive restoration of abandoned grassland in this region.     

Germinable soil seed banks in abandoned grasslands in central and western Norway and their significance for restoration

Questions: Could the seed bank increase biodiversity during restoration of abandoned, species‐poor, formerly cultivated vegetation? Is it possible to identify how climate, soil and former and present management and vegetation affected the seed bank? Location: The study sites were eight abandoned grasslands, four in Orkdal, central Norway and four in Gaular, western Norway. Methods: 144 seed bank samples were collected from three depths. Each sample was sown and placed in a greenhouse. After three months, the trays were dried and stored at 4°C in a dry place for two months. This was repeated twice. Results: There was a separation of the two regions along the first DCA axis in both the seed bank and in the vegetation analysis and also a clear separation of the seed bank from the vegetation along the second axis. These results are caused by differences in former management as well as temperature, precipitation and soil type between Gaular and Orkdal. We found more annuals, short‐lived species and species demanding light open conditions in the seed bank than in the vegetation probably because these species have the capacity for producing persistent seeds. Most of the species found only in the seed bank were found in very few samples and with few individuals. Conclusion: These results suggest that it may be difficult to increase vegetation biodiversity through restoration of grasslands such as those investigated if the natural soil seed bank is the main seed source.     

Wetland restoration by natural succession in abandoned pastures with a degraded soil seed bank

Natural restoration of historical wetland plant communities in fallow fields with a degraded seed bank has been assumed to be possible only if source populations of the target species are present adjacent to the abandoned fields and a high density of suitable microsites is available. However, few studies have monitored both factors simultaneously and verified this assumption. We hypothesized that plant communities that are similar to historical wetlands, including back marshes, back swamps, and bogs, will reestablish in abandoned pasturelands in cases when (1) gaps for new recruitment emerge, followed by the decline of pastures; and (2) seeds with longevity are supplied from the surrounding remnant plant communities of wetlands. We conducted a survey of vegetation and microsites in pastures, abandoned pastures, and reference wetlands followed by structural equation modeling to verify our hypothesis for the natural restoration of Phragmites australis–Phalaris arundinacea and Alnus japonica–Spiraea salicifolia communities. These communities represent historical back marshes and back swamps along a river. However, our hypothesis was not verified for the natural restoration of Vaccinium oxycoccos–Sphagnum spp. communities, which represent plant communities in historical bogs grown on acidic peat that are maintained by rainfall and fog. Our findings partly support our hypothesis that decline in pastures creates gaps and that cumulative seed dispersal from nearby remnant wetlands allows the original wetland plant communities to regenerate. Further case studies are needed to determine how the natural restoration of bog plant communities occurs.