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Results for “soil microbiology”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1977

Use of electron microscopy for soil microbiology capabilities and limitations.

Soil dilutions were studied by different techniques: They were retained on cellulose filters and observed either directly by scanning electron microscopy or after inclusion and ultra-thin sectioning by transmission electron microscopy. Morphology and locomotor organs of bacteria were observed after negative staining. They were plated on various culture media in order to isolate and identify most of the nonexacting microorganisms. Results are compared and the use of electron microscopy in soil studies is discussed.

Arthrobacter↗
PubMed1978

Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger in two potted ornamental plants, cactus (Epiphyllum truncatum) and clivia (Clivia miniata). Biological and epidemiological aspects.

The presence and growth of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger in the soil of ornamental plants have been demonstrated. The ecological conditions in the soil of such plants as influenced by temperature, humidity, desiccation, fertilization and ventilation obviously influence such fungal growth. The epidemiological significance of these findings is of interest with a view to the present efforts to control aspergillosis in the environment of susceptible persons. Observations of a preferential growth of certain Aspergillus species in the soil of defined plants under defined conditions raise problems of soil microbiology.

Aspergillosis↗
PubMed1978

Effects of some inorganic elements on nitrogen-fixation in blue-green algae and some ecological aspects of pollution.

Nitrogen-fixation by two species of Nostoc, one of them a lichen phycobiont, was generally stimulated by low concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, lead, palladium, and zinc. Higher concentrations (0.025 to 0.125 ppm) of arsenic, nickel, and palladium were also stimulatory; however, higher concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc tended to inhibit fixation. With the exception of palladium and zinc at low concentrations these six tested elements tended to inhibit nitrogen-fixation in Chlorogloea fritschii and Westiellopsis sp.

Arsenic↗
PubMed1975

Toxicological implications of pesticides: their toxic effects on seeds of food plants.

Pesticides are widely used for the protection of economic crops from a variety of noxious pests. The repeated and indiscriminate uses and the extreme stability of certain pesticides have led to their accumulation in plants, animals, soils and sediments, thus effecting widespread contamination of the environment. Soil contaminants are especially serious because they can inhibit or impair the seed germination of our food and feed crops. Seeds can come in close contact with pesticides through processes such as prematurity application, fumigation, seed dressings, and seed treatments. Several reports have indicated the toxic effects of pesticides on seed germination. Possible mechanisms of the toxic action on pesticides during the germination of seeds have been discussed with emphasis on biochemical, histological, and cytological alterations. Bioassay procedures employing seed germination as a smiple, feasible, economical, time-saving indicator of toxicity have been described briefly. Attention is then drawn to the possible potential health hazards arising from the presence of pesticidal chemicals in food plants since the toxicological implications of long term exposure to pesticides are often more far-reaching.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Long-term PFOA and cadmium Co-contamination alters soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling: Insights from metagenomics and metabolomics.

The co-existence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and cadmium (Cd) in soil poses a combined threat to microbial communities. However, the ecological effects and underlying mechanisms of their long-term combined exposure remain poorly understood. This study conducted a 90-day soil microcosm experiment to systematically investigate the effects of individual and combined effects of PFOA and Cd on microbial communities. Our results demonstrated that combined pollution of PFOA and Cd significantly affected four soil enzyme activities associated with carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. It also influenced microbial thermal activity with an IC50 of PFOA at 0.94 mg/kg. The toxic interaction between PFOA and Cd varied with both toxicity indicators and exposure time. At the community level, PFOA and Cd synergistically reduced bacterial diversity and richness, while exerting more complex interactive effects on fungal communities. Metagenomic analysis revealed that PFOA and Cd significantly affected carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling by inhibiting inorganic phosphorus solubilization genes (gcd, pqqC) and altering key genes in carbon fixation and nitrogen transformation. Metabolomic profiling further demonstrated that PFOA disrupted membrane lipid homeostasis and amino acid metabolism. Meanwhile, the co-existence of Cd exacerbated disturbances in sugar and carbon metabolism. Our findings provide genetic-level insights into microbial responses to long-term PFOA and Cd co-contamination. These results are essential for risk assessment at such co-contamination sites.

Cadmium↗
PubMed2026

Environmental coupling between metal resistance genes and bacterial communities in Beijing urban green-space soils.

Urban green spaces are intensively managed ecosystems exposed to chronic, multisource, low-intensity anthropogenic inputs. These inputs may alter soil microbial communities and influence the distribution of metal resistance genes (MRGs). However, MRG distributions and their relationships with environmental conditions and bacterial communities remain unclear under the complex, non-extreme pollution conditions typical of these ecosystems. We investigated Beijing urban green spaces as a representative system using metagenomic sequencing and metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) analysis. We characterized soil MRG composition, its environmental associations, and the distribution of potential hosts. MRG composition differed significantly among ecological conservation (EC), transitional urban (TU), and central urban (CU) zones. These differences were closely associated with soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure. Available phosphorus (AP) was significantly associated with variation in both bacterial community structure and MRG composition. MAG-based analysis identified distinct potential-host compositions across the three functional zones. Proteobacteria were more frequently represented among dereplicated MAGs from EC soils, whereas Actinobacteria were more frequent in TU and CU soils. Heavy metal concentrations correlated with MRG composition. However, variation partitioning analysis did not identify an independent contribution from heavy metals after accounting for soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure. These findings indicate that urban green-space soil monitoring should incorporate environmental conditions and microbial community characteristics rather than rely solely on total metal concentrations.

Soil Microbiology↗
PubMed2026

Electron shuttles facilitate methane-dependent arsenate reduction in paddy soils.

Methane-dependent arsenate reduction (M-AsR) occurs widely in paddy soils and can substantially enhance arsenic mobilization, posing potential ecological risks. However, the role of electron shuttles in this process remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) on M-AsR in paddy soils. Fourteen-day incubation showed that 1 mmol/L AQDS facilitated 50.88 % of arsenate reduction and 31.31 % of methane oxidation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that AQDS significantly increased the abundance of functional genes associated with arsenate reduction (arrA, arsC) and anaerobic methane oxidation (mcrA) (P < 0.05). Microbial community analysis revealed that AQDS addition enriched Cloacibacterium, Sphingorhabdus, and Methylocystis, while decreasing the relative abundance of Methylobacter and Methylomonas. These findings indicate that electron shuttles facilitate M-AsR by modulating functional microbial populations, providing valuable insights into arsenic biogeochemistry and the coupled cycling of methane and arsenic in paddy soils.

Methane↗
PubMed2026

Long-term petroleum pollution alters soil microbial communities via electron transfer capacity: Evidence from a 35-year chronosequence.

Petroleum pollution poses a serious threat to soil ecosystems, especially in areas surrounding oil wells, where contamination should not be overlooked. Through a 35-year longitudinal study of soils surrounding oil wells, we demonstrate that petroleum hydrocarbons accumulate predominantly in the top 10 cm of soil, reducing the electron acceptor capacity (EAC) by 61.59 % (from 12.68 to 4.87 &#x3bc;mole-/gC) and decreasing the electron transfer capacity (ETC) by 43 %. Structural equation modeling identified ETC as the critical mediator of microbial community shifts, with EAC playing a pivotal role in sustaining redox processes. Notably, hydrocarbon accumulation triggered a microbial succession: The abundance of Actinomycetota (including genera Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, and Rubrobacter) showed the most significant fluctuations within 2 years, while Pseudomonadota (genera Methylobacter, Thiobacillus, and Pseudomonas), which were dominant in uncontaminated soils, decreased markedly during this period. This transition coincided with peak microbial dysbiosis (microbial dysbiosis index in 2022 reached 31.41 times that of controls). Within two to four years following mild petroleum stress, the bacterial community established a new structural configuration, revealing a crucial window for ecological recovery. The coupling between ETC reduction and microbial succession highlights the pivotal role of electron flux in soil recovery. Our findings establish a mechanistic framework for ETC-targeted restoration strategies to enhance bioremediation in petroleum-contaminated soils.

Soil Microbiology↗
PubMed2026

Dynamics of soil fungal communities restored with biochar from a quarry site.

Quarrying activities have intensified due to population expansion, leading to landscape degradation and ecological destruction. Quarry restoration is usually mandatory in Hong Kong, China. Although biochar is used for sustainable soil amendment, its effectiveness in restoring quarry soil with poor properties has rarely been investigated. A 24-month field study was conducted to evaluate the ecological feasibility of restoring a quarry site by using native species (that is, Castanopsis fissa and Cyclobalanopsis edithiae) and biochar amendment. The results revealed that after 24 months, the application of biochar increased the organic carbon, phosphorus and potassium of the vegetated soil by at least 120 %, 31 % and 12 %, respectively, due to higher cation exchange capacity and better plant growth. The relative abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota increased by 24 % and 47 % with biochar application when C. fissa was planted, which was likely associated with the improved nutrient cycling and soil fertility. Even though adding biochar to bare soil was found to increase the complexity of fungal co-occurrence networks, biochar application only increased fungal diversity in vegetated quarry soil but usually reduced its fungal richness. Moreover, fungal co-occurrence networks in vegetated soil became less complex, suggesting that biochar potentially helped plants to assemble specific, beneficial fungal communities. This effect is most pronounced in the soil planted with C. edithiae, where the structure of fungal communities after 24 months was significantly different from that at other restoration times. This study identifies key fungal phyla enhanced by biochar in quarry soil and provides an effective strategy for facilitating the restoration and management of degraded lands, especially quarry sites.

Charcoal↗
PubMed2026

Soil erosion and landscape elevation as unnoticed determinants of environmental antibiotic resistance distribution.

Climate change is reshaping the global antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) landscape through geomorphological processes that remain largely overlooked in the One Health framework. This critical review synthesises evidence on how soil erosion and landscape elevation gradients redistribute, select for, and disseminate ARGs across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Erosion physically removes and transports ARG-bearing microbes, depletes nutrients, and co-selects for resistance via heavy metal exposure and horizontal gene transfer, creating source-sink dynamics that connect eroding hillslopes to downstream water bodies and food systems. Elevation gradients impose abiotic stressors-declining temperature, elevated UV radiation, and shifting pH-that drive microbial community reassembly through environmental selection and dispersal limitation, with emerging evidence linking bacterial competition at high altitude to enhanced multidrug efflux and resistome complexity. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps, including unquantified ARG mass fluxes across erosion-deposition gradients, unresolved dispersal-versus-selection mechanisms along elevation transects, and the absence of integrated One Health surveillance linking environmental ARG reservoirs to clinical outcomes. A synthesis of global case studies illustrates how these processes converge across diverse landscapes. The review concludes with a mechanistic research agenda-including reciprocal transplant experiments, landscape connectivity modelling, and cross-sectoral surveillance-needed to translate these emerging drivers into actionable climate-AMR mitigation policy.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗