Responses of nematode communities to different land uses in an aquic brown soil

An analysis of the seasonal and vertical distribution of soil nematode communities under three contrasting land uses, i.e., cropland, abandoned cropland and woodland was conducted in an aquic brown soil. The results showed that different land-use types affected the spatiotemporal distribution of soil nematodes and their dominant genera, and different dominant genera showed different responses to land use. In the abandoned cropland and woodland, most dominant genera were present in the 0–20 cm layers and Chiloplacus was mainly distributed in the 5–30 cm layers, while in the cropland, Pratylenchus exhibited an even distribution from the 0–5 cm to the 40–50 cm depth. Soil environmental parameters under different land use could influence soil nematodes; soil porosity, total organic C, total N and the C/N ratio could positively influence the abundance of some dominant genera. Faunal profiles revealed that environmental stability and the homeostasis in the abandoned cropland and woodland lead to higher levels of community structure, and the soil food web tends to succeed to maturity. Nematode faunal analyses are a useful indicator for interpreting the stress and/or nutrient conditions under different land uses. __________ Translated from Biodiversity Science, 2007, 15(2): 172–179 [译自:生物多样性]     

呼伦贝尔沙地不同植被恢复模式对土壤固氮微生物多样性的影响

利用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)技术及扩增产物序列分析方法,研究了经过4年不同植被恢复模式下呼伦贝尔沙地土壤固氮微生物的nifH基因多样性和群落结构的变化.结果表明:不同植被恢复模式间土壤固氮微生物群落组成差异显著.混播柠条+羊柴+冰草+披碱草模式(ACHE)下的土壤固氮微生物nifH基因多样性指数最高,其次为混播柠条+冰草(AC)、单播柠条(UC)、单播冰草(UA)和单播羊柴(UH)模式,对照(裸地)最低.除单播羊柴(UH)模式与对照的多样性指数差异不显著外,其余4种植被恢复模式均显著高于对照.单一恢复模式(UA、UH、UC)下,绝大多数土壤固氮微生物属于蓝藻门,结构比较单一;而混播模式(AC和ACHE)下,土壤固氮微生物组成发生明显变化,以变形菌门为主,还包含蓝藻门,其种类增加,多样性提高.不同植被恢复模式的速效磷(AP)、全磷(TP)、全氮(TN)和硝态氮(N03-N)对固氮微生物区系的影响均达到显著水平,且AP、TP、TN和NO3--N之间均具有显著相关性.不同植被恢复模式下土壤固氮微生物区系组成的变化是不同理化因子之间相互关联、共同影响的结果.     

Development of a stable isotope index to assess decadal-scale vegetation change and application to woodlands of the Burdekin catchment, Australia

Forty-four study sites were established in remnant woodland in the Burdekin River catchment in tropical north-east Queensland, Australia, to assess recent (decadal) vegetation change. The aim of this study was further to evaluate whether wide-scale vegetation ‘thickening’ (proliferation of woody plants in formerly more open woodlands) had occurred during the last century, coinciding with significant changes in land management. Soil samples from several depth intervals were size separated into different soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions, which differed from one another by chemical composition and turnover times. Tropical (C₄) grasses dominate in the Burdekin catchment, and thus δ¹³C analyses of SOC fractions with different turnover times can be used to assess whether the relative proportion of trees (C₃) and grasses (C₄) had changed over time. However, a method was required to permit standardized assessment of the δ¹³C data for the individual sites within the 13 Mha catchment, which varied in soil and vegetation characteristics. Thus, an index was developed using data from three detailed study sites and global literature to standardize individual isotopic data from different soil depths and SOC fractions to reflect only the changed proportion of trees (C₃) to grasses (C₄) over decadal timescales. When applied to the 44 individual sites distributed throughout the Burdekin catchment, 64% of the sites were shown to have experienced decadal vegetation thickening, while 29% had remained stable and the remaining 7% had thinned. Thus, the development of this index enabled regional scale assessment and comparison of decadal vegetation patterns without having to rely on prior knowledge of vegetation changes or aerial photography.