Effect of soil nitrogen,carbon and moisture on methane uptake by dry tropical forest soils

Methane uptake was measured for two consecutive years for four forest and one savanna sites in a seasonally dry tropical region of India. The soils were nutrient-poor and well drained. These sites differed in vegetational cover and physico-chemical features of the soil. There were significant differences in CH₄ consumption rates during the two years (mean 0.43 and 0.49 mg m^-2 h^-1), and at different sites (mean 0.36 to 0.57 mg m^-2 h^-1). The mean uptake rate was higher (P < 0.05) in dry seasons than in the rainy season at all the sites. There was a significant season and site interaction, indicating that the effect of different seasons differed across the sites. There was a positive relation between soil moisture and CH₄ uptake rates during summer (the driest period) and a negative relation during the rest of the year. The results suggested that seasonally dry tropical forests are a strong sink for CH₄, and C and N status of soils regulates the strength of the sink in the long term.     

Contrasting pattern of methanotrophs in dry tropical forest soils: effect of soil nitrogen, carbon and moisture

Population dynamics of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) was measured for 2 consecutive years for four forest and one savanna sites in seasonally dry tropical regions of India. The soils were nutrient-poor and well drained. These sites differed in vegetational cover and physico-chemical features of soils. There were significant differences in MOB population size during the 2 years (mean 0.40 and 0.48 x 10(5) cells g(-1) dry soil), and at different sites (mean 0.38-0.59 x 10(5) cells g(-1) dry soil). The mean population size of MOB was higher (P<0.05) in dry seasons than in the rainy season at all the sites. There was a significant season and site interaction, indicating that the effect of different seasons differed across the sites. There was a positive relation between soil moisture and MOB population size during summer (the driest period) and a negative relation during the rest of the year. The number of MOB was consistently higher for the Kotwa hill base site than rest of the sites having higher soil organic C and total N. The results suggested that in seasonally dry tropical forests the moisture, C and N status of the soil regulates the population size of MOB (methanotrophs) in the long term.     

Non-symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria in tropical soils

Summary Several aspects of heterotrophic, free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria specific to tropical environments are presented. WhileAzotobacter chroococcum andA. vinelandii seem to occur throughout the world,A. paspali, Derxia gummosa andBeijerinckia spp. have been found mainly in the tropics. Derxia occurred more frequently than previously supposed and was stimulated by moist soil conditions, particularly after flooding.A. paspali growth in soil even under experimental conditions, was strictly limited to the rhizosphere of a few varieties ofPaspalum notatum and the association took almost a year to become established. This work was supported by the Brazilian National Research Council.     

Assay of nitrogen supplying capacity of tropical rice soils

Summary The nitrogen supplying capacity of 39 wetland rice soils evaluated by two anaerobic incubation methods and six chemical methods was compared with N uptake of IR 26 rice grown on these soils under flooded conditions in a greenhouse pot study. The uptake of N by rice correlated highly with the N supplying capacity determined by anaerobic incubation methods involving incubation of soils at 30°C for 2 weeks (r=0.84^**) or at 40°C for 1 week (r=0.82^**) as well as with the organic carbon (r=0.82^**) and total N (r=0.84^**) contents of soils. Among the chemical indexes, available N determined by the oxidative release of soil N by alkaline permanganate, acid permanganate, acid dichromate and hydrogen peroxide also provided good index of soil N availability to rice. According to these results soil organic carbon and total N contents seem to be good indexes of available nitrogen in tropical wetland rice soils.     

Fate of urine nitrogen on mineral and peat soils in New Zealand

A field lysimeter experiment was conducted over 150 days to examine the fate of synthetic urinary nitrogen (N) applied to peat and mineral soils, with and without a water table. At the start of the winter season, synthetic urine labelled with ¹⁵N, was applied at 500 kg N ha^–1. Plant uptake, leaching losses and nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes were monitored. Total plant uptake ranged from 11% to 35% of the urine-N applied depending on soil type and treatment. Plant uptake of applied N was greater in the presence of a water table in the mineral soil. Nitrate-N (NO₃ ^--N) was only detected in leachates from the mineral soil, at concentrations up to 146 g NO₃ ^--N mL^–1. Presence of a water table in the mineral soil reduced leaching losses (as inorganic-N) from 47% to 6%, incrased plant uptake and doubled apparent denitrification losses. In the peat soils leaching losses of applied urine-N as inorganic-N were low (<5%). Losses of N as N₂O were greater in the mineral soil than in the peat soils, with losses of 3% and <1% of N applied respectively after 100 days. Apparent denitrification losses far exceeded N₂O losses and it is postulated that the difference could be due to dinitrogen (N₂) loss and soil entrapment of N₂.     

Effect of plant growth on transformation of mineral nitrogen in soils

Summary The effects of plants on NH₄- and NO₃-N transformations were studied on a clay loam soil pH 7.7, organic carbon 2.4%, and total N 0.25%. Without plants 80% of the extractable NH₄-N from a 0.3 ppm addition was nitrified in one hour, and 100% in one day. The disappearance of NH₄-N was increased from 20%, where plants were not grown, to 50% where barley plants were grown for two weeks. Only 5% of the NO₃-N added to soil disappeared in the absence of plant growth, but 40% disappeared with plants. N also disappeared when added to soil from which growing plants had recently been removed. Several hypotheses, including transformation to gaseous forms, are advanced to explain the disappearance.     

Immediate and long-term nitrogen oxide emissions from tropical forest soils exposed to elevated nitrogen input

Tropical nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase substantially within the coming decades. Increases in soil emissions of the climate‐relevant trace gases NO and N₂O are expected, but few studies address this possibility. We used N addition experiments to achieve N‐enriched conditions in contrasting montane and lowland forests and assessed changes in the timing and magnitude of soil N‐oxide emissions. We evaluated transitory effects, which occurred immediately after N addition, and long‐term effects measured at least 6 weeks after N addition. In the montane forest where stem growth was N limited, the first‐time N additions caused rapid increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. During the first 2 years of N addition, annual N‐oxide emissions were five times (transitory effect) and two times (long‐term effect) larger than controls. This contradicts the current assumption that N‐limited tropical montane forests will respond to N additions with only small and delayed increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. We attribute this fast and large response of soil N‐oxide emissions to the presence of an organic layer (a characteristic feature of this forest type) in which nitrification increased substantially following N addition. In the lowland forest where stem growth was neither N nor phosphorus (P) limited, the first‐time N additions caused only gradual and minimal increases in soil N‐oxide emissions. These first N additions were completed at the beginning of the wet season, and low soil water content may have limited nitrification. In contrast, the 9‐ and 10‐year N‐addition plots displayed instantaneous and large soil N‐oxide emissions. Annual N‐oxide emissions under chronic N addition were seven times (transitory effect) and four times (long‐term effect) larger than controls. Seasonal changes in soil water content also caused seasonal changes in soil N‐oxide emissions from the 9‐ and 10‐year N‐addition plots. This suggests that climate change scenarios, where rainfall quantity and seasonality change, will alter the relative importance of soil NO and N₂O emissions from tropical forests exposed to elevated N deposition.     

The response of heterotrophic activity and carbon cycling to nitrogen additions and warming in two tropical soils

Nitrogen (N) deposition is projected to increase significantly in tropical regions in the coming decades, where changes in climate are also expected. Additional N and warming each have the potential to alter soil carbon (C) storage via changes in microbial activity and decomposition, but little is known about the combined effects of these global change factors in tropical ecosystems. In this study, we used controlled laboratory incubations of soils from a long‐term N fertilization experiment to explore the sensitivity of soil C to increased N in two N‐rich tropical forests. We found that fertilization corresponded to significant increases in bulk soil C concentrations, and decreases in C loss via heterotrophic respiration (P< 0.05). The increase in soil C was not uniform among C pools, however. The active soil C pool decomposed faster with fertilization, while slowly cycling C pools had longer turnover times. These changes in soil C cycling with N additions corresponded to the responses of two groups of microbial extracellular enzymes. Smaller active C pools corresponded to increased hydrolytic enzyme activities; longer turnover times of the slowly cycling C pool corresponded to reduced activity of oxidative enzymes, which degrade more complex C compounds, in fertilized soils. Warming increased soil respiration overall, and N fertilization significantly increased the temperature sensitivity of slowly cycling C pools in both forests. In the lower elevation forest, respired CO₂ from fertilized cores had significantly higher Δ¹⁴C values than control soils, indicating losses of relatively older soil C. These results indicate that soil C storage is sensitive to both N deposition and warming in N‐rich tropical soils, with interacting effects of these two global change factors. N deposition has the potential to increase total soil C stocks in tropical forests, but the long‐term stability of this added C will likely depend on future changes in temperature.     

Biological nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization by bacteria isolated from tropical soils

Introduction

In addition to fixing atmospheric nitrogen, some bacterial isolates can also solubilize insoluble phosphates, further contributing to plant growth.

Aims

The objectives of this study were the following: isolate, select, and identify nodulating bacteria in the cowpea that are efficient not only in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) but also in the solubilization of insoluble inorganic phosphates; identify and quantify the organic acids produced; and establish the relationship between those acids and the solubilizing capacity.

Methods

The bacteria were captured from two soils containing high concentrations of insoluble phosphorus from the cities of Lavras and Patos de Minas, using the cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] as bait. We obtained 78 strains, which were characterized according to their cultural attributes in culture medium 79 with the strains UFLA 03-84, INPA 03-11B, and BR3267 (approved by the Ministry of Livestock and Supply Agriculture—MAPA, as inoculants for the cowpea) and Burkholderia cepacia (LMG1222^T), which was used as a positive control for phosphate solubilization. Strains that were selected for their efficiency in both processes were identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. We evaluated the symbiotic efficiency (BNF) in a greenhouse and the solubilization efficiency of CaHPO₄, Al(H₂PO₄)₃, and FePO₄.2H₂O in solid and liquid GELP media. Strains that excelled at the solubilization of these phosphate sources were also evaluated for the production of the following organic acids: oxalic, citric, gluconic, lactic, succinic, and propionic.

Results

The presence of Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Firmicutes, Microbacterium, Paenibacillus, and Rhizobium was detected by 16S rDNA sequencing and analysis. Bacterial strains obtained from cowpea nodules varied greatly in the efficiency of their BNF and phosphate solubilization processes, especially in the strains UFLA 03-09, UFLA 03-10, UFLA 03-12, and UFLA 03-13, which were more efficient in both processes. More strains were able to solubilize insoluble inorganic calcium and iron phosphates in liquid medium than in solid medium. The production of organic acids was related to the solubilization of CaHPO₄ and FePO₄.2H₂O for some strains, and the type and concentration of the acid influenced this process.

Conclusions

These are the first results obtained with bacterial isolates from tropical soils in which the production of organic acids was detected and quantified to examine the solubilization of insoluble inorganic phosphates.     

Evaluation of laboratory-based measures of soil mineral nitrogen and potentially mineralizable nitrogen as predictors of field-based indices of soil nitrogen supply in potato production

Accurate estimation of soil nitrogen (N) supply in the field is required to optimize fertilizer N management and to minimize environmental N losses in humid environments. Laboratory-based measures of N availability were evaluated as predictors of field-based indices of soil N supply within potato production systems. Pre-plant soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected from a series of forty treatments in established potato trials located in Atlantic Canada and Maine, USA. Total plant N uptake at topkill with no fertilizer N applied (PNU_0N), PNU_0N plus soil mineral N to 30 cm depth at harvest and relative yield were considered as field-based indices of soil N supply. The potentially mineralizable N (N₀) was determined by aerobic incubation at 25°C and periodic leaching for 24 weeks. A series of laboratory-based measures of soil N supply were measured in soil samples. Pre-plant soil nitrate or total mineral N at 0–30 cm depth was the best single predictor of PNU_0N (r = 0.67 and 0.71, respectively) and relative yield (r = 0.58 and 0.61). The ultraviolet absorbance of 0.01 M NaHCO₃ extract at 205 nm (NaHCO₃-205) was suitable as a predictor of PNU_0N and relative yield in each growing season, however, the relationship between this parameter and PNU_0N or relative yield varied somewhat among years. A combination of pre-plant mineral N plus N mineralized in the first 2 weeks period of incubation after re-wetting is proposed as a more robust measure of N availability compared with use of mineral N alone.     

Method for simultaneous measurement of total and radioactive carbon in soils,soil extracts and plant materials

Summary A rapid procedure is proposed for simultaneous measurement of total and radioactive carbon in soils, soil extracts and plant materials. The procedure involves dry or wet combustion of the sample, total carbon determination with an automatic analyser and C¹⁴O₂ absorbtion in a liquid for scintillation measurement. The use of methyl-cellosolve plus mono-ethanolamine as a CO₂ absorber allows measurements of weakly labelled materials. This method is suitable for fast routine analysis. re]19750929     

The effects of soil fumigation and nitrogen fertilizers on nematodes and sugar beet in sandy soils

In fifteen experiments on light land infested with plant-parasitic nematodes, fumigating the soil during the previous winter with D-D increased the average yield of sugar-beet roots from 25 to 36 t/ha; this was more than that obtained with various forms of nitrogenous fertilizers used in amounts up to 250 kg N/ha. Application of 85 kg N/ha increased yields on fumigated plots by 7 t/ha, and there was little benefit from giving more. Fumigation killed 65 % of the Pratylenchus spp., 80% of the Trichodorus spp. and 90% of the Tylenchorhynchus spp. in the top 5 cm of the soil and, at 15–20 cm deep, 90, 93 and 95% of these three genera. The increased yield from fumigant at different sites was not correlated with the initial populations of nematodes. The average increase in yield from fumigation was only poorly correlated with rainfall during May. The increases in nematode populations between April and August depended on rainfall, and were 0positively correlated both with the accumulated rainfall for the 10 weeks before sampling the soil in August and with the rainfall during the week previous to sampling. Fumigation not only improved the health of roots, and so enabled them to use nitrogen more efficiently, but also increased the amount of available nitrogen in the soil and decreased the amount lost by leaching. Injected anhydrous ammonia did not affect the populations of nematodes.     

楝树籽提取物对土壤供氮和氮肥利用率的影响

研究了楝树籽不同方式的提取物（NI,NⅡ）对普通铁质淋溶土壤,简有水耕人为土壤供N和N肥利用率的影响。NI可在一定程度上抑制两种土壤产生NO3－N,NⅡ在两种土壤上前期均能显著固定NH4^ -N并在后期释放出NH4^ -N。如果NI和NⅡ2种提取物同时与化肥N施入土壤,则可明显改善土壤的供N状况,使这与作物需N过程更吻合。盆栽实验证明,NⅡ可显著提高肥旱耕人为土壤上作物对N肥的利用率。     

Influence of roots and climate on mineral and trace element storage and flux in tropical mangrove soils

The storage and flux of various mineral and trace elements in soils (0–30cm depth) were examined in relation to monsoonal rains and fine root biomass in four mangrove forests of different age and type in southern Thailand. The onset of the wet SW monsoon resulted in the percolation and dilution of porewater solutes by rainwater and by less saline tidal water, as indicated by shifts in Eh, pH and porewater SO₄/Cl ratios. This is contrary to temperate intertidal environments where seasonal patterns of porewater constituents, and biological and biogeochemical activities, are strongly cued to temperature. Fluxes across the soil–water interface were most often not statistically significant. Concentration of dissolved porewater metals were dominated by Fe, Mn, Al, Mo and Zn. The decreasing order of solid-phase element inventories in these soils, on average, was: Al, S, Fe, Na, Mg, K, Ca, N, P, Mn, V, Zn, Cr, Ni, As, Co, Cu, Pb, Mo, Cd and Hg. There were no gradients in concentrations of dissolved or solid-phase elements with increasing soil depth. This phenomenon was attributed to physical and biological processes, including the presence and activities of roots and tidal recharge of soil water. Fine dead roots were storage sites for most mineral and trace elements, as some elements in roots composed a significant fraction (5%) of the total soil pool. Analysis of S and Fe concentration differences between live and dead roots suggested extensive formation of pyrite associated with dead roots; correlation analysis suggested that trace metals coprecipitated with pyrite. An analysis of inventories and release/uptake rates indicate turnover of the N, P, Na and Ca soil pools equivalent to other tropical forests; turnover was slow (decades to centuries) for S, Fe, K and trace elements. Our results indicate that mineral and trace element cycling in these soils are characterized by net storage, with net accumulation of most elements much greater than uptake and release by tree roots.