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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Elevated atmospheric CO2 alters soil microbial communities associated with trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) roots.

Global atmospheric CO(2) levels are expected to double within the next 50 years. To assess the effects of increased atmospheric CO(2) on soil ecosystems, cloned trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings were grown individually in 1 m(3) open bottom root boxes under either elevated (720 ppm, ELEV) or ambient CO(2) (360 ppm, AMB). After 5 years, soil cores (40 cm depth) were collected from the root boxes and divided into 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm fractions. ELEV treatment resulted in significant decreases in both soil nitrate and total soil nitrogen in both the 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil fractions, with a 47% decrease in soil nitrate and a 50% decrease in total soil nitrogen occurring in the 0-20 cm fraction. ELEV treatment did not result in a significant change in the amount of soil microbial biomass. However, analysis of indicator phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) indicated that ELEV treatment did result in significant increases in PLFA indicators for fungi and Gram-negative bacteria in the 0-20 cm fraction. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis was used to analyze the composition of the soil bacterial communities (using primers targeting the 16SrRNA gene) and the soil fungal communities (using primers targeting the intergenic transcribed spacer region). T-RFLP analysis revealed shifts in both bacterial and fungal community structure, as well as increases in both bacterial and fungal species richness with ELEV treatment. These results indicated that increased atmospheric CO(2) had significant effects on both soil nutrient availability and the community composition of soil microbes associated with aspen roots.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2003

Soil response to eucalypt tree planting and meatworks effluent irrigation in a short rotation forest regime in New Zealand.

The effects of planting three eucalypt species and irrigating with meatworks effluent on soil were assessed during the first 3-year rotation of a short rotation forest regime at Oringi, Dannevirke, New Zealand. The results showed tree planting alone reduced the soil infiltration rates, but had little influence on soil nutrient concentration other than reduction of nitrate levels. Species variation had limited influence on soil change. Effluent irrigation relieved the reduction of infiltration rates by tree planting, and increased nutrient concentrations, but reduced the soil pH. These changes should be considered when managing eucalypt short rotation forests sustainably in the longer term, either linked with effluent irrigation or not.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Nutrient availability and management in the rhizosphere: exploiting genotypic differences.

Crop nutrition is frequently inadequate as a result of the expansion of cropping into marginal lands, elevated crop yields placing increasing demands on soil nutrient reserves, and environmental and economic concerns about applying fertilizers. Plants exposed to nutrient deficiency activate a range of mechanisms that result in increased nutrient availability in the rhizosphere compared with the bulk soil. Plants may change their root morphology, increase the affinity of nutrient transporters in the plasma membrane and exude organic compounds (carboxylates, phenolics, carbohydrates, enzymes, etc.) and protons. Chemical changes in the rhizosphere result in altered abundance and composition of microbial communities. Nutrient-efficient genotypes are adapted to environments with low nutrient availability. Nutrient efficiency can be enhanced by targeted breeding through pyramiding efficiency mechanisms in a desirable genotype as well as by gene transfer and manipulation. Rhizosphere microorganisms influence nutrient availability; adding beneficial microorganisms may result in enhanced availability of nutrients to crops. Understanding the role of plant-microbe-soil interactions in governing nutrient availability in the rhizosphere will enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of crop production.

Breeding↗
PubMed2005

[Dynamics of soil enzyme activity and nutrient content in intercropped cotton rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere].

The study with high yield cotton-wheat double cropping system showed that soil urease, invertase, protease and catalase activities in intercropped cotton field had the same changing trends with those in mono-cultured cotton field, but were significantly higher in intercropped than in mono-cultured cotton rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere at all development stages of cotton. During the intergrowth period of wheat and cotton, soil nutrient contents in intercropped cotton rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere were lower than or had little difference with those in mono-cultured cotton rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere, but became significantly higher after wheat harvested. The changing trends of soil nutrient contents in intercropped cotton field had little difference from those in mono-cultured cotton field, but the nutrient absorption peak appeared late. The soil enzyme activities and nutrient contents were generally higher in rhizosphere than in non-rhizosphere of both intercropped and mono-cultured cotton. Soil nutrient contents had significant (P < 0.05, n = 32) or very significant (P < 0.01, n = 32) correlation with the activities of soil urease, invertase and protease, but had little correlation with soil catalase activity.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2006

Persistence of rock-derived nutrients in the wet tropical forests of La Selva, Costa Rica.

We used strontium isotopes and analysis of foliar and soil nutrients to test whether erosion can rejuvenate the supply of rock-derived nutrients in the lowland tropical rain forest of La Selva, Costa Rica. We expected that these nutrients would be depleted from soils on stable surfaces, a result of over one million years of weathering in situ. In fact, trees and palms in all landscape positions derive a relatively high percentage (> or =40%) of their strontium from bedrock, rather than atmospheric, sources. The fraction that is rock-derived increases on slopes, but with no detectable effect on plant macronutrient concentrations. These results differ from those in a similar ecosystem on Kauai, Hawaii, where plants on uneroded surfaces derive almost all of their foliar Sr from atmospheric, rather than bedrock, sources. The results from La Selva challenge the assumption that tropical Oxisols in general have low nutrient inputs from bedrock, and support the hypothesis that erosion can increase the supply of these nutrients in lower landscape positions.

Costa Rica↗
PubMed2006

Importance of algal biomass to growth and development of Anopheles gambiae larvae.

We conducted experiments to investigate the importance of algal food resources for larval growth and adult emergence of Anopheles gambiae Giles s.s. in simulated larval habitats in Kenya, and in greenhouse and laboratory microcosms in the United States. In the first experiment, we used shading to reduce algal biomass, and because algal production and larval development might be a function of underlying soil nutrients, we crossed sun-shade treatments with soils of two distinct types collected near larval habitats. Shading reduced pupation rates and total adult biomass of An. gambiae by approximately 50%. Soil type had no significant effect on mosquito production, but it did significantly affect concentrations of phosphorus and chlorophyll a in the surface microlayer. In a subsequent experiment conducted in the greenhouse to reduce temperature differences found between the shaded and sunlit treatments, <1% of larvae in the shaded treatments reached the pupal stage. There was a marked reduction of chlorophyll a levels as a function of shading and larval density. In a third experiment, larvae receiving material harvested from sunlit surface microlayers performed as well as those receiving liver powder, whereas those receiving surface microlayer from shaded habitats suffered >90% mortality and failed to pupate. In a fourth experiment, glucose was added to shaded microcosms to stimulate bacterial activity in the absence of algae. Bacterial growth rates were 2 to 3 times higher, and larval development was enhanced in glucose-amended treatments. However, pupation rates and adult weights in glucose-amended shaded microcosms were still poor compared with those in nonamended sunlit microcosms. Overall, these results demonstrate the importance of algal biomass in the surface microlayers of larval habitats to development and adult production of An. gambiae.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of sewage sludge, septic waste and sludge compost applications to corn and forage: yields and N, P and K content of crops and soils.

This paper presents the data from two years of experiments concerned with the application of aerobically-digested sewage sludge, anaerobic lagoon septic sludge, sewage sludge compost or fertilizer to soils for grass forage and feed corn (Zea mays L.) production at two different sites 45 km from Truro, Nova Scotia. Crop yields, plant tissue and Mehlich-1 extractable soil nutrients were evaluated; 15 elements were analyzed in the plant tissue and nine elements in the soil extracts. This paper describes the results of crop yields, plant N, P and K content and Mehlich-1 extractable P and K. The research demonstrated the fertilizer produced higher yields of grass forage than the sludge and the compost but equivalent to the sludge in corn yields. Forage and corn N, P and K contents, however, varied with treatment, crop and year, while the compost-amended soils were highest in extractable nutrients. Both sludges and the compost, therefore, could be effective sources of N, P and K for crop production. Compared to the conventional fertilizer, the nutrient availability from the organic amendments (especially N and P) was considerably lower than the 50% assumed at the start of the experiment; the sludges however, provided higher nutrient availability than the compost.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2002

Natural causes of the tundra-taiga boundary.

The tundra-taiga interface is characterized by a change in tree cover or density, tree size and shape, tree growth, and reproduction. Generally, trees get denser, taller, and less damaged as one moves from the tundra into the taiga proper. The environmental covariates and possible mechanisms resulting in these patterns are addressed in the paper. Low seed rain density, lack of safe sites caused by microclimatic variation, low surface substrate moisture, and low soil nutrient availability may limit the density of the tree species. Tree growth may be limited by a short growing season and further diminished, by shoot and root damage reducing carbon and nutrient stores as well as by reducing carbon and nutrient uptake capacities. Positive and negative feedbacks of tree density on tree growth exist at treeline. Increased tree density leads to increased air temperature and decreased wind damage, but also to lower soil temperature, reduced nutrient availability, and greater nutrient competition.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed2004

Effects of land management change on spatial variability of organic matter and nutrients in paddy field: a case study of Pinghu, China.

The Household Responsibility System initiated in the late 1970s in China has brought a profound change to its rural economy. The shift from the collective farming system to individual family farms has changed land management. The change, including fertilization and crop systems, may have significant effects on soil quality and agro-environmental sustainability. However, very little research is being carried out on the impact of reformed land tenure systems on the spatial variability of soil nutrients. In this study, geostatistics was applied to analyze changes in the spatial variability of soil organic matter and nutrients in paddy fields in Pinghu County, China after 20 years of land management change. In 1984 and 2002, 617 and 131 locations were selected, respectively, for collecting surface soil samples to analyze soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK). From 1984 to 2002, variability of the SOM and TN changed from strongly to moderately spatial-dependent, and the variability of AP remained weakly dependent on space, but that of the AK changed from moderately to weakly spatial-dependent. That the trend of the variability of four soil properties in 2002 became weaker than that in 1984 showed that the extrinsic factors (soil management practices, such as fertilization) weakened the effect by intrinsic factors (soil formation factors, such as soil parent materials) owing to a long period of land management change. The temporal geographic maps of the SOM and nutrients spatial distributions suggested that the concentrations of the SOM and nutrients had been changed to different extents during the period. Significant increase in AP and decrease in AK were noted. The changes were likely due to the imbalance between N, P, and K fertilizers and increased grain yield.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2002

Endemic Mimosa species can serve as mycorrhizal "resource islands" within semiarid communities of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico.

This paper explores if Mimosa species (Fabaceae-Mimosoideae) can serve as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and nutrient "resource islands" in six plant communities in the semiarid valley of Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Mexico. Spatial heterogeneity related to the occurrence of Mimosa species results in temporal differences in AM-fungal spore numbers and soil nutrients. A higher number of AM-fungal spores were found in the soil below the canopies of six endemic Mimosa species than in the soil from non-vegetated areas. For four species, Mimosa adenantheroides, Mimosa calcicola, Mimosa luisana and Mimosa polyantha, the soil below their canopies had more AM-fungal spores than the soil in non-vegetated areas during the wet season than during the dry season. Two species, Mimosa lacerata and Mimosa texana var. filipes, however, had more spores under their canopies during the dry season than during the wet season. Although physical differences are present within and between sites, in general the soil below the canopies of Mimosa species had significantly higher nutrient levels than the soil from non-vegetated areas. Mimosa species thus form "resource islands" that are not only rich in nutrients but also in mycorrhizal propagules. Mimosa species can serve as mycorrhizal "resource islands" by directly affecting AM-fungal spore dynamics and/or by serving as spore-traps. A range of plants associated with Mimosa species may benefit from the higher number of AM propagules. We believe that the use of Mimosa resource islands as an option for biodiversity conservation and for land restoration ought to be considered in the Valley.

Desert Climate↗
PubMed2024

Soil keystone viruses are regulators of ecosystem multifunctionality.

Ecosystem multifunctionality reflects the capacity of ecosystems to simultaneously maintain multiple functions which are essential bases for human sustainable development. Whereas viruses are a major component of the soil microbiome that drive ecosystem functions across biomes, the relationships between soil viral diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality remain under-studied. To address this critical knowledge gap, we employed a combination of amplicon and metagenomic sequencing to assess prokaryotic, fungal and viral diversity, and to link viruses to putative hosts. We described the features of viruses and their potential hosts in 154 soil samples from 29 farmlands and 25 forests distributed across China. Although 4,460 and 5,207 viral populations (vOTUs) were found in the farmlands and forests respectively, the diversity of specific vOTUs rather than overall soil viral diversity was positively correlated with ecosystem multifunctionality in both ecosystem types. Furthermore, the diversity of these keystone vOTUs, despite being 10-100 times lower than prokaryotic or fungal diversity, was a better predictor of ecosystem multifunctionality and more strongly associated with the relative abundances of prokaryotic genes related to soil nutrient cycling. Gemmatimonadota and Actinobacteria dominated the host community of soil keystone viruses in the farmlands and forests respectively, but were either absent or showed a significantly lower relative abundance in that of soil non-keystone viruses. These findings provide novel insights into the regulators of ecosystem multifunctionality and have important implications for the management of ecosystem functioning.

Soil Microbiology↗
PubMed2005

Soybean genotypic difference in growth, nutrient accumulation and ultrastructure in response to manganese and iron supply in solution culture.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The objective of this research was to characterize the physiology and cell ultrastructure of two soybean genotypes subjected to nutrient solutions with increasing concentrations of manganese (Mn) at two contrasting iron (Fe) concentrations. Genotypes 'PI227557' and 'Biloxi' were selected based on their distinctly different capacities to accumulate Mn and Fe. * METHODS: Bradyrhizobium-inoculated plants were grown in hydroponic cultures in a greenhouse. Nutrient solutions were supplied with Mn concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 90 microm, at either 5 or 150 microm Fe as FeEDTA. * KEY RESULTS: For both genotypes and at both Fe concentrations, Mn concentrations from 6.6 to 50 microm did not affect shoot, root and nodule mass, or leaf and nodule ureide concentration. Mn concentrations of 70 and 90 microm did not result in visible toxicity symptoms, but hindered growth and nodulation of 'Biloxi'. An Mn concentration of 0.3 microm was, however, deleterious to growth and nodulation for both genotypes, and caused an accumulation of ureides in leaves and major alterations in the ultrastructure of chloroplasts, nuclei and mitochondria, regardless of the Fe concentration. In 'PI227557', there was also a proliferation of Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm of leaf cells, and nodules showed disrupted symbiosomes lacking poly-beta-hydroxybutirate grains concomitantly with a proliferation of endoplasmic reticulum as well as arrested bacterial division. At 15 microm Fe, ferritin-like crystals were formed in the lumen of chloroplasts of 'PI227557' plants. For both genotypes, there was an antagonism between the Fe and Mn concentrations in leaves, the higher values of both microelements being detected in 'PI227557'. The absence of any detectable relationship between Fe or Mn and zinc, phosphorus and copper concentrations in leaves ruled out those micronutrients as relevant for Mn and Fe nutrition in soybeans. * CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed the greater capacity of 'PI227557' for Mn and Fe accumulation than 'Biloxi' for most nutrient treatments. Hence, 'PI227557' may be a very useful genetic resource both in developing soybean cultivars for growth on low nutrient soils and in physiological studies to understand differing approaches to nutrient accumulation in plants.

Bradyrhizobium↗
PubMed2004

Bottom-up effects of nutrient availability on flower production, pollinator visitation, and seed output in a high-Andean shrub.

Soil nutrient availability directly enhances vegetative growth, flowering, and fruiting in alpine ecosystems. However, the impacts of nutrient addition on pollinator visitation, which could affect seed output indirectly, are unknown. In a nutrient addition experiment, we tested the hypothesis that seed output in the insect-pollinated, self-incompatible shrub, Chuquiraga oppositifolia (Asteraceae) of the Andes of central Chile, is enhanced by soil nitrogen (N) availability. We aimed to monitor total shrub floral display, size of flower heads (capitula), pollinator visitation patterns, and seed output during three growing seasons on control and N addition shrubs. N addition did not augment floral display, size of capitula, pollinator visitation, or seed output during the first growing season. Seed mass and viability were 25-40% lower in fertilised shrubs. During the second growing season only 33% of the N addition shrubs flowered compared to 71% of controls, and a significant (50%) enhancement in vegetative growth occurred in fertilised shrubs. During the third growing season, floral display in N addition shrubs was more than double that of controls, received more than twice the number of insect pollinator visits, and seed output was three- to four-fold higher compared to controls. A significant (50%) enhancement in vegetative growth again occurred in N addition shrubs. Results of this study strongly suggest that soil N availability produces strong positive bottom-up effects on the reproductive output of the alpine shrub C. oppositifolia. Despite taking considerably longer to be manifest in comparison to the previously reported top-down indirect negative effects of lizard predators in the same study system, our results suggest that both bottom-up and top-down forces are important in controlling the reproductive output of an alpine shrub.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

[Effect of returning corn straw into soil on soil fertility].

Three-year field micro-plot experiment was conducted to study the effect of applying corn root stubble, corn straw, and the ordure of cattle fed with corn straw to improve soil fertility in northern Liaoning province. The results showed that chemical fertilizers could significantly increase the corn production, while organic fertilizers mainly improved the soil physical and chemical properties so as to increase soil fertility. In comparison with no fertilizer treatment, combination of chemical fertilizers and organic materials could increase soil organic matter by 3.06%-27.78%. The increments of soil organic matter by using different organic materials were in order of 100% corn straw > 50% corn straw > mixture of cattle ordure and soil > cattle ordure > 33% corn straw > corn root stubble. For maintaining and increasing soil organic matter, corn straw was better than mixture of cattle ordure and soil, and secondly better than cattle ordure if they contained the same carbon content. In addition, comparing with applying chemical fertilizers only, combination of chemical fertilizers and organic materials increased soil labile oxidization organic matter by 10.91%-20.67%, increased extractable humic acid by 1.43%-14.28%, raised slack/stable ratio of bonded humus by 0.07-0.19, and raised HA/FA ratio by 0.07-0.24. Meanwhile, this combination improved the soil nutrient status of N, P, and K, and the status of soil moisture and porosity, which demonstrated the increase of activity of soil organic matter and the improvement of soil fertility. So directly adding straw into soil without removing after harvest in autumn should be actively recommended, and the amount of corn straw added into soil should be 30 to 50 percent of the total production of corn straw.

Fertilizers↗
PubMed2003

[Effect of flooding disturbance on aboveground biomass of Leymus chinensis grassland--a preliminary study].

To investigate the effect of flooding disturbance on the net primary productivity of Songnen steppe, a comparatively thorough study was conducted on Sanjiadian State-owned Rangeland in Da'an city, Jilin Province, which was partly flooded in 1998. The study site was located in the south Songnen plain of Northeastern China, dominated by Leymus chinensis grassland. An extensively mild slope with flooding gradients (from un-flooded to heavily flooded) was taken as the study site. Two flooded transects coded FL and FH which was respectively subjected to 3 and 9 months of flooding were designed, and an un-flooded one coded CK at a relatively higher elevation was set as a control. Before flooding occurred in 1998, the slope had an almost uniform soil and L. chinensis dominated vegetation. Each transect was 0.2 hm2 (100 m x 20 m) in size, and the two flooded transects were almost paralleled each other, with the longer sides of them perpendicular to the retrieving direction of floodwater. In each transect twenty 1 m2 sized quadrats were randomly chosen to survey the community structure and the aboveground biomass. Comparative analyses were made on the dynamics of soil water, soil N and P, and species composition of grassland communities that occurred in responses to flooding disturbance. The results showed that the lightly and heavily flooded transects had a significantly larger aboveground biomass than the control, with the increase of 89.54% and 113.45%, respectively. The heavily flooded transect had a slightly but insignificantly larger aboveground biomass than the lightly flooded one, indicating that on flooded sites, water was not the limiting factor of the aboveground biomass. The acute changes of soil water caused by flooding led to the changes of soil nutrients and species assemblages, which would impact community biomass. Just as the case for aboveground biomass, the soil water contents of the two flooded transects were significantly larger than that of control, which was the direct effect of flooding disturbance. The contents of soil available N and P on the flooded transects were higher than that on the control, as resulted by the increase of soil water. The species composition had an obvious difference between flooded transects and control, and the major change on the flooded transects was the decrease of Xeric and Mesoxeric plants and the increase of Hygric and Hygro-mesic plants, compared to the control. It's deduced from the results that the mechanisms that the flooding disturbance influenced the net primary productivity were: 1) Flooding disturbance firstly changed soil water content, the leading limiting factor of grassland productivity, especially in dry years, and thus, lessened the limitation of aridity on grassland productivity. 2) Flooding induced increase of soil water content led to the drastic increases of nutrient availability, and thereby, eliminated the restriction of pre-flood nutrient scarcity on grassland productivity. 3) Still due to the afterward effects of flooding disturbance, the species composition of the community transformed from relatively shorter plant species assemblage towards taller and bigger plant species assemblage that were more productive.

Biomass↗
PubMed2006

Helianthus nighttime conductance and transpiration respond to soil water but not nutrient availability.

We investigated the response of Helianthus species nighttime conductance (g(night)) and transpiration (E(night)) to soil nutrient and water limitations in nine greenhouse studies. The studies primarily used wild Helianthus annuus, but also included a commercial and early domesticate of H. annuus and three additional wild species (Helianthus petiolaris Nutt., Helianthus deserticola Heiser, and Helianthus anomalus Blake). Well-watered plants of all species showed substantial g(night) (0.023-0.225 mol m(-2) s(-1)) and E(night) (0.29-2.46 mmol m(-2) s(-1)) measured as instantaneous gas exchange. Based on the potential for transpiration to increase mass flow of mobile nutrients to roots, we hypothesized that g(night) and E(night) would increase under limiting soil nutrients but found no evidence of responses in all six studies testing this. Based on known daytime responses to water limitation, we hypothesized that g(night) and E(night) would decrease when soil water availability was limited, and results from all four studies testing this supported our hypothesis. We also established that stomatal conductance at night was on average 5 times greater than cuticular conductance. Additionally, g(night) and E(night) varied nocturnally and across plant reproductive stages while remaining relatively constant as leaves aged. Our results further the ability to predict conditions under which nighttime water loss will be biologically significant and demonstrate that for Helianthus, g(night) can be regulated.

Biomass↗
PubMed2004

Evaluation of methods to measure differential 15N labeling of soil and root N pools for studies of root exudation.

To study patterns of root exudation, the effectiveness of different techniques for in situ 15N labeling of Brassica napus, Centaurea jacea and Lolium perenne with ammonium nitrate was tested. Stem infiltration was found to effectively label plants with thicker stems, whereas, for grass species, cutting and immersing the leaf tips into 15N solution proved to be most effective. A microdiffusion technique to isolate ammonium, combined with conventional cation-exchange chromatography to separate nitrate from amino-N compounds thereafter, was found suitable for separation of the N fractions of plant and soil extracts for 15N determination. All three species were then cultivated in nutrient solution and labeled with 15NH4 15NO3 by stem feeding for 42 hours. Kinetics of 15N labeling of bulk roots and shoots as well as hot water extractable material were assessed, and up to 1.1 at% 15N excess (APE) was found in nutrient solutions. The main amino acids exuded by L. perenne were glycine, serine, alanine and aspartic acid. To assess the suitability of this set of methods to study root exudation in field settings, L. perenne was grown without fertiliser addition in pots containing low-nutrient soil. Plants were 15N labeled via tip immersion and 15N and N concentrations were analysed in shoots, roots and soils during a 48-h interval. Shoots reached 1.25 APE, roots and soil 0.10 and 0.005 APE, respectively. Between 4% (48 h) and 6% (24 h) of total plant 15N was exuded by roots into the soil. In roots amino acids comprised the largest proportion of the soluble 15N pool, whereas soil 15N levels were similar for amino acids and ammonium, exceeding those of nitrate. Mechanisms for the shift within N fractions from roots to soils are briefly discussed.

Chromatography, Ion Exchange↗