Costimulation of soil glycosidase activity and soil respiration by nitrogen addition

Unprecedented levels of nitrogen (N) have been deposited in ecosystems over the past century, which is expected to have cascading effects on microbially mediated soil respiration (SR). Extracellular enzymes play critical roles on the degradation of soil organic matter, and measurements of their activities are potentially useful indicators of SR. The links between soil extracellular enzymatic activities (EEAs) and SR under N addition, however, have not been established. We therefore conducted a meta‐analysis from 62 publications to synthesize the responses of soil EEAs and SR to elevated N. Nitrogen addition significantly increased glycosidase activity (GA) by 13.0%, α‐1,4‐glucosidase (AG) by 19.6%, β‐1,4‐glucosidase (BG) by 11.1%, β‐1,4‐xylosidase (BX) by 21.9% and β‐D‐cellobiosidase (CBH) by 12.6%. Increases in GA were more evident for long duration, high rate, organic and mixed N addition (combination of organic and inorganic N addition), as well as for studies from farmland. The response ratios (RRs) of GA were positively correlated with the SR‐RRs, even when evaluated individually for AG, BG, BX and CBH. This positive correlation between GA‐RR and SR‐RR was maintained for most types of vegetation and soil as well as for different methods of N addition. Our results provide the first evidence that GA is linked to SR under N addition over a range of ecosystems and highlight the need for further studies on the response of other soil EEAs to various global change factors and their implications for ecosystem functions.     

Trade-offs in carbon-degrading enzyme activities limit long-term soil carbon sequestration with biochar addition

Biochar amendment is one of the most promising agricultural approaches to tackle climate change by enhancing soil carbon (C) sequestration. Microbial-mediated decomposition processes are fundamental for the fate and persistence of sequestered C in soil, but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Here, we synthesise 923 observations regarding the effects of biochar addition (over periods ranging from several weeks to several years) on soil C-degrading enzyme activities from 130 articles across five continents worldwide. Our results showed that biochar addition increased soil ligninase activity targeting complex phenolic macromolecules by 7.1%, but suppressed cellulase activity degrading simpler polysaccharides by 8.3%. These shifts in enzyme activities explained the most variation of changes in soil C sequestration across a wide range of climatic, edaphic and experimental conditions, with biochar-induced shift in ligninase:cellulase ratio correlating negatively with soil C sequestration. Specifically, short-term (<1 year) biochar addition significantly reduced cellulase activity by 4.6% and enhanced soil organic C sequestration by 87.5%, whereas no significant responses were observed for ligninase activity and ligninase:cellulase ratio. However, long-term (≥1 year) biochar addition significantly enhanced ligninase activity by 5.2% and ligninase:cellulase ratio by 36.1%, leading to a smaller increase in soil organic C sequestration (25.1%). These results suggest that shifts in enzyme activities increased ligninase:cellulase ratio with time after biochar addition, limiting long-term soil C sequestration with biochar addition. Our work provides novel evidence to explain the diminished soil C sequestration with long-term biochar addition and suggests that earlier studies may have overestimated soil C sequestration with biochar addition by failing to consider the physiological acclimation of soil microorganisms over time.     

Soil carbon loss with warming: New evidence from carbon‐degrading enzymes

Climate warming affects soil carbon (C) dynamics, with possible serious consequences for soil C stocks and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. However, the mechanisms underlying changes in soil C storage are not well understood, hampering long‐term predictions of climate C‐feedbacks. The activity of the extracellular enzymes ligninase and cellulase can be used to track changes in the predominant C sources of soil microbes and can thus provide mechanistic insights into soil C loss pathways. Here we show, using meta‐analysis, that reductions in soil C stocks with warming are associated with increased ratios of ligninase to cellulase activity. Furthermore, whereas long‐term (≥5 years) warming reduced the soil recalcitrant C pool by 14%, short‐term warming had no significant effect. Together, these results suggest that warming stimulates microbial utilization of recalcitrant C pools, possibly exacerbating long‐term climate‐C feedbacks.     

土壤增温对亚热带杉木幼树不同深度土壤微生物胞外酶活性的影响

土壤微生物胞外酶可有效反映气候变暖对土壤微生物功能和土壤有机质分解的影响.目前关于气候变暖对土壤微生物胞外酶活性(EEAs)影响的相关研究主要关注有机碳含量较丰富的表层土壤(0～20 cm),而对深层土壤(>20 cm)EEAs的研究仍较缺乏.因此,本研究关注土壤增温对亚热带不同深度(0～10 cm、10～20 cm、20～40 cm和40～60 cm)EEAs的影响及主要调控因素,其中微生物胞外酶包括参与碳循环的β-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)、纤维二糖水解酶(CBH)、酚氧化酶(PHO)和过氧化物氧化酶(PEO).结果表明: 土壤增温提高了0～10 cm和10～20 cm土壤所有胞外酶的活性(18%～69%).在20 cm以下的深层土壤中,土壤增温仅显著提高了20～40 cm的PHO(10%),而对其余胞外酶的活性无显著影响或有一定的抑制作用(13%～31%).冗余分析(RDA)结果表明: 在微生物可利用有机碳较丰富的表层土壤中,铵态氮(NH₄⁺-N)和土壤含水率(M)是调控EEAs的主要因素,增温增强了微生物与植物之间的养分竞争,因而提高EEAs以获取微生物所需的养分NH₄⁺-N;而在微生物底物有效性较低的深层土壤中,EEAs主要受可溶性有机质(可溶性有机碳和可溶性有机氮)和微生物生物量(MBC)的影响,增温提高深层土壤可溶性有机质的含量,为微生物提供更多的底物,减少微生物对EEAs的需求,进而降低EEAs.本研究发现,不同深度EEAs对土壤增温具有不同响应,且土壤增温条件下表层和深层土壤的EEAs具有明显不同的调控因素.因此,加强不同深度土壤微生物的研究对于准确评估生态系统碳循环对全球变暖的响应具有重要意义.     

Responses of soil extracellular enzyme activities to carbon input alteration and warming in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

土壤胞外酶来源于土壤微生物、植物和动物, 是土壤生物地球化学过程的积极参与者, 在森林生态系统的物质循环和能量流动过程中扮演着重要角色。为探明土壤胞外酶活性对碳输入变化及增温的响应, 该研究基于长期增温、去除地表凋落物(以下简称去凋)和切根处理的云南哀牢山亚热带常绿阔叶林控制实验平台, 研究了不同处理(对照、去凋、切根、切根并增温)下表层矿质土壤(0-5和5-10 cm)与碳氮磷获取相关的胞外酶活性, 包括多酚氧化酶(POX)、过氧化物酶(PER)、β-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)、β-1,4-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)和酸性磷酸酶(AP)。结合铵态氮(NH₄⁺-N)含量、硝态氮(NO₃^--N)含量、溶解有机碳(DOC)含量、溶解总氮(DN)含量、土壤含水量(SWC)等相关指标, 探讨凋落物碳输入、根系碳输入和温度变化对土壤胞外酶活性及其生态化学计量特征的影响。研究结果表明: 在对照样方, 除POX外其余酶活性均为0-5 cm层显著高于5-10 cm层。与对照相比, 长期的凋落物去除显著降低了0-5 cm层土壤AP和BG活性, 对NAG、PER和POX活性则无显著影响; 长期切根处理显著降低了0-5 cm层土壤BG活性, 但提高了两个土层PER活性; 长期切根并增温处理显著降低了0-5 cm层AP和BG活性, 对其余酶活性无显著影响。冗余分析结果显示SWC和NH₄⁺-N含量是驱动土壤酶活性变化的重要因子。本研究为该生态系统土壤碳氮磷生物地球化学关键过程对全球变化的响应提供了土壤酶学的依据。     

亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤胞外酶活性对碳输入变化及增温的响应

土壤胞外酶来源于土壤微生物、植物和动物, 是土壤生物地球化学过程的积极参与者, 在森林生态系统的物质循环和能量流动过程中扮演着重要角色。为探明土壤胞外酶活性对碳输入变化及增温的响应, 该研究基于长期增温、去除地表凋落物(以下简称去凋)和切根处理的云南哀牢山亚热带常绿阔叶林控制实验平台, 研究了不同处理(对照、去凋、切根、切根并增温)下表层矿质土壤(0-5和5-10 cm)与碳氮磷获取相关的胞外酶活性, 包括多酚氧化酶(POX)、过氧化物酶(PER)、β-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)、β-1,4-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)和酸性磷酸酶(AP)。结合铵态氮(NH₄⁺-N)含量、硝态氮(NO₃^--N)含量、溶解有机碳(DOC)含量、溶解总氮(DN)含量、土壤含水量(SWC)等相关指标, 探讨凋落物碳输入、根系碳输入和温度变化对土壤胞外酶活性及其生态化学计量特征的影响。研究结果表明: 在对照样方, 除POX外其余酶活性均为0-5 cm层显著高于5-10 cm层。与对照相比, 长期的凋落物去除显著降低了0-5 cm层土壤AP和BG活性, 对NAG、PER和POX活性则无显著影响; 长期切根处理显著降低了0-5 cm层土壤BG活性, 但提高了两个土层PER活性; 长期切根并增温处理显著降低了0-5 cm层AP和BG活性, 对其余酶活性无显著影响。冗余分析结果显示SWC和NH₄⁺-N含量是驱动土壤酶活性变化的重要因子。本研究为该生态系统土壤碳氮磷生物地球化学关键过程对全球变化的响应提供了土壤酶学的依据。     

Effects of seasonal and decadal warming on soil enzymatic activity in a P‐deficient Mediterranean shrubland

Soil enzymes are central in the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change, and their study can be crucial for the models’ implementation. We investigated for 1 year the effects of warming and seasonality on the potential activities of five soil extracellular enzymes and their relationships with soil moisture, phosphorus (P) concentration, and other soil parameters in a P‐limited Mediterranean semiarid shrubland. The site was continuously subjected to warming since 1999, and we compared data from this study to analogous data from 2004. Warming uniformly increased all enzymes activities, but only when a sufficient amount of soil water was available. Seasonality unevenly altered enzyme activities, thus affecting enzymatic stoichiometry. P deficiency affected enzymatic stoichiometry, favoring the activities of the phosphatases. The effect of warming was stronger in 2014 than 2004, excluding the hypothesis of acclimation of rhizospheric responses to higher temperatures and suggesting that further increases in extracellular enzymatic activities are to be expected if sufficient water is available. Climatic warming will likely generally stimulate soil enzymatic activities and accelerate nutrient mineralization and similar ecological processes such as the production and degradation of biomass and changes in community composition, but which will be limited by water availability, especially in Mediterranean soils in summer. Winters in such ecosystems will benefit from a general increase in activity and production, but biological activity could even decrease in summer, potentially leading to a negative overall balance of nutrient mineralization. This study suggests that a general increase in activity due to warming could lead to faster mineralization of soil organic matter and water consumption in colder climates, until one of these factors in turn becomes limiting. Such trade‐offs between water and temperature in relation with enzyme activity should be considered in biogeochemical models.     

植被重建对露天煤矿排土场土壤酶活性的影响

植被重建是露天煤矿排土场生态恢复的关键措施,深入了解植被建设对土壤酶活性的影响,对于合理选择适宜于矿区生态恢复的人工植被和加速矿区土壤生态恢复具有重要意义。通过野外调查采样和室内分析,研究了黑岱沟露天煤矿排土场植被重建和恢复对浅层(0—20 cm)土壤酶活性(包括3种氧化还原酶:过氧化氢酶、多酚氧化酶、脱氢酶,4种水解酶:蔗糖酶、脲酶、磷酸酶、纤维素酶)的影响。结果表明:相比未进行植被建设的新排土场裸地,植被重建显著改善了土壤酶活性和理化性质,建植18a后土壤酶活性可恢复到天然植被区的65%—76%,水解酶恢复速率(平均为86.9%)快于氧化还原酶(平均为42.7%),其中土壤磷酸酶恢复速率最快(平均为天然植被区的154.7%),其次为蔗糖酶(74.3%)、纤维素酶(59.9%)、脲酶(58.5%)、过氧化氢酶(52.1%)和脱氢酶(38.1%),多酚氧化酶恢复最慢(为37.8%)。植被恢复进程中,建植10a期土壤酶活性年均恢复速率最快(平均为6.0%/a),15a变缓(4.8%/a),18a迅速降低(3.2%/a)。同时植被配置类型对土壤酶活性影响显著,土壤酶活性与土壤主要理化因子具有较高的相关性。上述结果反映了植被重建能显著改善矿区排土场的土壤酶活性,植被恢复进程中水解酶恢复速率快于氧化还原酶,恢复初期快于后期,但土壤酶活性的恢复需要一个漫长的过程。     

增温对青藏高原高寒草甸呼吸作用的影响

生态系统呼吸(ER)和土壤呼吸(SR)是草地生态系统碳排放的关键环节,其对气候变化极为敏感。高寒草甸是青藏高原典型的草地生态系统,其呼吸作用对气候变化的响应对区域碳排放具有重要的影响。以高寒草甸生态系统为对象,于2012—2016年采用模拟增温的方法研究呼吸作用对增温的响应。结果表明:增温对高寒草甸ER的影响存在年际差异,2013年和2014年增温对ER无显著影响,其他年份显著增加ER(P0.05),综合5年结果,平均增幅达22.3%。增温显著促进了高寒草甸SR(P0.05),较对照处理5年平均增幅高达67.1%;增温总体上提高了SR在ER中的比例(P0.05),最高增幅达到59.9%。ER和SR与土壤温度有显著的正相关关系(P0.05),与土壤水分没有显著的相关关系(P0.05)。对照样地中,土壤温度分别能解释33.0%和18.5%的ER和SR变化。在增温条件下,土壤温度可以解释20.5%和13.0%的ER和SR变化。在增温条件下,SR的温度敏感性显著增加,而ER的温度敏感性变化较小,导致SR的比重进一步增加。因此,在未来气候变暖条件下,青藏高原高寒草甸生态系统碳排放,尤其是土壤碳排放有可能进一步增加,土壤碳流失风险增加。     

不同水位时期东洞庭湖湿地土壤微生物生物量碳氮和酶活性变化

为从土壤微生物的角度分析东洞庭湖不同植被类型湿地土壤质量状况,本研究选取了苔草、芦苇和柳树3种典型植被类型为对象,在平水期、丰水期和枯水期对其土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、氮(MBN)和酶活性进行监测,并分析其主要影响因子。结果表明: 1)3个水位时期,各植被类型湿地土壤MBC、MBN、蔗糖酶和纤维素酶活性(枯水期纤维素酶除外)均表现为0～10 cm高于10～20 cm,而土壤过氧化氢酶活性则相反。2)各植被类型湿地0～20 cm土层土壤MBC、MBN和MBC/TOC(总有机碳)、MBN/TN(总氮)皆以丰水期最低。3)各植被类型湿地0～20 cm土层土壤蔗糖酶活性峰值均出现在枯水期,而纤维素酶活性峰值出现在平水期,过氧化氢酶活性季节性波动较小,以丰水期稍高。4)不同植被类型间比较:平水期和丰水期,芦苇湿地土壤蔗糖酶活性显著高于其他植被类型,而其土壤纤维素酶活性最低,枯水期不同湿地间两种酶活性差异不显著。土壤过氧化氢酶活性在平水期以苔草湿地最高,枯水期以柳树湿地最高,丰水期以芦苇湿地最低。5)相关性分析表明,土壤MBC、MBN和蔗糖酶与TOC、TN、总磷(TP)呈显著正相关,而与pH值呈显著负相关。土壤纤维素酶和过氧化氢酶与TOC、TN、TP呈显著负相关,与pH值呈显著正相关。表明季节性水位波动影响土壤C、N、P和pH值,并对土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和酶活性产生显著影响,使其呈现明显的季节性变化特征。     

Contrasting mechanisms underlie short‐ and longer‐term soil respiration responses to experimental warming in a dryland ecosystem

Soil carbon losses to the atmosphere through soil respiration are expected to rise with ongoing temperature increases, but available evidence from mesic biomes suggests that such response disappears after a few years of experimental warming. However, there is lack of empirical basis for these temporal dynamics in soil respiration responses, and for the mechanisms underlying them, in drylands, which collectively form the largest biome on Earth and store 32% of the global soil organic carbon pool. We coupled data from a 10 year warming experiment in a biocrust‐dominated dryland ecosystem with laboratory incubations to confront 0–2 years (short‐term hereafter) versus 8–10 years (longer‐term hereafter) soil respiration responses to warming. Our results showed that increased soil respiration rates with short‐term warming observed in areas with high biocrust cover returned to control levels in the longer‐term. Warming‐induced increases in soil temperature were the main drivers of the short‐term soil respiration responses, whereas longer‐term soil respiration responses to warming were primarily driven by thermal acclimation and warming‐induced reductions in biocrust cover. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating short‐ and longer‐term soil respiration responses to warming as a mean to reduce the uncertainty in predicting the soil carbon–climate feedback in drylands.     

重金属污染区土壤酶活性变化

从福建龙岩新罗区特钢厂污灌区农田采集土壤,测定土壤基本理化性质及脲酶、纤维素酶、碱性磷酸酶、多酚氧化酶、过氧化氢酶活性和Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn含量,探讨重金属污染和土壤性质对土壤酶活性的影响.结果表明： 4种全量或有效态重金属与土壤脲酶、纤维素酶、碱性磷酸酶和多酚氧化酶活性呈显著正相关,与过氧化氢酶活性呈显著或极显著负相关;土壤pH与碱性磷酸酶活性呈极显著正相关,粉粒含量与过氧化氢酶活性呈显著负相关.经通径分析,重金属污染刺激了脲酶、多酚氧化酶和纤维素酶活性,但对碱性磷酸酶活性的影响较小.有效态Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn对过氧化氢酶活性的直接影响并不大,但通过间接途径抑制了过氧化氢酶活性.土壤理化性质对5种土壤酶活性的影响较大,碱解氮直接抑制了脲酶活性;全磷直接刺激了碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性,并通过有效磷刺激了纤维素酶活性;有效磷直接刺激了纤维素酶活性,直接抑制了碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性;全钾直接抑制了碱性磷酸酶和多酚氧化酶活性;速效钾通过有效磷刺激了纤维素酶活性;土壤颗粒组成明显影响多酚氧化酶和过氧化氢酶活性.5种酶活性与土壤Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn含量之间的关系不明确,因此其活性不是指示土壤Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn污染的良好指标.     

重金属污染区土壤酶活性变化——以福建龙岩新罗区特钢厂污水灌溉区为例

从福建龙岩新罗区特钢厂污灌区农田采集土壤,测定土壤基本理化性质及脲酶、纤维素酶、碱性磷酸酶、多酚氧化酶、过氧化氢酶活性和Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn含量,探讨重金属污染和土壤性质对土壤酶活性的影响.结果表明:4种全量或有效态重金属与土壤脲酶、纤维素酶、碱性磷酸酶和多酚氧化酶活性呈显著正相关,与过氧化氢酶活性呈显著或极显著负相关;土壤pH与碱性磷酸酶活性呈极显著正相关,粉粒含量与过氧化氢酶活性呈显著负相关.经通径分析,重金属污染刺激了脲酶、多酚氧化酶和纤维素酶活性,但对碱性磷酸酶活性的影响较小.有效态Cu、Cd、Pb、zn对过氧化氢酶活性的直接影响并不大,但通过间接途径抑制了过氧化氢酶活性.土壤理化性质对5种土壤酶活性的影响较大,碱解氮直接抑制了脲酶活性;全磷直接刺激了碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性,并通过有效磷刺激了纤维素酶活性;有效磷直接刺激了纤维素酶活性,直接抑制了碱性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性;全钾直接抑制了碱性磷酸酶和多酚氧化酶活性;速效钾通过有效磷刺激了纤维素酶活性;土壤颗粒组成明显影响多酚氧化酶和过氧化氢酶活性.5种酶活性与土壤Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn含量之间的关系不明确,因此其活性不是指示土壤Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn污染的良好指标.     

Warming and drying suppress microbial activity and carbon cycling in boreal forest soils

Climate warming is expected to have particularly strong effects on tundra and boreal ecosystems, yet relatively few studies have examined soil responses to temperature change in these systems. We used closed‐top greenhouses to examine the response of soil respiration, nutrient availability, microbial abundance, and active fungal communities to soil warming in an Alaskan boreal forest dominated by mature black spruce. This treatment raised soil temperature by 0.5 °C and also resulted in a 22% decline in soil water content. We hypothesized that microbial abundance and activity would increase with the greenhouse treatment. Instead, we found that bacterial and fungal abundance declined by over 50%, and there was a trend toward lower activity of the chitin‐degrading enzyme N‐acetyl‐glucosaminidase. Soil respiration also declined by up to 50%, but only late in the growing season. These changes were accompanied by significant shifts in the community structure of active fungi, with decreased relative abundance of a dominant Thelephoroid fungus and increased relative abundance of Ascomycetes and Zygomycetes in response to warming. In line with our hypothesis, we found that warming marginally increased soil ammonium and nitrate availability as well as the overall diversity of active fungi. Our results indicate that rising temperatures in northern‐latitude ecosystems may not always cause a positive feedback to the soil carbon cycle, particularly in boreal forests with drier soils. Models of carbon cycle‐climate feedbacks could increase their predictive power by incorporating heterogeneity in soil properties and microbial communities across the boreal zone.     

模拟氮沉降及经营方式对毛竹林土壤酶活性的影响

研究粗放经营和集约经营条件下毛竹林蔗糖酶、纤维素酶、硝酸还原酶、脲酶和过氧化氢酶5种土壤酶活性对4种氮沉降水平(0、30、60和90 kg·hm^-2·a^-1)的响应.结果表明:与粗放经营相比,集约经营分别显著提高土壤蔗糖酶、纤维素酶和脲酶活性55.5%、112.9%和28.6%,显著抑制硝酸还原酶活性31.5%,对过氧化氢酶活性的影响不显著.氮沉降显著抑制粗放和集约经营方式下毛竹林蔗糖酶活性20.0%～49.4%和36.2%～45.1%、纤维素酶活性20.5%～46.3%和18.3%～49.0%、硝酸还原酶活性67.9%～85.2%和15.2%～34.2%,以及集约经营毛竹林脲酶活性23.1%～47.6%,显著增加了粗放经营毛竹林土壤脲酶活性8.1%～50.6%,对过氧化氢酶活性的影响不显著.氮沉降与经营方式的复合作用除对过氧化氢酶活性的影响不显著外,对其他4种土壤酶活性的影响均达到显著水平.     

Soil respiration under climate warming: differential response of heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration

Despite decades of research, how climate warming alters the global flux of soil respiration is still poorly characterized. Here, we use meta‐analysis to synthesize 202 soil respiration datasets from 50 ecosystem warming experiments across multiple terrestrial ecosystems. We found that, on average, warming by 2 °C increased soil respiration by 12% during the early warming years, but warming‐induced drought partially offset this effect. More significantly, the two components of soil respiration, heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration showed distinct responses. The warming effect on autotrophic respiration was not statistically detectable during the early warming years, but nonetheless decreased with treatment duration. In contrast, warming by 2 °C increased heterotrophic respiration by an average of 21%, and this stimulation remained stable over the warming duration. This result challenged the assumption that microbial activity would acclimate to the rising temperature. Together, our findings demonstrate that distinguishing heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration would allow us better understand and predict the long‐term response of soil respiration to warming. The dependence of soil respiration on soil moisture condition also underscores the importance of incorporating warming‐induced soil hydrological changes when modeling soil respiration under climate change.     

土壤微生物对气候变暖和大气N沉降的响应

气候变暖和大气N沉降是近一、二十年来人们非常关注的全球变化现象,它们所带来的一系列生态问题已成为全球变化研究的重要议题。它们不仅影响地上植被生长和群落组成,还直接或间接地影响土壤微生物过程,而土壤微生物对此做出的响应正是生态系统反馈过程中非常重要的环节。该文分别从气候变化对土壤微生物的影响(土壤微生物量、微生物活动和微生物群落结构)和土壤微生物对气候变化的响应(凋落物分解、养分利用与循环以及养分的固持与流失)两个角度,综述近期土壤微生物对气候变暖和大气N沉降响应与适应的研究进展。气候变暖和大气N沉降对土壤微生物的影响更多地反映在微生物群落的结构和功能上,而土壤微生物量、微生物活动和群落结构的变化又会通过改变凋落物分解、养分利用和C、N循环等重要的土壤生态系统功能和过程做出响应,形成正向或负向反馈,加强或削弱气候变化给整个陆地生态系统带来的影响。然而,到目前为止土壤微生物的响应对陆地生态系统产生的最终结果仍是未决的关键性问题。     

Microbial mechanisms of carbon priming effects revealed during the interaction of crop residue and nutrient inputs in contrasting soils

Agronomic practices such as crop residue return and additional nutrient supply are recommended to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) in arable farmlands. However, changes in the priming effect (PE) on native SOC mineralization in response to integrated inputs of residue and nutrients are not fully known. This knowledge gap along with a lack of understanding of microbial mechanisms hinders the ability to constrain models and to reduce the uncertainty to predict carbon (C) sequestration potential. Using a ¹³C‐labeled wheat residue, this 126‐day incubation study examined the dominant microbial mechanisms that underpin the PE response to inputs of wheat residue and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur) in two contrasting soils. The residue input caused positive PE through “co‐metabolism,” supported by increased microbial biomass, C and nitrogen (N) extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs), and gene abundance of certain microbial taxa (Eubacteria, β‐Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Fungi). The residue input could have induced nutrient limitation, causing an increase in the PE via “microbial nutrient mining” of native soil organic matter, as suggested by the low C‐to‐nutrient stoichiometry of EEAs. At the high residue, exogenous nutrient supply (cf. no‐nutrient) initially decreased positive PE by alleviating nutrient mining, which was supported by the low gene abundance of Eubacteria and Fungi. However, after an initial decrease in PE at the high residue with nutrients, the PE increased to the same magnitude as without nutrients over time. This suggests the dominance of “microbial stoichiometry decomposition,” supported by higher microbial biomass and EEAs, while Eubacteria and Fungi increased over time, at the high residue with nutrients cf. no‐nutrient in both soils. Our study provides novel evidence that different microbial mechanisms operate simultaneously depending on organic C and nutrient availability in a residue‐amended soil. Our results have consequences for SOC modeling and integrated nutrient management employed to increase SOC in arable farmlands.     

Responses of soil respiration to elevated CO2, air warming, and changing soil water availability in a model old-field grassland

Responses of soil respiration to atmospheric and climatic change will have profound impacts on ecosystem and global carbon (C) cycling in the future. This study was conducted to examine effects on soil respiration of the concurrent driving factors of elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentration, air warming, and changing precipitation in a constructed old‐field grassland in eastern Tennessee, USA. Model ecosystems of seven old‐field species were established in open‐top chambers and treated with factorial combinations of ambient or elevated (+300 ppm) CO₂ concentration, ambient or elevated (+3 °C) air temperature, and high or low soil moisture content. During the 19‐month experimental period from June 2003 to December 2004, higher CO₂ concentration and soil water availability significantly increased mean soil respiration by 35.8% and 15.7%, respectively. The effects of air warming on soil respiration varied seasonally from small reductions to significant increases to no response, and there was no significant main effect. In the wet side of elevated CO₂ chambers, air warming consistently caused increases in soil respiration, whereas in the other three combinations of CO₂ and water treatments, warming tended to decrease soil respiration over the growing season but increase it over the winter. There were no interactive effects on soil respiration among any two or three treatment factors irrespective of time period. Treatment‐induced changes in soil temperature and moisture together explained 49%, 44%, and 56% of the seasonal variations of soil respiration responses to elevated CO₂, air warming, and changing precipitation, respectively. Additional indirect effects of seasonal dynamics and responses of plant growth on C substrate supply were indicated. Given the importance of indirect effects of the forcing factors and plant community dynamics on soil temperature, moisture, and C substrate, soil respiration response to climatic warming should not be represented in models as a simple temperature response function, and a more mechanistic representation including vegetation dynamics and substrate supply is needed.     

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.