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.

Sharing and evaluation of a new community co-management model for protecting Crested Ibis:a case study of Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve,China

The Crested Ibis(Nipponia Nippon) is endemic to Qinling Mountains of China and was once abundant over vast areas of north-east of Asia habitat.During the 20th century,however,the population declined greatly in numbers.Habitat quality used to be the main threat to this species but recent actions by the government and wildlife protection organizations have brought this under control.With the establishment of Crested Ibis Nature Reserve in China,conflicts between socio-economic development and Crested Ibis conservation have become more acute.How do we deal with the relation between Crested Ibis conservation and community development? In this study,the Crested Ibis Nature Reserve co-management model namely "companies + farmers + Nature Reserve" model is proposed and evaluated with demonstration investigation methods,including continuous six-year fixed-site socio-economic development data of surrounding community,company sales revenue data and monitored data of Crested Ibis Nature Reserve.The results show that farmers' income and conservation awareness increased greatly from 2003 to 2008;company sales revenue has increased by about 20% annually in the recent years;management level has noticeably improved in Nature Reserve,the scope of Crested Ibis habitat has expanded 50 hm2;chemical composition of habitat reduced year after year;and the number of Crested Ibis had been growing annually.At the end,the success of the model is evaluated,and problems in implementation of the model are discussed from the following aspects:management system,co-management concept,economic base of partners,marketing mechanism,technical capacity and so on.

Prevalence of Some World Health Organization Priority Organisms from an Abattoir at Kwata, Anambra State, Nigeria

The abattoir is one of the important sectors in the food industry, therefore the need for close monitoring of everything concerning it to minimize microbial contamination. The aim of the study is to identify bacteria listed as WHO priority organisms associated with meat from Kwata abattoir in Awka, Anambra state. The study was carried out over a three (3) months period from September to December 2022. Thirteen samples were collected from the floor, table, water, meat, knife and soil in the abattoir. The samples were cultured using streak and spread plate methods on MacConkey and Cetrimide agar. The isolates were identified with the following biochemical tests: catalase, oxidase, citrate and indole tests. Ampiclox levofloxacin, gentamicin, ofloxacin impenem ceftraixone, cefixime, cefuroxime and nitrofurantoin were used for sensitivity test following Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and biofilm formation was determined using the tube method. The 75 isolates obtained were identified as follows;29.3% E. coli, 26.7% Klebsiella spp., 16% Proteus spp., and 28% Pseudomonas spp. The result of antibiotics sensitivity test interpreted using the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) breakpoints showed that (98%) of the isolates were resistant to the antibiotics used. Test for biofilm formation with 52 isolates showed 31 strong, 12 moderate and 9 weak biofilm formers. The result of this study confirms the presence of bacteria contaminants within the WHO priority list in the abattoir, as such there is need for improved handling of animals. Slaughtering, cleaning and distribution of meat should be done using aseptic procedures. .

Soybean(Glycine max)rhizosphere organic phosphorus recycling relies on acid phosphatase activity and specific phosphorusmineralizing-related bacteria in phosphate deficient acidic soils

Bacteria play critical roles in regulating soil phosphorus(P) cycling. The effects of interactions between crops and soil P-availability on bacterial communities and the feedback regulation of soil P cycling by the bacterial community modifications are poorly understood. Here, six soybean(Glycine max) genotypes with differences in P efficiency were cultivated in acidic soils with long-term sufficient or deficient P-fertilizer treatments. The acid phosphatase(AcP) activities, organic-P concentrations and associated bacterial community compositions were determined in bulk and rhizosphere soils. The results showed that both soybean plant P content and the soil AcP activity were negatively correlated with soil organic-P concentration in P-deficient acidic soils. Soil P-availability affected the ɑ-diversity of bacteria in both bulk and rhizosphere soils. However, soybean had a stronger effect on the bacterial community composition, as reflected by the similar biomarker bacteria in the rhizosphere soils in both P-treatments. The relative abundance of biomarker bacteria Proteobacteria was strongly correlated with soil organic-P concentration and AcP activity in low-P treatments. Further high-throughput sequencing of the phoC gene revealed an obvious shift in Proteobacteria groups between bulk soils and rhizosphere soils, which was emphasized by the higher relative abundances of Cupriavidus and Klebsiella, and lower relative abundance of Xanthomonas in rhizosphere soils. Among them, Cupriavidus was the dominant phoC bacterial genus, and it was negatively correlated with the soil organic-P concentration. These findings suggest that soybean growth relies on organic-P mineralization in P-deficient acidic soils, which might be partially achieved by recruiting specific phoCharboring bacteria, such as Cupriavidus.

Effects of long-term partial substitution of inorganic fertilizer with pig manure and/or straw on nitrogen fractions and microbiological properties in greenhouse vegetable soils

Partial substitution of inorganic fertilizers with organic amendments is an important agricultural management practice.An 11-year field experiment(22 cropping periods)was carried out to analyze the impacts of different partial substitution treatments on crop yields and the transformation of nitrogen fractions in greenhouse vegetable soil.Four treatments with equal N,P_(2)O_(5),and K_(2)O inputs were selected,including complete inorganic fertilizer N(CN),50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 50%pig manure N(CPN),50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 25%pig manure N and 25%corn straw N(CPSN),and 50%inorganic fertilizer N plus 50%corn straw N(CSN).Organic substitution treatments tended to increase crop yields since the 6th cropping period compared to the CN treatment.From the 8th to the 22nd cropping periods,the highest yields were observed in the CPSN treatment where yields were 7.5-11.1%greater than in CN treatment.After 11-year fertilization,compared to CN,organic substitution treatments significantly increased the concentrations of NO_(3)^(-)-N,NH_(4)^(+)-N,acid hydrolysis ammonium-N(AHAN),amino acid-N(AAN),amino sugar-N(ASN),and acid hydrolysis unknown-N(AHUN)in soil by 45.0-69.4,32.8-58.1,49.3-66.6,62.0-69.5,34.5-100.3,and 109.2-172.9%,respectively.Redundancy analysis indicated that soil C/N and OC concentration significantly affected the distribution of N fractions.The highest concentrations of NO_(3)^(-)-N,AHAN,AAN,AHUN were found in the CPSN treatment.Organic substitution treatments increased the activities ofβ-glucosidase,β-cellobiosidase,N-acetyl-glucosamidase,L-aminopeptidase,and phosphatase in the soil.Organic substitution treatments reduced vector length and increased vector angle,indicating alleviation of constraints of C and N on soil microorganisms.Organic substitution treatments increased the total concentrations of phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs)in the soil by 109.9-205.3%,and increased the relative abundance of G^(+)bacteria and fungi taxa,but decreased the relative abundance of G-bacteria,total bacteria,and actinomycetes.Overall,long-term organic substitution management increased soil OC concentration,C/N,and the microbial population,the latter in turn positively influenced soil enzyme activity.Enhanced microorganism numbers and enzyme activity enhanced soil N sequestration by transforming inorganic N to acid hydrolysis-N(AHN),and enhanced soil N supply capacity by activating non-acid hydrolysis-N(NAHN)to AHN,thus improving vegetable yield.Application of inorganic fertilizer,manure,and straw was a more effective fertilization model for achieving sustainable greenhouse vegetable production than application of inorganic fertilizer alone.

Social and Economic Considerations for Creating Sustainable Climate Change Haven Communities

As Climate Change Haven Communities are constructed across the Northern Hemisphere, it will be necessary to attract two types of migrants to populate them. The first group consists of professionals and companies in eco-sustainable businesses, such as law firms, insurance companies, investment firms, banking, technological innovation, mass media, medical research and pharmaceutical research. The second group will consist of persons engaged in organic/eco-sustainable agriculture whose crops and animal husbandry practices can be transferred successfully to Climate Change Haven regions. The present research focuses on the social and economic variables that must be taken into account to insure that each new Climate Change Haven Community becomes successfully integrated with the local population and forms a cohesive, harmonious social structure. Examples are given from the United States, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Study of Problems in the Development of Non-profit Organizations in Urban Communities

With the continuous advancement of construction of urban communities and the continuous development of the needs of community residents in China,non-profit organizations in various urban communities have developed rapidly and have increasingly played an important role in social and economic life. At present,the development of non-profit organizations in urban communities is still faced with many problems,such as difficulty in raising funds,lack of incentives that results in low enthusiasm for volunteering and low participation of community residents,etc. It is urgent and practical significance to study,analyze and solve the problems faced by non-profit organizations in urban communities. That article focuses on the analysis and discussion of the problems facing the development of non-profit organizations in urban communities,and proposes countermeasures to solve the problems.

The Issue of Women＇s Social Organization to Participate in the Community Endowment Services

With the transformation of society and the deepening of reform, the government＇s emphasis on public service level gradually increased, arises at the historic moment of women in social organization to participate in social management and service ofgrassroots women play an important role on the stage. Women social organizations in jiangsu province to grow faster, quantity stability has increased year by year, widely participate in social services, in the ease of social contradictions, providing public services, safeguard women＇s rights has played a unique role. But at the same time also face the system is not sound, management is not standard, and all kinds of resources are scarce, etc. Women social organizations must through the standardization of the management and operation, actively integrating the resource of inside and outside the organization improve the survival and development environment, so as to promote their own development and perfection, a greater extent play a positive role in social and public services.

The Research of Social Organizations Participating in the Urban Community Aged Care＇ s Problems--Base on the City of Shanghai in China

With the deepening of China＇s aging population, the conmmnity aged care gradually become endowment new options. Social organization for its own characteristics, play an important role in participating in community aged care. But the extent to which the current social organizations to participate in the community aged care is still very low, the reason is mainly affected by the community aged care access mechanism. Article in the Shanghai community, for example, starhng fiom the present situation of the current social organizations to participate in the community aged care, analysis of the problems arising fi-om the social organizations in the community aged care, probe into its reasons in access mechanism, put forward the corresponding countermeasures and Suggestions, encourage social organizations play an effective role in the community aged care.

Chinatown's Community Organizations Reflected in Louis Chu's Eat a Bowl of Tea

Louis Chu's novel Eat a Bowl of Tea(1961) is widely recognized as a pioneer masterpiece in Chinese American litera-ture. It pictures the bachelor society of Chinatown in New York City after the Second World War. Several characteristics of China-town's community organizations are reflected in this novel: kinship-based; responsible for protecting and caring for the members;led by commercial elites; rule of man, rather than rule of law. It offers us a precious chance to take a glimpse of the Chinese-Ameri-can society in post-World War II era.

Changes in Transformation of Soil Organic C and Functional Diversity of Soil Microbial Community Under Different Land Uses

Changes in soil biological and biochemical properties under different land uses in the subtropical region of China were investigated in order to develop rational cultivation and fertilization management. A small watershed of subtropical region of China was selected for this study. Land uses covered paddy fields, vegetable farming, fruit trees, upland crops, bamboo stands, and forestry. Soil biological and biochemical properties included soil organic C and nutrient contents, mineralization of soil organic C, and soil microbial biomass and community functional diversity. Soil organic C and total N contents, microbial biomass C and N, and respiration intensity under different land uses were changed in the following order： paddy fields （and vegetable farming） 〉 bamboo stands 〉 fruit trccs （and upland）. The top surface （0-15 cm） paddy fields （and vegetable farming） were 76.4 and 80.8% higher in soil organic C and total N contents than fruit trees （and upland） soils, respectively. Subsurface paddy soils （15-30 cm） were 59.8 and 67.3% higher in organic C and total N than upland soils, respectively. Soil microbial C, N and respiration intensity in paddy soils （0-15 cm） were 6.36, 3.63 and 3.20 times those in fruit tree （and upland） soils respectively. Soil microbial metabolic quotient was in the order： fruit trees （and upland） 〉 forestry 〉 paddy fields. Metabolic quotient in paddy soils was only 47.7% of that in fruit tree （and upland） soils. Rates of soil organic C mineralization during incubation changed in the order： paddy fields 〉 bamboo stands 〉 fruit trees （and upland） and soil bacteria population： paddy fields 〉 fruit trees （and upland） 〉 forestry. No significant difference was found for fungi and actinomycetes populations. BIOLOG analysis indicated a changing order of paddy fields 〉 fruit trees （and upland） 〉 forestry in values of the average well cell development （AWCD） and functional diversity indexes of microbial community. Results also showed that the conversion from paddy fields to vegetable farming for 5 years resulted in a dramatic increase in soil available phosphorus content while insignificant changes in soil organic C and total N content due to a large inputs of phosphate fertilizers. This conversion caused 53, 41.5, and 41.3% decreases in soil microbial biomass C, N, and respiration intensity, respectively, while 23.6% increase in metabolic quotient and a decrease in soil organic C mineralization rate. Moreover, soil bacteria and actinomycetes populations were increased slightly, while fungi population increased dramatically. Functional diversity indexes of soil microbial community decreased significantly. It was concluded that land uses in the subtropical region of China strongly affected soil biological and biochemical properties. Soil organic C and nutrient contents, mineralization of organic C and functional diversity of microbial community in paddy fields were higher than those in upland and forestry. Overuse of chemical fertilizers in paddy fields with high fertility might degrade soil biological properties and biochemical function, resulting in deterioration of soil biological quality.

Functional diversity of soil microbial communities in response to supplementing 50% of the mineral N fertilizer with organic fertilizer in an oat field

The effects of supplementing 50%of the mineral N fertilizer with organic fertilizer on the metabolism and diversity of soil microbial communities in an oat field were investigated using Biolog-Eco plates.The experiment consisted of five treatments:no fertilizer(CK),mineral N fertilizer applied at 90 and 45 kg ha^(-1) N in the form of urea(U1 and U2,respectively),and U2 supplemented with organic fertilizer in the form of sheep manure at 90 and 45 kg ha^(-1) N(U2OM1 and U2OM2,respectively).Each treatment had three replications.The experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in Pinglu District,Shanxi Province,China.The carbon source utilization by soil microbial communities,such as amino acids,amines,carbohydrates,carboxylic acids,and polymers,increased when 50%of the mineral N fertilizer was replaced with organic fertilizer in both years.This result was accompanied by increased richness,dominance,and evenness of the microbial communities.The utilization of amino acid,amine,and carboxylic acid carbon sources and community evenness were further improved when the organic fertilizer amount was doubled in both years.Biplot analysis indicated that amines and amino acids were the most representative of the total carbon source utilization by the soil microbial communities in both years.The highest oat yield was achieved at a total N application rate of 135 kg ha^(-1) in the treatment involving 45 kg ha^(-1) N in the form of urea and 90 kg ha^(-1) N in the form of sheep manure in both years.It was concluded that the application of 50%of the conventional rate of mineral N fertilizer supplemented with an appropriate rate of organic fertilizer enhanced both the functional diversity of soil microbial communities and oat yield.Amine and amino acid carbon sources may be used as a substitute for total carbon sources for assessing total carbon source utilization by soil microbial communities in oat fields in future studies.

Effect of organic carbon on nitrification effciency and community composition of nitrifying biofilms

The effects of organic carbon/inorganic nitrogen （C/N） ratio on the nitrification processes and the community shifts of nitrifying biofilms were investigated by kinetic comparison and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） analysis. The results showed that the nitrification rate decreased with an increasing organic concentration. However, the effect became weak when the carbon concentration reached a sufficiently high level. Denitrification was detected after organic carbon was added. The 12 h ammonium removal rate ranged from 85% to 30% at C/N = 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16, as compared to the control （C/N = 0）. The loss of nitrogen after 24 h at C/N = 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 was 31%, 18%, 24%, 65%, 59%, and 62%, respectively. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the dominant populations changed from nitrifying bacteria （Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter sp.） to denitrifying bacteria （Pseudomonas sp., Acidovorax sp. and Comamonas sp.） with an increasing C/N ratio. Although at high C/N ratio the denitrifying bacteria were the dominant populations, nitrifying bacteria grew simultaneously. Consequently, nitrification process coexisted with denitrification.

Effects of a decade of organic fertilizer substitution on vegetable yield and soil phosphorus pools, phosphatase activities, and the microbial community in a greenhouse vegetable production system

Partial substitution of chemical fertilizers by organic amendments is adopted widely for promoting the availability of soil phosphorus(P)in agricultural production.However,few studies have comprehensively evaluated the effects of longterm organic substitution on soil P availability and microbial activity in greenhouse vegetable fields.A 10-year(2009–2019)field experiment was carried out to investigate the impacts of organic fertilizer substitution on soil P pools,phosphatase activities and the microbial community,and identify factors that regulate these soil P transformation characteristics.Four treatments included 100%chemical N fertilizer(4 CN),50%substitution of chemical N by manure(2 CN+2 MN),straw(2 CN+2 SN),and combined manure with straw(2 CN+1 MN+1 SN).Compared with the 4 CN treatment,organic substitution treatments increased celery and tomato yields by 6.9-13.8%and 8.6-18.1%,respectively,with the highest yields being in the 2 CN+1 MN+1 SN treatment.After 10 years of fertilization,organic substitution treatments reduced total P and inorganic P accumulation,increased the concentrations of available P,organic P,and microbial biomass P,and promoted phosphatase activities(alkaline and acid phosphomonoesterase,phosphodiesterase,and phytase)and microbial growth in comparison with the 4 CN treatment.Further,organic substitution treatments significantly increased soil C/P,and the partial least squares path model(PLS-PM)revealed that the soil C/P ratio directly and significantly affected phosphatase activities and the microbial biomass and positively influenced soil P pools and vegetable yield.Partial least squares(PLS)regression demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi positively affected phosphatase activities.Our results suggest that organic fertilizer substitution can promote soil P transformation and availability.Combining manure with straw was more effective than applying these materials separately for developing sustainable P management practices.

Soil macroaggregates and organic-matter content regulate microbial communities and enzymatic activity in a Chinese Mollisol

The formation and turnover of macroaggregates are critical processes influencing the dynamics and stabilization of soil organic carbon(SOC).Soil aggregate size distribution is directly related to the makeup and activity of microbial communities.We incubated soils managed for>30 years as restored grassland(GL),farmland(FL)and bare fallow(BF)for 60 days using both intact and reduced aggregate size distributions(intact aggregate distribution(IAD)<6 mm;reduced aggregate distribution(RAD)<1 mm),in treatments with added glucose,alanine or inorganic N,to reveal activity and microbial community structure as a function of aggregate size and makeup.Over a 60-day incubation period,the highest phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA)abundance was on day 7 for bacteria and fungi,on day 15 for actinomycete.The majority of the variation in enzymatic activities was likely related to PLFA abundance.GL had higher microbial abundance and enzyme activity.Mechanically reducing macroaggregates(>0.25 mm)by 34.7%in GL soil with no substrate additions increased the abundance of PLFAs(average increase of 15.7%)and activities of β-glucosidase(increase of 17.4%)and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase(increase of 7.6%).The addition of C substrates increased PLFA abundance in FL and BF by averages of 18.8 and 33.4%,respectively,but not in GL soil.The results show that the effect of habitat destruction on microorganisms depends on the soil aggregates,due to a release of bioavailable C,and the addition of substrates for soils with limited nutrient availability.The protection of SOC is promoted by larger size soil aggregate structures that are important to different aggregate size classes in affecting soil C stabilization and microbial community structure and activity.

Bacterial community succession in response to dissolved organic matter released from live jellyfish

Jellyfish blooms have increased worldwide, and the outbreaks of jellyfish population not only affect the food web structures via voracious predation but also play an important role in the dynamics of nutrients and oxygen in planktonic food webs. However, it remains unclear whether specific carbon compounds released through jellyfish metabolic processes have the potential to shape bacterial community composition. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the compositional succession of the bacterioplankton community in response to the dissolved organic matter (DOM) released by the live Scyphomedusae Cyanea lamarckii and Chrysaora hysoscella collected from Helgoland Roads of the North Sea. The bacterial community was significantly stimulated by the DOM released form live jellyfish and different dominant phylotypes were observed for these two Scyphomedusae species. Furthermore, the bacterial community structures in the different DOM sources, jellyfish-incubated media, Kabeltonne seawater, and artificial seawater (DOM-free) were significantly different, as revealed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis fingerprints. Catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) revealed a rapid species-specific shift in bacterial community composition. Gammaproteobacteria dominated the community instead of the Bacteroidetes community for C. lamarckii, whereas Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominated the community for C. hysoscella. The significant differences in the bacterial community composition and succession indicate that the components of the DOM released by jellyfish might differ with jellyfish species.

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.

The Relationship Between Plant Community Characteristics and Soil Organic Matter Content of Sedentary Grazing Pastures in a Typical Steppe

In order to discuss the relationship between the characteristics of plant communities and the content of topsoil organic matter under the condition of two-season sedentary grazing, authors of this paper selected a Stipa krylovii steppe for research and studied the plant community characteristics and the topsoil organic matter content. The results showed that in the sedentary grazing area, the perennial plant species decreased, the annual plant species increased, and the topsoil organic matter content decreased. There were a negative correlation between plant biomass and topsoil organic matter content, and a positive correlation between total coverage and topsoil organic matter content. The change of plant community characteristics in the sedentary grazing area was related to the implementation of the system of transferring the pasture use rights to the herdsmen and controlled grazing.

Soil conditioners improve Cd-contaminated farmland soil microbial communities to inhibit Cd accumulation in rice

The addition of silicon(Si)and organic fertilizers to soil conditioners can inhibit the transfer of heavy metal ions from soil to crops.However,it is not clear how Si and organic fertilizers affect soil properties and the micro-ecological environment and thereby reduce cadmium(Cd)accumulation in rice.In this study,the effects of L-type soil conditioners containing Si and organic fertilizers on bacterial and fungal community diversity,soil pH,organic matter,and available Si were analyzed with field experiments at two sites in Liuzhou City and Hezhou City,respectively,in Guangxi,China.With the increase of Si and organic fertilizer content in soil conditioner,rice yield respectively increased by 16.8–25.8 and 6.8–13.1%,and rice Cd content decreased significantly by 8.2–21.1 and 10.8–40.6%,respectively,at the two experimental sites.Soil microbiome analysis showed that the increase in abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota bacteria associated with Cd adsorption and sequestration,and Basidiomycota fungal populations associated with degradation of macromolecules favored the inhibition of soil Cd activity(soil exchangeable Cd decreased by 14.4–14.8 and 18.1–20.6%).This was associated with an increase in organic matter and Si content caused by applying soil conditioners.In conclusion,L-type soil conditioners,rich in Si and organic fertilizer,can reduce soil Cd bioavailability by regulating the dominant Cd passivating flora in the soil and ultimately reduce Cd accumulation in rice.