scholarly journals Precipitation Changes Regulate Plant and Soil Microbial Biomass Via Plasticity in Plant Biomass Allocation in Grasslands: A Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunhui Zhang ◽  
Nianxun Xi

In theory, changes in the amount of rainfall can change plant biomass allocation and subsequently influence coupled plant-soil microbial processes. However, testing patterns of combined responses of plants and soils remains a knowledge gap for terrestrial ecosystems. We carried out a comprehensive review of the available literature and conducted a meta-analysis to explore combined plant and soil microbial responses in grasslands exposed to experimental precipitation changes. We measured the effects of experimental precipitation changes on plant biomass, biomass allocation, and soil microbial biomass and tested for trade-offs between plant and soil responses to altered precipitation. We found that aboveground and belowground plant biomass responded asynchronically to precipitation changes, thereby leading to shifts in plant biomass allocation. Belowground plant biomass did not change under precipitation changes, but aboveground plant biomass decreased in precipitation reduction and increased in precipitation addition. There was a trade-off between responses of aboveground plant biomass and belowground plant biomass to precipitation reduction, but correlation wasn't found for precipitation addition. Microbial biomass carbon (C) did not change under the treatments of precipitation reduction. Increased root allocation may buffer drought stress for soil microbes through root exudations and neutralize microbial responses to precipitation reduction. However, precipitation addition increased microbial biomass C, potentially reflecting the removal of water limitation for soil microbial growth. We found that there were positive correlations between responses of aboveground plant biomass and microbial biomass C to precipitation addition, indicating that increased shoot growth probably promoted microbial responses via litter inputs. In sum, our study suggested that aboveground, belowground plant biomass and soil microbial biomass can respond asynchronically to precipitation changes, and emphasizes that testing the plant-soil system as a whole is necessary for forecasting the effects of precipitation changes on grassland systems.

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Rochette ◽  
E. G. Gregorich

Application of manure and fertilizer affects the rate and extent of mineralization and sequestration of C in soil. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 3 yr of application of N fertilizer and different manure amendments on CO2 evolution and the dynamics of soil microbial biomass and soluble C in the field. Soil respiration, soluble organic C and microbial biomass C were measured at intervals over the growing season in maize soils amended with stockpiled or rotted manure, N fertilizer (200 kg N ha−1) and with no amendments (control). Manure amendments increased soil respiration and levels of soluble organic C and microbial biomass C by a factor of 2 to 3 compared with the control, whereas the N fertilizer had little effect on any parameter. Soil temperature explained most of the variations in CO2 flux (78 to 95%) in each treatment, but data from all treatments could not be fitted to a unique relationship. Increases in CO2 emission and soluble C resulting from manure amendments were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.75) with soil temperature. This observation confirms that soluble C is an active C pool affected by biological activity. The positive correlation between soluble organic C and soil temperature also suggests that production of soluble C increases more than mineralization of soluble C as temperature increases. The total manure-derived CO2-C was equivalent to 52% of the applied stockpiled-manure C and 67% of the applied rotted-manure C. Estimates of average turnover rates of microbial biomass ranged between 0.72 and 1.22 yr−1 and were lowest in manured soils. Manured soils also had large quantities of soluble C with a slower turnover rate than that in either fertilized or unamended soils. Key words: Soil respiration, greenhouse gas, soil carbon


2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 345-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Mühlbachová ◽  
P. Tlustoš

The effects of liming by CaO and CaCO<sub>3</sub> on soil microbial characteristics were studied during laboratory incubation of long-term contaminated arable and grassland soils from the vicinity of lead smelter near Př&iacute;bram (Czech Republic). The CaO treatment showed significant negative effects on soil microbial biomass C and its respiratory activity in both studied soils, despite the fact that microbial biomass C in the grassland soil increased sharply during the first day of incubation. The metabolic quotient (qCO<sub>2</sub>) in soils amended by CaO showed greater values than the control from the second day of incubation, indicating a possible stress of soil microbial pool. The vulnerability of organic matter to CaO could be indicated by the availability of K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-extractable carbon that increased sharply, particularly at the beginning of the experiment. The amendment of soils by CaCO<sub>3 </sub>moderately increased the soil microbial biomass. The respiratory activity and qCO<sub>2</sub> increased sharply during the first day of incubation, however it is not possible to ascribe them only to microbial activities, but also to CaCO<sub>3</sub> decomposition in hydrogen carbonates, water and CO<sub>2</sub>. The pH values increased more sharply under CaO treatment in comparison to CaCO<sub>3</sub> treatment. The improvement of soil pH by CaCO<sub>3</sub> could be therefore more convenient for soil microbial communities.


2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 113-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.R. Barbhuiya ◽  
A. Arunachalam ◽  
H.N. Pandey ◽  
K. Arunachalam ◽  
M.L. Khan ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (18) ◽  
pp. 5615-5622 ◽  
Author(s):  
赵彤 ZHAO Tong ◽  
闫浩 YAN Hao ◽  
蒋跃利 JIANG Yueli ◽  
黄懿梅 HUANG Yimei ◽  
安韶山 AN Shaoshan

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
张静 ZHANG Jing ◽  
马玲 MA Ling ◽  
丁新华 DING Xinhua ◽  
陈旭日 CHEN Xuri ◽  
马伟 MA Wei

2014 ◽  
Vol 1073-1076 ◽  
pp. 638-642
Author(s):  
Hai Ying Guan ◽  
Xin Zhao

In this study, we measured soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) under four different land cover types (canopy, litter, lichen and bare soil) to determine the effects of aridity and salinization on SMBC of a typical desert ecosystem. Results showed that higher SMBC with lower soil salt content and higher soil moisture were found in general if with vegetation, and the SMBC under canopy was especially higher than any other land cover types, which was near double of that of bare soil (115.34μg C g-1 soil vs. 61.88μg C g-1 soil). Linear regression analysis indicated that soil SMBC were positively correlated (p<0.01,r =0.899) with soil moisture but negatively correlated (r =-0.784, p<0.01) with soil salt content. These relationships may represent an evolutionary process, aiding in the conservation of essential vegetation in a fragile desert ecosystem.


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