Decomposition of root exudates in soil

The conversion of synthetic root exudates, i.e. of a mixture of amino acids, organic acids and sugars, added to soil in a single dose or continuously, was studied. After the addition of a single dose, the root exudates were gradually mineralized and after 76 hours, 85% of carbon had been released in the form of carbon dioxide. The extent and rate of mineralization was not influenced by the simultaneous addition of ammonium phosphate. The continuous addition of substrate formed a model artificial rhizosphere. In the steady state, 93% of the carbon in the added substrate was mineralized to carbon dioxide. The conversion of organic acids, sugars and amino acids and the mineralization of nitrogen was studied simultaneously by chromatography. In soil continuously enriched with root exudates, phenomena similar to the rhizosphere effect in nature were observed both in the numbers of microorganisms and in the relative incidence of the nutritional groups of bacteria.     

The release of carbon dioxide from soils percolated with various organic materials

Summary 1) The output of carbon dioxide from soils percolated with different organic materials has been studied by the percolation technique.2) Assimilation appears to take place from glucose, acetate, benzoate, oleate, but not from tormate.3) Sodium azide appears to inhibit assimilative activity in soil.4) The significance of the results is discussed.     

玉米秸秆还田培肥土壤的效果

辽北地区玉米根茬还田、秸秆直接还田或间接还田的3年微区培肥试验研究结果表明,无机肥的增产效果特别明显,而施有机物料,更主要的作用是改善土壤的物理、化学性质、培肥地力,与无肥对照相比,有机无机肥料配合施用可使土壤有机质提高3．06％－27．78％,各有机物料对土壤有机质提高的顺序依次为100％秸秆＞50％秸秆＞土粪＞牛粪＞33％秸秆＞根茬。在含C量相等的条件下,秸秆对土壤有机质的保持和提高好于土粪,土粪好于牛粪。同时,与单施化肥比,有机无机肥料配合施用可使土壤易氧化有机质增加10．91％－20．67％,使浸提腐殖酸提高1．43％－14．28％,使结合态腐殖酸的松／紧比值提高0．07－0．19,HA／FA比值提高0．07－0．24,并且能改善土壤的N、P、K营养状况、土壤水分和土壤孔隙状况,这标志着土壤有机质活性的提高和土壤肥力状况的改善。因此,应该大力提倡玉米秸秆秋季直接还田,其最佳施入量应为当年生产量的30％－50％。     

Transformations of carbon and nitrogen in a Calciorthid soil amended with a range of organic residues

A calcareous soil was treated with an organic fertilizer mixture of grape debris and peat, or with pig manure, chicken manure, city refuse or with aerobic or anaerobic sewage sludges. Changes in different fractions of carbon and nitrogen were followed by analysis of the soil, immediately after these additions, after they had decomposed for six months in the soil, after a maize harvest, and after a subsequent barley harvest. The various forms of carbon had decreased after six months. The rate of decrease varied with the nature of the organic materials. In all samples, the fulvic acids fraction decreased most. The main transformations happened during the first six months whether there was a crop growing or not, but the crops had no influence on the breakdown of the organic materials. The ratio of humic acids/fulvic acids had increased after six months of humification and, in general terms, the final values of the ratio oxidizable carbon/extractable carbon were lower than the initial ones, indicating a higher degree of humification in the organic matter by the end of the experiment. The total nitrogen level remained practically constant after the first six months of humification even after the second crop. Part of the organic nitrogen of the soil samples amended with chicken manure, city refuse or the two sludges was transformed into mineral nitrogen during the humification process. The extractable nitrogen values increased because of the fertilizer applied during the pot trials.     

Use of carbon isotope composition for characterization of microbial activity in arable soils

The effect of glucose on microbial mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) was studied in arable soil specimens. The flows of carbon dioxide generated during this degradation were deduced from differences in the carbon isotope ratios of glucose (delta13C = -11.4 per mil) and SOM (delta13C = -27.01 per mil). The priming effect of glucose and respiratory quotient (RQ) were taken as indices of activation of SOM-consuming microbiota. The data on microbial mineralization of organic matter in soil, obtained in this study, show that addition of a readily consumable substance (glucose) to soil favors SOM degradation and increases the release of carbon dioxide from soil to atmosphere.     

Use of Carbon Isotope Composition for Characterization of Microbial Activity in Arable Soils

The effect of glucose on microbial mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) was studied in arable soil specimens. The fluxes of carbon dioxide generated during this degradation were deduced from differences in the carbon isotope abundance ratios of glucose δ¹³C = –11.4 per mil) and SOM δ¹³C = –27.01 per mil). The priming effect of glucose and respiratory quotient (RQ) were taken as indices of activation of SOM-consuming microbiota. The data on microbial mineralization of organic matter in soil obtained in this study show that the addition of a readily consumable substance (glucose) to soil favors SOM degradation and increases the release of carbon dioxide from soil to atmosphere.     

模拟酸雨对杉木幼苗-土壤复合体系土壤呼吸的短期效应

为了解酸雨对土壤碳释放的作用,选取对酸沉降敏感的杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)幼苗-土壤复合系统,分成重度酸雨(pH值2.5)、中度酸雨(pH值4.0)和对照(pH值5.6)3个处理区组,进行了2a模拟酸雨胁迫盆栽实验。通过分析酸雨短期作用下土壤酸化的状况以及土壤呼吸的变动,发现:(1)对照组土壤pH值虽有下降,但土壤缓冲体系无显著变化。重度酸雨组土壤pH值持续下降至3.71,土壤残留交换性Ca2+和Mg2+含量明显降低,土壤缓冲体系转成铝缓冲体系,土壤明显酸化。中度酸雨组土壤pH值略低于对照,土壤残留交换性Ca2+含量维持在40.15-42.76μg·g-1(烘干土),而交换性Mg2+含量下降,土壤缓冲体系无显著变化。(2)非模拟酸雨胁迫状况下(对照组),2007年和2008年年均土壤呼吸速率分别为1.41μmol·m-2·s-1和1.42μmol·m-2·s-1,土壤呼吸作用稳定。模拟酸雨短期内以抑制土壤呼吸为主。重度酸雨使土壤呼吸作用持续减弱,2007年和2008年年均土壤呼吸速率分别下降了14%和28%;中度酸雨虽未造成土壤的显著酸化,但该处理组年均土壤呼吸速率2007年增加了8%,2008年则降低了15%。模拟酸雨对土壤呼吸的影响随着酸雨的持续而加强。     

Ratio [13C]/[12C] as an index for express estimation of hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of microbiota in soil polluted with crude oil

The hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of soil microbiota and hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms introduced into soil was studied based on the quantitative and isotopic characteristics of carbon in products formed in microbial degradation of oil hydrocarbons. Comparison of CO2 production rates in native soil and that polluted with crude oil showed the intensity of microbial mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) in the presence of oil hydrocarbons to be higher as compared with non-polluted soil, that is, revealed a priming effect ofoil. The amount of carbon of newly synthesized organic products (cell biomass and exometabolites) due to consumed petroleum was shown to significantly exceed that of SOM consumed for production of CO2. The result of microbial processes in oil-polluted soil was found to be a potent release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.     

土壤碳库构成研究进展

土壤碳库是陆地生态系统中最大的碳库。土壤碳库的构成影响其累积和分解,并直接影响全球陆地生态系统碳平衡,同时也影响土壤质量变化。弄清土壤碳库的组分及构成,是进一步研究土壤碳库变化机制的关键。综述了土壤碳库的组分和构成,对有机碳库进行不稳定性有机碳库和稳定有机碳库归类,描述各类碳库的性质,并对各类碳库的分析测定方法进行了评述。提出在土壤碳构成中增加黑碳和煤炭(碳)以完善土壤有机碳构成框架。在未来研究中,应加强土壤无机碳及湿地土壤和新开发新复垦的重构土壤碳库构成及变化,各类碳库化学构成,交叉重叠的定量关系,碳库之间的转化及在土壤中的迁移,黑碳对土壤碳库稳定性及土壤质量的影响,煤开采扰动区煤炭(碳)对土壤质量的影响及环境效应等科学问题的研究。     

Enhanced roles of biochar and organic fertilizer in microalgae for soil carbon sink

Improved soil carbon sink capability is important for the mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions and the enhancement of soil productivity. Biochar and organic fertilizer (OF) showed a significant improving effect on microalgae in soil carbon sink capacity, and the ultimate soil total organic carbons with microalgae-OF, microalgae-biochar, microalgae-OF-biochar were about 16, 67 and 58% higher than that with microalgae alone, respectively, indicating that carbon fixation efficiency of microalgae applied in soil was improved with biochar and OF whilst the soil carbon capacity was promoted, the mechanism of which is illustrated through simulative experiments. Organic fertilizer could spur algal conversion of carbon into cell molecules by increasing intracellular polysaccharide production of microalgae. Biochar could change carbon metabolism pathway of microalgae through altering the yield of intracellular saccharides, and yield and type of extracellular saccharides. There was a superimposition effect on the soil carbon sink when biochar and OF were both present with microalgae.     

Ratio [13C]/[12C] as an index for express estimation of hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of microbiota in soil polluted with crude oil

The hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of soil microbiota and hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms introduced into soil was studied based on the quantitative and isotopic characteristics of carbon in products formed in microbial degradation of oil hydrocarbons. Comparison of CO₂ production rates in native soil and that polluted with crude oil showed the intensity of microbial mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) in the presence of oil hydrocarbons to be higher as compared with non-polluted soil, that is, revealed a priming effect of oil. The amount of carbon of newly synthesized organic products (cell biomass and exometabolites) due to consumed petroleum was shown to significantly exceed that of SOM consumed for production of CO₂. The result of microbial processes in oil-polluted soil was found to be a potent release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.     

Modelling the role of urban forest in the regulation of carbon balance in an industrial area of India

The increase in greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere contributes to climate change. People and policy makers are becoming more interested in the role of urban trees in regulating the global carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide emissions from anthropogenic sources are mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which are major contributors to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Therefore, a better understanding of the carbon sequestration process by urban forests and its exchange between air and soil is the first step to offsetting the impacts of climate change in urban areas.Here, a dynamic model was constructed including the carbon stock of forest, litter carbon and soil organic carbon pool. The study emphasized the relationship between the three carbon pools. The monthly dynamics of the pools were studied. A sensitivity analysis was performed followed by calibration and validation. The results showed that the mean growth rate of forest biomass was the most sensitive factor, followed by the decomposition rate and the uptake rate of organic carbon by detritivores.If the biomass of the existing forest is maintained sustainably, more carbon dioxide could be sequestered. In addition, the model showed that afforestation in the Asansol-Durgapur Planning Area would increase the carbon stocks of the forest and to some extent offset the problem of carbon dioxide release from the nearby coal mines and other factories. In the near future, the model will benefit forest managers in carrying out urban management in the Earth's tropical belt.     

Biotransformation of trichloroethylene in soil

Trichloroethylene was shown to degrade aerobically to carbon dioxide in an unsaturated soil column exposed to a mixture of natural gas in air (0.6%).     

Biotransformation of trichloroethylene in soil.

Trichloroethylene was shown to degrade aerobically to carbon dioxide in an unsaturated soil column exposed to a mixture of natural gas in air (0.6%).     

Isotopic evidence for the provenance and turnover of organic carbon by soil microorganisms in the Antarctic dry valleys

The extremely cold and arid Antarctic dry valleys are one of the most environmentally harsh terrestrial ecosystems supporting organisms in which the biogeochemical transformations of carbon are exclusively driven by microorganisms. The natural abundance of ¹³C and ¹⁵N in source organic materials and soils have been examined to obtain evidence for the provenance of the soil organic matter and the C loss as CO₂ during extended incubation (approximately 1200 days at 10°C under moist conditions) has been used to determine the potential decay of soil organic C. The organic matter in soils remote from sources of liquid water or where lacustrine productivity was low had isotope signatures characteristic of endolithic (lichen) sources, whereas at more sheltered and productive sites, the organic matter in the soils that was a mixture mainly lacustrine detritus and moss-derived organic matter. Soil organic C declined by up to 42% during extended incubation under laboratory conditions (equivalent to 50–73 years in the field on a thermal time basis), indicating relatively fast turnover, consistent with previous studies indicating mean residence times for soil organic C in dry valley soils in the range 52–123 years and also with recent inputs of relatively labile source materials.     

Monitoring the biological treatment of anthracene-contaminated soil in a rotating-drum bioreactor

A 2-kg-capacity rotating-drum reactor was used for biological conversion of nearly insoluble organic contaminants in soil. The rotating motion allowed effective operation at a solids content of over 60% by weight. A mixed bacterial culture was used to degrade anthracene that had been impregnated into a representative high-clay soil. The activity of the culture was sustained over a period of months in repeated batch operation, in which fresh soil was inoculated with 20% spent slurry from the previous run. Maximum degradation rates of 100–150 mg anthracene (kg soil)^–1 day^–1 were achieved throughout the experiments. Evolution of carbon dioxide from the bioreactor showed that degradation and mineralization of anthracene occurred simultaneously, and that 55% of the anthracene was mineralized. When the culture was switched from anthracene as sole carbon source to a mixture of three polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, the culture was able to degrade each of these in the sequence: anthracene, phenanthrene and finally pyrene.     

Responses of soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activities to different forms of organic nitrogen deposition in the subtropical forests in East China

Numerous studies reported that inorganic nitrogen (N) deposition strongly affected forest ecosystems. However, organic N is also an important component of atmospheric N deposition. The influence of organic N deposition on soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzymatic activities (EEA) in subtropical forests remains unclear. Coniferous forest (CF) and broad-leaved forest (BF) were chosen from the Zijin Mountain in China. Five forms of organic N (urea, glycine, serine, nonylamine, and a mixture of all four) were used to fertilize the soils in CF and BF every month for 1 year. Soil samples were collected every 2 months. Subsequently, soil microbial biomass and EEA were assayed. Results showed that the microbial biomass and EEA of soils fertilized with urea and amino acids increased significantly, whereas those fertilized with nonylamine and mixed N decreased significantly. Urea and amino acid fertilizations had a more positive influence on EEA of BF than on those of CF. Nonylamine fertilization had a more negative influence on EEA of CF than on those of BF. Organic N fertilization shifted soil microbial biomass away from the excretion of N-degrading enzymes and toward the excretion of C-degrading enzymes. These results suggest that organic N type is an important factor that affects soil microbial biomass, EEA, and their relationship. Organic N deposition may seriously affect soil C and N cycling, as well as carbon dioxide releasing from the soils by influencing microbial activities and biomass. This study thereby provides evidence that soil microorganisms have strong feedback to different forms of organic N deposition.     

Biochar-Induced Changes in Soil Hydraulic Conductivity and Dissolved Nutrient Fluxes Constrained by Laboratory Experiments

The addition of charcoal (or biochar) to soil has significant carbon sequestration and agronomic potential, making it important to determine how this potentially large anthropogenic carbon influx will alter ecosystem functions. We used column experiments to quantify how hydrologic and nutrient-retention characteristics of three soil materials differed with biochar amendment. We compared three homogeneous soil materials (sand, organic-rich topsoil, and clay-rich Hapludert) to provide a basic understanding of biochar-soil-water interactions. On average, biochar amendment decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) by 92% in sand and 67% in organic soil, but increased K by 328% in clay-rich soil. The change in K for sand was not predicted by the accompanying physical changes to the soil mixture; the sand-biochar mixture was less dense and more porous than sand without biochar. We propose two hydrologic pathways that are potential drivers for this behavior: one through the interstitial biochar-sand space and a second through pores within the biochar grains themselves. This second pathway adds to the porosity of the soil mixture; however, it likely does not add to the effective soil K due to its tortuosity and smaller pore size. Therefore, the addition of biochar can increase or decrease soil drainage, and suggests that any potential improvement of water delivery to plants is dependent on soil type, biochar amendment rate, and biochar properties. Changes in dissolved carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes also differed; with biochar increasing the C flux from organic-poor sand, decreasing it from organic-rich soils, and retaining small amounts of soil-derived N. The aromaticity of C lost from sand and clay increased, suggesting lost C was biochar-derived; though the loss accounts for only 0.05% of added biochar-C. Thus, the direction and magnitude of hydraulic, C, and N changes associated with biochar amendments are soil type (composition and particle size) dependent.     

Global climate change and carbon balance in forest ecosystems of boreal zones: Simulation modeling as a forecast tool

The individual-based system of models EFIMOD simulating carbon and nitrogen flows in forest ecosystems has been used for forecasting the response of forest ecosystems to various forest management regimes with climate change. As input data the forest inventory data for the Manturovskii forestry of the Kostroma region were used. It has been shown that increase of mid-annual temperatures and precipitation influence the redistribution of carbon and nitrogen supply in organic form: supply increase of these elements in phytomass simultaneously with depletion of them in soil occurred. The most carbon and nitrogen accumulation in forest ecosystems occurs in the scenario without felling. In addition, in this scenario only the ecosystems of the modeling territory function as a carbon sink; in the other two scenarios (with selective and clear cutting) they function as a source of carbon. Climate changes greatly influence the decomposition rate of organic matter in soil, which leads to increased emission of carbon dioxide. The second consequence of the increase in the destruction rate is nitrogen increase in the soil in a form available for plants that entails productivity increase of stands.     

Solvent Removal and Spore Inactivation Directly in Dispensing Vials with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Sterilant

A process is described using supercritical carbon dioxide to extract organic solvents from drug solutions contained in 30-mL serum vials. We report drying times of less than 1 h with quantitative recovery of sterile drug. A six-log reduction of three spore types used as biological indicators is achieved with direct addition of peracetic acid to a final concentration of approximately 5 mM (~0.04 %) to the drug solution in the vial. Analysis of two drugs, acetaminophen and paclitaxel, indicated no drug degradation as a result of the treatment. Furthermore, analysis of the processed drug substance showed that no residual peracetic acid could be detected in the final product. We have demonstrated an effective means to simultaneously dry and sterilize active pharmaceutical ingredients from organic solvents directly in a dispensing container.KEY WORDS: drying, paclitaxel, peracetic acid, sterilization, supercritical carbon dioxide