scholarly journals Fire Alters Soil Properties and Vegetation in a Coniferous–Broadleaf Mixed Forest in Central China

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengjun Hu ◽  
Yanchun Liu ◽  
Tiantian Wang ◽  
Yuanfeng Hao ◽  
Zheng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Central China ◽  
Biomass Combustion ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
N Concentration

Fire is the predominant natural disturbance that influences the community structure as well as ecosystem function in forests. This study was conducted to examine the soil properties, loss of aboveground biomass, and understory plant community in response to an anthropogenic fire in a coniferous (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) and broadleaf (Quercus acutissima Carruth.) mixed forest in a subtropical–temperate climatic transition zone in Central China. The results showed that soil pH, NO3−-N concentration, and microbial biomass carbon (C) increased three months after the fire; however, there were no significant differences in soil organic C, total nitrogen (N), NH4+-N concentration, or microbial biomass N between the burned and unburned observed plots. The total aboveground biomass was 39.0% lower in the burned than unburned plots four weeks after fire. Direct biomass combustion (19.15 t ha−1, including understory shrubs and litters) was lower than dead wood biomass loss (23.69 t ha−1) caused by the fire. The declining trends of tree mortality with increasing diameter at breast height for both pine and oak trees suggest that small trees are more likely to die during and after fires due to the thinner bark of small trees and tree and branch fall. In addition, burning significantly stimulated the density of shrub (160.9%) and herb (88.0%), but it also affected the richness of shrub and herb compared with that in the unburned plots two months after the fire. The rapid recovery of understory plants after fires suggest that the diversity of understory species could benefit from low-severity fires. Our findings highlight that the decomposition of dead wood and understory community recovery should be considered for offsetting C emissions after fires for further research.

Microbial biomass carbon and some soil properties as influenced by long-term sodic-water irrigation, gypsum, and organic amendments

Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joginder Kaur ◽  
O. P. Choudhary ◽  
Bijay-Singh
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Biomass Carbon ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Sodic Water

Long-term sodic-water irrigation may adversely affect the quality of soil organic carbon along with some soil properties. The extent to which the adverse effects can be ameliorated through the use of gypsum and amendments needs to be known. Soil properties and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were studied after 14 years of sodic water (SW) irrigation and application of different levels of gypsum, farmyard manure (FYM), green manure (GM), and wheat straw (WS) to a sandy loam soil. Irrigation with SW increased pH, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and bulk density, and decreased final infiltration rate of soil. Application of gypsum and organic amendments reversed these trends. Decrease in MBC due to SW irrigation was from 132.5 to 44.6 mg/kg soil in the 0–75 mm soil layer and from 49.0 to 17.3 mg/kg soil in the 75–150 mm soil layer. Application of gypsum and organic amendments significantly increased MBC; GM and FYM were more effective than WS. Changes in soil ESP explained 85 and 75% variation in MBC in the unamended and organically amended SW treatments, respectively. Soil pH as additional variable improved the predictability of MBC to 96% and 77%. Irrigation with SW reduced yield of rice plus wheat by 5 t/ha. Application of gypsum and organic amendments significantly increased the rice and wheat yield; it was significantly correlated with MBC (r = 0.56**, n = 60). It confirms that MBC rather than organic C is a more sensitive indicator of environmental stresses in soils caused by long-term sodic water irrigation.

scholarly journals A comparative account of the microbial biomass-N and N-mineralization of soils under natural forest, grassland and crop field from dry tropical region, India

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 223-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Singh Jay ◽  
D.P. Singh ◽  
A.K. Kashyap
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Biomass N

This study investigated microbial biomass-N (MB-N) and N-mineralization in soils of four different vegetation systems including forest (sal), mixed forest, savanna and cropland ecosystems in the Vindhyan region, India. A change was noted in the above region due to physiographic differences and anthropogenic disturbances. Annually the soil moisture (SM) content across the different study sites ranged from 7.5 to 24.3% being maximum in forest sites compared to savanna and cropland sites. The NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N, NO <sup>-</sup><sub>3</sub> -N and MB-N concentrations varied from 4.3 to 10.2 &mu;g/g, 1.1 to 5.8 &mu;g/g and 21.3 to 90.2 &mu;g/g dry soil, respectively, with minimum values in the wet and maximum values in the dry season. The trend of seasonal variation in net N-mineralization was similar to that of moisture content but counter to the concentrations of inorganic-N and MB-N. The net N-mineralization rates at different investigated sites ranged from 4.5 to 37.6 &mu;g/g month. Cultivation reduced the N-mineralization and MB-N by 58.5% and 63.5%, respectively. Experiments showed that the percentage contribution of MB-N to total-N was 8.01 to 19.15%. MB-N was positively correlated with the inorganic-N (<i>n</i> = 180,<i>r</i>.80,<i>P</I> < 0.001) but negatively with soil moisture (<i>n</i> = 180, <i>r</i> = 0.79, <i>P</I> < 0.001) and net N-mineralization rates (<i>n</i> = 180, <i>r</i> = 0.92, <i>P</I> < 0.0001). The higher N-mineralization and MB-N in the soil of forest ecosystem was reported compared to savanna and cropland and the order of soil MB-N levels and net N-mineralization followed the sequence: forest (sal) > mixed forest > savanna > cropland.

Effects of Slope Aspect on Soil Chemical and Microbial Properties during Natural Recovery on Abandoned Cropland in the Loess Plateau, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 356-360 ◽  
pp. 2422-2429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Zhang ◽  
Sha Xue ◽  
Guo Bin Liu ◽  
Chang Sheng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Slope Aspect ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Microbial Properties ◽  
South Slope ◽  
Abandoned Cropland

Abandoning cropland to enable recovery of the natural vegetation has been implemented during the past decade to restore the soil quality in the Loess Plateau, China. However, natural succession on cropland in the different slope aspect is different. The present study aimed at investigating the change in soil chemical and microbial properties abandoned farmland across time, and also to compare the difference of soil chemical and microbial properties in north slope and south slope on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that the slope aspect greatly affected the soil chemical and microbial properties after the cropland was abandoned, this could be attributed to the different precipitation and temperature in the two slopes. Compared with the north slope in which the organic C, total N and available N increased with the increase of abandonment years, that of south slope fluctuated significantly. Microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N in both slopes did not differ significantly in the first 10 years abandoned cropland, then decreased drastically in 15-year sites and thereafter tended to increase. Basal respiration in both slope fluctuated greatly in the sites with different abandonment years. Enzymes activities differed significantly in two slopes.

scholarly journals Wheat Straw Incorporation Affecting Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions in Chinese Paddy Soil

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 803
Author(s):  
Wei Dai ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Kaikai Fang ◽  
Luqi Cao ◽  
Zhimin Sha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Paddy Soil ◽  
Rice Paddy ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Rice Grain ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Straw Incorporation ◽  
N Fractions

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) fractions greatly affect soil health and quality. This study explored the effects of wheat straw incorporation on Chinese rice paddy fields with four treatments: (1) a control (CK), (2) a mineral NPK fertilizer (NPK), (3) the moderate wheat straw (3 t ha−1) plus NPK (MSNPK), and (4) the high wheat straw (6 t ha−1) plus NPK (HSNPK). In total, 0–5, 5–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm soil depths were sampled from paddy soil in China. Compared with the CK, the HSNPK treatment (p < 0.05) increased the C fraction content (from 13.91 to 53.78%), mainly including SOC, microbial biomass C (MBC), water-soluble organic C (WSOC), and labile organic C (LOC) in the soil profile (0–30 cm), and it also (p < 0.05) increased the soil N fraction content (from 10.70 to 55.31%) such as the soil total N (TN) at 0–10 cm depth, microbial biomass N (MBN) at 0–20 cm depth, total water-soluble N (WSTN) at 0–5 and 20–30 cm depths, and total labile N (LTN) at 0–30 cm depth. The primary components of soil LOC and LTN are MBC and MBN. Various soil C and N fractions positively correlated with each other (p < 0.05). The HSNPK treatment promoted the soil MBC, WSOC, and LOC to SOC ratios, and also promoted MBN, WSTN, and LTN to soil TN ratios at a depth of 0–20 cm. To summarize, the application of HSNPK could maintain and improve rice paddy soil quality, which leads to increased rice grain yields.

scholarly journals Dynamics in Stoichiometric Traits and Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Pools across Three Different-Aged Picea asperata Mast. Plantations on the Eastern Tibet Plateau

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1346
Author(s):  
Jixin Cao ◽  
Hong Pan ◽  
Zhan Chen ◽  
He Shang
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Soil Microbes ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Picea Asperata ◽  
Stoichiometric Traits

Understanding the variations in soil and plants with stand aging is important for improving management measures to promote the sustainable development of plantations. However, few studies have been conducted on the dynamics of stoichiometric traits and carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) pools across Picea asperata Mast plantations of different ages in subalpine regions. In the present study, we examined the stoichiometric traits and C, N, and P stocks in different components of three different aged (22-, 32-, and 42-year-old) P. asperata plantations by plot-level inventories. We hypothesized that the stoichiometric traits in mineral soil could shape the corresponding stoichiometric traits in soil microbes, tree roots and foliage, and the C, N, and P stocks of the total P. asperata plantation ecosystem would increase with increasing stand age. Our results show that the N:P ratio in mineral soil was significantly correlated with that in tree foliage and herbs. Additionally, the C:N ratio and C:P ratio in mineral soil only correlated with the corresponding stoichiometric traits in soil microbes and forest floor, respectively. Both the fractions of microbial biomass C in soil organic C and microbial biomass N in soil total N decreased with increasing stand age. The C, N, and P stocks of the total ecosystem did not continuously increase across stand development. In particular, the P stock of the total ecosystem exhibited a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. The aboveground tree biomass C accounted for more than 55% of the total ecosystem C stock regardless of stand age. In contrast, mineral soil and forest floor were the major contributors to the total ecosystem N and P stocks in all stands. This study suggested that all three different stands were N limited, and the stoichiometric homeostasis in the roots of P. asperata was more stable than that in the foliage. In addition, the soil microbial community assembly may change with increasing stand age for P. asperata plantations in the subalpine region.

scholarly journals Responses of Soil and Microbial C:N:P Stoichiometry to Vegetation Succession in a Karst Region of Southwest China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Song ◽  
Wanxia Peng ◽  
Hu Du ◽  
Qingguo Xu
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Vegetation Succession ◽  
Karst Region ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Agricultural Abandonment ◽  
Total N ◽  
C:N:P Stoichiometry ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Time Substitution

Spontaneous vegetation succession after agricultural abandonment is a general phenomenon in many areas of the world. As important indicators of nutrient status and biogeochemical cycling in ecosystems, the stoichiometry of key elements such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) in soil and microbial biomass, and their responses to vegetation recolonization and succession after agricultural abandonment remain poorly understood. Here, based on a space-for-time substitution approach, surface soil samples (0–15 cm) were collected from four vegetation types, e.g., tussock grassland, shrubland, secondary forest, and primary forest, which represent four successional stages across this region. All samples were examined C, N and P concentrations and their ratios in soil and microbial biomass. The results showed that soil organic C and total N content increased synchronously but total soil P did not remarkably change along a progressive vegetation succession. Consequently, soil C:P and N:P ratios increased while C:N ratio stayed almost unchanged during vegetation succession. Soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) and microbial biomass N (SMBN) concentrations elevated while SMBP did not significantly change during vegetation succession. Unlike the soil C:N:P stoichiometry, however, microbial C:N and C:P ratios were significantly or marginally significantly greater in grassland than in the other three successional stages, while microbial N:P did not significantly vary across the four successional stages. Overall, the present study demonstrated that soil and microbial stoichiometry responded differently to secondary vegetation succession in a karst region of subtropical China.

scholarly journals Variations in Soil Properties and CO2 Emissions of a Temperate Forest Gully Soil along a Topographical Gradient

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 226
Author(s):  
Anna Walkiewicz ◽  
Piotr Bulak ◽  
Małgorzata Brzezińska ◽  
Mohammad I. Khalil ◽  
Bruce Osborne
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Catalase Activity ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
N Concentration ◽  
Moisture Conditions

Although forest soils play an important role in the carbon cycle, the influence of topography has received little attention. Since the topographical gradient may affect CO2 emissions and C sequestration, the aims of the study were: (1) to identify the basic physicochemical and microbial parameters of the top, mid-slope, and bottom of a forest gully; (2) to carry out a quantitative assessment of CO2 emission from these soils incubated at different moisture conditions (9% and 12% v/v) and controlled temperature (25 °C); and (3) to evaluate the interdependence between the examined parameters. We analyzed the physicochemical (content of total N, organic C, pH, clay, silt, and sand) and microbial (enzymatic activity, basal respiration, and soil microbial biomass) parameters of the gully upper, mid-slope, and bottom soil. The Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method was used to measure CO2 emitted from soils. The position in the forest gully had a significant effect on all soil variables with the gully bottom having the highest pH, C, N concentration, microbial biomass, catalase activity, and CO2 emissions. The sand content decreased as follows: top > bottom > mid-slope and the upper area had significantly lower clay content. Dehydrogenase activity was the lowest in the mid-slope, probably due to the lower pH values. All samples showed higher CO2 emissions at higher moisture conditions, and this decreased as follows: bottom > top > mid-slope. There was a positive correlation between soil CO2 emissions and soil microbial biomass, pH, C, and N concentration, and a positive relationship with catalase activity, suggesting that the activity of aerobic microorganisms was the main driver of soil respiration. Whilst the general applicability of these results to other gully systems is uncertain, the identification of the slope-related movement of water and inorganic/organic materials as a significant driver of location-dependent differences in soil respiration, may result in some commonality in the changes observed across different gully systems.

scholarly journals Relative contribution of plant traits and soil properties to the functioning of a temperate forest ecosystem in the Indian Himalayas

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Rawat ◽  
Kusum Arunachalam ◽  
Ayyandar Arunachalam ◽  
Juha Alatalo ◽  
Ujjwal Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Leaf N

Plant-soil interactions are a major determinant of changes in forest ecosystem processes and functioning. We conducted a trait-based study to quantify the contribution of plant traits and soil properties to above- and below-ground ecosystem properties in temperate forest in the Indian Himalayas. Nine plant traits (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf water content, leaf dry matter content, leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), leaf C/N, and leaf N/P) and eight soil properties (pH, moisture, available N, P, potassium (K), total C, N, P) were selected for determination of their contribution to major ecosystem processes (above-ground biomass C, soil organic C, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P, and soil respiration) in temperate forest. Among the plant traits studied, leaf C, N, P, and leaf N/P ratio proved to be the main contributors to above-ground biomass, explaining 20-27% of variation. Leaf N, P, and leaf N/P were the main contributors to below-ground soil organic C, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P, and soil respiration (explaining 33% of variation). Together, the soil properties pH, available P, total N and C explained 60% of variation in above-ground biomass, while pH and total C explained 56% of variation in soil organic C. Other soil properties (available P, total C and N) also explained much of the variation in soil microbial biomass C (52%) and N (67%), while soil pH explained some of variation in soil microbial biomass N (14%). Available P, total N, and pH explained soil microbial biomass P (81%), while soil respiration was only explained by soil total C (70%). Thusleaf traits and soil characteristics make a significant contribution to explaining variations in above- and below-ground ecosystem processes and functioning in temperate forest in the Indian Himalayas. Consequently, tree species for afforestation, restoration, and commercial forestryshould be carefully selected, as they can influence the climate change mitigation potential of forest in terms of C stocks in biomass and soils.

CHANGES IN SOIL QUALITY UNDER ZERO TILLAGE FARMING SYSTEMS: DISTRIBUTION OF MICROBIAL BIOMASS AND MINERALIZABLE C AND N POTENTIALS

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. CARTER ◽  
D. A. RENNIE
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Soil Horizon ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Concentration Gradients ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N

The objectives of this study were to evaluate if zero tillage had significantly altered the distribution of certain soil properties formally developed under the shallow cultivation (conventional tillage) soil management systems used on the Canadian prairies. To this end, concentration gradients of available plant nutrients, microbial biomass and mineralizable C and N, were determined in the Ap soil horizon from four locations representing zero and conventional (shallow) tillage systems of 2-, 4-, 12- and 16-yr duration. No significant change coud be detected in total soil organic C and N between tillages systems. Concentrations of plant-available P and K were slightly increased in the surface 0- to 2-cm depth after 16 yr of zero tillage. Except for the 2-yr tillage site, concentration gradients of potential microbial biomass C and N, and potential net mineralizable C and N were significantly greater in the surface soil under zero tillage in comparison to conventional tillage. The reverse situation was observed at the lower depth. The percentage of soil organic C and N that was in the microbial biomass also reflected the above trends. Accumulation of mineral N and calculated N mineralization potentials were closely correlated to both the initial microbial biomass N and the decrease in size of the latter during mineralization. The possible relationships of tillage induced change and redistribution in potential biological activity to N availability were discussed.

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