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.

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.

Changes in soil microbial communities induced by warming and N deposition accelerate the CO 2 emissions of coarse woody debris

Warming and nitrogen(N)deposition are two important drivers of global climate changes.Coarse woody debris(CWD)contains a large proportion of the carbon(C)in the total global C pool.The composition of soil microbial communities and environmental changes(i.e.,N deposition and warming)are the key drivers of CWD decomposition,but the interactive impact between N deposition and warming on the composition of soil microbial communities and CWD decomposition is still unclear.In a laboratory experiment,we study and simulate respiration during decomposition of the CWD(C 98)of Cryptomeria japonica(CR)and Platycarya strobilacea(PL)in response to warming and N deposition over 98 days.Resuts show that either warming or N addition signifi cantly accelerated the C 98 of the two tree species by altering the soil microbial community(bacterial:fungi and G+:G–).The combined treatment(warming+N)resulted in a decomposition eff ect equal to the sum of the individual eff ects.In addition,the species composition of bacteria and fungi was obviously aff ected by warming.However,N deposition had a remarkable infl uence on G+:G–.Our results indicated that N deposition and warming will observably alter the composition and growth of the microbial community and thus work synergistically to accelerate CWD decomposition in forest ecosystems.We also present evidence that N deposition and warming infl uenced the composition and balance of soil microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling of forest ecosystems.

Residue Return Effects Outweigh Tillage Effects on Soil Microbial Communities and Functional Genes in Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Conservation tillage as an effective alternative to mitigate soil degradation has attracted worldwide attention,but the influences of conservation tillage on soil microbial community and especially function remain unclear.Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was performed to examine the taxonomic and functional community variations of black soils under three tillage regimes,namely no-tillage with residue(maize straw)return(NTS),moldboard plow with residue return(MPS),and moldboard plow without residue return(MPN)in Northeast China.The results revealed:1)Soil bacterial and archaeal communities differed significantly under different tillage regimes in contrast to soil fungal community.2)The overlay of less tillage and residues return under NTS led to unique soil microbial community composition and functional composition.Specifically,in contrast to other treatments,NTS increased the relative abundances of some taxa such as Bradyrhizobium,Candidatus Solibacter,and Reyranella,along with the relative abundances of some taxa such as Sphingomonas,Unclassified Chloroflexi and Nitrososphaera decreased;NTS had a unique advantage of increasing the relative abundances of genes involved in‘ATP-binding cassette(ABC)transporters’and‘quorum sensing(QS)’pathways,while MPN favored the genes involved in‘flagellar assembly’pathway and some metabolic pathways such as‘carbon’and‘glyoxylate and dicarboxylate’and‘selenocompound’metabolisms.3)Significantly different soil bacterial phyla(Acidobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes,and Chloroflexi)and metabolic pathways existed between MPN and another two treatments(NTS and MPS),while did not exist between NTS and MPS.4)Dissolved organic carbon(DOC)and soil bulk density were significantly affected(P<0.05)by tillage and accounted for the variance both in microbial(bacterial)community structure and functional composition.These results indicated that a change in tillage regime from conventional to conservation tillage results in a shift of microbial community and functional genes,and we inferred that residue return played a more prominent role than less tillage in functional shifts in the microbial community of black soils.

Effects of Tillage Depth on Nutrients and Microbial Communities in Tobacco-Planting Soil

The implementation of appropriate tillage practices is of great significance for agricultural production. However, the effects of different tillage depths on soil nutrients content and microbial communities in tobacco-planting soils are still lacking systematic research. In this study, three different tillage depths of 15 cm (T1), 20 cm (T2), and 30 cm (T3) were set up for field experiments in Liupanshui, Guizhou Province, to explore the effects of tillage depth on tobacco-planting soil nutrients and bacterial and fungal communities based on 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing and figure out the key factors affecting soil microbial communities. The results showed that T2 and T3 increased the contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and available potassium in tobacco-planting soil, and increased the diversity of bacterial communities compared with T1. There was no significant difference in the structure of bacterial and fungal communities in different tillage depth treatments, but some dominant genera were significantly enriched in T2 and T3. Desulfobacter, Setophoma, Humicola, and Acremonium were significantly enriched in T2. Chthonomonas and Fusarium were significantly enriched in T3. These genera favor the decomposition of organic matter and the cycling of nutrients, and control soil pests and diseases. Redundancy analysis indicated that TP and AK were the key factors influencing the dominant genera of bacteria and fungi. This study provides a scientific basis for the selection of soil tillage depth for tobacco production in this region.

Phospholipid fatty acid patterns of microbial communities in paddy soil under different fertilizer treatments

The microbial communities under irrigated rice cropping with different fertilizer treatments, including control （CK）, PK, NK, NP, NPK fertilization, were investigated using phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） profile method. The results of this study revealed that the fertilizer practice had an impact on the community structure of specific microbial groups. The principal components analysis （PCA） showed that proportion of the actinomycete PLFAs （10Me 18：0 and 10Me 16：0） were the lowest in the PK treatment and the highest in the NPK treatment, which means that soil nitrogen status affected the diversity of actinomycetes, whereas nitrogen cycling was related to the actinomycets. Under CK treatment, the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria was lower compared with that in fertilizer addition treatments, indicating that fertilizer application stimulated Gram-positive bacterial population in paddy soil. The fatty acid 18：2to6,9, which is considered to be predominantly of fungal origin, was at low level in all the treatments. The ratio of cyl9：0 to 18：1 to7, which has been proposed as an indicator of stress conditions, decreased in PK treatment. Changes of soil microbial community under different fertilizer treatments of paddy soil were detected in this study; however, the causes that lead to changes in the microbial community still needs further study.

Changes in enzymes activity, substrate utilization pattern and diversity of soil microbial communities under cadmium pollution

Heavy metal pollution has received increasing attention in recent years mainly because of the public awareness of environmental issues. In this study we have evaluated the effect of cadmium （Cd） on enzymes activity, substrate utilization pattern and diversity of microbial communities in soil spiked with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mg/kg Cd, during 60 d of incubation at 25℃. Enzyme activities determined at 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 d after heavy metal application（DAA） showed marked declines for various Cd treatments, and up to 60 DAA, 100 mg/kg Cd resulted in 50.1%, 47.4%, and 39.8% decreases in soil urease, acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase activities, respectively to control. At 60 DAA, substrate utilization pattern of soil microbial communities determined by inoculating Biolog ECO plates indicated that Cd addition had markedly inhibited the functional activity of soil microbial communities and multivariate analysis of sole carbon source utilization showed significantly different utilization patterns for 80 and 100 mg/kg Cd treatments. The structural diversity of soil microbial communities assessed by PCR-DGGE method at 60 DAA, illustrated that DGGE patterns in soil simplified with increasing Cd concentration, and clustering of DGGE profiles for various Cd treatments revealed that they had more than 50% difference with that of control.

Biological soil crust distribution in Artemisia ordosica communities along a grazing pressure gradient in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northern China

This study investigated the distribution pattern of biological soil crust （BSC） in Artemisia ordosica communities in Mu Us Sandy Land. Three experimental sites were selected according to grazing pressure gradient. In each experimental site, the total vegetation cover, A. ordosica cover, BSC cover, litter-fall cover, BSC degree of fragmentation, BSC thickness and soil properties were investigated in both fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes and simultaneously analyzed in the laboratory. The results showed that at the same grazing pressure, BSC cover and composition were significantly affected by the fixation degree of sand dunes. In addition, BSC cover in the fixed sand dunes was 83.74% on average, whereas it is proportionally dominated by 28% mosses, 21% lichens, and 51% algae. Meanwhile, BSC cover in the semi-fixed sand dunes was 23.54% on average, which is proportionally domi- nated by 6.3% mosses, 2.5% lichens, and 91.2% algae. Fine sand, organic matter, and total nitrogen （N） contents in the fixed sand dunes were all significantly higher than those in the semi-fixed sand dunes. Litter-fall cover de- creased along the grazing pressure gradient, whereas BSC fragmentation degree increased. Fine sand content decreased along with the increase of grazing pressure, whereas medium sand content increased in both fixed and semi-fixed dunes. The organic matter and total N contents in the no grazing site were significantly higher than those in light and normal grazing sites. However, there were no significant differences between the light and normal grazing sites. In addition, there were also no significant differences in BSC thickness between the light and normal grazing sites in the fixed sand dunes. However, a significant decrease was observed in both BSC cover and thick- ness in the normal grazing site. The BSC in the semi-fixed dunes was more sensitive to disturbance.

Responses of N_2O reductase gene(nosZ)-denitrifier communities to long-term fertilization follow a depth pattern in calcareous purplish paddy soil

The effect of long-term fertilization on soil denitrifying communities was analysed by measuring the abundance and diversity of the nitrous oxide （N2O） reductase gene, nosZ. Soil samples were collected from plots of a long-term fertilization experiment established in 1982 in Suining City, China. The fertilizer treatments were no fertilizer （CK）, three chemical fertilizer （CF） treatments （N, NP, NPK）, manure （M） alone, and manure with chemical fertilizers （NM, NPM, NPKM）. The abundance and diversity of the denitrifying bacteria were assessed by real-time quantitative PCR, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism （T-RFLP）, and cloning and sequencing of nosZ genes. The diversity and abundance of nosZ-denitrifiers was higher in soil amended with manure and chemical fertilizers （CFM） than in soil amended with CF alone, and the highest in topsoil （0-20 cm）. The nosZ-denitrifier community composition was more complex in CFM soil than in CF soil： Specific species were detected only in the CFM soil. The abundance of nosZ-denitrifier in the NPKM treatment was approximately two times higher than that in the CK, N, and NPK treatments. Most of the cloned nosZ sequences were closely related to nosZ sequences from Bradyrhizobiaceae and Rhodospirillaceae in Alphaproteobacteria. Of the measured abiotic factors, soil organic matter correlated significantly with the abundance （P〈0.01）; available phosphorus correlated significantly with the topsoil community composition （P〈0.01）, whereas soil organic matter correlated significantly with the subsoil （20-90 cm） community composition （P〈0.01）. This study demonstrated that long-term CFM fertilization affected both the abundance and composition of the nosZ-denitrifier community.

Shifts in soil bacterial communities induced by the controlled-release fertilizer coatings

Coated controlled-release fertilizers （CRFs） have been widely applied in agriculture due to their increased efficiency. However, the widespread and a lot of coated CRFs application may leave undesired coating residues in the soil due to their slow degradation. Limited information is available on the effects of substantial residual coatings on the soil bacterial community. By adding 0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 times quantities of residual coating from conventional application amount of resin and water-soluble coated CRFs, we studied the responses of soil properties and bacterial community composition to these two residual coatings in black soil. The results showed that the resin and water-soluble coatings did not essentially alter the properties of black soil or cause dramatic changes to bacterial diversity within the test concentration range. The residual resin and water-soluble coatings also did not distinctly alter the relative abundance of the top ten bacteria at phylum level. Heatmap results suggested that the treatments were basically clustered into two groups by concentration rather than types of coating material. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the Simpson＇s diversity index of the bacterial community was significantly correlated with microbial biomass carbon （MBC, r=0.394, P〈0.05）, and the richness index abundance-based coverage estimator （ACE） of the bacterial community was significantly correlated with microbial biomass nitrogen （MBN, t=0.407, P〈0.05）. Overall, results of this study suggested that substantial residual resin and water-soluble coatings with 0-50 times quantities of residual coating from conventional application amount of coated CRFs did not generate obviously negative impacts on the bacterial community in black soil.

Manure substitution improves maize yield by promoting soil fertility and mediating the microbial community in lime concretion black soil

Synthetic nitrogen(N)fertilizer has made a great contribution to the improvement of soil fertility and productivity,but excessive application of synthetic N fertilizer may cause agroecosystem risks,such as soil acidification,groundwater contamination and biodiversity reduction.Meanwhile,organic substitution has received increasing attention for its ecologically and environmentally friendly and productivity benefits.However,the linkages between manure substitution,crop yield and the underlying microbial mechanisms remain uncertain.To bridge this gap,a three-year field experiment was conducted with five fertilization regimes:i)Control,non-fertilization;CF,conventional synthetic fertilizer application;CF_(1/2)M_(1/2),1/2 N input via synthetic fertilizer and 1/2 N input via manure;CF_(1/4)M_(3/4),1/4 N input synthetic fertilizer and 3/4 N input via manure;M,manure application.All fertilization treatments were designed to have equal N input.Our results showed that all manure substituted treatments achieved high soil fertility indexes(SFI)and productivities by increasing the soil organic carbon(SOC),total N(TN)and available phosphorus(AP)concentrations,and by altering the bacterial community diversity and composition compared with CF.SOC,AP,and the soil C:N ratio were mainly responsible for microbial community variations.The co-occurrence network revealed that SOC and AP had strong positive associations with Rhodospirillales and Burkholderiales,while TN and C:N ratio had positive and negative associations with Micromonosporaceae,respectively.These specific taxa are implicated in soil macroelement turnover.Random Forest analysis predicted that both biotic(bacterial composition and Micromonosporaceae)and abiotic(AP,SOC,SFI,and TN)factors had significant effects on crop yield.The present work strengthens our understanding of the effects of manure substitution on crop yield and provides theoretical support for optimizing fertilization strategies.

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.

Conversion of pure Chinese fir plantation to multi-layered mixed plantation enhances the soil aggregate stability by regulating microbial communities in subtropical China

Background:Soil aggregates are the basic units of soil structure,and their stability is a key indicator of soil quality and capacity to support ecosystem functions.The impacts of various environmental factors on soil aggregates have been widely studied.However,there remains elusive knowledge on the synergistic effects of changing forest stand structure on soil aggregate stability(SAS),particularly in subtropical China where soil erosion remains a critical issue.Methods:We investigated variations in the components of soil humus(HS),including humic acids(HAs),fulvic acids(FAs),and humins(HMs),under pure Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata)plantation(PP)and multilayered mixed plantation(MP)comprising C.lanceolata,Castanopsis hystrix,and Michelia hedyosperma.The state of soil aggregate stability,was determined by three separate methods,i.e.,dry-sieving,wet-sieving,and the Le Bissonnais.High-throughput sequencing was used to determine the diversity and composition of microbial communities under PP and MP.We then built partial least squares path models(PLS-PM)for assessing the responses of SAS to the variations in soil microorganisms and HS components.Results:The MP stands had significantly greater SAS(P<0.05),higher content of HAs and more rapid organic matter humification within aggregates,than the PP stands.High-throughput sequencing confirmed that the Pielou andα-diversity index values(Chao1 and Shannon)for fungi were all significantly higher under MP than under PP,while no marked difference was found in bacterialα-diversity between the two plantation types.Moreover,there were markedly greater abundance of three bacterial phyla(Verrucomicrobia,Chloroflexi,and Gemmatimonadetes)and three fungal phyla(Ascomycota,Kickxellomycota,and Glomeromycota),and significantly less abundance of two bacterial phyla(Planctomycetes and Firmicutes)and four fungal phyla(Basidiomycota,Mortierellomycota,Mucoromycota,and Rozellomycota)under MP than under PP.The Chloroflexi and Ascomycota phyla appeared to be the primary drivers of soil aggregate distribution.Our findings revealed that the promotion of SAS under MP was mainly driven by increased soil organic matter(SOM)content,which altered bacterial communities and enhanced fungal diversity,thereby increasing HAs content and the rate of organic matter humification.Conclusions:Considering the combined effects of enhanced soil quality,productivity,and relevant economic costs,introducing broadleaved tree species into Chinese fir plantations can be an effective strategy for stabilizing soil structure against erosion in subtropical China.Our study elucidated the controls on variations of SAS in Chinese fir-dominated plantations and demonstrated the benefit of converting pure Chinese fir plantation to multi-layered mixed plantations in increasing soil structural stability and improving site quality.

Response of fungal communities to afforestation and its indication for forest restoration

Soil fungi in forest ecosystems have great potential to enhance host plant growth and systemic ecological functions and services.Reforestation at Saihanba Mechanized Forest Farm,the world's largest artificial plantation,has been integral to global forest ecosystem preservation since the 1950s.To better assess the ecological effects of soil microbiology after afforestation,fungal diversity and community structure(using Illumina sequencing)from forests dominated by Larix gmelinii var.principis-rupprechtii,Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica and Picea asperata,and from grassland were surveyed.In total,4,540 operational taxonomic units(OTUs)were identified,with Mortierella and Solicoccozyma being the dominant genera of grassland soil and Inocybe,Cortinarius,Piloderma,Tomentella,Sebacina,Hygrophorus and Saitozyma dominating the plantation soil.Principle coordinate analysis(PCoA)and co-occurrence networks revealed differences in fungal structure after afforestation.Significantly,more symbiotroph guilds were dominated by ectomycorrhizal fungi in plantations under the prediction of FUNGuild.The community composition and diversity of soil fungi were significantly influenced by pH via redundancy analysis(RDA)and the Mantel test(p<0.01).This finding emphasizes that soil pH has a strong effect on the transition of fungal communities and functional taxa from grassland to plantation,providing a novel indicator for forest restoration.

Influence of tourist disturbance on soil properties, plant communities, and surface water quality in the Tianchi scenic area of Xinjiang, China

The impact of tourist disturbance on the environment has become a focal issue of environmental science, ecology, and travel management studies. To assess the influence of tourist disturbance on soils and plants in the Tianchi scenic area of Xinjiang, China, we compared soil properties and plant community characteristics at 0, 5, 10, and 20 m from the tourist trail within areas at three different altitudes, where the intensities of tourist disturbance are distinct. Surface water quality was also studied at three different levels relative to the Tianchi Lake. The results showed that tourist disturbance significantly increased soil pH within 10 m from the trail and soil bulk density on the edge of the trail, but significantly reduced soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents within 5 m from the trail. The number of tree seedlings on the edge of the trail and the shrub coverage and height of herbaceous plants within 5 m from the trail significantly decreased due to tourist disturbance. Changes in herbaceous plant diversity differed by soil zones. In the high altitude region, tourist disturbance led to a remarkable increase in the herbaceous plant diversity on the edge of the trail, while in the low altitude region, tourist disturbance had a low impact on the diversity of herbaceous plants. In addition, tourist activities polluted the surface water, significantly reducing water quality. Thus, current tourist activities have a significant negative impact on the ecological environment in the Tianchi scenic area.

Methane production from rice straw carbon in five different methanogenic rice soils:rates,quantities and microbial communities

The input of organic substances(e.g.,rice straw)in rice field soils usually stimulates the production and emission of the greenhouse gas methane(CH4).However,the amount of CH4 derived from the applied rice straw,as well as the response of bacterial and archaeal communities during the methanogenic phase,are poorly understood for different rice field soils.In this study,samples of five different rice soils were amended with 13^C-labeled rice straw(RS)under methanogenic conditions.Immediately after RS addition,the RS-derived CH4 production rates were higher in soils(Uruguay,Fuyang)that possessed a stronger inherent CH4 production potential compared with other soils with lower inherent potentials(Changsha,the Philippines,Vercelli).However,soils with higher inherent potential did not necessarily produce higher amounts of CH4 from the RS applied,or vice versa.Quantitative PCR showed copy numbers of both bacteria and methanogens increased in straw-amended soils.High-throughput sequencing of 16 S rRNA genes showed distinct bacterial communities among the unamended soil samples,which also changed differently in response to RS addition.Nevertheless,RS addition generally resulted in all the rice field soils in a relative increase of primary fermenters belonging to Anaerolineaceae and Ruminococcaceae.Meanwhile,RS addition also generally resulted in a relative increase of Methanosarcinaceae and/or Methanocellaceae.Our results suggest that after RS addition the total amounts of RSderived CH4 are distinct in different rice field soils under methanogenic conditions.Meanwhile,there are potential core bacterial populations that are often involved in primary fermentation of RS under methanogenic conditions.

Analysis of spatiotemporal variations in the characteristics of soil microbial communities in Castanopsis fargesii forests

Castanopsis fargesii is a good afforestation plants and various microorganisms play important roles in mediating the growth and ecological functions of this species.In this study,we evaluated changes in microbial communities in soil samples from C.fargesii forests.The phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA)biomarker method was used to obtain bacteria,fungi,actinomycetes,gram-positive bacteria(G?),gram-negative bacteria(G-),aerobic bacteria,and anaerobic bacteria to investigate spatiotemporal changes in microbial communities during the growing season.The results show that soil microorganisms were mainly concentrated in the upper 20-cm layer,demonstrating an obvious surface aggregation(P<0.05).Large amounts of litter and heavy rainfall during the early growing season resulted in the highest PLFA contents for various microorganisms,whereas relatively low and stable levels were observed during other times.The dominant species during each period were bacteria.G+ or aerobic bacteria were the main bacterial populations,providing insights into the overall trends of soil bacterial PLFA contents.Due to the relative accumulation of refractory substances during the later stages of litter decomposition,the effects of fungi increased significantly.Overall,our findings demonstrate that the main factors influencing microbial communities were litter,rainfall,and soil field capacity.

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.

Effects of vegetation on the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities in the Arctic tundra

The relatively simple vegetation of the Arctic tundra provides an ideal site in which to study the relationships between plants, bacterial communities and soil chemistry. Here, results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing of secondary Arctic brown soils collected from underneath colonies of Dryasoctopetala, Luzulaconfusa and Bistortavivipara in the Arctic tundra near Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, reveal significant differences in bacterial communities related to soil environmental properties. Redundancy analysis shows that all measured geochemical factors were significant in structuring microbiomes, with strong correlations related to soil pH and organic matter contents. Vegetation is likely to affect the physical and chemical properties of the soil, which in turn affects the bacterial community and composition of the soil.

Distribution of Bacterial Communities in Petroleum-Contaminated Soils from the Dagang Oilfield, China

Diversity in bacterial communities was investigated along a petroleum hydrocarbon content gradient(0-0.4043 g/g)in surface(5-10 cm)and subsurface(35-40 cm)petroleum-contaminated soil samples from the Dagang Oilfield,China.Using 16S rRNA Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and several statistical methods,the bacterial diversity of the soil was studied.Subsequently,the environmental parameters were measured to analyze its relationship with the community variation.Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and analysis of similarities indicated a significant difference in the structure of the bacterial community between the nonpetroleum-contaminated surface and subsurface soils,but no differences were observed in different depths of petroleum-contaminated soil.Meanwhile,many significant correlations were obtained between diversity in soil bacterial community and physicochemical properties.Total petroleum hydrocarbon,total organic carbon,and total nitrogen were the three important factors that had the greatest impacts on the bacterial community distribution in the long-term petroleum-contaminated soils.Our research has provided references for the bacterial community distribution along a petroleum gradient in both surface and subsurface petroleum-contaminated soils of oilfield areas.