Responses of soil stoichiometry and soil enzyme activities in the different distance around opencast coal mine of the Hulun Buir Grassland of China

The objectives of this study were to explore the changes in soil stoichiometry and enzyme activities at different distances from an opencast coal mine in the Hulun Buir Grassland of China. Four transects were established on north and east sides of the opencast coal mining area, and samples were collected at 50 m, 550 m, and 1550 m from the pit on each transect. Control samples were collected from a grassland station 8 km from the opencast coal mining area that was not disturbed by mining. Four replicate soil samples were collected at each point on the four transects. Soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were determined, and correlations between soil properties and stoichiometric ratios and enzyme activities were explored using redundancy analysis. The increase in distance from mining did not significantly affect soil properties, although soil urease activity was significantly lower than that of the control area. Soil properties 1550 m from the mine pit were similar to those at the grassland control. In addition, soil total nitrogen had the greatest effect on soil stoichiometry, and soil total potassium had the greatest effect on soil enzyme activities. Coal dust from opencast mining might be the main factor affecting soil stoichiometry and enzyme activities. The results of this study provide direction for the next step in studying the influence of mining areas on soil properties and processes.

Effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China

It is of great significance to study the effects of desert plants on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon(SOC)for maintaining the stability of the desert ecosystem.In this study,we studied the responses of soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC)and mineral-associated organic carbon(MAOC))to five typical desert plant communities(Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Ephedra rhytidosperma,Stipa breviflora,Stipa tianschanica var.gobica,and Salsola laricifolia communities)in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.We recorded the plant community information mainly including the plant coverage and herb and shrub species,and obtained the aboveground biomass and plant species diversity through sample surveys in late July 2023.Soil samples were also collected at depths of 0–10 cm(topsoil)and 10–20 cm(subsoil)to determine the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities.The results showed that the plant coverage and aboveground biomass of S.laricifolia community were significantly higher than those of C.tragacanthoides,S.breviflora,and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities(P<0.05).Soil enzyme activities varied among different plant communities.In the topsoil,the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andβ-1,4-glucosidas(βG)were significantly higher in E.rhytidosperma and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities than in other plant communities(P<0.05).The topsoil had higher POC and MAOC contents than the subsoil.Specifically,the content of POC in the topsoil was 18.17%–42.73%higher than that in the subsoil.The structural equation model(SEM)indicated that plant species diversity,soil pH,and soil water content(SWC)were the main factors influencing POC and MAOC.The soil pH inhibited the formation of POC and promoted the formation of MAOC.Conversely,SWC stimulated POC production and hindered MAOC formation.Our study aimed to gain insight into the effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions,as well as the drivers of SOC fractions in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain and other desert ecosystems.

Microplastic Can Decrease Enzyme Activities and Microbes in Soil

An in vitro study was conducted to investigate the impacts of microplastics on enzyme activities and soil bacteria. The study included four different treatments of microplastics including a control. Different levels of microplastics were applied to the soil ranging from 0% to 5%, to assess the impacts of microplastics on soil enzymes and subsequent soil bacteria. After 30 days of incubation, the soil samples were collected and growth parameters of bacteria were assessed. Activities of β-glucosidase, urease and dehydrogenase enzymes were also determined. Our results showed that the presence of microplastics in the soil significantly reduced bacterial population together with bacterial strains. The activities of β-glucosidase, urease and dehydrogenase enzymes were reduced significantly to approximately 32%, 40% and 50% in microplastics treated soils respectively. Concentration of microplastic has a role to play towards this direction;the higher the concentration of microplastic the greater is the impact on enzymes and soil bacteria. The present study on the microbial soil health vis-à-vis microplastic application indicates that the material can have negative effect on the soil bacterial population of and thus ultimately may jeopardize soil health and crop production.

Changes in the activities of key enzymes and the abundance of functional genes involved in nitrogen transformation in rice rhizosphere soil under different aerated conditions

Soil microorganisms play important roles in nitrogen transformation. The aim of this study was to characterize changes in the activity of nitrogen transformation enzymes and the abundance of nitrogen function genes in rhizosphere soil aerated using three different methods(continuous flooding(CF), continuous flooding and aeration(CFA), and alternate wetting and drying(AWD)). The abundances of amoA ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB), nirS, nirK, and nifH genes, and the activities of urease, protease, ammonia oxidase, nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase were measured at the tillering(S1), heading(S2), and ripening(S3) stages. We analyzed the relationships of the aforementioned microbial activity indices, in addition to soil microbial biomass carbon(MBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen(MBN), with the concentration of soil nitrate and ammonium nitrogen. The abundance of nitrogen function genes and the activities of nitrogen invertase in rice rhizosphere soil were higher at S2 compared with S1 and S3 in all treatments. AWD and CFA increased the abundance of amoA and nifH genes, and the activities of urease, protease, and ammonia oxidase, and decreased the abundance of nirS and nirK genes and the activities of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase, with the effect of AWD being particularly strong. During the entire growth period, the mean abundances of the AOA amoA, AOB amoA, and nifH genes were 2.9, 5.8, and 3.0 higher in the AWD treatment than in the CF treatment, respectively, and the activities of urease, protease, and ammonia oxidase were 1.1, 0.5, and 0.7 higher in the AWD treatment than in the CF treatment, respectively. The abundances of the nirS and nirK genes, and the activities of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase were 73.6, 84.8, 10.3 and 36.5% lower in the AWD treatment than in the CF treatment, respectively. The abundances of the AOA amoA, AOB amoA, and nifH genes were significantly and positively correlated with the activities of urease, protease, and ammonia oxidase, and the abundances of the nirS and nirK genes were significantly positively correlated with the activities of nitrate reductase. All the above indicators were positively correlated with soil MBC and MBN. In sum, microbial activity related to nitrogen transformation in rice rhizosphere soil was highest at S2. Aeration can effectively increase the activity of most nitrogen-converting microorganisms and MBN, and thus promote soil nitrogen transformation.

The Effect of Soil Enzymes and Polysaccharides Secreted by the Roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge under Drought,High Temperature,and Nitrogen and Phosphorus Deficits

Root exudates serve as crucial mediators for information exchange between plants and soil,and are an important evolutionary mechanism for plants’adaptation to environmental changes.In this study,15 different abiotic stress models were established using various stress factors,including drought(D),high temperature(T),nitrogen deficiency(N),phosphorus deficiency(P),and their combinations.We investigated their effects on the seedling growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and the activities of Solid-Urease(S-UE),Solid-Nitrite Reductase(S-NiR),Solid-Nitrate Reductase(S-NR),Solid-Phosphotransferase(S-PT),and Solid-Catalase(S-CAT),as well as the contents of polysaccharides in the culture medium.The results showed that the growth of S.miltiorrhiza was inhibited under 15 stress conditions.Among them,13 stress conditions increased the root-shoot ratio.These 15 stress conditions significantly reduced the activity of S-NR,two combinations significantly improved the activity of S-NIR,they were synergistic stresses of high temperature and nitrogen deficiency(TN),and synergistic stresses of drought and nitrogen deficiency(DN)(p<0.05).The activity of S-UE was significantly improved under N,D,T,synergistic stresses of drought and high temperature(DT),DN,synergistic stresses of drought and phosphorus deficiency(DP),and synergistic stresses of high temperature,nitrogen,and phosphorus deficiency(TNP)stress conditions(p<0.05).Most stress combinations reduced the activity of S-PT,but D and T significantly improved it.(p<0.05).The N,DN,and TN stress conditions significantly reduced S-CAT activity.The P,DT,and synergistic stresses of drought,high temperature,and phosphorus deficiency(DTP)significantly decreased the total polysaccharide content of the soil(p<0.05).The research suggested that abiotic stress hindered the growth of S.miltiorrhiza and altered the behavior of root secretion.Roots regulated the secretion of several substances in response to various abiotic stresses,including soil nitrogen cycle enzymes,phosphorus transport-related enzymes,and antioxidant enzymes.In conclusion,plants regulate the utilization of rhizosphere substances in response to abiotic stresses by modulating the exudation of soil enzymes and polysaccharides by the root system.At the same time,soil carbon sequestration was affected by the adverse environment,which restricted the input of organic matter into the soil.

Responses of soil enzyme and microbial community under co-loading of different microplastics and sulfamethoxazole

Polyamide/polyethylene(PA/PE)microplastics were injected into soil containing sulfamethoxazole(SMX)to investigate their combined effects on SMX removal,soil enzyme activity,and microbial communities.The results show that both PA and PE transiently increase SMX removal and inhibite the stimulation of microbial species diversity by SMX.The effect of PE is more significant.Meanwhile,PE combined with SMX increases the relative abundances of Actinobacteria and Pseudomonas,while PA combined with SMX decreases the relative abundances of Nocardioides and Streptomyces.In addition,PA/PE combined with SMX can increase dehydrogenase,urease,ammonia monooxygenase,and nitrate reductase activities in the soil while inhibiting the activity of laccase.Compared with PA combined with SMX,the activities of dehydrogenase,urease,ammonia monooxygenase,and laccase of PE combined with SMX increase by 9.82%,10.41%,8.07%,and 5.47%,while the activities of nitrate reductase and neutral phosphatase decrease by 1.47%and 6.78%.

Bacterial communities and enzyme activities during litter decomposition of Elymus nutans leaf on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The dominant plant litter plays a crucial role in carbon(C)and nutrients cycling as well as ecosystem functions maintenance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The impact of litter decomposition of dominant plants on edaphic parameters and grassland productivity has been extensively studied,while its decomposition processes and relevant mechanisms in this area remain poorly understood.We conducted a three-year litter decomposition experiment in the Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station,an alpine meadow ecosystem on the QTP,to investigate changes in litter enzyme activities and bacterial and fungal communities,and clarify how these critical factors regulated the decomposition of dominant plant Elymus nutans(E.nutans)litter.The results showed that cellulose and hemicellulose,which accounted for 95%of the initial lignocellulose content,were the main components in E.nutans litter decomposition.The litter enzyme activities ofβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG),β-1,4-xylosidase(BX),andβ-D-cellobiosidase(CBH)decreased with decomposition while acid phosphatase,leucine aminopeptidase,and phenol oxidase increased with decomposition.We found that both litter bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly with decomposition.Furthermore,bacterial communities shifted from copiotrophic-dominated to oligotrophic-dominated in the late stage of litter decomposition.Partial least squares path model revealed that the decomposition of E.nutans litter was mainly driven by bacterial communities and their secreted enzymes.Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria were important producers of enzymes BG,BX,and CBH,and their relative abundances were tightly positively related to the content of cellulose and hemicellulose,indicating that Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria are the main bacterial taxa of the decomposition of E.nutans litter.In conclusion,this study demonstrates that bacterial communities are the main driving forces behind the decomposition of E.nutans litter,highlighting the vital roles of bacterial communities in affecting the ecosystem functions of the QTP by regulating dominant plant litter decomposition.

Effects of Different Planting Years on Physicochemical Properties and Enzyme Activities in Soil of Rice-Cherry Tomato Rotation

Crop rotation periodicity has always been one of the research focuses currently. In this study, the physicochemical properties, nutrient contents and enzyme activities were investigated in soils from rice-cherry tomato rotation for one year (1a), three years (3a), five years (5a), seven years (7a) and ten years (10a), respectively. The major objective was to analyze the optimal rotation years of rice-cherry tomato from soil perspective, so as to provide theoretical basis for effectively avoiding continuous cropping obstacles of cherry tomato via studying the response characteristics of soil physicochemical properties, nutrient contents and enzyme activities to planting years of rice-cherry tomato rotation system. The results were as follows: 1) Soil pH value was increased year by year during 1a to 5a, reached the highest value 5.32 at 5a. However, soil acidity was sharply enhanced during 7a to 10a (P P •kg-1 at 5a. 3) The content of soil available phosphorus was increased year by year with increasing of crop rotation years, and increased by 110% to 173% during 3a to 10a (P P P < 0.05). In conclusion, long-term single rotation pattern of rice-cherry tomato would aggravate soil acidification, prompt soil nutrient imbalance and reduce soil enzyme activity. 5a to 7a would be the appropriate rotation period for rice-cherry tomato, or else it would reduce soil quality, resulting in a new continuous cropping obstacle of cherry tomato.

Effects of Different Fertilization Treatments on Soil Microbial Biomass,Soil Enzyme Activities and Related Nutrients in Continuous-cropping Sugarcane Field

[Objective] This study was conducted to expound the fertility improvement effect in continuous-cropping sugarcane field and provide reference for establishment of rational sugarcane fertilization system and improvement of soil quality in continuous-cropping sugarcane field. [Method] The soil in the experimental region is latosolic red soil which was planted with sugarcane for 11 years continuously, and 8 treatments including sole application of chemical fertilizers, sole application of organ- ic fertilizer, and combined application of organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizers were designed according to different fertilization measures. The effects of different fertilization treatments on soil microbial biomass, soil enzyme activities and related fertility factors were determined. [Result} Different fertilization treatments all showed soil microbial biomass N, C and P and activities of soil acid phosphatase, catalase, sucrase and urease higher than the CK. Soil microbial biomass N increased by 5.56%-67.13%, soil microbial biomass C increased by 4.01%-20.40%, and soil mi- crobial biomass P increased by 6.39%-67.02%. The activity of acid phosphatase was improved by 12.96%-35.19%, the activity of catalase was improved by 18.24% -78.93%, the activity of sucrase was improved by 3.00%-42.00%, and the activity of urease was improved by 1.21%-23.43%. However, the soil nutrients of different fertilization treatments increased non-significantly （P〉0.05）. Soil microbial biomass N, C and P and activities of acid phosphatase, catalase and urease were in significant （P〈0.05） or very significant correlation （P〈0.01） with contents of soil rapidly available P, rapidly available K and total N. [Conclusion] The evaluation of improvement of soil fertility in continuous-cropping sugarcane field using soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities as indexes is more comprehensive and sensitive.

Effects of long-term elevated CO_2 on N_2-fixing,denitrifying and nitrifying enzyme activities in forest soils under Pinus sylvestriformis in Changbai Mountain

A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China （42°24＂N, 128°06＂E, and 738 m elevation）. A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999. Changpai Scotch pine （Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May, 1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination. In each year, the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October. Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007, and soil nitrifying, denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured. Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities （NEA） in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006, by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007. Soil denitrifying enzyme activities （DEA） were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 （P 〈 0.012） and August 2006 （P 〈 0.005） samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007, and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found. This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.

Effects of Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus and Apophysomyces spartina on P-uptake of Castor Oil Plant(Ricinus communis L.) and Rhizosphere Soil Enzyme Activities under Salt Stress

[Objective] In order to explore the mechanism of combined inoculation mi- croorganisms in improving coastal saline soil property and plant growth. [Method] The pot experiment was used to assess the effects of different inoculated proportion of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi （AMF） and Phosphate-sotubilizing fungus. Apophysomyces spartina, on growth, chlorophyll contents, P-uptake of castor bean （Ricinus communis L.） and rhizosphere soil pH values, available P concentrations, enzyme activities. [Result] The mixed inoculation of AMF and A. spartina significantly reduced soil pH value, increased soil available phosphorous contents, improved the activities of soil invertase, urease, neutral phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase. Chlorophyll contents, P-uptake, and plant dry weight of castor bean were also in- creased. The optimal proportion of the number of AMF spores to A. spartina colonies was 28.56：11.5×10^5, which had positive effects on saline soil and could stimulate plant growth under greenhouse condition. [Conclusion] Appropriate propor- tion of AMF and A. spartina had the potential to enhance coastal saline soil prop- erty and promote castor bean growth.

Impact of Transgenic Bt+CpTI Cotton on Soil Enzyme Activities and Soil Microorganisms

Due to its strong and effective insecticidal properties, transgenic Bt＋CpTI cotton has witnessed an expanding planting area in recent years, and the impact of its cultivation on soil ecosystem becomes an important part of environmental risk assessment. Using transgenic Bt＋CpTI cotton sGK321 and its parental homologous conventional cotton Shiyuan 321 as the study objects, a comparative analysis was conducted on the changes in enzyme activities （urease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase） of the rhizosphere soil and changes in the number of culturable microor-ganisms （bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes） at different growth stages （seedling stage, budding stage, flower and bol stage, and bol opening stage） of sGK321 and Shiyuan 321 under the condition of 13 years field plantings. The results showed that, the populations of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycete and the soil enzyme activi-ties of urease, alkaline phosphatase and catalase had a similar variation trend along with the cotton growing process for transgenic cotton and conventional cotton. Some occasional and inconsistent effects on soil enzyme activities and soil fungi composi-tion in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt＋CpTI cotton were found at the seedling stage, budding stage, flower and bol stage as compared with that of conventional cotton. The amount of bacteria and actinomycetes were not significantly different during a certain stage; however, the activities of urease, catalase, alkaline phos-phatase, also with the number of fungi were significantly different, e.g. the urease activities at seedling stage, the alkaline phosphatase at seedling and budding stages, and the soil culturable fungi at flower and bol stage were less than that of conven-tional cotton, while the soil alkaline phosphatase activities at flower and bol stage were higher. Cluster analysis showed that soil enzyme activities and microbial popu-lation changed mainly along the growth processes, suffering little from the planting of transgenic Bt＋CpTI cotton.

Effect of Combined Application of Manure and Chemical Fertilizer on the Dynamic Changes of Purple Soil Nutrient and Soil Enzyme Activities

[Objective] The aim was to study the effects of combined of manure and fertilizer on the content of nutrients in purplish soil as well as release dynamics of enzyme activities.[Method] The effects of manure and fertilizer application on the content of AOM,NH＋4-N and NO-3-N in soil as well as release dynamics of enzyme activities were studied by means of simulation culturing.[Result] In the treatments of combined application of simulation culture experiment,the content of active organic matters,NH＋4-N,NO-3-N and soil enzyme activities changed dynamically,which showed a shape of inverted ＂S＂ with two or more peaks.Compared with the treatment of fertilization,their peaks were relatively flat and occurred relatively late,while the treatment of fertilization had only one but the highest peak.The content of active organic matter came to top around 10 d in the order of cow5fertilizer5pig5fertilizer5cow manurepig manurefertilizer Ⅰfertilizer Ⅱ;the activity of urease came to top around 10 d in all treatments and in the order of pig manurecow5fertilizer5cow manurefertilizer Ⅰfertilizer Ⅱpig5fertilizer5.The activity of saccharase was in the order of pig5fertilizer5pig manurecow5fertilizer5cow manureCKfertilizer Ⅱfertilizer Ⅰ.[Conclusion] The study could provide the theoretical basis for reasonable application of manure and fertilizer.

Deadwood affects the soil organic matter fractions and enzyme activity of soils in altitude gradient of temperate forests

The main objective of our study has been to determine the role of deadwood in the shaping of the amount of soil organic matter fractions in mountain forest soils.For this purpose,a climosequence approach comprising north(N)and south(S)exposure along the altitudinal gradient(600,800,1000 and 1200 m a.s.l.)was set up.By comparing the properties of decomposing deadwood and those of the soils located directly beneath the decaying wood we drew conclusions about the role of deadwood in the shaping of soil organic matter fractions and soil carbon storage in different climate conditions.The basic properties,enzymatic activity and fractions of soil organic matter(SOM)were determined in deadwood and affected directly by the components released from decaying wood.Heavily decomposed deadwood impacts soil organic matter stabilization more strongly than the less decayed deadwood and the light fraction of SOM is more sensitive to deadwood effects than the heavy fraction regardless of the location in the altitude gradient.Increase in SOM mineral-associated fraction C content is more pronounced in soils under the influence of deadwood located in lower locations of warmer exposure.Nutrients released from decaying wood stimulate the enzymatic activity of soils that are within the range of deadwood influence.

Soil Enzyme Activities with Greenhouse Subsurface Irrigation

Various environmental conditions determine soil enzyme activities, which are important indicators for changes of soil microbial activity, soil fertility, and land quality. The effect of subsurface irrigation scheduling on activities of three soil enzymes (phosphatase, urease, and catalase) was studied at five depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, and 40-60 cm) of a tomato greenhouse soil. Irrigation was scheduled when soil water condition reached the maximum allowable depletion (MAD) designed for different treatments (-10, -16,-25,-40, and-63 kPa). Results showed that soil enzyme activities had significant responses to the irrigation scheduling during the period of subsurface irrigation. The neutral phosphatase activity and the catalase activity were found to generally increase with more frequent irrigation (MAD of -10 and -16 kPa). This suggested that a higher level of water content favored an increase in activity of these two enzymes. In contrast, the urease activity decreased under irrigation, with less effect for MAD of -40 and -63 kPa. This implied that relatively wet soil conditions were conducive to retention of urea N, but relatively dry soil conditions could result in increasing loss of urea N. Further, this study revealed that soil enzyme activities could be alternative natural bio-sensors for the effect of irrigation on soil biochemical reactions and could help optimize irrigation management of greenhouse crop production.

Effects of Long-Term Combined Application of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers on Microbial Biomass,Soil Enzyme Activities and Soil Fertility

Soil health is important for the sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystem. In this paper, we studied the relationship between soil quality and soil microbial properties such as soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities in order to illustrate the function of soil microbial properties as bio-indicators of soil health. In this study, microbial biomass C and N contents （Cmic ＆ Nmic）, soil enzyme activities, and soil fertility with different fertilizer regimes were carried out based on a 15-year long-term fertilizer experiment in Drab Fluvo-aquic soil in Changping County, Beijing, China. At this site, 7 different treatments were established in 1991. They were in a wheat-maize rotation receiving either no fertilizer （CK）, mineral fertilizers （NPK）, mineral fertilizers with wheat straw incorporated （NPKW）, mineral fertilizers with incremental wheat straw incorporated （NPKW＋）, mineral fertilizers plus swine manure （NPKM）, mineral fertilizers plus incremental swine manure （NPKM＋） or mineral fertilizers with maize straw incorporated （NPKS）. In different fertilization treatments Cmic changed from 96.49 to 500.12 mg kg^-1, and Nmic changed from 35.89 to 101.82 mg kg^-1. Compared with CK, the other treatments increased Cmic ＆ Nmic, Cmic/Corg （organic C） ratios, Cmic/Nmic, urease activity, soil organic matter （SOM）, soil total nitrogen （STN）, and soil total phosphorus （STP）. All these properties in treatment with fertilizers input NPKM＋ were the highest. Meantime, long-term combined application of mineral fertilizers with organic manure or crop straw could significantly decrease the soil pH in Fluvo-aquic soil （the pH around 8.00 in this experimental soil）. Some of soil microbial properties （Cmic/Nmic, urease activity） were positively correlated with soil nutrients. Cmic/Nmic was significantly correlated with SOM and STN contents. The correlation between catalase activity and soil nutrients was not significant. In addition, except of catalase activity, the soil pH in this experiment was negatively correlated with soil microbial properties. In conclusion, soil microbial properties reflect changes of soil quality and thus can be used as bio-indicators of soil health.

Effects of long-term straw return on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities in a double-cropped rice paddy in South China

Long-term straw return is an important carbon source for improving soil organic carbon(SOC) stocks in croplands, and straw removal through burning is also a common practice in open fields in South China. However, the specific effects of long-term rice straw management on SOC fractions, the related enzyme activities and their relationships, and whether these effects differ between crop growing seasons remain unknown. Three treatments with equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient inputs, including straw/ash and chemical nutrients, were established to compare the effects of straw removal(CK), straw return(SR), and straw burned return(SBR). Compared to CK, long-term SR tended to improve the yield of early season rice(P=0.057), and significantly increased total organic carbon(TOC) and microbial biomass carbon(MBC) in double-cropped rice paddies. While SBR had no effect on TOC, it decreased light fraction organic carbon(LFOC) in early rice and easily oxidizable organic carbon(EOC) in late rice, significantly increased dissolved organic carbon(DOC), and significantly decreased soil p H. These results showed that MBC was the most sensitive indicator for assessing changes of SOC in the double-cropped rice system due to long-term straw return. In addition, the different effects on SOC fraction sizes between SR and SBR were attributed to the divergent trends in most of the soil enzyme activities in the early and late rice that mainly altered DOC, while DOC was positively affected by β-xylosidase in both early and late rice. We concluded that straw return was superior to straw burned return for improving SOC fractions, but the negative effects on soil enzyme activities in late rice require further research.

Saline soil enzyme activities of four plant communities in Sangong River basin of Xinjiang,China

Soil enzyme activity plays an important role in the conversion of soil organic carbon into inorganic carbon, which is significant for the global carbon cycle. In this study, we investigated the soil enzyme activities of two ligninolytic enzymes （peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase） and five non-ligninolytic enzymes （a-l,4-glucosidase （AG）; 13-1,4-gluco- sidase （BG）; N-acetyl-[3-glucosaminidase （NAG）; ~3-D-cellobiosidase （CBH）; and ^-xylosidase （BXYL）） in four plant communities of the Sangong River basin in Fukang, North Xinjiang, China. The four typical plant communities were dominated by Haloxylon ammodendron, Reaumuria soongonica, Salsola passerina, and Tamarix rarmosissima, respec- tively, with saline soils of varied alkalinity. The results showed that the soil peroxidase activity decreased seasonally. The activities of the five non-ligninolytic enzymes decreased with increasing soil depths, while those of the two ligninolytic enzymes did not show such a trend. In the four plant communities, BG had the highest activity among the five non-ligninolytic enzymes, and the activities of the two ligninolytic enzymes were higher than those of the four non-ligninolytic ones （AG, NAG, CBH, and BXYL）. The community of H. ammodendron displayed the highest activity with respect to the two ligninolytic enzymes in most cases, but no significant differences were found among the four plant communities. The geometric mean of soil enzyme activities of the four plant communities was validated through an inde- pendently performed principal component analysis （PCA）, which indicated that different plant communities had different soil enzyme activities. The correlation analysis showed that soil polyphenol oxidase activity was significantly positively correlated with the activities of the five non-ligninolytic enzymes. The soil pH value was positively correlated with the ac- tivities of all soil enzymes except peroxidase. Soil microbial carbon content also showed a significant positive correlation （P〈0.01） with the activities of all soil enzymes except polyphenol oxidase. The results suggested that the H. ammoden- dron community has the highest ability to utilize soil organic carbon, and glucoside could be the most extensively utilized non-ligninolytic carbon source in the saline soil of arid areas in Xinjiang.

Short-Term Influence of Herbicide Quinclorac on Enzyme Activities in Flooded Paddy Soils

The influence of quinclorac (3,7-dichloroquinoline-8-carboxylic acid) on enzyme activities in flooded paddy soils was assessed under laboratory conditions. The enzymes differed markedly in their response to quinclorac. Quinclorac inhibited proteinase, hydrogen peroxidase, phosphorylase, and urease activities.The higher the concentration of quinclorac applied, the more significant the inhibition to these observed activities with a longer time required to recover to the level of the control. However, soils supplemented with quinclorac were nonpersistent for proteinase, phosphorylase and urease as opposed to soils without quinclorac. Dehydrogenase activity was also sensitive to quinclorac. Three soil samples with concentrations of quinclorac higher than 1 μg g-1 soil declined to less than 20% of that in the control. However, the highest dehydrogenase activity (up to 3.28-fold) was detected in soils with 2 μg g-1 soil quinclorac on the 25th day after treatment. Quinclorac had a relatively mild effect on saccharase activity at the concentrations used in this experiment and a stimulatory one on soil respiration when added to soil at normal field concentrations.Nonetheless it was inhibited at higher concentrations in paddy soils. Quinclorac is still relatively safe to the soil ecosystem when applied at a normal concentration (0.67 μg g-1 dried soil) but may have some effects on soil enzymes at higher concentrations.

Influence of water potential and soil type on conventional japonica super rice yield and soil enzyme activities

We carried out a pool culture experiment to determine the optimal water treatment depth in loam and clay soils during the late growth stage of super rice. Three controlled water depth treatments of 0-5, 0-10 and 0-15 cm below the soil surface were established using alternate wetting and drying irrigation, and the soil water potential （0 to -25 kPa） was measured at 5, 10 and 15 cm. A 2-cm water layer was used as the control. We measured soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and rice yield. The results showed that the 0-5-cm water depth treatment significantly increased root antioxidant enzyme activities in loam soil compared with the control, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield did not differ from those of the control. The 0-10- and 0-15-cm water depth treatments also increased root antioxidant enzyme activities, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield decreased. In clay soil, the soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and yield did not change with the 0-5-cm water treatment, whereas the 0-10- and 0-15-cm water treatments improved these parameters. Therefore,the appropriate depths for soil water during the late growth period of rice with a 0 to -25 kPa water potential were 5 cm in loam and 15 cm in clay soil.