Distribution and depositional model of microbial carbonates in the Ordovician middle assemblage,Ordos Basin,NW China

Based on outcrop profiles,drilling cores,cast thin sections etc.,the types,microfacies combinations and distribution pattern of microbial carbonates in the Ordovician middle assemblage of the mid-eastern Ordos Basin have been systematically analyzed.The middle assemblage of Ordovician in the mid-eastern Ordos Basin has microbial carbonates formed by the calci-fication of cyanobacteria,including microbial biostromes and microbial mounds made of stromatolites,thrombolites,and on-colites.The distribution of the carbonates shows obvious“stratum-control”and“regional”characteristics.The microbial bio-stromes 2–3 m thick each are controlled by sequence cycles and sedimentary facies changes,and were mainly formed in the tidal flat environment during the depositional stages of the Ma56 and Ma55 sub-members.The microbial biostrome in the Ma55 sub-member occurring near the carbonate-evaporite transition interface in the early stage of the transgression is distributed mainly in the Mizhi subsag in the eastern part of the basin;the microbial biostrome in the Ma56 sub-member turns up near the carbonate-evoporite transition zone in ring shape in the east of the central uplift.The ancient landform had noticeable control on the distribution of microbial mounds.The microbial mounds or mound-shoal complexes developing mainly during the de-positional stages of Ma57_Ma510 sub-members are about 15–25 m thick in single layer and distributed largely in the Wushenqi-Jingbian paleouplift.The development model of the microbial carbonate rocks shows that the carbonate-evaporite lithologic transition zone and the Wushenqi-Jingbian paleouplift are favorable exploration zones of microbial carbonates in the Ordovician middle assemblages.

Current Progress on the Geological Record of Microbialites and Microbial Carbonates

This paper reviews the current progress and problems in the study of microbialites and microbial carbonates. Microbialites and microbial carbonates, formed during growth of microbes by their calcification and binding of detrital sediment, have recently become one of the most popular geological topics. They occur throughout the entire geological history, and bear important theoretical and economic significances due to their complex structures and formative processes. Microbialites are in place benthic microbial buildups, whereas microbial carbonates can be classified into two categories： stabilized microbial carbonates（i.e., carbonate microbialites, such as stromatolites and thrombolites） and mobilized microbial carbonates（i.e., microbial carbonate grains, such as oncoids and microbial lumps）. Various texture, structures, and morphologies of microbialites and microbial carbonates hamper the systematic description and classification. Moreover, complex calcification pathways and diagenetic modifications further obscure the origin of some microbialites and microbial carbonates. Recent findings of abundant sponge spicules in previously identified ＂microbialites＂ challenge the traditional views about the origins of these ＂microbialites＂ and their implications to reef evolution. Microbialites and microbial carbonates did not always flourish in the aftermath of extinction events, which, together with other evidences, suggests that they are affected not only by metazoans but also by other geological factors. Their growth, development, and demise are also closely related to sea-level changes, due to their dependence on water depth, clarity, nutrient, and sunlight. Detailed studies on microbialites and microbial carbonates throughout geological history would certainly help understand causes and effects of major geological events as well as the coevolution of life and environment.

Petrography and origin of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in the Songzi Area of Hubei Province,middle Yangtze region,China

This study is the first systematic assessment of the Lower Ordovician microbial carbonates in Songzi,Hubei Province,China.This paper divides the microbial carbonates into two types according to growth patterns,namely nongranular and granular.The nongranular types include stromatolites,thrombolites,dendrolites,leiolites and laminites;the granular types are mainly oncolites and may include a small amount of microbiogenic oolite.According to their geometric features,the stromatolites can be divided into four types:stratiform,wavy,columnar and domal.Additionally,dipyramidal columnar stromatolites are identified for the first time and represent a new type of columnar stromatolite.The thrombolites are divided into three types:speckled,reticulated and banded.The grazing gastropod Ecculiomphalus and traces of bioturbation are observed in the speckled and reticulated thrombolites.This paper considers these two kinds of thrombolites to represent bioturbated thrombolites.These findings not only fill gaps in the field of domestic Ordovician bioturbated thrombolites but also provide new information for the study of thrombolites.Based on the analysis of the sedimentary characteristics of microbialites,the depositional environments of the various types of microbialites are described,and the distribution patterns of their depositional environments are summarized.The relationship between the development of microbialites and the evolution and radiation of metazoans during the Early to Middle Ordovician is discussed.Consistent with the correspondence between the stepwise and rapid radiation of metazoans and the abrupt reduction in the number of microbialites between the late Early Ordovician and the early Middle Ordovician,fossils of benthonic grazing gastropods(Ecculiomphalus)were found in the stromatolites and thrombolite of the study area.It is believed that the gradual reduction in microbialites was related to the rapid increase in the abundance of metazoans.Grazers not only grazed on the microorganisms that formed stromatolites,resulting in a continuous reduction in the number of stromatolites,but also disrupted the growth state of the stromatolites,resulting in the formation of unique bioturbated thrombolites in the study area.Hydrocarbon potential analysis shows that the microbialites in the Nanjinguan Formation represent better source rocks than those in the other formations.

Types,Petrophysical Properties and Pore Evolution of Late Ediacaran Microbial Carbonates,Tarim Basin,NW China

The Upper Ediacaran microbial carbonates of the Tarim Basin are potential reservoir geobodies for future hydrocarbon exploration with rising interest in exploration for deeply-buried reserves.However,little knowledge has been acquired on the types of microbial carbonates that are present,the properties of the reservoir and the pore evolution,hampering predictions of high-quality reservoirs in these carbonates.Integrated with petrography and in-situ U-Pb dating geochronology analyses,this study aims to clarify the types of microbial carbonates present and to reconstruct the pore evolution processes of the potential reservoir rocks.The Upper Ediacaran microbial carbonates of the Tarim Basin can be divided into four types,based on their features in terms of different scales(macro-to micro-):microbial laminite,stromatolite,spongiomicrobialite and microbial-peloidal wackestone/mudstone.Petrophysical properties show that all these microbial carbonates have low porosity and very low permeability with poor connectivity.These carbonates were subject to long-term and complex diagenetic processes,mainly consisting of dissolution,compaction,pervasive dolomitization,cementation and fracturing.The most important reservoir spaces are contributed by vugs and dissolution-enlarged pores,which are likely to have been associated with the widespread uplift of the Aksu area in the terminal Ediacaran.In contrast,the cementation of the fine-to-medium crystalline dolomite greatly reduced the pre-existing pores.Pore types are closely related to different microbial fabrics,which played an important role in the pore evolution of the microbial carbonates.

Sedimentary filling characteristics and controlling factors of lacustrine microbial carbonates sequence in the Santos Basin,Brazil

Based on comprehensive analysis of seismic,logging,core,thin section data,and stable isotopic compositions of carbon and oxygen,the sedimentary filling characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous Barra Velha Formation sequence in H oil field,Santos Basin,are studied,and the high-frequency sequence stratigraphic framework is established,and the spatial distribution of reef-shoal bodies are predicted and the controlling factors are discussed.During the depositional period of the Barra Velha Formation,the study area is a slope-isolated platform-slope sedimentary pattern from southwest to northeast and the change of climate background from rift to depression periods has resulted in the variation of sedimentary characteristics from the lower third-order sequence SQ1(BVE 300 Member)of low-energy deep water to the upper third-order sequence SQ2(BVE 200 and 100 members)of high-energy shallow water in the Barra Velha Formation.The activities of extensional faults and strike-slip faults in rift period and the sedimentary differentiation from platform margin to intra-platform in depression period made the sedimentary paleogeomorphology in these two periods show features of“three ridges and two depressions”.The reef-shoal bodies mainly developed in the SQ2-LHST period,with vertical development positions restricted by the periodic oscillation of the lake level,and developed on the top of each high-frequency sequence stratigraphic unit in SQ2-LHST in the platform.The strike-slip fault activity controlled the distribution of the reef-shoal bodies on the plane by changing the sedimentary paleogeomorphology.The positive flower-shaped strike-slip faults made the formation of local highlands at the margins of and inside the shallow water platforms and which became high-energy sedimentary zones,creating conditions for the development of reef-shoal bodies.

Historical tillage promotes grass-legume mixtures establishment and accelerates soil microbial activity and organic carbon decomposition

Perennial grass-legume mixtures have been extensively used to restore degraded grasslands,increasing grassland productivity and forage quality.Tillage is crucial for seedbed preparation and sustainable weed management for the establishment of grass-legume mixtures.However,a common concern is that intensive tillage may alter soil characteristics,leading to losses in soil organic carbon(SOC).We investigated the plant community composition,SOC,soil microbial biomass carbon(MBC),soil enzyme activities,and soil properties in long-term perennial grass-legume mixtures under two different tillage intensities(once and twice)as well as in a fenced grassland(FG).The establishment of grass-legume mixtures increased plant species diversity and plant community coverage,compared with FG.Compared with once tilled grassland(OTG),twice tilled grassland(TTG)enhanced the coverage of high-quality leguminous forage species by 380.3%.Grass-legume mixtures with historical tillage decreased SOC and dissolved organic carbon(DOC)concentrations,whereas soil MBC concentrations in OTG and TTG increased by 16.0%and 16.4%,respectively,compared with FG.TTG significantly decreased the activity of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase(NAG)by 72.3%,whereas soil enzymeβ-glucosidase(βG)in OTG and TTG increased by 55.9%and 27.3%,respectively,compared with FG.Correlation analysis indicated a close association of the increase in MBC andβG activities with the rapid decline in SOC.This result suggested that MBC was a key driving factor in soil carbon storage dynamics,potentially accelerating soil carbon cycling and facilitating biogeochemical cycling.The establishment of grass-legume mixtures effectively improves forage quality and boosts plant diversity,thereby facilitating the restoration of degraded grasslands.Although tillage assists in establishing legume-grass mixtures by controlling weeds,it accelerates microbial activity and organic carbon decomposition.Our findings provide a foundation for understanding the process and effectiveness of restoration management in degraded grasslands.

Flow-Slip Stability Behavior of Calcareous Sand Treated by Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation Technology

Flow-slip damage commonly destabilizes coastal slopes.Finding a slope stabilization method for calcareous sands in the South China Sea is crucial.Microbially induced calcite precipitation is a promising,eco-friendly method for soil stabilization.This study investigates the effect of microbial treatments,initial relative density,initial cell pressure,and initial stress ratio on the flow-slip stability of calcareous sand specimens by using constant shear drained tests.These tests lay the foundation to study the mechanical instability of sand slopes.Results show that the microbial-treated specimens maintain stable stresses longer,take longer to reach the instability,and withstand larger volumetric strains.Microbial treatment effectively enhances sand stability under constant shear drainage,with improvements amplified by higher initial relative density and initial cell pressure.In addition,a smaller initial stress ratio reduces shear effects on the specimen and increases resistance to flow slides.Microanalysis reveals that the flow-slip stability of calcareous sand slopes is enhanced by contact cementation,particle coating,void filling,and mutual embedment of calcium carbonate crystals.

Glacial lakes under climate change: the imperative for comparative studies of microbial carbon metabolism in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the Arctic

Glacial lakes,intimately linked to glacier termini,are crucial landscape features of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau(QXP,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau)and the Arctic.Climate warming has accelerated glacier retreat and the rapid expansion of glacial lakes in both regions.Despite being typically considered harsh environments,these lakes serve as vital reservoirs for microbial biodiversity and carbon metabolism.In the face of climate change,glacial lake ecosystems over the QXP and the Arctic are undergoing unprecedentedtransformations.Thisopinioneditorial highlights the significance of conducting research and establishing long-term monitoring programs focused on microbial carbon metabolism in these glacial lakes.

Research status, hot spots, difficulties and future development direction of microbial geoengineering

Microbial geoengineering technology,as a new eco-friendly rock and soil improvement and reinforcement technology,has a wide application prospect.However,this technology still has many deficiencies and is difficult to achieve efficient curing,which has become the bottleneck of large-scale field application.This paper reviews the research status,hot spots,difficulties and future development direction microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation(MICP)technology.The principle of solidification and the physical and mechanical properties of improved rock and soil are systematically summarized.The solidification efficiency is mainly affected by the reactant itself and the external environment.At present,the MICP technology has been preliminarily applied in the fields of soil solidification,crack repair,anti-seepage treatment,pollution repair and microbial cement.However,the technology is currently mainly limited to the laboratory level due to the difficulty of homogeneous mineralization,uneconomical reactants,short microbial activity period and large environmental interference,incidental toxicity of metabolites and poor field application.Future directions include improving the uniformity of mineralization by improving grouting methods,improving urease persistence by improving urease activity,and improving the adaptability of bacteria to the environment by optimizing bacterial species.Finally,the authors point out the economic advantages of combining soybean peptone,soybean meal and cottonseed as carbon source with phosphogypsum as calcium source to induce CaCO3.

Fracture sealing based on microbially induced carbonate precipitation and its engineering applications:A review

In this review,the development and application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)technology for the sealing of underground engineering fractures are discussed in detail.The importance of sealing micro-fractures in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner is emphasized,and the potential of the MICP method in controlling pore and fracture seepage is highlighted.The fundamental mechanisms,key influencing factors,numerical models,and applications of the MICP in the fields of geological CO_(2) storage and oil resources development are comprehensively summarized in the paper.At the same time,the limitations of the existing research and the future research directions are discussed,especially in terms of improving the processing efficiency,environmental impacts,and cost considerations.Overall,the development of MICP technology provides a new environmentally friendly reinforcement method for geotechnical engineering and is expected to play a key role in the future development of underground space engineering.

Microbial Biomass Carbon and Total Organic Carbon of Soils as Affected by Rubber Cultivation

Soil samples were collected from different rubber fields in twenty-five plotsselected randomly in the Experimental Farm of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Scienceslocated in Hainan, China, to analyse the ecological effect of rubber cultivation. The results showedthat in the tropical rubber farm, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and total organic C (TOC) wererelatively low in the content but highly correlated with each other. After rubber tapping, soil MBCof mature rubber fields decreased significantly, by 55.5 percent. compared with immature rubberfields. Soil TOC also decreased but the difference was not significant. Ratios of MBC to TOCdecreased significantly. The decreasing trend of MBC stopped at about ten years of rubbercultivation. After this period, soil MBC increased relatively while soil TOC still kept indecreasing. Soil MBC changes could be measured to predict the tendency of soil organic matterchanges due to management practices in a tropical rubber farm several years before the changes insoil TOC become detectable.

Impact of pH on Microbial Biomass Carbon and Microbial Biomass Phosphorus in Red Soils

The impact of pH changes on microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) and microbial biomass phosphorus (Pmic)were examined for 3 red soils under citrus production with different lengths of cultivation. Soil pH significantly affected Cmic and Pmic. The Cmic and Pmic changes, as a function of soil pH, appeared to follow a normal distribution with the original soil pH value at the apex and as pH increased or decreased compared to the original soil pH, Cmic and Pmic declined. Moreover, there were critical pH values at both extremes (3.0 on the acidic side and 8.0 to 8.5 on the alkaline side), beyond which most of microorganisms could never survive.The effect of pH on Cmic and Pmic was also related to the original soil pH. The higher the original soil pH was, the less Cmic or Pmic were affected by pH change. It is suggested that soil microorganisms that grow in a soil environment with a more neutral soil pH range (I.e. pH 5.5-7.5) may have a greater tolerance to pH changes than those growing in more acidic or more alkaline soil pH conditions.

Land Use Effects on Soil Organic Carbon, Microbial Biomass and Microbial Activity in Changbai Mountains of Northeast China

Land use changes are known to alter soil organic carbon （SOC） and microbial properties, however, information about how conversion of natural forest to agricultural land use as well as plantations affects SOC and microbial properties in the Changbai Moun- tains of Northeast China is meager. Soil carbon content, microbial biomass carbon （MBC）, basal respiration and soil carbon mineraliza- tion were studied in five selected types of land use： natural old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest （NF）; spruce plantation （SP） established following clear-cutting of NF; cropland （CL）; ginseng farmland （GF） previously under NF; and a five-year Mongolian oak young forest （YF） reforested on an abandoned GF, in the Changbai Mountains of Northeast China in 2011. Results showed that SOC content was significantly lower in SP, CL, GF, and YF than in NF. MBC ranged from 304.4 mg/kg in CL to 1350.3 mg/kg in NF, which was significantly higher in the soil of NF than any soil of the other four land use types. The SOC and MBC contents were higher in SP soil than in CL, GF, and YF soils, yielding a significant difference between SP and CL. The value of basal respiration was also higher in NF than in SP, CL, GF, and YF. Simultaneously, higher values of the metabolic quotient were detected in CL, GF, and YF soils, indicat- ing low substrate utilization of the soil microbial community compared with that in NF and SP soil. The values of cumulative mineral- ized carbon and potentially mineralized carbon （Co） in NF were significantly higher than those in CL and GF, while no significant dif- ference was observed between NF and SP. In addition, YF had higher values of Co and C mineralization rate compared with GF. The results indicate that conversion from NF into agricultural land （CL and GF） uses and plantation may lead to a reduction in soil nutrients （SOC and MBC） and substrate utilization efficiency of the microbial community. By contrast, soils below SP were more conducive to the preservation of soil organic matter, which was reflected in the comparison of microbial indicators among CL, GF, and YF land uses. This study can provide data for evaluating soils nutrients under different land use types, and serve as references for the rational land use of natural forest in the study area.

Soil Microbial Activity During Secondary Vegetation Succession in Semiarid Abandoned Lands of Loess Plateau

To show the vegetation succession interaction with soil properties, microbial biomass, basal respiration, and enzyme activities in different soil layers （0-60 cm） were determined in six lands, i.e., 2-, 7-, 11-, 20-, and 43-year-old abandoned lands and one native grassland, in a semiarid hilly area of the Loess Plateau. The results indicated that the successional time and soil depths affected soil microbiological parameters significantly. In 20-cm soil layer, microbial biomass carbon （MBC）, microbial biomass nitrogen （MBN）, MBC/MBN, MBC to soil organic carbon ratio （MBC/SOC）, and soil basal respiration tended to increase with successional stages but decrease with soil depths. In contrast, metabolic quotient （qCO2） tended to decrease with successional stages but increase with soil depths. In addition, the activities of urease, catalase, neutral phosphatase, β-fructofuranosidase, and earboxymethyl cellulose （CMC） enzyme increased with successional stages and soil depths. They were significantly positively correlated with microbial biomass and SOC （P 〈 0.5）, whereas no obvious trend was observed for the polyphenoloxidase activity. The results indicated that natural vegetation succession could improve soil quality and promote ecosystem restoration, but it needed a long time under local climate conditions.

Seasonal dynamics of soil microbial biomass C and N of Keteleeria fortunei var. cyclolepis forests with different ages

Soil microbial biomass is an important indicator to measure the dynamic changes of soil carbon pool.It is of great signifi cance to understand the dynamics of soil microbial biomass in plantation for rational management and cultivation of plantation.In order to explore the temporal dynamics and infl uencing factors of soil microbial biomass of Keteleeria fortunei var.cyclolepis at diff erent stand ages,the plantation of diff erent ages(young forest,5 years;middle-aged forest,22 years;mature forest,40 years)at the Guangxi Daguishan forest station of China were studied to examine the seasonal variation of their microbial biomass carbon(MBC)and microbial biomass nitrogen(MBN)by chloroform fumigation extraction method.It was found that among the forests of diff erent age,MBC and MBN diff ered signifi cantly in the 0–10 cm soil layer,and MBN diff ered signifi cantly in the 10–20 cm soil layer,but there was no signifi cant diff erence in MBC for the 10–20 cm soil layer or in either MBC or MBN for the 20–40 cm soil layer.With increasing maturity of the forest,MBC gradually decreased in the 0–10 cm soil layer and increased fi rstly and then decreased in the 10–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers,and MBN increased fi rstly and then decreased in all three soil layers.As the soil depth increased,both MBC and MBN gradually decreased for all three forests.The MBC and MBN basically had the same seasonal variation in all three soil layers of all three forests,i.e.,high in the summer and low in the winter.Correlation analysis showed that MBC was signifi cantly positively correlated with soil organic matter,total nitrogen,and soil moisture,whereas MBN was signifi cantly positively correlated with soil total nitrogen.It showed that soil moisture content was the main factor determining the variation of soil microbial biomass by Redundancy analysis.The results showed that the soil properties changed continuously as the young forest grew into the middle-aged forest,which increased soil microbial biomass and enriched the soil nutrients.However,the soil microbial biomass declined as the middle-age forest continued to grow,and the soil nutrients were reduced in the mature forest.

Experimental study on the mechanical properties and consolidation mechanism of microbial grouted backfill

Backfill mining technology is the practice of returning waste materials underground for both disposal and geotechnical stability,however,a challenge with current technologies is that they commonly require cement-based binders which have a relatively high environmental impact.Finding alternatives to cement-based binders can improve environmental performance and this paper proposes microbial grouted backfill(MGB)as a potential solution.In this paper,the effects of the cementation solution concentration(CSC),volume ratio of bacterial solution to cementation solution(VRBC),particle sizes of the aggregates,and the number of grouting batches on the mechanical properties of MGB are studied.The experimental results show that MGB strength increased,up to a peak value,as CSC was increased,before decreasing as CSC was increased further.The results also show that MGB strength increased,up to a peak value,as VRBC decreased,before decreasing as the VRBC was decreased further.The peak strength was achieved at a CSC of 2 mol/L and a VRBC of 1:9.The strength of the MGB also increased as the number of grouting batches increased.Graded MGB samples showed the highest UCS,25.12 MPa,at particle sizes of 0.2 to 0.8 mm,while full(non-graded)MGB samples displayed mean UCS values ranging from1.56 MPa when the maximum particle size was 0.2 mm,up to 13 MPa when the maximum particle size was 1.2 mm.MGB samples are consolidated by the calcium carbonate that is precipitated during microbial metabolism,and the strength of MGB increases linearly as calcium carbonate content increases.The calcium carbonate minerals produced in MGB materials are primarily calcite,with secondary amounts of vaterite.

Application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation to form biocemented artificial sandstone

It is difficult to collect and characterise well-preserved samples of weakly-cemented granular rocks as conventional sampling techniques often result in destruction of the cementation.An alternative approach is to prepare synthetic geomaterials to match required specifications.This paper introduces microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)as a method to reliably deliver artificiallycemented specimens with customised properties,closely resembling those of soft carbonate sandstones.The specimens are generated from materials with two highly different particle size distributions(PSDs)to access a range of achievable combinations of strengths and porosities.The MICP parameters are kept constant across all samples to obtain similar calcium carbonate characteristics(size of individual crystals,type,etc.),while injected volume is varied to achieve different cementation levels.Although uniform cementation of very coarse sands has been considered very difficult to achieve,the results show that both the fine and coarse sand specimens present high degrees of uniformity and a good degree of repeatability.The unconfined compressive strengths(UCSs)(less than 3000 kPa)and porosities(0.25e0.4)of the artificial specimens fall in the same range of values reported for natural rocks.The strength gainwas greater in the fine sand than that in the coarse sand,as the void size in the latter was significantly larger compared to the calcium carbonate crystals’size,resulting in precipitation on less effective locations,away from contacts between particles.The strengths and porosities obtained for the two sands in this work fall within ranges reported in the literature for natural soft rocks,demonstrating theMICP technique is able to achieve realistic properties and may be used to produce a full range of properties by varying the grain sizes,and possibly the width of PSD.

Impacts of low-intensity prescribed fire on microbial and chemical soil properties in a Quercus frainetto forest

Prescribed fire is a common economical and effective forestry practice, and therefore it is important to understand the effects of fire on soil properties for better soil management. We investigated the impacts of low-intensity prescribed fire on the microbial and chemical properties of the top soil in a Hungarian oak(Quercus frainetto Ten.) forest. The research focused on microbial soil parameters(microbial soil respiration(RSM), soil microbial biomass carbon(Cmic) and metabolic quotient(qCO2) and chemical topsoil properties(soil acidity(pH),electrical conductivity(EC), carbon(C), nitrogen(N), C/N ratio and exchangeable cations). Mean annual comparisons show significant differences in four parameters(C/N ratio,soil pH, Cmic and qCO2) while monthly comparisons do not reveal any significant differences. Soil pH increased slightly in the burned plots and had a significantly positive correlation with exchangeable cations Mg, Ca, Mn and K.The mean annual C/N ratio was significantly higher in the burned plots(28.5:1) than in the control plots(27.0:1). The mean annual Cmic(0.6 mg g-1) was significantly lower although qCO2(2.5 lg CO2–C mg Cmic h-1) was significantly higher, likely resulting from the microbial response to fire-induced environmental stress. Low-intensity prescribed fire caused very short-lived changes. The annual mean values of C/N ratio, pH, Cmic and qCO2showed significant differences.

Microbial Development in Soils Under Intensively Managed Bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) Stands

Phyllostachys praecox C. D. Chu et C. S. Chao, a favored bamboo shoot species, has been widely planted in recent years. Four stands with different historical management practices were selected for this study to understand the evolution of soil microbial ecology by determining the effects of a new mulching and heavy fertilization practice on soil quality using microbiological parameters. Compared with the traditional practice (index 1), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil microbial respiration carbon (MRC) with the new management practice significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.01 and P ＜ 0.05,respectively) with 1-2 years of mulching (index 2) and then for continued mulching significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05). The ratios of MBC/TOC (total organic carbon) and MRC/TOC also significantly diminished (P ＜ 0.05) with mulching. The average well color development (AWCD) and Shannon index decreased with mulching time, and the significant decrease(P ＜ 0.05) in Shannon index occurred from index 2 to index 3. The results from a principal components analysis (PCA)showed that the scores of the first principal component for indexes 1 and 2 were significantly larger (P ＜ 0.05) than soils mulched 3-4 years or 5-6 years. Also, the second principal component scores for index 1 were larger than those for index 2, suggesting that the ability of soil microorganisms to utilize soil carbon was decreasing with longer use of the new management practice and causing a deterioration of soil biological properties.

Experimental study on mitigating wind erosion of calcareous desert sand using spray method for microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation

Wind erosion is one of the significant natural calamities worldwide, which degrades around one-third of global land. The eroded and suspended soil particles in the environment may cause health hazards, i.e.allergies and respiratory diseases, due to the presence of harmful contaminants, bacteria, and pollens.The present study evaluates the feasibility of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation(MICP)technique to mitigate wind-induced erosion of calcareous desert sand(Thar desert of Rajasthan province in India). The temperature during biotreatment was kept at 36℃ to stimulate the average temperature of the Thar desert. The spray method was used for bioaugmentation of Sporosarcina(S.) pasteurii and further treatment using chemical solutions. The chemical solution of 0.25 pore volume was sprayed continuously up to 5 d, 10 d, 15 d, and 20 d, using two different concentration ratios of urea and calcium chloride dihydrate viz 2:1 and 1:1. The biotreated samples were subjected to erosion testing(in the wind tunnel) at different wind speeds of 10 m/s, 20 m/s, and 30 m/s. The unconfined compressive strength of the biocemented crust was measured using a pocket penetrometer. The variation in calcite precipitation and microstructure(including the presence of crystalline minerals) of untreated as well as biotreated sand samples were determined through calcimeter, scanning electron microscope(SEM), and energydispersive X-ray spectroscope(EDX). The results demonstrated that the erosion of untreated sand increases with an increase in wind speeds. When compared to untreated sand, a lower erosion was observed in all biocemented sand samples, irrespective of treatment condition and wind speed. It was observed that the sample treated with 1:1 cementation solution for up to 5 d, was found to effectively resist erosion at a wind speed of 10 m/s. Moreover, a significant erosion resistance was ascertained in15 d and 20 d treated samples at higher wind speeds. The calcite content percentage, thickness of crust,bulk density, and surface strength of biocemented sand were enhanced with the increase in treatment duration. The 1:1 concentration ratio of cementation solution was found effective in improving crust thickness and surface strength as compared to 2:1 concentration ratio of cementation solution. The calcite crystals formation was observed in SEM analysis and calcium peaks were observed in EDX analysis for biotreated sand.