scholarly journals Ecological Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution on Soil Microbial Community Structure and Diversity on Both Sides of a River around a Mining Area

Author(s):  
Xingqing Zhao ◽  
Jian Huang ◽  
Xuyan Zhu ◽  
Jinchun Chai ◽  
Xiaoli Ji

The objectives of this study were to understand the characteristics of heavy metal pollution caused by mining activities on the two sides of the Shun’an river and the response of soil microorganisms to the habitats by different contamination levels and vegetation. This paper selected soil samples from the banks of the Shun’an River near the Shizishan mining area, which is at the left of the river, in Tongling, Anhui Province, China. Using Illumina MiSeq 2500 technology, we analyzed the relationship between environmental factors and microbial communities. As the distance from the mining area increased, the heavy metal comprehensive pollution and potential risk value decreased. Additionally, the pollution severity and risk value of the left bank, where the mining area lies, were generally higher than those of the right bank. Because the symmetric sampling points on both banks of the river had similar planting types, their environmental factors and microbial community structure were similar and clustered. However, under different vegetation, the paddy soils tended to have a higher nutrient content and community richness and diversity than the vegetable fields or the abandoned land. It was found that soil microbial communities in this area were mostly affected by pH and Nemerow pollution index (PN). The pH significantly affected the abundance and structure of most microorganisms. In addition, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes had significant tolerance to Zn, Pb, and Cd. By exploring the potential use of these tolerant microorganisms, we seek to provide strains and the theoretical basis for the bioremediation of areas contaminated by heavy metal.

Author(s):  
Lanying Ma ◽  
Fernando Igne Rocha ◽  
Jaejin Lee ◽  
Jinlyung Choi ◽  
Mauricio Tejera ◽  
...  

Yield of the perennial grass Miscanthus × giganteus has shown an inconsistent and unpredictable response to nitrogen (N) fertilizer, yet fertilization underpins the crop’s environmental and economic sustainability. The interactions among soil microbial communities, N availability, and M. × giganteus and management may explain changes in plant productivity. In this study, soil samples from different stand ages of M. × giganteus in a replicated chronosequence field trial were used to investigate the effects of stand age and N fertilizer rates on microbial community structure. We hypothesized that there is a definable M. × giganteus soil microbiome and that this community varies significantly with stand age and fertilization. Our results showed that the main phyla in soil microbial communities, regardless of plant age, are similar but microbial community structures are significantly different. The variation in observed microbial communities generally decreases in older stand ages. The amount of N fertilizer applied also affected the microbial community structure associated with different aged M. × giganteus. Specifically, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria) and Acidobacteria (Subgroup Gp1) increased shortly after fertilization and were more associated with younger M. × giganteus. Further, our results show a significant relationship between bacterial alpha diversity and fertilization rates and that this response is also impacted by stand age. Overall, our results emphasize linkages between microbial community structure, plant age, and fertilization in M. × giganteus.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Schmidt ◽  
Xiao-Bo Wang ◽  
Paolina Garbeva ◽  
Étienne Yergeau

AbstractNitrapyrin is one of the most common nitrification inhibitors that are used to retain N in the ammonia form in soil to improve crop yields and quality. Whereas the inhibitory effect of nitrapyrin is supposedly specific to ammonia oxidizers, in view of the keystone role of this group in soils, nitrapyrin could have far-reaching impacts. Here, we tested the hypothesis that nitrapyrin leads to large shifts in soil microbial community structure, composition, diversity and functions, beyond its effect on ammonia-oxidizers. To test this hypothesis, we set-up a field experiment where wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. AC Walton) was fertilized with ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and supplemented or not with nitrapyrin. Rhizosphere and bulk soils were sampled twice, DNA was extracted, the 16S rRNA gene and ITS region were amplified and sequenced to follow shifts in archaeal, bacterial and fungal community structure, composition and diversity. To assess microbial functions, several genes involved in the nitrogen cycle were quantified by real-time qPCR and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were trapped in the rhizosphere at the moment of sampling. As expected, sampling date and plant compartment had overwhelming effects on the microbial communities. However, within these strong effects, we found statistically significant effects of nitrapyrin on the relative abundance of Thaumarchaeota, Proteobacteria, Nitrospirae and Basidiomycota, and on several genera. Nitrapyrin also significantly affected bacterial and fungal community structure, and the abundance of all the N-cycle gene tested, but always in interaction with sampling date. In contrast, nitrapyrin had no significant effect on the emission of VOCs, where only sampling date significantly influenced the profiles observed. Our results point out far-reaching effects of nitrapyrin on soil and plant associated microbial communities, well beyond its predicted direct effect on ammonia-oxidizers. In the longer term, these shifts might counteract the positive effect of nitrapyrin on crop nutrition and greenhouse gas emissions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
pp. 01010
Author(s):  
Tian-Peng Gao ◽  
Jing-Wen Fu ◽  
Ming-Bo Zuo ◽  
Yu-Bing Liu ◽  
Dang-Hui Xu ◽  
...  

Five different land use types (desert, farmland, mining park, slag heap and tailing dam) were selected as variables around the Jinchuan Cu-Ni mining area in Jinchang, Gansu Province in the present study. The Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.’s rhizosphere bacterial abundance, diversity and community composition were examined taking advantage of High-throughput sequencing technology to discuss the effect of soil physicochemical properties on soil microbial community structure. The result indicated that the phylum Proteobacteria and Firmicutes was the most dominant taxon in desert, farmland and mining park, with a high abundance more than 30%. The phylum Proteobacteria was the most dominant taxon in slag heap and tailing dam, with a high abundance more than 40%. The tailing dam had the highest bacterial Chao indexes and the farmland had the highest bacterial Observed species indexes, Shannon indexes and Simpson indexes. Observed species indexes and Shannon indexes between the five sites were significantly different. The redundancy analysis and principal component analysis showed that the main environmental factors caused the different of rhizosphere bacterial community structure in five land use types were Mg, Ca, Cu, TN and moisture, followed by Ni, Cr, K, Pb, Zn content and pH. Hence, the result indicates that land use and soil environmental factors had significant impact on the diversity of soil microbial community structure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaogen Zhou ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Qiuliang Lei

Background: In rural China, many natural water bodies and farmlands have been converted to fish farming ponds as an economic development strategy. There is still a limited understanding of how the diversity and structure of microbial communities change in natural and managed fish pond ecosystems. Objective: We aimed to identify the changes of the diversity and structure of microbial community and driving mechanism in pond ecosystems. Methods: The datasets of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and the concentrations of N and P fractions were achieved in water samplers of pond ecosystems. Bioinformatics analysis was used to analyze the diversity and structure of the microbial communities. Results: Our results indicated that the diversity and structure of the microbial communities in the natural ponds were significantly different from ones in managed fish ponds. The nutrients of N and P and water environmental factors were responsible for 46.3% and 19.5% of the changes in the structure and diversity of the microbial community, respectively. Conclusion: The N and P fractions and water environmental factors influenced the microbial community structure and diversity in pond ecosystems. Fish farming indirectly affected the microbial community by altering the contents of N and P fractions in water bodies of ponds when a natural pond was converted to a managed fish pond. Conclusion: The N and P fractions and water environmental factors influenced the microbial community structure and diversity in pond ecosystems. Fish farming indirectly affected the microbial community by altering the contents of N and P fractions in water bodies of ponds when a natural pond was converted to a managed fish pond.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1393-1418
Author(s):  
J. S. Buyer ◽  
A. Schmidt-Küntzel ◽  
M. Nghikembua ◽  
J. E. Maul ◽  
L. Marker

Abstract. Savanna ecosystems are subject to desertification and bush encroachment, which reduce the carrying capacity for wildlife and livestock. Bush thinning is a management approach that can, at least temporarily, restore grasslands and raise the grazing value of the land. In this study we examined the soil microbial communities under bush and grass in Namibia. We analyzed the soil through a chronosequence where bush was thinned at 9, 5, or 3 years before sampling. Soil microbial biomass, the biomass of specific taxonomic groups, and overall microbial community structure was determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis, while the community structure of Bacteria, Archaea, and fungi was determined by multiplex terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Soil under bush had higher pH, C, N, and microbial biomass than under grass, and the microbial community structure was also altered under bush compared to grass. A major disturbance to the ecosystem, bush thinning, resulted in an altered microbial community structure compared to control plots, but the magnitude of this perturbation gradually declined with time. Community structure was primarily driven by pH, C, and N, while vegetation type, bush thinning, and time since bush thinning were of secondary importance.


SOIL ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S. Buyer ◽  
Anne Schmidt-Küntzel ◽  
Matti Nghikembua ◽  
Jude E. Maul ◽  
Laurie Marker

Abstract. Savanna ecosystems are subject to desertification and bush encroachment, which reduce the carrying capacity for wildlife and livestock. Bush thinning is a management approach that can, at least temporarily, restore grasslands and raise the grazing value of the land. In this study we examined the soil microbial communities under bush and grass in Namibia. We analyzed the soil through a chronosequence where bush was thinned at 9, 5, or 3 years before sampling. Soil microbial biomass, the biomass of specific taxonomic groups, and overall microbial community structure was determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis, while the community structure of Bacteria, Archaea, and fungi was determined by multiplex terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Soil under bush had higher pH, C, N, and microbial biomass than under grass, and the microbial community structure was also altered under bush compared to grass. A major disturbance to the ecosystem, bush thinning, resulted in an altered microbial community structure compared to control plots, but the magnitude of this perturbation gradually declined with time. Community structure was primarily driven by pH, C, and N, while vegetation type, bush thinning, and time since bush thinning were of secondary importance.


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