Effects on microbial activity by extraction of indigenous cells from soil slurries

Abstract: Possible effects on the physiological activity and culturability of soil microorganisms by different soil dispersion procedures, and effects on activity caused by extracting bacteria from soil, were investigated. There was no apparent difference in cfu's with dispersion of a silty loam soil and a loamy sand soil with pyrophosphate as compared to dispersion in NaCl. Substrate-induced respiration was reduced in the silty loam soil, and methanol oxidation was reduced in the loamy sand soil with dispersion in pyrophosphate, and the soil pH was irreversibly increased by the treatment. Extracted bacterial fractions had lower numbers of culturable cells as percentage of the total number of bacteria in each fraction, lower respiration rates and no methanol oxidation activity as compared to the soil slurry both before and after extraction. The physiological activity was apparently not affected by the number of cells extracted. This indicates that the increased extraction rate of indigenous soil bacteria obtained by effective disruption of aggregates and detachment of cells from surfaces, only results in increased extraction of cells that have been physiologically changed as a result of the extraction process.     

大鹏半岛土壤纤毛虫的群落特点

通过对采自广东省地岛的土壤混合样品进行纤毛虫定性和相对定量的分析,研究了大鹏半岛土培纤毛虫的群落特点,其群落由４２种结毛虫组成,其中包括我国的新记录种４个;主要胡蝶形康纤虫（Ｃｏｈｎｉｌｅｍｂｕｓ ｖｅｘｉｌｌａｒｉｕｓ）、背沟肾形虫（Ｃｏｌｐｏｄａ ｈｅｎｎｅｇｕｙｉ）期氏肾形虫（Ｃ．ｓｔｅｉｎｉｉ）、苔藓织毛虫（Ｈｉｓｔｒｉｃｕｌｕｓ ｍｕｓｃｉｏｒｕｍ）、近亲殖口虫（Ｇｏｎｏｓｔｏｍｕｍ ｚ     

浙江天童植物群落演替对土壤化学性质的影响

对浙江天童植物群落演替过程的土壤腐殖质层、0～10cm层和10～20cm层化学因子的比较研究结果表明,随着进展演替,土壤全氮含量呈明显增长趋势,但硝态氮、氨态氮、速效氮、速效磷和速效钾含量除演替初期的裸地、灌丛较小外,森林群落阶段增长趋势一般不明显;土壤pH值则缺乏明显的规律性,但有机质含量呈明显增长趋势,而富里酸和胡敏酸含量,除栲树木荷林和栲树林较高,裸地最低外,其它演替阶段增长趋势也不明显;HA/FA在腐殖质层缺乏明显的规律性,但在0～10cm和10～20cm层则呈减少趋势。可见,常绿阔叶林次生演替能增加土壤有机物质含量,促进土壤有机物质的矿化和再合成作用;而土壤化学性状的改善,也为常绿阔叶林的进展演替奠定了基础。     

The role of below-ground competition during early stages of secondary succession: the case of 3-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings in an abandoned grassland

In abandoned or extensively managed grasslands, the mechanisms involved in pioneer tree species success are not fully explained. Resource competition among plants and microclimate modifications have been emphasised as possible mechanisms to explain variation of survivorship and growth. In this study, we evaluated a number of mechanisms that may lead to successful survival and growth of seedlings of a pioneer tree species (Pinus sylvestris) in a grass-dominated grassland. Three-year-old Scots pines were planted in an extensively managed grassland of the French Massif Central and for 2 years were either maintained in bare soil or subjected to aerial and below-ground interactions induced by grass vegetation. Soil temperatures were slightly higher in bare soil than under the grass vegetation, but not to an extent explaining pine growth differences. The tall grass canopy reduced light transmission by 77% at ground level and by 20% in the upper part of Scots pine seedlings. Grass vegetation presence also significantly decreased soil volumetric water content (Hv) and soil nitrate in spring and in summer. In these conditions, the average tree height was reduced by 5% compared to trees grown in bare soil, and plant biomass was reduced by 85%. Scots pine intrinsic water-use efficiency (A/g), measured by leaf gas-exchange, increased when Hv decreased owing to a rapid decline of stomatal conductance (g). This result was also confirmed by δ ¹³C analyses of needles. A summer ¹⁵N labelling of seedlings and grass vegetation confirmed the higher NO₃ capture capacity of grass vegetation in comparison with Scots pine seedlings. Our results provide evidence that the seedlings' success was linked to tolerance of below-ground resource depletion (particularly water) induced by grass vegetation based on morphological and physiological plasticity as well as to resource conservation.     

Potassium in agriculture – Status and perspectives

In this review we summarize factors determining the plant availability of soil potassium (K), the role of K in crop yield formation and product quality, and the dependence of crop stress resistance on K nutrition. Average soil reserves of K are generally large, but most of it is not plant-available. Therefore, crops need to be supplied with soluble K fertilizers, the demand of which is expected to increase significantly, particularly in developing regions of the world. Recent investigations have shown that organic exudates of some bacteria and plant roots play a key role in releasing otherwise unavailable K from K-bearing minerals. Thus, breeding for genotypes that have improved mechanisms to gain access to this fixed K will contribute toward more sustainable agriculture, particularly in cropping systems that do not have access to fertilizer K. In K-deficient crops, the supply of sink organs with photosynthates is impaired, and sugars accumulate in source leaves. This not only affects yield formation, but also quality parameters, for example in wheat, potato and grape. As K has beneficial effects on human health, its concentration in the harvest product is a quality parameter in itself. Owing to its fundamental roles in turgor generation, primary metabolism, and long-distance transport, K plays a prominent role in crop resistance to drought, salinity, high light, or cold as well as resistance to pests and pathogens. Despite the abundance of vital roles of K in crop production, an improvement of K uptake and use efficiency has not been a major focus of conventional or transgenic breeding in the past. In addition, current soil analysis methods for K are insufficient for some common soils, posing the risk of imbalanced fertilization. A stronger prioritization of these areas of research is needed to counter declines in soil fertility and to improve food security.     

Two new species of Aspergillus section Fumigati isolated from caatinga soil in the State of Pernambuco,Brazil

Aspergillus caatingaensis and A. pernambucoensis, isolated from semi-desert soil in caatinga area, the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, are described and illustrated. Aspergillus caatingaensis is characterized by its white cleistothecia, broadly lenticular ascospores with four equatorial crests and irregularly ribbed to slightly reticulate with aculeate convex surfaces, and ellipsoidal to broadly ellipsoidal conidia with a smooth wall. Aspergillus pernambucoensis is characterized by its, white cleistothecia, lenticular ascospores with two equatorial crests and irregularly ribbed with tuberculate to verrucate convex surfaces, and ovoid to broadly ellipsoidal conidia with a smooth wall. The validation of these new species is supported further by analyses of the β-tubulin, calmodulin and actin gene sequences.     

Ecosystem changes associated with grazing in subhumid South American grasslands

Question: What are the changes in vegetation structure, soil attributes and mesofauna associated with grazing in mesic grasslands? Location: Southern Campos of the Río de la Plata grasslands, in south‐central Uruguay. Methods: We surveyed seven continuously grazed and ungrazed paired plots. Plant and litter cover were recorded on three 5‐m interception lines placed parallel to the fence in each plot. We extracted soil fauna from a 10 cm deep composite sample and analysed the oribatids. Soil attributes included bulk density, water content, organic carbon (in particulate and mineral associated organic matter) and nitrogen content and root biomass at different depths. Changes in floristic, Plant Functional Types and mesofauna composition were analysed by Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling. Results: Species number was lower in ungrazed than in grazed plots. Of 105 species in grazed plots only three were exotics. Shrub and litter cover were significantly higher inside the exclosures, while the cover of Cyperaceae‐Juncaceae was lower. Grazing treatments differed significantly in plant and oribatid species composition. Grazing exclusion significantly reduced soil bulk density and increased soil water content. Carbon content in particulate organic matter was lower in the upper soil of ungrazed sites, but deeper in the profile, grazing exclosures had 8% more carbon in the mineral associated organic matter. Conclusions Our results generally agree with previous studies but deviate from the results of previous analyses in (1) the increase of shrub cover in ungrazed sites; (2) the redistribution of the soil organic carbon in the profile and (3) the low invasibility of the prairies regardless of grazing regime.     

土壤重金属污染对蚯蚓的急性毒性效应研究

测定了草甸棕壤条件下 ,Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd单一 /复合污染对蚯蚓的急性致死及亚致死效应 .结果表明 ,Cu、Pb浓度与蚯蚓死亡率显著相关 (α=0 .0 5 ,RCu=0 .86 ,RPb=0 .87) ,Cu浓度与生长抑制率显著相关 (α=0 .0 5 ,RCu=0 .84) ,其他供试重金属浓度与蚯蚓死亡率和生长抑制率相关性不显著 .蚯蚓个体对重金属毒性的耐受程度差别较大 .其毒性阈值 (引起个体蚯蚓死亡浓度 )分别为 :Cu 30 0mg·kg-1,Zn 130 0mg·kg-1,Pb 170 0mg·kg-1,Cd 30 0mg·kg-1.LC50 分别为 :Cu 40 0～ 45 0mg·kg-1,Zn15 0 0～ 190 0mg·kg-1,Pb2 35 0～ 2 40 0mg·kg-1,Cd 90 0mg·kg-1.在Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd单一污染引起 >10 %蚯蚓死亡的浓度下 ,复合污染导致 10 0 %蚯蚓死亡 ,表明复合污染极强的协同效应 .     

Metabolism of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide during nitrification and denitrification in soil at different incubation conditions

Abstract NO production and consumption rates as well as N₂O accumulation rates were measured in a loamy cambisol which was incubated under different conditions (i.e. soil moisture content, addition of nitrogen fertilizer and/or glucose, aerobic or anaerobic gas phase). Inhibition of nitrification with acetylene allowed us to distinguish between nitrification and denitrification as sources of NO and N₂O. Under aerobic conditions untreated soil showed very low release of NO and N₂O but high consumption of NO. Fertilization with NH₄⁺ or urea stimulated both NO and N₂O production by nitrification. Addition of glucose at high soil moisture contents led to increased N₂ and N₂O production by denitrification, but not to increased NO production rates. Anaerobic conditions, however, stimulated both NO and N₂O production by denitrification. The production of NO and N₂O was further stimulated at low moisture contents and after addition of glucose or NO₃⁻. Anaerobic consumption of NO by denitrification followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and was stimulated by addition of glucose and NO₃⁻. Aerobic consumption of NO followed first-order kinetics up to mixing ratios of at least 14 ppmv NO, was inhibited by autoclaving but not by acetylene, and decreased with increasing soil moisture content. The high NO-consumption activity and the effects of soil moisture on the apparent rates of anaerobic and aerobic production and consumption of NO suggest that diffusional constraints have an important influence on the release of NO, and may be a reason for the different behaviour of NO release vs N₂O release.