Does soil aging affect the N2O mitigation potential of biochar? A combined microcosm and field study

The application of biochar as a soil amendment to improve soil fertility has been suggested as a tool to reduce soil‐borne CO₂ and non‐CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions, especially nitrous oxide (N₂O). Both laboratory and field trials have demonstrated N₂O emission reduction by biochar amendment, but the long‐term effect (>1 year) has been questioned. Here, we present results of a combined microcosm and field study using a powdered beech wood biochar from slow pyrolysis. The field experiment showed that both CO₂ and N₂O emissions were still effectively reduced by biochar in the third year after application. However, biochar did not influence the biomass yield of sunflower for biogas production (Helianthus annuus L.). Biochar reduced bulk density and increased soil aeration and thus reduced the water‐filled pore space (WFPS) in the field, but was also able to suppress N₂O emission in the microcosms experiment conducted at constant WFPS. For both experiments, biochar had limited impact on soil mineral nitrogen speciation, but it reduced the accumulation of nitrite in the microcosms. Extraction of soil DNA and quantification of functional marker genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that biochar did not alter the abundance of nitrogen‐transforming bacteria and archaea in both field and microcosm experiments. In contradiction to previous experiments, this study demonstrates the long‐term N₂O emission suppression potential of a wood biochar and thus highlights its overall climate change mitigation potential. While a detailed understanding of the underlying mechanisms requires further research, we provide evidence for a range of biochar‐induced changes to the soil environment and their change with time that might explain the often observed N₂O emission suppression.     

人工湿地植物种类和多样性对氧化亚氮释放及功能基因丰度的影响

为了解人工湿地处理中碳/氮水平的废水时植物种类及多样性对系统氧化亚氮释放及功能基因丰度的影响,本研究构建了实验尺度的垂直流人工湿地微宇宙实验系统.选取芦苇(Phragmites australis)、千屈菜(Lythrum salicaria)和海寿花(Pontederia cordata)3种人工湿地常用、景观效果好的植物,在系统中配置了3个单种处理和1个三物种混种处理.结果表明:芦苇、千屈菜与海寿花混种系统的氧化亚氮释放强度(24597.0 μg N2O·m-2·d^-1)高于三物种单种系统的平均值(11744.8 μg N2O·m^-2·d^-1)(P<0.001),同氧化亚氮释放一样,混种系统的amoA基因绝对丰度(6.33× 10^7 copies·g^-1 soil)和nirS基因绝对丰度(1.92× 106 copies·g^-1 soil)也高于三物种单种系统的平均值(5.70×10^7和1.58×10^6 copies·g^-1 soil).此外,混种系统的出水硝态氮浓度低于三物种单种系统的平均值(P<0.05),但出水硝态氮浓度、微生物量和植物生物量在单混种系统间无显著差异(P>0.05).3个单种系统间的氧化亚氮释放强度、amoA基因绝对丰度、nirS基因绝对丰度、出水铵态氮浓度、微生物量和植物生物量存在显著差异(P<0.01),但出水硝态氮无显著差异(P>0.05).通过植物种类和丰富度对各指标变异的解释度发现,植物种类和丰富度分别解释变异的比率存在一定差异,总体上,植物丰富度对氧化亚氮释放、amoA基因绝对丰度和nirS基因绝对丰度的影响大于植物种类,植物种类对出水硝态氮浓度的影响大于植物丰富度.     

淡水富营养型湖泊沉积物亚硝酸还原酶基因(nirS)的多样性和系统发育

【目的】以亚硝酸盐还原酶基因(nirS)为分子标记,探讨富营养化湖泊武汉东湖沉积物中NirS类反硝化细菌群落的多样性及系统发育,并分析环境因子对群落分布的影响。【方法】在武汉东湖4个典型子湖郭郑湖、汤菱湖、团湖和庙湖采集沉积物样品,测定环境参数;提取沉积物中微生物群落基因组DNA,分别构建4个子湖的反硝化微生物的nirS基因文库,利用限制性片段长度的多态性分析(Restriction Fragment LengthPolymorphism,RFLP)技术初步分群,确定各群的代表菌株并测定其nirS基因序列;利用DOTUR软件计算各群落多样性和丰富度指数,以Neighbor-Joining法构建供试菌与参比菌的系统发育树。【结果】环境参数测定结果表明东湖4个子湖中庙湖沉积物总氮(TN)和氨态氮(NH 4+-N)含量最高,团湖最低,郭郑湖沉积物中NO 3-浓度最高。基于NirS序列的生物多样性和丰富度分析表明团湖生物多样性和丰富度指数最高而庙湖各项指数均较低。各子湖供试序列及其代表序列综合RFLP聚类分析表明,武汉东湖沉积物中NirS类反硝化微生物种群具有丰富的多样性。NJ系统发育分析表明东湖沉积物NirS类反硝化菌群可分成3个较大群体(群I-III)。群I占总群体的67.7%,广泛分布于不同的生态环境;来自郭郑湖代表菌的81%分布于群I,而庙湖的代表菌中65%分布于群II。比较分析发现来自于东湖和人工湿地两种生境的NirS群落间具有较高的相似性。【结论】武汉东湖淡水富营养型湖泊沉积物中亚硝酸还原酶基因(nirS)具有丰富的多样性。东湖沉积物中TN、NH 4+和NO 3-的浓度可能是影响NirS类反硝化微生物多样性和空间分布的重要因素之一。     

氮肥对小麦田土壤nirS型反硝化细菌多样性的影响

摘要：【目的】研究施用无机氮肥对小麦田土壤nirS型反硝化细菌多样性的影响。【方法】通过构建反硝化细菌亚硝酸盐还原酶nirS基因克隆文库,采用限制性片段长度多态性（Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, RFLP）技术分析了施氮肥处理和不施氮肥处理土壤中nirS型反硝化细菌的多样性。【结果】两种处理各自分别得到了27个可操作分类单元（Operational Taxa Units, OTUs）,其中有9个OTUs在两个处理中相同。虽然两种处理中 nirS反硝化细菌的香农-威纳指数,Simpon指数,丰富度指数,均匀度指数相近,但是土壤的OTU类型发生了很大变化。通过对施氮肥处理nirS文库中11个代表性nirS克隆子的序列分析,有10个克隆子与数据库中的nirS序列的相似度在73％～95％之间,有1个序列在数据库中找不到相似序列。【结论】施氮肥在短期内显著改变了土壤中nirS型反硝化细菌群落结构的构成。     

天然林转人工林对亚热带森林土壤团聚体中亚硝酸盐还原基因丰度的影响

我国亚热带地区大面积天然林已转变为人工林,对森林生态系统结构和功能产生了极大影响。为揭示森林土壤团聚体中N₂O产生的关键基因亚硝酸盐还原基因(nirK和nirS)对森林转换后的响应特征,本研究选取中亚热带米槠天然林、杉木人工林和马尾松人工林为对象,分析了3种林分土壤和团聚体中nirK和nirS基因丰度。结果表明: 天然林转变成人工林后,土壤pH值升高,但铵态氮含量下降。森林转换对土壤团聚体结构组成影响不大,但不同粒径团聚体中nirK和nirS基因丰度存在差异,以小团聚体分布最多,粉-黏颗粒分布最少。各林分土壤中nirK基因丰度均显著高于nirS基因丰度,表明nirK在酸性森林土壤中占主导。天然林转人工林显著增加全土和团聚体中nirK及nirS基因丰度,表明森林转换有利于提高nirK和nirS基因丰度,这可能与pH值的提高有关。综上,天然林转变为杉木或马尾松人工林显著提高了土壤和团聚体中nirK和nirS丰度,但对团聚体质量分数无显著影响。     

Linking denitrifier community structure and prevalent biogeochemical parameters in the pelagial of the central Baltic Proper (Baltic Sea)

The oxic-anoxic interface of the water column of the Gotland Basin (central Baltic Sea) is characterised by defined biogeochemical gradients and is hypothesised to be a zone of pronounced denitrification. Our aim was to analyse the composition and distribution of pelagic denitrifying microorganisms in relation to the physico-chemical gradients in the water column. PCR-amplified nirS genes--coding for dissimilatory nitrite reductase--were analysed as functional markers by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and cloning. The overall nirS diversity was low, with the lowest levels found at the oxic-anoxic interface. Only a few terminal restriction fragments dominated the denitrifier communities throughout the water column, and these could be assigned to several new Baltic Sea clusters that were revealed by phylogenetic analysis. The novel clusters were separated in two groups corresponding to the oxygen concentrations within specific layers of the water column. Gradients of prevalent biogeochemical parameters (H(2)S, NH(4) (+), NO(3) (-) and O(2)) largely determined the composition of the nirS-type denitrifier communities within the water column of the Gotland Basin.