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1.
Nitrogen transformation rates and N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O producing pathways in two pasture soils
Ting Lan Helen Suter Rui Liu Xuesong Gao Deli Chen 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2018,18(9):2970-2979
Purpose
Better understanding of N transformations and the regulation of N2O-related N transformation processes in pasture soil contributes significantly to N fertilizer management and development of targeted mitigation strategies.Materials and methods
15N tracer technique combined with acetylene (C2H2) method was used to measure gross N transformation rates and to distinguish pathways of N2O production in two Australian pasture soils. The soils were collected from Glenormiston (GN) and Terang (TR), Victoria, Australia, and incubated at a soil moisture content of 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS) and at temperature of 20 °C.Results and discussion
Two tested pasture soils were characterized by high mineralization and immobilization turnover. The average gross N nitrification rate (ntot) was 7.28 mg N kg?1 day?1 in TR soil () and 5.79 mg N kg?1 day?1 in GN soil. Heterotrophic nitrification rates (nh), which accounting for 50.8 and 41.9% of ntot, and 23.4 and 30.1% of N2O emissions in GN and TR soils, respectively, played a role similar with autotrophic nitrification in total nitrification and N2O emission. Denitrification rates in two pasture soils were as low as 0.003–0.004 mg N kg?1 day?1 under selected conditions but contributed more than 30% of N2O emissions.Conclusions
Results demonstrated that two tested pasture soils were characterized by fast N transformation rates of mineralization, immobilization, and nitrification. Heterotrophic nitrification could be an important NO3?–N production transformation process in studied pasture soils. Except for autotrophic nitrification, roles of heterotrophic nitrification and denitrification in N2O emission in two pasture soils should be considered when developing mitigation strategies.2.
Paula T. Ibell Zhihong Xu Terence Blake Timothy J. Blumfield 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2013,13(9):1538-1552
Purpose
We investigated the effects of weed control and fertilization at early establishment on foliar stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (N) isotope (δ15N) compositions, foliar N concentration, tree growth and biomass, relative weed cover and other physiological traits in a 2-year old F1 hybrid (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii (Engelm) × Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (Barr. ex Golf.)) plantation grown on a yellow earth in southeast Queensland of subtropical Australia.Materials and methods
Treatments included routine weed control, luxury weed control, intermediate weed control, mechanical weed control, nil weed control, and routine and luxury fertilization in a randomised complete block design. Initial soil nutrition and soil fertility parameters included (hot water extractable organic carbon (C) and total nitrogen (N), total C and N, C/N ratio, labile N pools (nitrate (NO3 ?) and ammonium (NH4 +)), extractable potassium (K+)), soil δ15N and δ13C. Relative weed cover, foliar N concentrations, tree growth rate and physiological parameters including photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency, foliar δ15N and foliar δ13C were also measured at early establishment.Results and discussion
Foliar N concentration at 1.25 years was significantly different amongst the weed control treatments and was negatively correlated to the relative weed cover at 1.1 years. Foliar N concentration was also positively correlated to foliar δ15N and foliar δ13C, tree height, height growth rates and tree biomass. Foliar δ15N was negatively correlated to the relative weed cover at 0.8 and 1.1 years. The physiological measurements indicated that luxury fertilization and increasing weed competition on these soils decreased leaf xylem pressure potential (Ψxpp) when compared to the other treatments.Conclusions
These results indicate how increasing N resources and weed competition have implications for tree N and water use at establishment in F1 hybrid plantations of southeast Queensland, Australia. These results suggest the desirability of weed control, in the inter-planting row, in the first year to maximise site N and water resources available for seedling growth. It also showed the need to avoid over-fertilisation, which interfered with the balance between available N and water on these soils. 相似文献3.
Yaling Zhang Hong Chen Shahla Hosseini Bai Carl Menke Manyun Zhang Zhihong Xu 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(10):2400-2409
Purpose
This study aimed to assess the effects of biochar on improving nitrogen (N) pools in mine spoil and examine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil carbon (C) storage.Materials and methods
The experiment consisted of three plant species (Austrostipa ramossissima, Dichelachne micrantha, and Lomandra longifolia) planted in the N-poor mine spoil with application of biochar produced at three temperatures (650, 750, and 850 °C) under both ambient (400 μL L?1) and elevated (700 μL L?1) CO2. We assessed mine spoil total C and N concentrations and stable C and N isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N), as well as hot water extractable organic C (HWEOC) and total N (HWETN) concentrations.Results and discussion
Soil total N significantly increased following biochar application across all species. Elevated CO2 induced soil C loss for A. ramossissima and D. micrantha without biochar application and D. micrantha with the application of biochar produced at 750 °C. In contrast, elevated CO2 exhibited no significant effect on soil total C for A. littoralis, D. micrantha, or L. longifolia under any other biochar treatments.Conclusions
Biochar application is a promising means to improve N retention and thus, reduce environmentally harmful N fluxes in mine spoil. However, elevated CO2 exhibited no significant effects on increasing soil total C, which indicated that mine spoil has limited potential to store rising atmospheric CO2.4.
Yaling Zhang Carl Menke Barbara Drigo Shahla Hosseini Bai Ian Anderson Zhihong Xu Hong Chen Manyun Zhang 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(10):2410-2419
Purpose
Re-establishment of soil nitrogen (N) capital is a priority in mine rehabilitation. We aimed to evaluate the effects of biochar addition on improving mine spoil N pools and the influence of elevated CO2 concentration on mine rehabilitation.Materials and methods
We assessed the effects of pinewood biochar, produced at three temperatures (650, 750 and 850 °C, referred as B650, B750 and B850, respectively), on mine spoil total N concentrations with five different plant species, including a tree species (Eucalyptus crebra), N-fixing shrubs (Acacia floribunda and Allocasuarina littoralis) and C3 and C4 grasses (Austrodanthonia tenuior and Themeda australis) incubated at ambient (400 μL L?1) and elevated (700 μL L?1) atmospheric CO2 concentrations, as well as the effects of elevated CO2 on mine rehabilitation.Results and discussion
Soil total N significantly improved following biochar incorporation under all plant species (P < 0.05) except for T. Australis. E. crebra had the highest soil total N (0.197%, 0.198% and 0.212% for B650, B750 and B850, respectively). Different from the negligible influence of elevated CO2 on soil properties under the grasses and the N-fixing shrubs, elevated CO2 significantly increased soil water and hot water extractable organic C (WEOC and HWEOC, respectively) and decreased total C under E. crebra, indicating that the nutrient demands were not met.Conclusions
Biochar addition showed the potential in mine rehabilitation in terms of improving soil N pool, especially with E. crebra. However, it would be more difficulty to rehabilitate mine spoils in future with the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration.5.
Bangliang Deng Zhenzhen Li Ling Zhang Yingchao Ma Zhi Li Wenyuan Zhang Xiaomin Guo Dekui Niu Evan Siemann 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(3):777-784
Purpose
Ecosystem restorations can impact carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions which are important greenhouse gasses. Alpine meadows are degraded worldwide, but restorations are increasing. Because their soils represent large carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, they may produce significant amounts of CO2 and N2O depending on the plant species used in restorations. In addition, warming and N deposition may impact soil CO2 and N2O emissions from restored meadows.Materials and methods
We collected soils from degraded meadows and plots restored using three different plant species at Wugong Mountain (Jiangxi, China). We measured CO2 and N2O emissions when soils were incubated at different temperatures (15, 25 or 35 °C) and levels of N addition (control vs. 4 g m?2) to understand their responses to warming and N deposition.Results and discussion
Dissolved organic C was higher in restored plots (especially with Fimbristylis dichotoma) compared to non-restored bare soils, and their soil inorganic N was lower. CO2 emission rates were increased by vegetation restorations, decreased by N deposition, and increased by warming. CO2 emission rates were similar for the three grass species at 15 and 25 °C, but they were lower with Miscanthus floridulus at 35 °C. Soils from F. dichotoma and Carex chinensis plots had higher N2O emissions than degraded or M. floridulus plots, especially at 25 °C.Conclusions
These results show that the effects of restorations on soil greenhouse gas emissions depended on plant species. In addition, these differences varied with temperature suggesting that future climate should be considered when choosing plant species in restorations to predict soil CO2 and N2O emissions and global warming potential.6.
Junqiang Zheng Yuzhe Wang Nan Hui Haibo Dong Chengrong Chen Shijie Han Zhihong Xu 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(4):949-959
Purpose
Our aim was to examine linkages between mass loss, chemical transformation and CH4 production during decomposition of leaf litters submerged under water. We hypothesised that (i) labile leaf litters would fuel a rapid, high rate of methane (CH4) production and that recalcitrant litters would fuel long-lasting but lower emissions, (ii) leaf litters experiencing a greater alteration to chemical properties would stimulate increased CH4 production and (iii) nitrogen (N) addition would increase CH4 emissions.Materials and methods
Litters from six plant species were collected from a riparian ecosystem adjacent to Wyaralong Dam, located in Queensland, Australia, i.e., Lophostemon confertus, Cynodon dactylon, Heteropogon contortus, Chamaecrista rotundifolia, Chrysocephalum apiculatum and Imperata cylindrica. We evaluated the rate of mass loss and CH4 emissions for 122 days of incubation in inundated microcosms with and without N addition. We quantified the chemical changes in the decomposing litters with 13 C-cross polarization and magic angle spinning (CPMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum.Results and discussion
The inundation treatment of plant litters significantly affected decomposition rates. All litters decomposed in either inundated or aerobic microcosms were quite distinct with regard to the NMR spectra of their initial litters. N addition altered the NMR spectra under both inundation and aerobic conditions. The N treatment only marginally influenced the decomposition rates of I. cylindrica and C. apiculatum litters. The diurnal patterns of CH4 production in the H. contortus, C. rotundifolia and C. apiculatum litters under inundation incubation could be expressed as one-humped curves, with the peak value dependent on litter species and N treatment. N addition stimulated CH4 emission by C. rotundifolia and C. apiculatum litters and inhibited CH4 emission from microcosms containing the litters of the three gramineous species, i.e., I. cylindrica, C. dactylon and H. contortus.Conclusions
Our results provide evidence that labile leaf litters could fuel a rapid, high rate of CH4 production and that recalcitrant litters fuelled a lower CH4 emission. We did not find that leaf litters with altered chemical properties stimulated increased CH4 production. We also found that N addition was able to increase CH4 emissions, but this effect was dependent on the litter species.7.
Xi-En Long Ju-Pei Shen Jun-Tao Wang Li-Mei Zhang Hongjie Di Ji-Zheng He 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(2):384-392
Purpose
Nitrification and denitrification processes dominate nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in grassland ecosystems, but their relative contribution as well as the abiotic factors are still not well understood.Materials and methods
Two grassland soils from Duolun in Inner Mongolia, China, and Canterbury in New Zealand were used to quantitatively compare N2O production and the abundance of bacterial and archaeal amoA, denitrifying nirK and nirS genes in response to N additions (0 and 100 μg NH4 +–N g?1 dry soil) and two soil moisture levels (40 and 80 % water holding capacity) using microcosms.Results and discussion
Soil moisture rather than N availability significantly increased the nitrification rate in the Duolun soil but not in the Canterbury soil. Moreover, N addition promoted denitrification enzyme activities in the Canterbury soil but not in the Duolun soil. The abundance of bacterial and archaeal amoA genes significantly increased as soil moisture increased in the Duolun soil, whereas in the Canterbury soil, only the abundance of bacterial amoA gene increased. The increase in N2O flux induced by N addition was significantly greater in the Duolun soil than in the Canterbury soil, suggesting that nitrification may have a dominant role in N2O emission for the Duolun soil, while denitrification for the Canterbury soil.Conclusions
Microbial processes controlling N2O emission differed in grassland soils, thus providing important baseline data in terms of global change.8.
Jiangbing Xu Youzhi Feng Yanling Wang Xiaosan Luo Jianwu Tang Xiangui Lin 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(3):916-923
Purpose
The extract of Stevia residue is an ideal substitute for cultivation of the purple nonsulfur bacterium, like Rhodopseudomonas palustris (R. palustris). But the influence of R. palustris grown under residue extract on its downstream application is still not well-characterized. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of foliar spray of R. palustris grown under Stevia residue extract on the plant growth and soil microbial properties.Materials and methods
A pot experiment was carried out under the greenhouse condition, consisting of four treatments varying in the sprayed substances: sterilized water (control), R. palustris grown under the chemical medium supplemented with L-tryptophan (SyT), R. palustris grown under Stevia residue extract supplemented with L-tryptophan (ExT), and R. palustris grown under Stevia residue extract supplemented with NH4Cl (ExT). The net photosynthesis rate of the uppermost leaves was measured with a portable photosynthesis system. Soil microbial activity was analyzed by microcalorimetry. Soil bacterial community components were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing techniques.Results and discussion
Compared with SyT, the R. palustris grown under Stevia residue extract not only improved the plant biomass and the net photosynthetic rate to a large extent, but also increased soil microbial metabolic activity and altered community compositions as well. The treatments receiving R. palustris, especially ExT and ExN, increased the relative abundances of some functional guilds involved in C turnover and nutrient cycling in soil, including Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadaetes, Nitrospirae, and Planctomycetes.Conclusions
R. palustris grown under the Stevia residue extract showed advantages over that under the chemical medium on both plant growth and soil microbial properties. One of the possible reasons could result from the increases in microbial activity and several bacterial keystone guilds involved into C and nutrient cycling, both of which potentially contribute to the improved plant growth. The results would be conducive to the downstream application of R. palustris in an economical way.9.
Jiangpei Han Jiachun Shi Lingzao Zeng Jianming Xu Laosheng Wu 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(2):471-480
Purpose
Sampling and analysis of greenhouse soils were conducted in Shouguang, China, to study continuous excessive fertilization effect on nitrifying microbial community dynamics in greenhouse environment.Materials and methods
Potential nitrification activity (PNA), abundance, and structure of nitrifying microbial communities as well as the correlations with soil properties were investigated.Results and discussion
Short-term excessive fertilization increased soil nutrient contents and the diversity of nitrifying microbial communities under greenhouse cultivation. However, the abundance and diversity of nitrifying communities decreased greatly due to the increase of soil acidity and salinity after 14 years of high fertilization in greenhouse. There was a significant positive correlation between soil PNA and the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) but not that of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in topsoil (0–20 cm) when pH ≥7. Soil PNA and AOB were strongly influenced by soil pH. The groups of Nitrososphaeraceae, Nitrosomonadaceae, and Nitrospiraceae were predominant in the AOA, AOB, and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) communities, respectively. Nitrifying community structure was significantly correlated with soil electrical salinity (EC), organic carbon (OC), and nitrate nitrogen (NO3 ?–N) content by redundancy analysis (RDA).Conclusions
Nitrification was predominated by AOB in greenhouse topsoil with high fertilizer loads. Soil salinity, OC, NO3 ?–N content, and pH affected by continuous excessive fertilization were the major edaphic factors in shaping nitrifying community structure in greenhouse soils.10.
Haroldo Lobo Leire Méndez-Fernández Maite Martínez-Madrid Michiel A. Daam Evaldo L. G. Espíndola 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(12):2766-2774
Purpose
This study aimed at evaluating the acute effects of arsenic and zinc to the warmwater aquatic oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi. Relative sensitivity with the coldwater species Tubifex tubifex was compared. Implications for the use of B. sowerbyi in the risk assessment of sediments in the tropics are discussed.Materials and methods
Water-only (96 h) and sediment (14 days) toxicity tests were conducted with both species evaluating a concentration series of arsenic and zinc. The tests were conducted considering the environmental conditions in the natural habitat of T. tubifex (predominantly temperate) and B. sowerbyi (predominantly tropical). Both lethal and sublethal endpoints (autotomy of the posterior body parts, abnormal behavior and appearance) were determined in the tests. The lethal (LC10 and LC50) and effect (EC10 and EC50) concentrations were also determined to assess metal sensitivity for both species.Results and discussion
Both test species were more sensitive to Zn than As in water-only tests, which is in agreement with previous studies evaluating the toxicity of these metals to aquatic oligochaetes. Sublethal effects were generally noted at concentrations lower than those leading to mortality. The warmwater oligochaete B. sowerbyi was more sensitive to both metals tested than the coldwater species T. tubifex.Conclusions
Study findings support the need for using indigenous tropical species in risk assessments in the tropics. In addition, sublethal effect parameters should be included in toxicity testing with aquatic oligochaetes.11.
Vincenzo Bagarello Vito Ferro Vincenzo Pampalone Paolo Porto Francesca Todisco Lorenzo Vergni 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2018,18(12):3365-3377
Purpose
The USLE-MM estimates event normalized plot soil loss, Ae,N, by an erosivity term given by the runoff coefficient, QR, times the single-storm erosion index, EI30, raised to an exponent b1?>?1. This modeling scheme is based on an expected power relationship, with an exponent greater than one, between event sediment concentration, Ce, and the EI30/Pe (Pe = rainfall depth) term. In this investigation, carried out at the three experimental sites of Bagnara, Masse, and Sparacia, in Italy; the soundness of the USLE-MM scheme was tested.Materials and methods
A total of 1192 (Ae,N, QREI30) data pairs were used to parameterize the model both locally and considering all sites simultaneously. The performances of the fitted models were established by considering all erosive events and also by distinguishing between events of different severity.Results and discussion
The b1 exponent varied widely among the three sites (1.05–1.44) but using a common exponent (1.18) for these sites was possible. The Ae,N prediction accuracy increased in the passage from the smallest erosion events (Ae,N?≤?1 Mg ha?1, median error =?3.35) to the largest ones (Ae,N?>?10 Mg ha?1, median error =?1.72). The QREI30 term was found to be usable to predict both Ae,N and the expected maximum uncertainty of this prediction. Soil erodibility was found to be mainly controlled by the largest erosion events.Conclusions
Development of a single USLE-MM model appears possible. Sampling other sites is advisable to develop a single USLE-MM model for a general use.12.
Qing Teng Xue-Feng Hu Chang Cheng Zhiqing Luo Fan Luo Yong Xue Yijun Jiang Zhen Mu Liming Liu Minyong Yang 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(10):2395-2407
Purpose
This paper aims to study the ecological effects of rice-duck integrated farming on soil fertility and weed and pest control.Materials and methods
A field experiment was carried out in the suburb of Shanghai in 2014, which included a rice-duck integrated treatment and non-duck treatment (CK) under organic management. Each treatment was in triplicate, and the experiment included six plots in total, with each plot 667 m2 in area.Results and discussion
(1) The number of weeds in the plots with the duck treatment was significantly lower than that with CK (p?<?0.01). (2) The incidence of stem borers (Chilo suppressalis) with the duck treatment was significantly lower than that with CK (p?<?0.05). The incidences of rice leaf rollers (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), rice sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani), and planthoppers with the duck treatment were extremely significantly lower than those with CK (p?<?0.01). (3) The contents of NH4 +-N, alkali-hydrolyzable N, available P, and available K in the soils with the duck treatment were higher than those with CK, and the activities of urease, phosphatase, sucrase, and catalase in the soils with the duck treatment were also much higher than those with CK. The grain yield with the duck treatment was 1.9 times that with CK. (4) The number of soil nematodes with the duck treatment was significantly higher than that with CK in the late rice growing stage (p?<?0.01).Conclusions
Raising ducks in the paddy fields not only showed a potential of controlling weed hazards and reducing rice pests and diseases but also raised soil fertility, improved soil biodiversity, and increased grain yield effectively. Implementing the rice-duck integrated farming could highly reduce the amount of pesticides and herbicides and was beneficial to develop the organic rice farming in the suburbs of Shanghai, Southeast China.13.
Ying Wang BoWen Zhang NanJun Chen Can Wang Su Feng Heng Xu 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2018,18(6):2136-2147
Purpose
The subjects of this study were to investigate the remediating potential of the co-cultivation of Pleurotus eryngii and Coprinus comatus on soil that is co-contaminated with heavy metal (cadmium (Cd)) and organic pollutant (endosulfan), and the effects of the co-cultivated mushrooms on soil biochemical indicators, such as laccase enzyme activity and bacterial counts.Materials and methods
A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the combined bioremediation effects on co-contaminated soil. After the mature fruiting bodies were harvested from each pot, the biomass of mushrooms was recorded. In addition, bacterial counts and laccase enzyme activity in soil were determined. The content of Cd in mushrooms and soil was detected by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and the variations of Cd fractions in soil were determined following the modified BCR sequential extraction procedure. Besides, the residual endosulfan in soil was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).Results and discussion
The results indicated that co-cultivation of P. eryngii and C. comatus exerted the best remediation effect on the co-contaminated soil. The biomass of mushroom in the co-cultivated group (T group) was 1.57–13.20 and 19.75–56.64% higher than the group individually cultivated with P. eryngii (P group) or C. comatus (C group), respectively. The concentrations of Cd in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms were 1.83–3.06, 1.04–2.28, and 0.67–2.60 mg/kg in T, P, and C groups, respectively. Besides, the removal rates of endosulfan in all treatments exceeded 87%. The best bioremediation effect in T group might be caused by the mutual promotion of these two kinds of mushrooms.Conclusions
The biomass of mushroom, laccase activity, bacterial counts, and Cd content in mushrooms were significantly enhanced, and the dissipation effect of endosulfan was slightly higher in the co-cultivated group than in the individually cultivated groups. In this study, the effect of co-cultivated macro fungi P. eryngii and C. comatus on the remediation of Cd and endosulfan co-contaminated soil was firstly reported, and the results are important for a better understanding of the co-remediation for co-contaminated soil.14.
Purpose
Developing routine methods that accurately predict soil nitrogen (N) mineralization is essential for fertilization recommendation; thus, chemical soil testing has received worldwide attention. However, the optimal chemical soil test for predicting soil N mineralization is region specific. This study aimed to determine suitable chemical soil tests for predicting N mineralization in paddy soils of the Dongting Lake region, China.Materials and methods
Composite surface samples (0–20 cm) of soils (n?=?30) with diverse inherent properties were collected from representative paddy fields across the region. The benchmark indices for soil N mineralization were the net mineralization rate of soil N in a 112-day anaerobic incubation under waterlogged conditions (NMRN112) and N mineralization potential (N o ) estimated using a modified double exponential model. Laboratory-based measurements of soil labile organic N (SLON) were conducted using chemical fractionation methods including 0.01 M NaHCO3 extraction, hot 2 M KCl hydrolysis, phosphate-borate (PB) buffer hydrolysis, acidic KMnO4 oxidation, and alkaline KMnO4 oxidation. These were compared with the benchmark indices to assess their suitability for use as indicators for N mineralization.Results and discussion
Acidic KMnO4-oxidative organic N (acidic KMnO4-N) and PB buffer-hydrolysable organic N (PBHYDR-N) correlated strongly with NMRN112 and N o (r?=?0.825–0.884, P?<?0.001, n?=?30). Grouping of soils based on soil texture generally provided no improvement in the relationships of chemical soil tests with NMRN112 and N o . Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that combining acidic KMnO4-N and PBHYDR-N yielded the best prediction of soil N mineralization, explaining 86.1 and 85.5 % of the variation in NMRN112 and N o , respectively, of the 30 tested paddy soils.Conclusions
The results of acidic KMnO4-N and PBHYDR-N as indicators for soil N mineralization were promising, and the operations of acidic KMnO4 oxidation and PB buffer hydrolysis procedures are simple and cost-effective. Therefore, a combination of acidic KMnO4-N and PBHYDR-N shows promise in predicting N mineralization in paddy soils of the Dongting Lake region. However, further calibration through field studies is required and the chemical characteristics of acidic KMnO4-N and PBHYDR-N needs to be further clarified.15.
Hong Pan Yong Li Xiongming Guan Jiangye Li Xiaoya Xu Jun Liu Qichun Zhang Jianming Xu Hongjie Di 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(3):896-908
Purpose
Nitrification and denitrification, two of the key nitrogen (N) transformation processes in the soil, are carried out by a diverse range of microorganisms and catalyzed by a series of enzymes. Different management practices, such as continuous grazing, mowing, and periodic fencing off from grazing, dramatically influenced grassland ecosystems. This study aimed to examine the effects of management practices on the abundance and community structure of nitrifier and denitrifier communities in grassland ecosystems.Materials and methods
Soil samples were collected from a semiarid grassland ecosystem in Xilingol region, Inner Mongolia, where long-term management practices including free-grazing, different periods of enclosure from grazing, and different frequencies of mowing were conducted. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis were applied to estimate the abundance and composition of amoA, nirS, nirK, and nosZ genes.Results and discussion
The ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) amoA copies were in the range 5.99?×?108 to 8.60?×?108, while those of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) varied from 3.02?×?107 to 4.61?×?107. The abundance of AOA was substantially higher in the light grazing treatment (LG) than in the mowing treatments. The quantity and intensity of DGGE bands of AOA varied with pasture management. In stark contrast, AOB population abundance and community structure remained largely unchanged in all the soils irrespective of the management practices. All these results suggested that ammonia oxidizers were dominated by AOA. The higher gene abundance and greater intensity of DGGE bands of nirS and nosZ under the enclosure treatments would suggest greater stimulated denitrification. The ratio of nosZ/(nirS?+?nirK) was higher in mowing treatments than in the free-grazing and enclosure treatments, possibly leading to more complete denitrification. Correlation analysis indicated that soil moisture and inorganic nitrogen content were the two main soil environmental variables that influence the community structure of nitrifiers and denitrifiers.Conclusions
In this semiarid neutral to alkaline grassland ecosystem under low temperature conditions, AOA mainly affiliated with Nitrososphaera dominated nitrification. These results clearly demonstrate that grassland management practices can have a major impact on nitrifier and denitrifier communities in this semiarid grassland ecosystem, under low temperature conditions.16.
Lu Yu Xing Lu Yan He Philip C. Brookes Hong Liao Jianming Xu 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(3):599-610
Purpose
Soil acidification is universal in soybean-growing fields. The aim of our research was to evaluate the effects of soil additives (N fertilizers and biochar) on crop performance and soil quality with specific emphasis on ameliorating soil acidity.Materials and methods
Four nitrogen treatments were applied as follows: no nitrogen (N0), urea (N1), potassium nitrate (N2), and ammonium sulfate (N3), each providing 30 kg N ha?1. Half plot area of the N1, N2, and N3 treatments was also treated with biochar (19.5 t ha?1) to form N-biochar treatments (N1C, N2C, N3C). Both bulk and rhizosphere soils were sampled separately for the following analyses: pH, exchangeable base cations (EBC), exchangeable acidity (EA), total inorganic N (IN), total N (TN), and microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). Soybean biomass and nutrient contents were also determined. Correlation analysis was applied to analyze the relationships between soil chemical properties and soybean plant parameters.Results and discussion
With N-biochar additions (N1C, N2C, N3C), soil chemical properties changed as follows: pH increased by 0.6–1.2 units, EBC, IN, and TN increased by 175–419, 38.5–54.7, and 136–452 mg kg?1, respectively, and PLFAs increased by 23.6–40.9 nmol g?1 compared to the N0 in the rhizosphere. Microbial PLFAs had positive correlations with soil pH; EBC; exchangeable K, Ca, Na, and Mg; TN; IN; NH4 +; and NO3 ? (r?=?0.66–0.84, p?<?0.01). There were negative correlations between PLFAs and EA or exchangeable Al (r?=??0.64, ?0.66, p?<?0.01), which indicated that the additives increased microbial biomass by providing a suitable environment with less acid stress and more nutrients. The additives increased soil NH4 + and NO3 ? by promoting soil organic N mineralization and reducing NH4 + and NO3 ? leaching. Moreover, the soybean seed biomass and the nutrient contents in seeds increased with N-biochar additions, especially in the N3C treatment.Conclusions
N-biochar additions were effective in ameliorating soil acidity, which improved the microenvironment for more microbial survival. N-biochars influenced N transformations at the plant–soil interface by increasing organic N mineralization, reducing N leaching, and promoting N uptake by soybeans. The soil additive ammonium and biochar (N3C) were best in promoting soybean growth.17.
James F. Douglass Mark Radosevich Olli H. Tuovinen 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(9):2263-2274
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to determine the first-order rate constants and half-lives of aerobic and anaerobic biomineralization of atrazine in soil samples from an agricultural farm site that had been previously used for mixing pesticide formulations and washing application equipment. Atrazine catabolic genes and atrazine-degrading bacteria in the soil samples were analyzed by molecular methods.Materials and methods
Biomineralization of atrazine was measured in soil samples with a [U-ring-14C]-atrazine biometer technique in soil samples. Enrichment cultures growing with atrazine were derived from soil samples and they were analyzed for bacterial diversity by constructing 16S rDNA clone libraries and sequencing. Bacterial isolates were also obtained and they were screened for atrazine catabolic genes.Results and discussion
The soils contained active atrazine-metabolizing microbial communities and both aerobic and anaerobic biomineralization of [U-ring-14C]-atrazine to 14CO2 was demonstrated. In contrast to aerobic incubations, anaerobic biometers displayed considerable differences in the kinetics of atrazine mineralization between duplicates. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA clone libraries constructed from the enrichment cultures revealed a preponderance of Variovorax spp. (51 %) and Schlesneria (16 %). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences from pure cultures (n?=?12) isolated from enrichment cultures yielded almost exclusively Arthrobacter spp. (83 %; 10/12 isolates). PCR screening of pure culture isolates for atrazine catabolic genes detected atzB, atzC, trzD, trzN, and possibly atzA. The presence of a complete metabolic pathway was not demonstrated by the amplification of catabolic genes among these isolates.Conclusions
The soils contained active atrazine-metabolizing microbial communities. The anaerobic biometer data showed variable response of atrazine biomineralization to external electron acceptor conditions. Partial pathways are inevitable in soil microbial communities, with metabolites linking into other catabolic and assimilative pathways of carbon and nitrogen. There was no evidence for the complete set of functional genes of the known pathways of atrazine biomineralization among the isolates.18.
Wei Liu Shutao Wang Peng Lin Hanwen Sun Juan Hou Qingqing Zuo Rong Huo 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2016,16(2):476-485
Purpose
Biochar can be used to reduce the bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals, as well as organic pollutants in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. The objective of the study was to determine the response of microbial communities to biochar amendment and its influence on heavy metal mobility and PCBs (PCB52, 44, 101, 149, 118, 153, 138, 180, 170, and 194) concentration in application of biochar as soil amendment.Materials and methods
A pot (macrocosm) incubation experiment was carried out with different biochar amendment (0, 3, and 6 % w/w) for 112 days. The CaCl2-extractable concentration of metals, microbial activities, and bacterial community were evaluated during the incubation period.Results and discussion
The concentrations of 0.01 M CaCl2-extractable metals decreased (p?>?0.05) by 12.7 and 20.5 % for Cu, 5.0 and 15.6 % for Zn, 0.2 and 0.5 % for Pb, and 1.1 and 8.9 % for Cd, in the presence of 3 and 6 % of biochar, respectively, following 1 day of incubation. Meanwhile, the total PCB concentrations decreased from 1.23 mg kg?1 at 1 day to 0.24 mg kg?1 at 112 days after 6 % biochar addition, representing a more than 60 % decrease relative to untreated soil. It was also found out that biochar addition increased the biological activities of catalase, phosphatase, and urease activity as compared with the controls at the same time point. Importantly, the Shannon diversity index of bacteria in control soils was 3.41, whereas it was 3.69 and 3.88 in soils treated with 3 and 6 % biochar soil. In particular, an increase in the number of populations with the putative ability to absorb PCB was noted in the biochar-amended soils.Conclusions
The application of biochar to contaminated soils decreased the concentrations of heavy metals and PCBs. Application of biochar stimulated Proteobacteria and Bacteroides, which may function to absorb soil PCB and alleviate their toxicity.19.
Iman Tahmasbian Zhihong Xu Kadum Abdullah Jun Zhou Roya Esmaeilani Thi Thu Nhan Nguyen Shahla Hosseini Bai 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2017,17(8):2091-2103
Purpose
The main objective of this study was to examine the potential of using hyperspectral image analysis for prediction of total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and their isotope composition (δ13C and δ15N) in forest leaf litterfall samples.Materials and methods
Hyperspectral images were captured from ground litterfall samples of a natural forest in the spectral range of 400–1700 nm. A partial least-square regression model (PLSR) was used to correlate the relative reflectance spectra with TC, TN, δ13C and δ15N in the litterfall samples. The most important wavelengths were selected using β coefficient, and the final models were developed using the most important wavelengths. The models were, then, tested using an external validation set.Results and discussion
The results showed that the data of TC and δ13C could not be fitted to the PLSR model, possibly due to small variations observed in the TC and δ13C data. The model, however, was fitted well to TN and δ15N. The cross-validation R2 cv of the models for TN and δ15N were 0.74 and 0.67 with the RMSEcv of 0.53% and 1.07‰, respectively. The external validation R2 ex of the prediction was 0.64 and 0.67, and the RMSEex was 0.53% and 1.19 ‰, for TN and δ15N, respectively. The ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of the predictions was 1.48 and 1.53, respectively, for TN and δ15N, showing that the models were reliable for the prediction of TN and δ15N in new forest leaf litterfall samples.Conclusions
The PLSR model was not successful in predicting TC and δ13C in forest leaf litterfall samples using hyperspectral data. The predictions of TN and δ15N values in the external litterfall samples were reliable, and PLSR can be used for future prediction.20.