Purpose

This study evaluates the presence and diversity of 16S rRNA (rrs) and amoA genes from archaea in three mangrove sediments under different stages of preservation (one pristine mangrove, one affected by anthropogenic activity, and another contaminated by an oil spill) in the state of São Paulo (Brazil).

Materials and methods

A combination of DGGE, coupled with ordination analysis, and clone libraries of both targeted genes (rrs and amoA) was used to infer the diversity and phylogeny of archaeal communities in the mangrove analyzed samples.

Results and discussion

The DGGE combined with multivariate analysis revealed, based on the ribosomal gene, differences in archaeal communities according to environmental parameters such as mangrove location, anthropogenic activity, and oil contamination. The profiles based on the amoA gene were more similar than those obtained for the gene rrs, with the only difference statistically observed for the community found in the mangrove under anthropogenic pressure. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis revealed most archaeal groups affiliated to sequences belonging to the Thaumarchaeota (53.1%, 24 OTUs) and Euryarchaeota (29.6%, 14 OTUs) phyla, in addition to 14 sequences affiliated to an unclassified Archaea (16.1%, 8 OTUs). Concerning the analysis of the amoA gene, mangroves harbored sequences affiliated with those previously described in water column and soil/sediment samples, besides two possible clusters specifically found in mangroves.

Conclusions

The findings are that the mangroves act as a reservoir for archaeal diversity, are possibly involved in nitrogen transformation in this ecosystem, and are affected by distinct pressures caused by anthropogenic activities.

Purpose

Nitrogen (N) application in excess of assimilatory capacity for aquaculture ponds can lead to water-quality deterioration through ammonia accumulation with toxicity to fish. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) potentially process extra ammonium, so their abundance and diversity are of great ecological significance. This study aimed to reveal variations in communities of AOA and AOB as affected by aquaculture activities.

Materials and methods

From June to September 2012, water and sediments were sampled monthly in three ponds feeding Mandarin fish in a suburb of Wuhan City, China. Molecular methods based on ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene were used to determine abundance and diversity of AOA and AOB in the sediments.

Results and discussion

The pond with the highest fish stock had the highest nutrient loadings in terms of different forms of N and carbon (C) in both sediment and water. The abundance and diversity of AOB were significantly higher than those of AOA in the sediment. The AOB abundance showed a significantly positive relationship to concentration of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in interstitial water, and both abundance and diversity of AOA were significantly negative to concentration of ammonium in interstitial water. Furthermore, AOA species affiliated to Nitrososphaera-like and Nitrosophaera Cluster was distinguishable from those observed in other aquaculture environments.

Conclusions

Nutrients in sediment were enriched by intensive aquaculture activity, among which organic N and C, together with ammonium and SRP, shaped the communities of ammonia oxidizers, with AOB dominating over AOA in terms of abundance and diversity.

Purpose

We determined the relationship of a planktonic algal bloom with spatial and temporal changes in sediment bacterial communities in a eutrophic urban river in the Taihu Basin, China.

Materials and methods

Surface sediments from different locations on the river, including with and without an algal bloom, were collected monthly for 1 year. Sediment bacterial communities were assessed by sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons using an Illumina MiSeq.

Results and discussion

There were distinct spatial and temporal changes in sediment bacterial community structure. Significant decrease in the Shannon diversity corresponded with the peak chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration. Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla throughout the year; however, their relative abundances changed seasonally. At the time of peak Chl a concentrations, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes comprised a greater proportion of the bacterial community. Bacterial community structure also varied spatially at the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level according to canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), especially in locations with an algal bloom compared with those without an algal bloom. There were positive correlations between multiple bacterial genera and Chl a content, suggesting the potential for facilitative relationships between phytoplankton and bacteria. Based on the CCA, water temperature, NH₄ ⁺-N, TN, NO₃ ^?-N, and TP in the sediment and Chl a contents in the water column were significantly correlated with sediment bacterial community structure (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Planktonic algal blooms may influence sediment bacterial community structure at all taxonomic levels in urban rivers. This work emphasizes the need for more comprehensive studies regarding the impact of planktonic algal blooms on sediment bacterial communities.

Purpose

Chickpea is generally cultivated after seed treatment with host-specific Mesorhizobium ciceri, the nitrogen-fixing bacterium forming root nodules. Some species of free-living cyanobacteria are capable of nitrogen fixation. We examined the rhizosphere microbiota changes and the potential for plant growth promotion by applying a free-living, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium and the biofilm formulation of cyanobacterium with M. ciceri, relative to M. ciceri applied singly, to two each of desi and kabuli varieties of chickpea.

Materials and methods

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of archaeal, bacterial and cyanobacterial communities and those of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were obtained to evaluate the changes of the microbial communities in the chickpea rhizosphere. Plant growth attributes, including the pod yields and the availabilities of soil macronutrients and micronutrients, were monitored.

Results and discussion

The DGGE profiles showed distinct and characteristic changes due to the microbial inoculation; varietal differences exerted a marked influence on the archaeal and cyanobacterial communities. However, bacterial communities were modulated more by the type of microbial inoculants. Abundance of Gram-negative bacteria (in terms of notional PLFAs) differed between the desi and the kabuli varieties inoculated with M. ciceri alone, and the principal component analysis of PLFA profiles confirmed the characteristic effect of microbial inoculants tested. Microbial inoculation led to increases in the 100-seed weight and differential effects on the concentrations of available nitrogen and phosphorus, and those of iron, zinc and copper, suggesting their increased cycling in the rhizosphere.

Conclusions

Microbial inoculation of chickpea brought out the characteristic changes in rhizosphere microbiota. Consequently, the growth promotion of chickpea and nutrient cycling in its rhizosphere distinctively differed. Further studies are needed to analyse the association and dynamic changes in the microbial communities to define the subset of microorganisms selected by chickpea in its rhizosphere and the influence of microbial inoculation.

Purpose

Understanding how archaeal communities are affected by water-table drawdown is essential for predicting soil functional responses to future climate change and the consequences of the responses on the soil carbon cycle.

Material and methods

We investigated the effect of water-table drawdown, warming, drought, and combinations thereof on archaeal communities using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and quantitative PCR.

Results and discussion

Methanosarcinales, Methanosaeta, Methanomicrobiales, Methanobacteriales, uncultured Rice Cluster II (RC-II), and uncultured Crenarchaeota were detected. Water-table drawdown and drought exhibited significant effects on the archaeal communities. When the water table was at or above 10 cm, the archaeal abundance at 10 cm remained high (approximately 10⁹ cells per gram dry soil), whereas the archaeal abundance at 10 cm was reduced to approximately 10⁸ cells per gram dry soil where the water table was lowered to 20 cm or below. When the water table kept constant, warming caused a significant reduction in the archaeal abundance, whereas drought only caused a decrease in archaeal abundance when the water table was higher than ?20 cm.

Conclusions

Results suggest that changes in water table may directly impact archaeal community abundance and assemblage which can in turn influence methane emissions, potentially on a large scale. Our results also indicate that archaeal communities response to water-table drawdowns that are dependent on the initial ecohydrology.

Purpose

The intensive development of nanotechnology raises a question of the potential consequences of the presence of nanoparticles (NPs) in the different components of the environment, including sediments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of nanoparticles of ZnO and Ni and their bulk counterparts in bottom sediments (SD1, SD2) with different properties collected from the Vistula River in Poland.

Materials and methods

Sediment samples with NPs at a concentration of 100 mg kg^?1 were incubated for 17 months in the dark or under a photoperiod of 12 h light/12 h dark. The Microtox^® (bacteria, Vibrio fischeri) and OSTRACODTOXKIT F^? (ostracods, Heterocypris incongruens) tests were used to evaluate toxicity. In addition, the contents of Zn and Ni were determined in extracts (H₂O and CaCl₂) of the bottom sediments.

Results and discussion

The Zn concentration was much lower in the SD1 sediment with the addition of NPs/bulk particles (30–230 μg kg^?1) compared to the SD2 sediment (280–1140 μg kg^?1). The toxicity of ZnO and Ni was determined by the type of bottom sediment and the parameter studied. Both nano- and bulk-ZnO and Ni caused the mortality of H. incongruens at a level of 13.3–53.3 %. The influence of ZnO and Ni on the growth of H. incongruens was observed to be the opposite. ZnO resulted in growth stimulation, while Ni resulted in growth inhibition of H. incongruens. Both ZnO and Ni stimulated V. fisheri luminescence. In most cases, the incubation of ZnO and Ni under the photoperiod increased the toxicity or decreased the stimulation of V. fisheri bioluminescence and H. ingongruens growth compared to the dark-incubated sediments.

Conclusions

The study provides new and important information on the ecotoxicological effects of ZnO and Ni nanoparticles in different sediments and under various environmental conditions that may be useful for the risk assessment of this new group of contaminants.

Purpose

Mining is a common source of metals in aquatic ecosystems. Metal loading in the environment is thought to be a selective pressure that induces compositional and functional changes within the affected microbial community in the sediment. This study aims to explore shifts in the diversity, structure, and functional gene abundance of microbial communities in the sediment of the copper mining-induced contaminated lakes in Finland.

Materials and methods

The sediment microbial community structures and abundance of the functional groups involved in carbon/nitrogen/sulfur cycling in four lakes located downstream from metal mines (Kirkkoselkä (KS), Junttiselkä (JS), Laakajärvi (LJ), and Sysmäjärvi (SJ)) and one reference lake (Parkkimanjärvi (PJ)) in Finland were compared using high throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR.

Results and discussion

Compared to the PJ reference lake sediment, the relative abundances were higher for Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, and Nitrospirae but lower for Firmicutes and Alphaproteobacteria in the mine-contaminated sediment samples. The number of copies of copper-resistant genes (copA) in the two copper-contaminated sediments (5.34 × 10⁶ and 4.95 × 10⁶ copies ng^?1 DNA for KS and JS, respectively) was significantly higher than that in the PJ sediment (1.33 × 10⁶ copies ng^?1 DNA). Methanogens (mcrA gene) accounted for 5.09–11.5% of the total archaea (16S rRNA) in these lake sediments. In addition, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (amoA gene) in the LJ sediment accounted for 36.0% of the total archaea but only 0.83–1.63% in the sediment of other lakes. The abundance of eight investigated functional groups accounted for 28.8% of the total bacteria in the PJ sediment but less than 1.3% in the metal-contaminated sediments. The canonical correspondence analysis showed that the microbial community structure of Lake LJ was scattered far from the other lakes and was significantly correlated with nitrate; the community structural change in the JS and KS sediments was positively correlated with copper or negatively correlated with nitrate concentration.

Conclusions

These results indicate that the sedimentary indigenous microbial community may shift its composition and structure as well as its function to increase its adaptability and/or resistance to metal-contaminated freshwater sediments.

Purpose

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) alter the transport dynamics and fate of particulate matter in aquatic systems by intercepting, retaining, and recycling suspended materials. This study examines the effect of particle processing by dressenids on the nature (grain size distribution, settling velocity, porosity  and density) and transport properties (critical shear stress for erosion, erosion rates, and bed stability) of suspended particulate matter in lakes.

Materials and methods

The bed stability, erosion rate, and critical shear stress for erosion of dreissenid biodeposits were measured in an annular flume. The particle size distribution, settling rate, density, and porosity were measured to characterize the physical nature of the biodeposits. Materials studied in the flume include (1) a combination of biodeposits and surface sediments collected from dreissenid beds and (2) biodeposits harvested in a weir box populated with dreissenids.

Results and discussion

The settling rates of both biodeposit/sediment mixtures and pure biodeposits were lower than natural sediment in lacustrine environments. Erosion characteristics and transport properties of biodeposits were strongly influenced by bed age and the presence of mussels. Bed stability increased after 7 days, with a τ_crit of 0.26 Pa compared to the 2- and 14-day consolidation periods (τ_crit?=?0.13 and 0.15 Pa), respectively. The observed changes in bed stability with bed age will modify the transfer of particulate materials to the offshore profundal zone as well as the rates and magnitudes of sediment-associated nutrients in the near shore zone.

Conclusions

Biostabilization of surficial lake-bottom sediments impacted by mussel biodeposits may increase bed stability and reduce the export of particulate matter to the offshore environment. Further, well-developed communities of dreissedid mussels have an armoring effect on deposited sediment, which reduces remobilization of sediment and biodeposits. However, once eroded, the dreissedid modified deposits will likely be transported further due to their low-settling velocity.

Purpose

Soil microbes control the bioelement cycles and energy transformation in forest ecosystems, and are sensitive to environmental change. As yet, the effects of altitude and season on soil microbes remain unknown. A 560 m vertical transitional zone was selected along an altitude gradient from 3023, 3298 and 3582 m, to determine the potential effects of seasonal freeze-thaw on soil microbial community.

Materials and methods

Soil samples were collected from the three elevations in the growing season (GS), onset of freezing period (FP), deeply frozen period (FPD), thawing period (TP), and later thawing period (TPL), respectively. Real-time qPCR and polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) were used to measure the abundance and structure of soil microbial community.

Results and discussion

The bacterial, archaeal, and fungal ribosomal DNA (rDNA) copy numbers decreased from GS to freezing stage (FP and FPD) and then increased in thawing stage (TP and TPL). Similarly, the diversity of microbial community varied with seasonal freeze-thaw processes. The diversity index (H) of the bacterial and archaeal communities decreased from GS to FP and then increased to TPL. The fungal community H index increased in the freezing process.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that abundance and structure of soil microbial community in the Tibetan coniferous forests varied by season and bacterial and archaeal communities respond more promptly to seasonal freeze-thaw processes relative to fungal community. This may have important implications for carbon and nutrient cycles in alpine forest ecosystems. Accordingly, future warming-induced changes in seasonal freeze-thaw patterns would affect soil nutrient cycles via altering soil microbial properties.

Purpose

Irrigation and fertilization can change soil environment, which thereby influence soil microbial metabolic activity (MMA). How to alleviate the adverse effects by taking judicious saline water irrigation and fertilization regimes is mainly concerned in this research.

Materials and methods

Here, we conducted a field orthogonal designed test under different saline water irrigation amount, water salinity, and nitrogen fertilizer application. The metabolic profiles of soil microbial communities were analyzed by using the Biolog method.

Results and discussion

The results demonstrated that irrigation amount and fertilizer application could significantly change MMA while irrigation water salinity had no significant effect on it. Medium irrigation amount (30 mm), least (50 kg ha^?1) or medium (350 kg ha^?1) N fertilizer application, and whatever irrigation water salinity could obtain the optimal MMA. Different utilization rates of carbohydrates, amino acids, carboxylic acids, and polymers by soil microbial communities caused the differences of the effects, and D-galactonic acid γ-lactone, L-arginine, L-asparagine, D-glucosaminic acid, Tween 80, L-threonine, and D-galacturonic acid were the indicator for distinguishing the effects.

Conclusions

The results presented here demonstrated that by regulating irrigation water amount and fertilizer application, the effects of irrigation salinity on MMA could be alleviated, which offered an efficient approach for guiding saline water irrigation.

Purpose

Rhizosphere soil bacterial communities are crucial to plant growth, health, and stress resistance. In order to detect how bacterial communities associated with the rhizosphere of phylogenetically related plant species vary in terms of composition, function, and diversity, we investigated the rhizosphere bacterial community structure of two perennial shrub species, Caragana jubata and Caragana roborovskyi, under natural field conditions in northwest China and analyzed the influence of soil properties and environmental factors.

Materials and methods

Eighteen root samples, eight for C. jubata, and ten for C. roborovskyi, along with any adherent soil particles, were collected from multiple sites in northwest China. The rhizosphere soil was washed from the roots, and bacterial communities were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Then, α-diversity and β-diversity were calculated using QIIME.

Results and discussion

Across species, Proteobacteria (29 %), Actinobacteria (15 %), Chloroflexi (10 %), Acidobacteria (10 %), Bacteroidetes (8 %), Firmicutes (8 %), Planctomycetes (7 %), Gemmatimonadetes (4 %), and Verrucomicrobia (3 %) were the most abundant phyla in the rhizosphere of C. jubata and C. roborovskyi. However, principal co-ordinates analysis indicated strong interspecific patterns of bacterial rhizosphere communities. Further, the richness of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Firmicutes, and Nitrospirae was significantly higher in the rhizosphere of C. jubata compared with C. roborovskyi, while the opposite was found for Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria. However, the Shannon index showed no significant difference in α-diversity between C. jubata and C. roborovskyi. Distance-based redundancy analysis indicated that soil properties and environmental factors exerted strong influences on the structure of the rhizosphere bacterial community and explained 47 and 46 % of community variances between samples, respectively.

Conclusions

Our results showed strong interspecific clustering of the bacterial rhizosphere communities of C. roborovskyi and C. jubata. Altitude explained most of the variation in the composition of bacterial rhizosphere communities of C. roborovskyi and C. jubata, followed by soil pH, water content, organic matter content, total nitrogen content, and mean annual rainfall.

Purpose

The low conductivity of sediments for mass and electron transport is the most severe limiting factor in sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs), so that sediment ameliorations yielded more remarkable effects than electrode improvements. The objective of this research was to enhance the electricity generation of SMFCs with amendments of biochar to freshwater sediments for conductivity enhancement.

Materials and methods

Laboratory-scale SMFCs were constructed and biochars were produced from coconut shells at different temperatures. Variations in the power output, electrode potential, internal resistance, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and microbial communities were measured.

Results and discussion

Amending with biochar reduced the charge transfer resistances of SMFCs and enriched the Firmicutes (mainly Fusibacter sp.) in the sediment, which improved the SMFC power generation by two- to tenfold and enhanced the TOC removal rate by 1.7- to fourfold relative to those without the amendment.

Conclusions

The results suggested that biochar amendment is a promising strategy to enhance SMFC power production, and the electrical conductivity of biochar should be considered important when interpreting the impact biochar has on the electrical performance of soil or freshwater sediment MFCs.

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.

Purpose

Marine mangrove sediments in the Manche-à-Eau lagoon (Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea) harbor locally extensive, white microbial mats. These mats cover the surface of reduced sediments near the roots of red mangrove trees, Rhizophora mangle, and are mainly composed of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria belonging to the Beggiatoaceae family, with some filamentous cyanobacteria. The goal of this study was to investigate the possible influence of sediment characteristics on the presence of these microbial mats.

Materials and methods

Four push cores were collected in April 2013, two from zones with microbial mats and two from zones without mats. Sediment characteristics (grain-size distribution, mineralogy, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents, atomic TOC/TN ratios, and organic matter (OM) δ¹³C values) were compared for all four cores.

Results and discussion

Significant differences were observed between sediments below microbial mats and those without mats. Sediments with microbial mats contained greater amounts of clay, and higher TOC, TN, and TOC/TN ratios, with lower total carbonate content and δ¹³C values. The higher clay content most likely results from lower fluid flow velocity near to mangrove roots, while higher TOC/TN ratios and lower δ¹³C values indicate higher inputs of OM from mangrove trees. These results are consistent with the fact that microbial mats were observed near the roots of mangrove trees, which trap OM from terrestrial vegetation and fine sediments.

Conclusions

The grain-size distribution of sediment particles, the total carbonate content, and the δ¹³C values are the main parameters discriminating between zones with microbial mats and those without mats. Variations in total carbonate content, which is mainly of biogenic origin, result from conditions that are more favorable for benthic organisms in zones without microbial mats. Variations of the TOC/TN ratios are controlled by the presence of a non-negligible amount of inorganic nitrogen bound to surface clay mineral particles and/or by microbial processes.

Goal, Scope and Background

Distribution of hydrophobic organic contaminants in abiotic compartments is essential for describing their transfer and fate in aquatic ecosystems. Taihu Lake is the third largest freshwater lake in China. Water quality of Taihu Lake has deteriorated greatly during the last decades and has threatened the water supply. The aim of the present study was to investigate the partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among overlying water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, and pore water in Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake and to provide useful information for the ecological engineering in this area.

Materials and Methods

Overlying water and surface sediment were sampled from six sites in Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake, China. Within 72 h of sampling, sediments were centrifuged to obtain the pore water. Overlying water samples were filtered to separate dissolved and SPM samples. After extraction, samples were purified following a clean-up procedure. PAH fraction was obtained by elution with a mixture of hexane: DCM (7:3, V/V) and analyzed by GC/MS.

Results

PAHs concentrations in overlying water varied from 37.5 ng/L to 183.5 ng/L. Concentrations of PAHs in pore water were higher than those in overlying water. The total concentrations of 16 priority PAHs in sediments ranged from 2091.8 ng/g-dw to 4094.4 ng/g-dw. PAHs concentrations on SPM were decreased with suspended solid concentrations (SSC). Total PAHs concentrations on SPM varied in the range of 3369.6 ng/g-dw to 7531.1 ng/g-dw. The partition coefficients between sediment and overlying water (log K _oc) for PAHs with log K _ow<5 were positively correlated with their octanol-water partition coefficients (log K _ow) (n=39, r=0.79, p<0.0001). Partition coefficients between sediment and pore water (log K _oc′) for all PAHs were also significantly correlated with their log K _ow values (n=48, r=0.82, p<0.0001).

Discussion

In general, PAHs derived from combustion sources tend to bind strongly to soot particles in natural sediment. Consequentially, K _oc values observed in the natural environment could be orders of magnitude higher than those predicted by linear correlation relationships under laboratory conditions. In the present study, the ratio of log K _oc values to log K _ow values falls consistently above 1, indicating that the sediment soot carbon in the bay was more attractive for PAHs than n-octanol. The log K _oc′ was also higher than that predicted under laboratory conditions, suggesting that the measured pore water PAH concentrations were lower than those predicted. That is to say, not all the sediment PAHs can be available to partition rapidly into sediment pore waters. A variation in soot content is a possible reason. Furthermore, concentrations of PAHs on SPM were higher than those in sediments. The compositions of PAHs on SPM and in sediments were similar, indicating the importance of re-suspension process of sediments in the partitioning process of the shallow lake.

Conclusions

The results indicated the equilibrium partitioning model could be used to predict PAHs distribution in various phases of a shallow lake in the stagnation period, but re-suspension processes should be considered to modify the relationship between log K _ocs and log K _ows.

Recommendations and Perspectives

Concentration, particle size and composition of resuspended particles could affect the relationship between log K _ocs and log K _ows. Further work should be done under field conditions, especially where a steady thermodynamic equilibrium state could be assumed.

Purpose

This work investigated changes in priming effects and the taxonomy of soil microbial communities after being amended with plant feedstock and its corresponding biochar.

Materials and methods

A soil incubation was conducted for 180 days to monitor the mineralization and evolution of soil-primed C after addition of maize and its biochar pyrolysed at 450 °C. Responses of individual microbial taxa were identified and compared using the next-generation sequencing method.

Results and discussion

Cumulative CO₂ showed similar trends but different magnitudes in soil supplied with feedstock and its biochar. Feedstock addition resulted in a positive priming effect of 1999 mg C kg^?1 soil (+253.7 %) while biochar gave negative primed C of ?872.1 mg C kg^?1 soil (?254.3 %). Linear relationships between mineralized material and mineralized soil C were detected. Most priming occurred in the first 15 days, indicating co-metabolism. Differences in priming may be explained by differences in properties of plant material, especially the water-extractable organic C. Predominant phyla were affiliated to Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Euryarchaeota, and Thaumarchaeota during decomposition. Cluster analysis resulted in separate phylogenetic grouping of feedstock and biochar. Bacteria (Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes), fungi (Ascomycota), and archaea (Euryarchaeota) were closely correlated to primed soil C (R ²?=??0.98, ?0.99, 0.84, 0.81, 0.91, and 0.91, respectively).

Conclusions

Quality of plant materials (especially labile C) shifted microbial community (specific microbial taxa) responses, resulting in a distinctive priming intensity, giving a better understanding of the functional role of soil microbial community as an important driver of priming effect.

Purpose

Increased sedimentation due to land use intensification is increasingly affecting carbon processing in streams and rivers around the globe. This study describes the design of a laboratory-scale flow-through incubation system as a tool for the rapid estimation of sediment respiration. The measurements were compared with those obtained using an in situ closed chamber respiration method. The influence of sediment size on respiration rates was also investigated.

Materials and methods

Measurements were conducted on a pre-alpine gravel-bed river sediment separated into the following grain size fractions: > 60 mm (14.3%), 60–5 mm (60.2%), 5–2 mm (13.7%), 2–0.063 mm (11.1%) and <0.063 mm (0.6%). Concurrently, in situ and laboratory measurements were carried out on a naturally heterogeneous sediment. In situ respiration was determined in closed chambers as O₂ consumption over time, while in the laboratory, respiration was determined using flow-through respiration chambers. Oxygen concentrations were measured using a fibre-optic oxygen meter positioned at the inflow and outflow from the chamber.

Results and discussion

The mean respiration rates within naturally mixed riverbed sediments were 1.27 ± 0.3 mg O₂ dm^?3 h^?1 (n = 4) and 0.77 ± 0.1 mg O₂ dm^?3 h^?1 (n = 3) for the flow-through chamber system and closed chamber system, respectively. Respiration rates were statistically significantly higher in the flow-through chamber system (t test, p < 0.05), indicating that closed chamber measurements underestimated the oxygen consumption within riverbed sediments. Sediment grain size was found to significantly affect respiration rates in both systems (ANOVA, p < 0.001) with the fine sediment fraction (particle size <0.063 mm) having the highest respiration rate (r_flow-through = 51 ± 23 mg O₂ dm^?3 h^?1). The smallest fractions (2–0.063 and <0.063 mm), which represent approximately 12% of total sediment volume, contributed 60% of total respiration.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that flow-through respiration chambers more accurately estimate the respiration rate within riverbed sediments than in situ closed chambers, since the former experiment imitates the natural conditions where continuous interstitial flow occurs in the sediments. We also demonstrated that fine sediments (<5 mm) substantially contribute to heterotrophic respiration in the studied gravel-bed river.

Purpose

This study investigated the extent of metal accumulation by plants colonizing a mining area in Yazd Province in Central Iran. It also investigated the suitability of these plants for phytoextraction and phytostabilization as two potential phytoremediation strategies.

Materials and methods

Plants with a high bioconcentration factor (BCF) and low translocation factor (TF) have the potential for phytostabilization, whereas plants with both BCFs and TFs >1 may be appropriate for phytoextraction. In this study, both shoots and roots of 40 plant species and associated soil samples were collected and analyzed for total concentrations of trace elements (Pb, Zn, and Ag). BCFs and TFs were calculated for each element.

Results and discussion

Nonnea persica, Achillea wilhelmsii, Erodium cicutarium, and Mentha longifolia were found to be the most suitable species for phytostabilization of Pb and Zn. Colchicum schimperi, Londesia eriantha, Lallemantia royleana, Bromus tectorum, Hordeum glaucum, and Thuspeinantha persica are the most promising species for element phytoextraction in sites slightly enriched by Ag. Ferula assa-foetida is the most suitable species for phytostabilization of the three studied metals. C. schimperi, L. eriantha, L. royleana, B. tectorum, M. longifolia, and T. persica accumulated Ag, albeit at low level.

Conclusions

Our preliminary study shows that some native plant species growing on this contaminated site may have potential for phytoremediation.

Purpose

This study aims to verify the performances of Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) rill erosion equation using loess material by investigating the variations of soil detachment rate with sediment load by rill flow, quantifying the response of soil detachment rate to sediment load, and comprehensively examining WEPP rill erosion equation, so as to provide scientific basis for the application of WEPP model on the loess plateau and to sufficiently understand the response of soil detachment rate to sediment load.

Materials and methods

The experiment was conducted in a rill flume with a soil-feeding hopper and was specifically designed to isolate the effect of sediment load on detachment rate. Loess material was collected from a typical hilly region of the Loess Plateau, Ansai, Shaanxi, China. The test soil was quantitatively fed into rill flow by a soil-feeding hopper to produce different sediment loads. Seven unit flow discharges (1.11, 1.56, 2.00, 2.44, 2.89, 3.33, and 3.78?×?10^?3 m² s^?1) were combined with six slopes (10.51, 15.84, 21.26, 26.79, 32.49, and 38.39 %). The sediment transport capacity was measured for each combination. The detachment rate was measured for each combination under seven sediment loads, which were 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100 % of the sediment transport capacity.

Results and discussion

Soil detachment rate decreased with the increase of sediment load. Levels of sediment load in 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100 % reduced detachment rate in rates of 0, 18.93, 36.36, 56.28, 70.15, 83.42, and 92.19 %, respectively. The response relationship of detachment rate to sediment load by rill flow was described well by a negative linear equation (R ² range from 0.8489 to 0.9982, P?<?0.01), and the vertical and horizontal intercepts of the linear equation represented the detachment and transport capacities, respectively (R ²?=?0.9955, NSE?=?0.9788 for D _c ; R ²?=?0.9957, NSE?=?0.9635 for T _c ), as expressed by the WEPP rill erosion equation. The WEPP rill erosion equation predicted the soil detachment rate very well (R ²?=?0.9667, NSE?=?0.9611).

Conclusions

Sediment load transported by rill flow has a negative influence on soil detachment rate in rills. Introducing sediment load as a factor in model equation of detachment is essential for developing an accepted erosion model. The WEPP rill erosion equation could correctly reflect the response relationship of detachment rate to sediment load in this flume experiment and has a good applicability to loess material.