Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on soil microbial community structure and ecological processes in the farmland of Chinese Loess Plateau

Microorganisms regulate the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to anthropogenic nutrient inputs.The escalation of anthropogenic activities has resulted in a rise in the primary terrestrial constraining elements,namely nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P).Nevertheless,the specific mechanisms governing the influence of soil microbial community structure and ecological processes in ecologically vulnerable and delicate semi-arid loess agroecosystems remain inadequately understood.Therefore,we explored the effects of different N and P additions on soil microbial community structure and its associated ecological processes in the farmland of Chinese Loess Plateau based on a 36-a long-term experiment.Nine fertilization treatments with complete interactions of high,medium,and low N and P gradients were set up.Soil physical and chemical properties,along with the microbial community structure were measured in this study.Additionally,relevant ecological processes such as microbial biomass,respiration,N mineralization,and enzyme activity were quantified.To elucidate the relationships between these variables,we examined correlation-mediated processes using statistical techniques,including redundancy analysis(RDA)and structural equation modeling(SEM).The results showed that the addition of N alone had a detrimental effect on soil microbial biomass,mineralized N accumulation,andβ-1,4-glucosidase activity.Conversely,the addition of P exhibited an opposing effect,leading to positive influences on these soil parameters.The interactive addition of N and P significantly changed the microbial community structure,increasing microbial activity(microbial biomass and soil respiration),but decreasing the accumulation of mineralized N.Among them,N24P12 treatment showed the greatest increase in the soil nutrient content and respiration.N12P12 treatment increased the overall enzyme activity and total phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA)content by 70.93%.N and P nutrient contents of the soil dominate the microbial community structure and the corresponding changes in hydrolytic enzymes.Soil microbial biomass,respiration,and overall enzyme activity are driven by mineralized N.Our study provides a theoretical basis for exploring energy conversion processes of soil microbial community and environmental sustainability under long-term N and P additions in semi-arid loess areas.

Effects of Bamboo Charcoal-based Biochar on Soil Enzyme Activity and Microbial Community Structure

[Objectives]This study was conducted to reveal the effects of bamboo charcoal-based biochar(or bamboo charcoal for short)on soil enzyme activity and microbial community structure.[Methods]The field experiment was carried out at the Modern Agriculture Demonstration Base of Gaoping Village,Gaoping Town,Suichang County,Zhejiang Province.Bamboo charcoal was applied at four different levels:T_(0)(no bamboo charcoal),T_(1)(1125 kg/hm^(2)bamboo charcoal),T_(2)(2250 kg/hm^(2)bamboo charcoal)and T_(3)(3375 kg/hm^(2)bamboo charcoal).Soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities in different treatments were measured.[Results]The soil fungal,bacterial and actinomycete populations increased significantly in the soils surrounding capsicum roots.The bacterial population,fungal population and fungus/bacterium ratio peaked in Treatment T_(2),up to 7.32×10^(6)cfu/g,2.65×10^(4)cfu/g and 0.36×10^(-2),respectively.The effect of bamboo charcoal in promotingβ-glucoside,catalase,acid phosphatase and sucrase activities was T_(2)>T_(3)>T_(1)>T_(0).With bamboo charcoal increasing,the bacterium population,fungus population,fungus/bacterium ratio,β-glucoside,catalase,acid phosphatase and sucrase activities all increased at first and then decreased.T_(2)treatment showed the best effects in improving soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure.[Conclusions]Bamboo charcoal significantly improves soil enzyme activity and increases soil microbial population,and thus has important positive effects on the soil ecosystem.

Comparative study of microbial community structure in different filter media of constructed wetland

Comparisons of microbial community structure, in eight filter media of zeolites, anthracite, shale, vermiculite, ceramic filter media, gravel, steel slag and bio-ceramic, were undertaken by analyzing the phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） composition. A total of 20 fatty acids in the range of C18to C20 were determined but only 13 PLFAs were detected in steel slag. They consist of saturated fatty acids, branched fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The variation of fatty acids was revealed in the relative proportions of these fatty acids in different media. The aerobic prokaryotes were the predominant group in all media. The PLFA composition showed significant differences among the eight different media by Tukey＇s honestly test. It was found that steel slag was significantly different in the microbial community as compared to other filter media, probably due to its alkaline effluent. Steel slag alone is probably not a good choice of substratum in constructed wetlands. The principle components analysis （PCA） showed that zeolites, bio-ceramic, shale and vermiculite had a similar microbial community structure while steel slag and ceramic filter media were distinct from other media.

Dynamic changes in microbial activity and community structure during biodegradation of petroleum compounds:A laboratory experiment

With 110-d incubation experiment in laboratory, the responses of microbial quantity, soil enzymatic activity, and bacterial community structure to different amounts of diesel fuel amendments were studied to reveal whether certain biological and biochemical characteristics could serve as reliable indicators of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in meadow-brown soil, and use these indicators to evaluate the actual ecological impacts of 50-year petroleum-refining wastewater irrigation on soil function in Shenfu irrigation area. Results showed that amendments of ~ 1000 mg/kg diesel fuel stimulated the growth of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, and increased the activity of soil dehydrogenase, hydrogenperoxidase, polyphenol oxidase and substrate-induced respiration. Soil bacterial diversity decreased slightly during the first 15 d of incubation and recovered to the control level on day 30. The significant decrease of the colony forming units of soil actinomyces and filamentous fungi can be taken as the sensitive biological indicators of petroleum contamination when soil was amended with 〉15000 mg/kg diesel fuel. The sharp decrease in urease activity was recommended as the most sensitive biochemical indicator of heavy diesel fuel contamination. The shifts in community structure to a community documented by Sphingomonadaceae within a-subgroup of Proteobacteria could be served as a sensitive and precise indicator of diesel fuel contamination. Based on the results described in this paper, the soil function in Shenfu irrigation area was disturbed to some extent.

Effect of Different Vegetation Types on the Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Community Structure in the Loess Plateau of China

The Loess Plateau in China is one of the most eroded areas in the world. Accordingly, vegetation restoration has been implemented in this area over the past two decades to remedy the soil degradation problem. Understanding the microbial community structure is essential for the sustainability of ecosystems and for the reclamation of degraded arable land. This study aimed to determine the effect of different vegetation types on microbial processes and community structure in rhizosphere soils in the Loess Plateau. The six vegetation types were as follows：two natural grassland （Artemisia capillaries and Heteropappus altaicus）, two artificial grassland （Astragalus adsurgens and Panicum virgatum）, and two artificial shrubland （Caragana korshinskii and Hippophae rhamnoides） species. The microbial community structure and functional diversity were examined by analyzing the phospholipid fatty acids （PLFAs） and community-level physiological profiles. The results showed that rhizosphere soil sampled from the H. altaicus and A. capillaries plots had the highest values of microbial biomass C, average well color development of carbon resources, Gram-negative （G-） bacterial PLFA, bacterial PLFA, total PLFA, Shannon richness, and Shannon evenness, as well as the lowest metabolic quotient. Soil sampled from the H. rhamnoides plots had the highest metabolic quotient and Gram-positive （G＋） bacterial PLFA, and soil sampled from the A. adsurgens and A. capillaries plots had the highest fungal PLFA and fungal：bacterial PLFA ratio. Correlation analysis indicated a signiifcant positive relationship among the microbial biomass C, G- bacterial PLFA, bacterial PLFA, and total PLFA. In conclusion, plant species under arid climatic conditions signiifcantly affected the microbial community structure in rhizosphere soil. Among the studied plants, natural grassland species generated the most favorable microbial conditions.

Analysis of effect of nicotine on microbial community structure in sediment using PCR-DGGE fingerprinting

Solid or liquid waste containing a high concentration of nicotine can pollute sediment in rivers and lakes, and may destroy the ecological balance if it is directly discharged into the environment without any treatment. In this study, the polymerase chain reaction （PCR） and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） method was used to analyze the variation of the microbial community structure in the control and nicotinecontaminated sediment samples with nicotine concentration and time of exposure. The results demonstrated that the growth of some bacterial species in the nicotine-contaminated sediment samples was inhibited during the exposure. Some bacteria decreased in species diversity and in quantity with the increase of nicotine concentration or time of exposure, while other bacteria were enriched under the effect of nicotine, and their DGGE bands changed from undertones to deep colors. The microbial community structure, however, showed a wide variation in the nicotine- contaminated sediment samples, especially in the sediment samples treated with high-concentration nicotine. The Jaccard index was only 35.1% between the initial sediment sample and the sediment sample with a nicotine concentration of 0.030 μg/g after 28 d of exposure. Diversity indices showed that the contaminated groups had a similar trend over time. The diversity indices of contaminated groups all decreased in the first 7 d after exposure, then increased until day 42. It has been found that nicotine decreased the diversity of the microbial community in the sediment.

Microbial community structure and functional metabolic diversity are associated with organic carbon availability in an agricultural soil

Exploration of soil environmental characteristics governing soil microbial community structure and activity may improve our understanding of biogeochemical processes and soil quality. The impact of soil environmental characteristics especially organic carbon availability after 15-yr different organic and inorganic fertilizer inputs on soil bacterial community structure and functional metabolic diversity of soil microbial communities were evaluated in a 15-yr fertilizer experiment in Changping County, Beijing, China. The experiment was a wheat-maize rotation system which was established in 1991 including four different fertilizer treatments. These treatments included： a non-amended control（CK）, a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer treatment（NPK）; a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer with swine manure incorporated treatment（NPKM）, and a commonly used application rate of inorganic fertilizer with maize straw incorporated treatment（NPKS）. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis（DGGE） of the 16 S r RNA gene was used to determine the bacterial community structure and single carbon source utilization profiles were determined to characterize the microbial community functional metabolic diversity of different fertilizer treatments using Biolog Eco plates. The results indicated that long-term fertilized treatments significantly increased soil bacterial community structure compared to CK. The use of inorganic fertilizer with organic amendments incorporated for long term（NPKM, NPKS） significantly promoted soil bacterial structure than the application of inorganic fertilizer only（NPK）, and NPKM treatment was the most important driver for increases in the soil microbial community richness（S） and structural diversity（H）. Overall utilization of carbon sources by soil microbial communities（average well color development, AWCD） and microbial substrate utilization diversity and evenness indices（H＇ and E） indicated that long-term inorganic fertilizer with organic amendments incorporated（NPKM, NPKS） could significantly stimulate soil microbial metabolic activity and functional diversity relative to CK, while no differences of them were found between NPKS and NPK treatments. Principal component analysis（PCA） based on carbon source utilization profiles also showed significant separation of soil microbial community under long-term fertilization regimes and NPKM treatment was significantly separated from the other three treatments primarily according to the higher microbial utilization of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, polymers, phenolic compounds, and amino acid, while higher utilization of amines/amides differed soil microbial community in NPKS treatment from those in the other three treatments. Redundancy analysis（RDA） indicated that soil organic carbon（SOC） availability, especially soil microbial biomass carbon（Cmic） and Cmic/SOC ratio are the key factors of soil environmental characteristics contributing to the increase of both soil microbial community structure and functional metabolic diversity in the long-term fertilization trial. Our results showed that long-term inorganic fertilizer and swine manure application could significantly improve soil bacterial community structure and soil microbial metabolic activity through the increases in SOC availability, which could provide insights into the sustainable management of China＇s soil resource.

Effects of heavy metals on soil microbial community of different land use types

To evaluate soil environmental quality of introduced new crops and other traditional crops,and to understand the importance of response of soil microbial community to heavy metal stress,rhizosphere soil samples of different land use types(Sphagnum farming,rice field,grassland and bare land) in Dading Village,Duyun City,Guizhou Province of China were selected as research objects.The differences of soil chemical properties,heavy metal concentration and microbial community among different land use types were compared.The abundance and structural diversity of microbial communities in soil samples were analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing,the relationship between soil pollution characteristics and microbial community in farmland was studied.The results showed that the different land use types planting different agricultural products under the same growing environment were subject to different heavy metal pollution.Soil chemical properties and heavy metals had significant effects on the soil microbial community.Proteobacteria,Actinobacteriota and Acidobacteriota were the most dominant groups of bacteria.The soil microorganisms responded more actively to the variability of pH,SOM and AK contents,although the variability was not high.With the increase of pH value,the abundance of the dominant species Proteobacteria also increased.Verrucomicrobiota had a better tolerance to the heavy metal Hg.Verrucomicrobiota and Firmicutes had strong resistance to the heavy metal Cd.These results deepen our understanding of the changes and aggregation of microorganisms under different land use patterns in heavy-metal contaminated farmland soils.

Bacterial and archaeal community structures in the Arctic deepsea sediment

Microbial community structures in the Arctic deep-sea sedimentary ecosystem are determined by organic matter input, energy availability, and other environmental factors. However, global warming and earlier ice-cover melting are affecting the microbial diversity. To characterize the Arctic deep-sea sediment microbial diversity and its relationship with environmental factors, we applied Roche 454 sequencing of 16 S r DNA amplicons from Arctic deep-sea sediment sample. Both bacterial and archaeal communities＇ richness, compositions and structures as well as taxonomic and phylogenetic affiliations of identified clades were characterized. Phylotypes relating to sulfur reduction and chemoorganotrophic lifestyle are major groups in the bacterial groups; while the archaeal community is dominated by phylotypes most closely related to the ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota（96.66%） and methanogenic Euryarchaeota（3.21%）. This study describes the microbial diversity in the Arctic deep marine sediment（〉3 500 m） near the North Pole and would lay foundation for future functional analysis on microbial metabolic processes and pathways predictions in similar environments.

Application of multi-stage bio-filtration system for sewage treatment and analysis of the microbial community

The conventional fixed-bed biofilm process has disadvantages of easily blocked,high headloss and short operation cycle.For overcoming these disadvantages,a multi-stage biofilm reactor(MSBFR),in which the lightweight floating filter was dominant,was set up and operated.For detail investigation of the system when treating municipal wastewater,the succession characteristic of microbial community was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis(DGGE)method.The results showed that the process had high efficiency to removal COD,SS and NH4+-N.The concentration of COD,SS and NH4-N in effluent were maintained lower than 40 mg/L,5 mg/L and 2 mg/L even though the concentration of COD,SS and NH4+-N in influent were 232-663 mg/L,105-245 mg/L and 23.7-62.7 mg/L,respectively,and the empty bed retention time was 3 h.Furthermore,biofilm samples taken from the column 2nd in height were analyzed by PCR-DGGE.The result of PCR-DGGE analysis showed that the microbial community had a little change in height and the dominant groups were Paracoccus sp.,Lactobacillus delbrueckii,Pseudomonas sp.and Bacteroidetes bacterium.

Microbial Mats in the Mesoproterozoic Carbonates of the North China Platform and Their Potential for Hydrocarbon Generation

The well-preserved Mesoproterozoic succession in the North China platform consists mainly of three iithological associations including peritidal quartz sandstone, shallow marine and lagoonal dark to black shales, and shallow epeiric carbonates, with a total thickness of up to 8 000 m. In addition to well-documented microplants, macroalgae, and microbial buildups, abundant microbially induced sedimentary structures （MISS） and mat-related sediments have been recognized in these rocks. Intensive microbial mat layers and MISS are especially well preserved in the carbonates of the upper Gaoyuzhuang （高于庄） （ca. 1.5 Ga） and lower Wumishan （雾迷山） （ca. 1.45 Ga） formations, indicating diversified microbial activities and a high organic production. In these petrified biomats, putative microbial fossils （both coccoidal and filamentous） and framboidal pyrites have been identified. The abundance of authigenic carbonate minerals in the host rocks, such as, acicular aragonites, rosette barites, radial siderites, ankerites, and botryoidal carbonate cements, suggests authigenic carbonate precipitation from anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM） under anoxic/euxinic conditions. Warm climate and anoxic/euxinic conditions in the Mesoproterozoic oceans may have facilitated high microbial productivity and organic burial in sediments. Although authigenic carbonate cements may record carbonate precipitation from anaerobic methane oxidation, gas blister （or dome） structures may indicate gas release from active methanogenesis during shallow burial. Bituminous fragments in mat-related carbonates also provide evidence for hydrocarbon generation. Under proper conditions, the Mesoproterozoic mat-rich carbonates will have the potential for hydrocarbon generation and serve as source rocks. On the basis of petrified biomats, a rough estimation suggests that the Mesoproterozoic carbonates of the North China platform might have a hydrocarbon production potential in the order of 10 ×10^8 t.

Microbial community structure analyses and cultivable denitrifier isolation of Myriophyllum aquaticum constructed wetland under low C/N ratio

With the rapid expansion of livestock production,the amount of livestock wastewater accumulated rapidly.Lack of biodegradable organic matter makes denitrification of livestock wastewater after anaerobic digestion more difficult.In this study,Myriophyllum aquaticum constructed wetlands(CWs)with efficient nitrogen removal performance were established under different carbon/nitrogen(C/N)ratios.Analysis of community composition reveals the change of M.aquaticum CWs in microbial community structure with C/N ratios.The proportion of Proteobacteria which is one of the dominant phyla among denitrifier communities increased significantly under low C/N ratio conditions.Besides,to obtain cultivable denitrifier that could be added into CWs in situ,33 strains belonging to phylum Proteobacteria were isolated from efficient M.aquaticum CWs,while the best-performing denitrification strain M3-1 was identified as Bacillus velezensis JT3-1(GenBank No.CP032506.1).Redundancy analysis and quadratic models showed that C/N ratio had significant effects on disposal of nitrate(NO_(3)^(−)-N)and the strains isolated could perform well in denitrification when C/N ratio is relatively low.In addition,they have relatively wide ranges of carbon sources,temperature and a high NO_(3)^(−)removal rate of 9.12 mg/(L·hr)at elevated concentrations of 800 mg/L nitrate.Thus,strains isolated from M.aquaticum CWs with low C/N ratio have a practical application value in the treatment of nitrate-containing wastewater.These denitrifying bacteria could be added to CWs to enhance nitrogen removal efficiency of CWs for livestock wastewater with low C/N ratio in the future.

Impact of Robinia pseudoacacia stand conversion on soil properties and bacterial community composition in Mount Tai,China

Background:Robinia pseudoacacia is a widely planted pioneer tree species in reforestations on barren mountains in northern China.Because of its nitrogen-fixing ability,it can play a positive role in soil and forest restoration.After clearcutting of planted stands,R.pseudoacacia stands become coppice plantations.The impacts of shifting from seedling to coppice stands on soil bacterial community and soil properties have not been wel described.This study aims to quantify how soil properties and bacterial community composition vary between planted seedling versus coppice stands.Methods:Nine 20 m×20 m plots were randomly selected in seedling and coppice stands.The bulk soil and rhizosphere soil were sampled in summer 2017.Bulk soil was sampled at 10 cm from the soil surface using a soil auger.Rhizosphere soil samples were col ected using a brush.The soil samples were transported to the laboratory for chemical analysis,and bacterial community composition and diversity was obtained through DNA extraction,16 S r RNA gene amplification and high-throughput sequencing.Results:The results showed that,compared to seedling plantations,soil quality decreased significantly in coppice stands,but without affecting soil exchangeable Mg^(2+) and K^(+).Total carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)were lower in the rhizosphere than in bulk soil,whereas nutrient availability showed an opposite trend.The conversion from seedling to coppice plantations was also related to significant differences in soil bacterial community structure and to the reduction of soil bacterialα-diversity.Principal component analysis(PCA)showed that bacterial community composition was similar in both bulk and rhizosphere soils in second-generation coppice plantations.Special y,the conversion from seedling to coppice stands increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Rhizobium,but reduced that of Actinobacteria,which may result in a decline of soil nutrient availability.Mantel tests revealed that C,N,soil organic matter(SOM),nitrate nitrogen(NO^(-)+(3)-N)and available phosphorus positively correlated with bacterial community composition,while a variation partition analysis(VPA)showed that NO^(-)+(3)-N explained a relatively greater proportion of bacterial distribution(15.12%),compared with C and SOM.Surprisingly,N showed no relationship with bacterial community composition,which may be related to nitrogen transportation.Conclusions:The conversion from seedling to coppice stands reduced soil quality and led to spatial-temporal homogenization of the soil bacterial community structure in both the rhizosphere and bulk soils.Such imbalance in microbial structure can accelerate the decline of R.pseudoacacia.This may affect the role of R.pseudoacacia coppice stands in soil and forest restoration of barren lands in mountain areas.

Soil microbial community structure and function responses to successive planting of Eucalyptus

Many studies have shown soil degradation after the conversion of native forests to exotic Eucalyptus plantations. However, few studies have investigated the long-term impacts of short-rotation forestry practices on soil microorganisms. The impacts of Eucalyptus successive rotations on soil microbial communities were evaluated by comparing phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） abundances, compositions, and enzyme activities of native Pinus massoniana plantations and adjacent 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation Eucalyptus plantations. The conversion from P. massoniana to Eucalyptus plantations significantly decreased soil microbial community size and enzyme activities, and increased microbial physiological stress. However, the PLFA abundances formed ＂U＂ shaped quadratic functions with Eucalyptus plantation age. Alternatively, physiological stress biomarkers, the ratios of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acid and Gram＋ to Gram- bacteria, formed ＂∩＂ shaped quadratic functions, and the ratio of cy17：0 to 16： 1ω7c decreased with plantation age. The activities of phenol oxidase, peroxidase, and acid phosphatase increased with Eucalyptus plantation age, while the cellobiobydrolase activity formed ＂U＂ shaped quadratic functions. Soil N：P, alkaline hydrolytic nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and understory cover largely explained the variation in PLFA profiles while soil N：P, alkaline hydrolytic nitrogen, and understory cover explained most of the variability in enzyme activity. In conclusion, soil microbial structure and function under Eucalyptus plantations were strongly impacted by plantation age. Most of the changes could be explained by altered soil resource availability and understory cover associated with successive planting of Eucalyptus. Our results highlight the importance of plantation age for assessing the impacts of plantation conversion as well as the importance of reducing disturbance for plantation management.

Microbial community structure in different wastewater treatment processes characterized by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique

In order to investigate microbial community structures in different wastewater treatment processes and understand the relationship between the structures and the status of processes,the microbial community diversity,variety and distribution in five wastewater treatment pro cesses were studied by a culture-independent genetic fingerprinting technique single-strand conformation poly-morphism(SSCP).The five processes included denitrifying and phosphate-removal system(diminished N),Chinese traditional medicine wastewater treatment system(P),beer wastewater treatment system(W),fermentative biohydrogen-producing system(H),and sulfate-reduction system(S).The results indicated that the microbial community profiles in the wastewater bioreactors with the uniform status were very similar.The diversity of microbial populations was correlated with the complexity of organic contaminants in wastewater.Chinese traditional medicine wastewater contained more complex organic components;hence,the population diversity was higher than that of simple nutrient bioreactors fed with molasses wastewater.Compared with the strain bands in a simulated community,the relative proportion of some functional microbial populations in bioreactors was not dom-inant.Fermentative biohydrogen producer Ethanoligenens harbinense in the better condition bioreactor had only a 5% band density,and the Desulfovibrio sp.in the sulfate-reducing bioreactor had less than 1.5%band density.The SSCP profiles could identify the difference in microbial community structures in wastewater treatment processes,monitor some of the functional microbes in these processes,and consequently provide useful guidance for improving their efficiency.

Shifts in microbial community structure and diversity in a MBR combined with worm reactors treating synthetic wastewater

The chemical oxygen demand（COD） and NH3-N removal, membrane fouling, sludge characteristics and microbial community structure in a membrane bioreactor（MBR） coupled with worm reactors（SSBWR） were evaluated for 210 days. The obtained results were compared to those from a conventional MBR（C-MBR） operated in parallel. The results indicated that the combined MBR（S-MBR） achieved higher COD and NH3-N removal efficiency,slower increase in membrane fouling, better sludge settleability and higher activities of the related enzymes in the activated sludge. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the microbial community structures in the C-MBR and the S-MBR. The microbial community structure in the S-MBR was more diverse than that in the C-MBR. Additionally, the slow-growing microbes such as Saprospiraceae, Actinomyces, Frankia, Clostridium, Comamonas,Pseudomonas, Dechloromonas and Flavobacterium were enriched in the S-MBR, further accounting for the sludge reduction, membrane fouling alleviation and wastewater treatment.

Influence of microbial community structure of seed sludge on the properties of aerobic nitrifying granules

In order to evaluate the influence of microbial community structure of seed sludge on the properties of aerobic nitrifying granules, these granules were cultivated with different seed sludge, and the variation of microbial community and dominant bacterial groups that impact the nitrogen removal efficiency of the aerobic nitrifying granules were analyzed and identified using 16 s rDNA sequence and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis（DGGE） profiles. The results presented here demonstrated that the influence of the community structure of seed sludge on the properties of aerobic nitrifying granules was remarkable, and the granules cultivated by activated sludge from a beer wastewater treatment plant showed better performance, with a stable sludge volume index（SVI） value of 20 m L/g, high extracellular polymeric substance（EPS） content of 183.3 mg/L, high NH4＋-N removal rate of 89.42% and abundant microbial population with 10 dominant bacterial groups. This indicated that activated sludge with abundant communities is suitable for use as seed sludge in culturing aerobic nitrifying granules.

Impact of soluble organic matter and particulate organic matter on anammox system: Performance, microbial community and N_(2)O production

In this study,the effects of soluble readily biodegradable COD(sCOD)and particulate slowly biodegradable COD(pCOD)on anammox process were investigated.The results of the longterm experiment indicated that a low sCOD/N ratio of 0.5 could accelerate the anammox and denitrification activity,to reach as high as 84.9%±2.8%TN removal efficiency.Partial denitrification-anammox(PDN/anammox)and denitrification were proposed as the major pathways for nitrogen removal,accounting for 91.3% and 8.7% of the TN removal,respectively.Anammox bacteria could remain active with high abundance of anammox genes to maintain its dominance.Candidatus Kuenenia and Thauera were the predominant genera in the presence of organic matter.Compared with sCOD,batch experiments showed that the introduction of pCOD had a negative effect on nitrogen removal.The contribution of denitrification to nitrogen removal decreased from approximately 14%to 3% with increasing percentage of pCOD.In addition,the analysis result of the process data using an optimized ASM1 model indicated that high percentage of pCOD resulted in serious N_(2)O emission(the peak value up to 0.25mg N/L),whichwas likely due to limited mass diffusion and insufficient available carbon sources for denitrification.However,a high sCOD/N ratio was beneficial for alleviating N_(2)O accumulation.

The role of biocrusts in nitrogen cycling on the tropical reef islands,South China Sea

Harboring polyextremotolerant microbial topsoil communities,biological soil crusts(biocrusts)occur across various climatic zones,and have been well studied in the terrestrial drylands.However,little is known about the functional metabolic potential of microbial communities involved in the biogeochemical processes during the early succession of biocrusts on the tropical reef islands.We collected 26 biocrusts and bare soil samples from the Xisha Islands and Nansha Islands,and applied a functional gene array(GeoChip 5.0)to reveal nitrogen(N)cycling processes involved in these samples.Both physicochemical measurement and enzyme activity assay were utilized to characterize the soil properties.Results revealed the composition of N-cycling functional genes in biocrusts was distinct from that in bare soil.Additionally,microorganisms in biocrusts showed lower functional potential related to ammonification,denitrification,N assimilation,nitrification,N fixation,and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium compared to bare soils.Although the abundance of nifH gene was lower in biocrusts,nitrogenase activity was significantly higher compared to that in bare soils.Precipitation,soil physicochemical properties(i.e.,soil available copper,soil ammonia N and pH)and soil biological properties(i.e.,β-glucosidase,fluorescein diacetate hydrolase,alkaline protease,urease,alkaline phosphatase,catalase and chlorophyll a)correlated to the N-cycling functional genes structure.Nitrate N and ammonia N were more abundant in biocrusts than bare soil,while pH value was higher in bare soil.Our results suggested biocrusts play an important role in N-cycling in coral sand soil,and will be helpful in understanding the development and ecological functions of biocrusts on tropical reef islands.

Application of biofl oc technology in recirculation A rtemia culture system

Biofl oc technology(BFT)improves water quality,and productivity of the farmed species through converting ammonium nitrogen to microbial protein,stabilizing microbial community,and reducing the production cost.In this study,a small-scale biofl oc development unit was designed in combination of recirculation system(RAS)for Artemia culture.Artemia growth,water quality,and microbial composition of biofl ocs in RAS were studied in comparison with in-situ batch culture(Glu).Glucose was added in RAS and Glu at C/N ratio of 10.The cultures without glucose addition,but with 50%daily water renewal(WRe)and without water renewal(NWRe)were considered as the controls.Arte mia were cultured at 25℃ and salinity 30 for 24 days and fed formulated feed.The results showed that compared to the controls,Glu signifi cantly improved the Artemia biomass,increased the biofl oc volume,and reduced the content of total ammonia nitrogen(TAN),nitrite nitrogen(NO_(2)-N)and nitrate nitrogen(NO_(3)-N)in water column(P<0.05).In addition,RAS had similar results with Glu.High throughput sequencing analysis on biofl oc microbial composition demonstrated that glucose supplement shaped the microbial community structure,and increased proportion of potential probiotic bacteria and suppressed pathogenic bacteria growth.Furthermore,we analyzed the relationship between the microbial composition of biofl oc and environmental factors.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA)indicated that inorganic nitrogen in culture water had great impact on biofl oc microbial composition in NWRe and WRe,whilst the dissolved organic carbon(DOC)modifi ed the microbial community in Glu and RAS.This study shows the advantages of BFT in Artemia culture and provides practical information for applying BFT-RAS in indoor Artemia culture.