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1.
氮磷富集对森林土壤碳截存的影响研究进展 总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3
大气氮磷沉降增加森林土壤养分的可利用性,改变底物的化学质量、土壤微生物组成和功能,进而影响土壤有机质的储量与稳定性。然而,现有研究主要集中在氮素富集对自然森林生态系统碳截存的影响,有关磷富集以及氮磷交互对人工林土壤有机碳(SOC)截存的影响及其微生物学机制尚不清楚。本文综述了氮磷富集对森林土壤碳转化和净交换通量、土壤有机质(SOM)的激发效应、SOM组成与稳定性以及介导碳转化功能微生物群落的影响,并指出各个研究环节的不足,包括:(1)森林土壤碳通量及其组分对氮磷富集的非线性响应方程及临界阈值尚未确定;(2)氮磷富集对森林SOM激发效应的影响程度与潜在机制知之甚少;(3)SOM的物理-化学协同稳定机制研究不够深入;(4)土壤活性微生物群落组成、SOM化学结构与SOC累积之间的耦联关系尚不清晰。据此,指出未来研究重点与研究思路:基于多水平氮磷添加控制试验和~(13)C标记培养实验,利用原位监测、土壤化学(~(13)C-NMR和Py-GC/MS)、宏基因组测序的分子生物学方法,重点研究氮磷添加及其交互作用对人工林土壤碳排放与流失通量、微生物激发效应、SOM组成与化学稳定性以及功能微生物群落组成的影响,确定土壤碳输出通量对氮磷添加的非线性响应方程与氮沉降临界负荷,阐明分解微生物群落组成与土壤碳转化及稳定性的耦联关系,揭示氮磷交互影响人工林土壤碳积累与损耗的微生物学机制。研究结果有助于控制森林尤其是人工林土壤碳损失,有效降低陆地"氮促碳汇"评估的不确定性,并可为森林生态系统应对全球变化提供科学依据。 相似文献
2.
以贵州省清镇王家寨为喀斯特高原典型样区,采用网格布点法,调查研究了土壤总有机碳（SOC）、可溶性有机碳（DOC）和微生物生物量碳（MBC）的分布特征。研究结果表明：灌木林地表层土壤SOC、DOC和MBC含量分别为56.86、68.74mg·kg^-1和264.12mg·kg^-1,均显著高于旱地与水田（P〈0.05）;各土地利用方式表层土壤微生物熵（MBC/SOC）值处于0.45%～0.55%之间,土地利用方式对土壤SOC及其组分均有显著影响。协方差分析表明,土壤MBC受土地利用方式和pH的影响较大,土壤SOC和DOC受海拔高度的影响较大。不同土地利用方式下土壤SOC与MBC无相关性,而DOC与MBC的相关性正负各异。3种土地利用方式剖面土壤中,灌木林地0～30cm各土层MBC含量差异显著（P〈0.05）,水田20～30cm土层DOC含量显著低于0～20cm各土层。表层（0～10cm）土壤SOC密度以灌木林地最大,但旱地（155.97t·hm^-2）和水田（107.92t·hm^-2）1m以内土体的有机碳密度显著高于（P〈0.05）灌木林地（76.14t·hm^-2）,结合土层厚度,水田与旱地有机碳储量高于灌木林地。研究表明加强保护灌木林地,对农耕地实行秸秆还田,将有利于区域土壤有机碳的积累和区域生态的恢复,维持区域的可持续发展。 相似文献
3.
山核桃集约经营过程中土壤微生物量碳氮的变化 总被引：1，自引：1，他引：1
[目的]研究不同集约经营历史山核桃林的土壤微生物量碳氮的演变规律,为山核桃林地土壤管理提供科学依据。[方法]在浙江省临安市分别采集并分析了经营历史为5,10,15,20a的山核桃林土壤样品,并与天然混交林(0a)进行比较。[结果]天然混交林改造为山核桃纯林并经集约经营后,林地土壤微生物量碳(MBC)、微生物量氮(MBN)、MBC/MBN,MBC/SOC均表现出先下降而后上升的趋势,经过10a经营后降到最低水平,与0a相比,0—10cm土层MBC,MBN和MBC/SOC分别降低了52.1%,32.0%和31.0%。经营10a的林地土壤MBC/MBN显著低于前期经营林地,而MBN/TN在经营过程中的差异并不显著。[结论]山核桃集约经营后,林地土壤微生物量碳氮含量显著下降。 相似文献
4.
安徽省几种主要土壤有机碳含量及其组分研究 总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2
研究了安徽省4种主要类型土壤(砂姜黑土、潮土、水稻土和红壤)有机碳(SOC)、可溶性有机碳(DOC)和微生物量碳(MBC)的含量剖面分布及其相互关系.结果表明,4种土壤SOC,DOC和MBC含量存在明显差异,但其剖面分布规律基本一致,表层含量较高.随着土壤层次加深而依次递减;表层土壤SOC含量顺序为:水稻土>砂姜黑土>潮土>红壤,DOC含量顺序为:砂姜黑土>潮土>水稻土>红壤,MBC含量顺序为:潮土>砂姜黑土>红壤>水稻土.DOC和MBC分别只占SOC的4.92%～18.97%和1.86%～5.68%.土壤SOC,DOC与MBC之间存在着密切的关系,3者之间的相关性均分别达到了10%,5%或1%的显著或极显著水平. 相似文献
5.
随着分子生物学的发展，微生物的作用改变了科学界对土壤有机碳(SOC)形成和固持的认知。土壤微生物残体与矿物结合形成矿质结合态有机碳(mineral-associated organic carbon, MAOC)加深了对SOC固存的理解。MAOC是以土壤微生物残体C为主的SOC组分，主要由分子量相对较低且可识别的微生物残体与矿物表面结合而成。由于MAOC对草地和农田生态系统土壤C库的贡献超过50%,且周转时间较长(百年—千年尺度),研究其形成过程和稳定机制已成为碳中和背景下土壤碳汇的焦点。现阶段的研究明确指出，MAOC的形成和稳定不仅与微生物残体C密切相关，还与土壤矿物有着非常紧密的联系。基于此，聚焦土壤微生物“碳泵”调控SOC形成这一前沿科学问题，围绕土壤微生物残体贡献MAOC形成这一科学构架进行概述，旨在揭示不同来源LMW—DC(溶解态低分子量C底物)对MAOC形成的贡献，探讨土壤矿物对LMW—DC选择性吸附机理，探究MAOC贡献稳定C库的影响因素。并对该研究领域未来的发展进行展望，以期能从分子水平出发，探究不同生态系统、土壤类型及土层深度微生物的调控差异，为土壤有机碳固持的研究提... 相似文献
6.
连年秸秆覆盖对玉米产量及土壤微生物残体碳积累的影响 总被引：2，自引：1，他引：2
为明确连年秸秆覆盖对玉米产量及土壤微生物残体碳的影响,从而揭示秸秆覆盖条件下土壤有机碳积累的微生物学机制,该研究基于田间8 a长期定位小区试验,比较了不覆盖秸秆(CK)和覆盖秸秆(SM)两处理中玉米产量,同时利用一阶动力学模型对土壤(0～10 cm和10～20 cm)中有机碳、微生物残体碳及两者比例的年际变化进行了拟合。结果表明:1)秸秆覆盖在前5 a内没有显著提高玉米产量,第6年开始产量显著增加;在前2～3 a没有显著提高土壤有机碳和微生物残体碳含量;2)利用一阶动力学模型参数得到,SM处理显著提高了表层土壤有机碳、微生物残体碳以及两者比例的最大值,较CK处理分别高12%、39%、6%;3)SM处理显著延长了表层土壤有机碳、微生物残体碳以及两者比例达到最大值的时间,较CK处理分别多13、12和2.5 a,然而SM处理并没有显著影响下层土壤有机碳、微生物残体碳及两者比例的变化。因此,秸秆覆盖能够通过显著提高表层微生物残体碳及其对土壤有机碳的贡献,进而有利于对整个耕层土壤有机碳的固持。 相似文献
7.
土地利用类型对土壤微生物量和有机质的影响 总被引：2，自引：1，他引：1
对陕北黄土丘陵区农地、园地、人工草地、荒地、灌木林地、经济林地和乔木林地等7种不同土地利用类型土壤剖面4个土壤层次的土壤微生物量碳(MBC)、微生物量氮(MBN)、土壤呼吸(RS)和土壤有机质含量(SOM)进行了测定.分析了MBC,MBN,RS,SOM和全氮(TN)之间的相关性;并对土壤微生物对土壤健康的生物指示功能和土地利用类型对土壤有机质的影响进行了研究.结果表明,各土地利用类型表层土壤MBC和MBN分别在84.14～512.78和4.29～41.83 mg/kg之间,RS在108.69～235.71 mg/kg之间.荒地和乔木林地的土壤微生物量含量和RS值较高,农地较低;SOM在0.510%～1.547%之间,在乔木林地和经济林地较高,在农地,园地和人工草地较低,且在不同土地利用类型之间的差异显著.土壤微生物量和RS与SOC,TN显著相关,说明土壤微生物学特征可以用来表示土壤健康水平.农地转变为其它土地利用类型后会明显提高土壤微生物量和有机质含量,尤以表层土壤增幅最为明显. 相似文献
8.
鄂东南弃耕地自然恢复过程中微生物碳动态变化 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
耕地弃耕后植被次生演替过程中土壤微生物碳的大小和活性的研究结果表明,土壤有机碳和微生物碳呈现先下降后增大的趋势;在75 a的弃耕地中,有机碳和微生物碳的含量达到天然植被的115%和82.9%,而且有机碳与微生物碳呈现显著正相关(P<0.05);微生物代谢熵与微生物碳呈现极显著负相关(P<0.01),呈现先上升后下降的趋势;在次生演替初期,土壤有效基质逐渐降低,而在演替后期有效基质不断增加,有益于土壤有机碳和微生物碳的提高,有利于土壤肥力的提高. 相似文献
9.
农田土壤的固碳潜力对于理解陆地生态系统碳循环和气候变化至关重要.分别选取亚热带区4种典型稻田和旱地土壤,设置裸土光照和裸土黑暗处理,探讨土壤有机碳(SOC)及其活性组分(可溶性有机碳(DOC)和微生物生物量碳(MBC))对光照和黑暗条件的响应。结果表明,与培养前相比,培养80 d后,光照和黑暗培养下稻田及旱地土壤SOC含量差异不显著,这可能与土壤SOC含量变化是一个缓慢的过程有关.光照和黑暗培养均显著提高了土壤DOC含量(与培养前相比,光照和遮光培养平均分别提高73.37%和80.58%),而MBC显著降低(与培养前相比,光照和遮光培养平均分别降低35.58%和32.32%)。相关分析表明,培养后的土壤DOC含量与土壤粘粒含量呈极显著正相关性(P<0.01),而与土壤原有碳氮水平呈极显著负相关;土壤MBC则恰好相反,MBC与土壤粘粒含量呈极显著负相关,而与土壤原有碳氮水平呈极显著正相关.本研究表明,短期(80d)的光照和黑暗培养对稻田及旱地土壤SOC含量变化影响不大,而显著改变了有机碳活性组分(DOC和MBC)含量,进一步说明了土壤活性有机碳是土壤中活性化学组分,随环境条件变化表现出强烈的变化趋势。 相似文献
10.
采用野外调查采样与室内分析相结合的方法,对陇东黄土高原农田黑垆土微生物量碳（MBC）和颗粒有机碳（POC）的剖面分布特征进行了研究。结果表明:不同剖面土壤微生物量碳和颗粒有机碳含量随土层变化差异显著或极显著,主要集中在0—20 cm和20—40 cm土层,呈明显的表聚现象;0—60 cm土层MBC含量随着土层深度增加而减小;随着海拔高度增加,0—20 cm土层MBC含量整体呈增加趋势,变化范围为180.92～282.53 mg/kg;POC含量在0—20 cm和20—40 cm土层的变化范围分别为1.02～1.68 g/kg和0.25～0.96 g/kg,40 cm以下土层颗粒有机碳含量较低;剖面中不同土层深度微生物量碳、颗粒有机碳占总有机碳（SOC）的比例在 0—20 cm和20—40 cm土层均显著或极显著高于其它土层,MBC/SOC变化范围分别为2.29%～3.70%和1.00%～2.11%,POC/SOC的变化范围分别为13.46%～19.13%和5.08%～16.16%,剖面MBC/SOC与MBC、POC/SOC与POC随土层的变化规律均一致,MBC/SOC和POC/SOC可以作为反映土壤剖面质量变化的指标。 相似文献
11.
Changes in above-ground litterfall can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests. In order to examine how above-ground litter inputs affect soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a temperate deciduous forest, we studied a 14-year-old small-scale litter manipulation experiment that included control, litter exclusion, and doubled litter addition at a mature Fagus sylvatica L. site. Total organic C (TOC), total N (TN) and total P (TP), total organic P (TOP), bioavailable inorganic P (Pi), microbial C, N and P, soil respiration and fine root biomass were analyzed in the A and in two B horizons. Our results showed that litter manipulation had no significant effect on TOC in the mineral soil. Litter addition increased the bioavailable Pi in the A horizon but had no significant effect on N in the mineral soil. Litter exclusion decreased TN and TP in the B horizon to a depth of 10 cm. In the A horizon of the litter exclusion treatment, TP, TOP and bioavailable Pi were increased, which is most likely due to the higher root biomass in this treatment. The high fine root biomass seems to have counteracted the effects of the excluded aboveground litter. In conclusion, our study indicates that aboveground litter is not an important source for C in the mineral soil and that P recycling from root litter might be more important than from above-ground litter. 相似文献
12.
Saswati Mukhopadhyay 《Soil biology & biochemistry》2010,42(12):2306-2315
The impact of forest tree leaf litters on microbial activity and nutrient status of red laterite soil was tested for the ecological suitability of Cassia siamea, Shorea robusta, Acacia auriculiformes and Dalbergia sissoo, which are typically used for afforestation of wastelands in eastern India. The objectives were to compare seasonal variation in soil enzyme activity in 30-years old afforested sites, and to study nutrient status and microbial biomass and function during short-term in-situ incubation of litter in decomposition pits. In afforested soils, enzyme activities significantly varied between litters and seasons. All enzyme activity except invertase dominated in the soils containing Dalbergia and Cassia litters compared to the others. The seasonal effect was enzyme-dependent, with amylase and cellulase reaching peaks during the rainy season but invertase activity showed a reverse trend with lowest values in rainy season, except in Acacia soil, and protease activity was lowest in the soil containing Cassia and Dalbergia during the rainy season. Dehydrogenase activity was negligible in the soils containing Shorea and Acacia, but remained high with respect to Dalbergia and Cassia during all seasons. The decomposition pit study showed significant increase of soil nutrients with respect to litter types and intervals, except with respect to electrical conductivity. Cassia and Dalbergia litters enabled notable increase of soil nutrients than Shorea and Acacia. The soil enzyme activity, in general, increased with duration of litter decay, but microbial biomass C (MBC) decreased over time except in Shorea. Therefore, the enzyme rates normalized to the MBC indicated inverse relations for all enzymes, except in the soil containing Shorea. A positive relationship existed between MBC and soil respiration in Cassia, Acacia and Dalbergia. Analysis of variance revealed main effects of litter types for increasing protease, MBC and CO2 output, and a main effect of intervals for enhancing enzymes other than cellulase. Rates of soil respiration were greater in soils contain Cassia and Dalbergia, and showed significant differences between litters and between intervals. All enzymes were significantly correlated with electrical conductivity, organic carbon and available phosphorus contents, and all enzymes except invertase were correlated with nitrate concentrations. The acidic soil pH did not affect enzyme activities, and soil nutrients exerted only weak effect on MBC and respiration. Our study showed that leaf litters of Cassia and Dalbergia trees improved the nutrient status and microbial activity in soil more so than Shorea and Acacia litters, and therefore, afforestation using Cassia and Dalbergia trees may be particularly suitable for soil restoration in tropical laterite wastelands. 相似文献
13.
土壤微生物量碳氮作为土壤肥力指标的探讨 总被引：28，自引：4，他引：28
通过对不同肥力水平黑土、棕壤、黄棕壤、红壤土壤微生物量碳氮的比较,研究和探讨土壤微生物量碳氮与土壤肥力的关系。结果表明:有机肥或无机肥施入土壤均能增加土壤微生物量C、N的含量,且有机肥与无机肥配合有显著的正交互作用。土壤微生物量C、N从北到南的地带性变化规律不强。BC/BN及TC/TN从北到南逐渐减小,BC/TC及BN/TN从北到南逐渐增加。相关分析结果表明:土壤微生物量C、N与全C、全N均呈极显著相关,可以作为指示土壤肥力的重要指标。 相似文献
14.
生物质炭与秸秆施用对红壤有机碳组分和微生物活性的影响 总被引：12，自引：2，他引：10
采用玉米秸秆、玉米秸秆生物质炭及其两者配合施用于红壤旱地的田间试验,通过有机碳分组、微孔板荧光法及底物诱导呼吸手段,研究不施肥条件下土壤有机碳组分、土壤酶活性及微生物底物利用速率的变化。结果表明:施用9个月后,与对照(不施任何物料)相比,单施秸秆提高土壤易矿化碳含量,对pH、总有机碳含量、惰性碳含量影响较小,而生物质炭及其与秸秆配施显著提高土壤总有机碳和惰性有机碳含量。单施秸秆提高土壤β-葡萄糖苷酶活性,而生物质炭及其与秸秆配施对土壤酶活性无影响。单施秸秆提高土壤微生物对葡萄糖、天冬氨酸和丁香酸的利用速率,提高土壤基础呼吸速率,而生物质炭及其与秸秆配施对土壤呼吸和微生物底物利用速率无影响。生物质炭与秸秆配施对土壤易矿化碳组分和基础呼吸呈显著互作效应。土壤基础呼吸与易矿化碳含量、β-葡萄糖苷酶活性及葡萄糖利用速率呈显著正相关。因此,秸秆炭化相比秸秆直接施用更有利于提高土壤稳定性碳库,降低土壤碳排放。 相似文献
15.
The knowledge of biochemical properties of urban soils can help to understand nutrient cycling in urban areas and provide a database for urban soil management. Soil samples were taken from 10 soil profiles in the city of Stuttgart, Germany, differing in land use—from an essentially undisturbed garden area to highly disturbed high-density and railway areas. A variety of soil biotic (microbial biomass, enzyme activities) and abiotic properties (total organic C, elemental C, total N) were measured up to 1.9 m depth. Soil organic matter was frequently enriched in the subsoil. Microbial biomass in the top horizons ranged from 0.17 to 1.64 g C kg−1, and from 0.01 to 0.30 g N kg−1, respectively. The deepest soil horizon at 170-190 cm, however, contained 0.12 g C kg−1 and 0.05 kg N kg−1 in the microbial biomass. In general, arylsulphatase and urease activity decreased with depth but in three profiles potentially mineralizable N in the deepest horizons was higher than in soil layers directly overlying. In deeply modified urban soils, subsoil beside topsoil properties have to be included in the evaluation of soil quality. This knowledge is essential because consumption of natural soils for housing and traffic has to be reduced by promoting inner city densification. 相似文献
16.
Soil biochemical response to long-term conservation tillage under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions
We studied the effects of long term conservation tillage (CT) versus traditional tillage (TT) on soil biological status of a semi-arid sandy clay loam soil (Xerofluvent). The study was conducted in a wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.)–sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.) crop rotation established in 1991 under rainfed conditions in SW Spain. A fodder pea (Pisum arvense, L.) crop was introduced in the rotation in 2005. Soil biological status was evaluated by measuring the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and some enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase and protease) in autumn of 2004 and in summer of 2005, before and after the fodder pea crop, respectively. Soil analyses were performed in samples collected at three depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–25 cm). In general and in both samplings, increases in the organic matter content, MBC and enzymatic activities were found in the more superficial layers of soil under CT than under TT. Values of MBC were lower in summer, whereas values of enzyme activities were similar in both samplings. Biological properties showed a pronounced decrease with increasing soil depth. Statistical differences in biochemical properties between soils under the different tillage were not found in the deeper layer (10–25 cm). Enzymatic activities, MBC and organic matter (water-soluble carbon (WSC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents) were strongly correlated (p < 0.01). Conservation tillage improved the quality of soil in the superficial layer by enhancing its organic matter content and, especially, its biological status, as reflected in the values of stratification ratios for MBC and enzymatic activities. 相似文献
17.
基于文献计量的土壤有机碳与土壤微生物多样性研究前沿态势分析 总被引：5，自引：1，他引：4
为了系统了解国际上土壤有机碳与微生物多样性的研究进展,基于Web of Science数据源,利用Web of Science数据库分析工具和Thomson Data Analysis(TDA)、社会网络分析与可视化工具Netdraw和Ucinet,从论文年度变化趋势、全球研究实力国家、机构分布和力量比较、基金资助机构和主题分布、机构合作和研究内容等方面,对1992~2015年的相关论文,尤其是近10年来土壤有机碳及其影响因素的相关文章进行计量分析。结果表明:(1)论文数量呈逐年增长态势,土壤有机碳与土壤微生物多样性研究主要集中在欧美发达国家(地区);美国和德国综合影响力最高,英国、瑞典、瑞士、荷兰论文篇均被引较高,以中国科学院为代表的中国机构在该领域研究增长较快,研究论文最多,但论文整体质量有待提高。(2)中国国家自然基金资助机构产出论文最多;美国国家科学基金会资助论文篇均被引最高,其次是德国研究基金会,中国科学院科学基金名列第3,各国在共同资助的研究主题基础上,各有其特色主题;美国的一些研究机构是全球该领域研究合作交流的中心,其次是德国和中国中科院。(3)土壤有机质、土壤有机碳、凋落物分解、氮、磷、微生物生物量、土壤性质、气候变化、碳固定是该领域10年来的热点研究主题。未来应加强国际合作研究,关注土壤重金属、凋落物分解和微生物呼吸等相关主题,以提高我国研究水平,将相关研究成果及时应用于解决相应的实际问题。 相似文献
18.
The accumulation and transformation of organic matter during soil development is rarely investigated although such processes are relevant when discussing about carbon sequestration in soil. Here, we investigated soils under grassland and forest close to the North Sea that began its genesis under terrestrial conditions 30 years ago after dikes were closed. Organic C contents of up to 99 mg g−1 soil were found until 6 cm soil depth. The humus consisted mainly of the fraction lighter than 1.6 g cm−3 which refers to poorly degraded organic carbon. High microbial respiratory activity was determined with values between 1.57 and 1.17 μg CO2-C g−1 soil h−1 at 22 °C and 40 to 70% water-holding capacity for the grassland and forest topsoils, respectively. The microbial C to organic C ratio showed values up to 20 mg Cmic g−1 Corg. Although up to 2.69 kg C m−2 were estimated to be sequestered during 30 years, the microbial indicators showed intensive colonisation and high transformation rates under both forest and grassland which were higher than those determined in agricultural and forest topsoils in Northern Germany. 相似文献
19.
Preferential sequestration of microbial carbon in subsoils of a glacial-landscape toposequence, Dane County, WI, USA 总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2
Microorganisms participate in soil carbon storage by contributing biomass in the form of refractory microbial cell components. However, despite the important contribution of microbial biomass residues to the stable carbon pool, little is known about how the contribution of these residues to soil carbon storage varies as a function of depth. In this study, we evaluated microbial residue biomarkers (amino sugars) in varied pedogenic horizons from six soil profiles of two geographic sites on a glacial-landscape toposequence in Dane County, WI. We found that the amino sugars appeared to preferentially accumulate in subsoil. Specifically, although total amounts of amino sugars decreased downward through the profile as even as total organic carbon did, the rate of decrease was significantly lower, suggesting that these compounds are more refractory than general soil organic carbon. The proportion of amino sugars to soil organic carbon increased along the depth gradient (from top to bottom), with the exception of Bg horizons associated with high water tables. We also observed that microbial residue patterns measured by amino sugar ratio (e.g., glucosamine to muramic acid) showed different dynamic tendencies in the two different geographic sites, suggesting that residue carbon contribution by fungi and bacteria is likely site-specific and complex. In summary, regardless of the redox microenvironment created by groundwater dynamics in a given soil, our study supports the hypothesis that microbial residues are refractory and that they contribute to terrestrial carbon sequestration. 相似文献
20.
The field of soil ecology has relatively few fundamental unifying principles that can be used to explain and predict patterns and processes in belowground ecosystems. Here we propose that a first step towards developing a more comprehensive set of unifying principles in soil ecology is to identify and understand the characteristics shared by a wide range of soils, the common mechanisms driving soil biogeochemical processes, and the biogeochemical constraints imposed on soil biota regardless of soil type. Very often, soil ecologists focus on the differences between soils when, in fact, many soils share a common set of ecological mechanisms that govern biogeochemical processes. Here we explore evidence for the existence of unifying principles in soil ecology, highlighting some of the similarities in carbon dynamics and soil communities across widely different soil types and examining the various mechanisms that may drive these similarities. Given that soils are extremely complex environments that exhibit substantial spatial and temporal heterogeneity, defining overarching principles is, arguably, more challenging in soil ecology than in other disciplines. However, recent methodological advances hold great promise for testing and formulating unifying principles, particularly when such methods are used consistently, in concert with other interdisciplinary approaches, and across a range of sites. Soils are not identical, but they do exhibit consistent patterns and processes that, if explored more intensively, will affirm the existence of unifying principles in soil ecology. 相似文献