scholarly journals The sensitivity of microbial processes in Icelandic soils to increasing temperatures

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 6749-6780 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Guicharnaud ◽  
O. Arnalds ◽  
G. I. Paton

Abstract. Temperature change is acknowledged to have a significance effect on soil biological processes and the corresponding sequestration of carbon and the cycling of key nutrients. Soils at high latitudes are likely to be particularly impacted by increases in temperature. In this study, the response of a range of soil microbial parameters (respiration, nutrient availability, microbial biomass carbon, arylphosphatase and dehydrogenase activity) to temperature changes was measured in sub-arctic soils collected from across Iceland. Sample sites reflected two soil temperature regimes (cryic and frigid) and two land uses (pasture and arable). The soils were sampled from the field frozen, equilibrated at −20°C and then incubated for two weeks at −10°C, −2°C, +2°C and +10°C. Respiration and enzymatic activity were temperature dependent. Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen mineralisation did not change with temperature. The main factor controlling soil respiration at −10°C was the concentration of dissolved organic carbon. At −10°C, dissolved organic carbon accounted for 88% of the fraction of labile carbon which was significantly greater than that recorded at +10°C when dissolved organic carbon accounted for as low as 42% of the labile carbon fraction. Heterotrophic microbial activity is governed by both substrate availability and the temperature and this has been described by the Q10 factor. Elevated temperatures in the short term may have little effect on the size of the microbial biomass but will have significant impacts on the release of carbon through respiration. These results demonstrate that gradual changes in temperature across large areas at higher latitudes will have considerable impacts in relation to global soil carbon dynamics.

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 671-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Guicharnaud ◽  
O. Arnalds ◽  
G. I. Paton

Abstract. Temperature change is acknowledged to have a significant effect on soil biological processes and the corresponding sequestration of carbon and cycling of nutrients. Soils at high latitudes are likely to be particularly impacted by increases in temperature. Icelandic soils experience unusually frequent freeze and thaw cycles compare to other Arctic regions, which are increasing due to a warming climate. As a consequence these soils are frequently affected by short term temperature fluctuations. In this study, the short term response of a range of soil microbial parameters (respiration, nutrient availability, microbial biomass carbon, arylphosphatase and dehydrogenase activity) to temperature changes was measured in sub-arctic soils collected from across Iceland. Sample sites reflected two soil temperature regimes (cryic and frigid) and two land uses (pasture and arable). The soils were sampled from the field frozen, equilibrated at −20 °C and then incubated for two weeks at −10 °C, −2 °C, +2 °C and +10 °. Respiration and enzymatic activity were temperature dependent. The soil temperature regime affected the soil microbial biomass carbon sensitivity to temperatures. When soils where sampled from the cryic temperature regime a decreasing soil microbial biomass was detected when temperatures rose above the freezing point. Frigid soils, sampled from milder climatic conditions, where unaffected by difference in temperatures. Nitrogen mineralisation did not change with temperature. At −10 °C, dissolved organic carbon accounted for 88% of the fraction of labile carbon which was significantly greater than that recorded at +10 °C when dissolved organic carbon accounted for as low as 42% of the labile carbon fraction.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiwei Ge ◽  
Shuiyuan Fang ◽  
Han Chen ◽  
Rongwei Zhu ◽  
Sili Peng ◽  
...  

Soil resident water-stable macroaggregates (diameter (Ø) > 0.25 mm) play a critical role in organic carbon conservation and fertility. However, limited studies have investigated the direct effects of stand development on soil aggregation and its associated mechanisms. Here, we examined the dynamics of soil organic carbon, water-stable macroaggregates, litterfall production, fine-root (Ø < 1 mm) biomass, and soil microbial biomass carbon with stand development in poplar plantations (Populus deltoides L. ‘35’) in Eastern Coastal China, using an age sequence (i.e., five, nine, and 16 years since plantation establishment). We found that the quantity of water-stable macroaggregates and organic carbon content in topsoil (0–10 cm depth) increased significantly with stand age. With increasing stand age, annual aboveground litterfall production did not differ, while fine-root biomass sampled in June, August, and October increased. Further, microbial biomass carbon in the soil increased in June but decreased when sampled in October. Ridge regression analysis revealed that the weighted percentage of small (0.25 mm ≤ Ø < 2 mm) increased with soil microbial biomass carbon, while that of large aggregates (Ø ≥ 2 mm) increased with fine-root biomass as well as microbial biomass carbon. Our results reveal that soil microbial biomass carbon plays a critical role in the formation of both small and large aggregates, while fine roots enhance the formation of large aggregates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 96-101
Author(s):  
Dil Kumar Limbu ◽  
Madan Koirala

The soil microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon ratio is a useful measure to monitor soil organic matter and serves as a sensitive index than soil organic carbon alone. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify and quantify the present status of ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon in Himalayan rangeland and to make recommendations for enhancing balance between microbial carbon and organic carbon of the soil. To meet the aforementioned objective, a field study was conducted from 2011 to 2013 following the Walkley-Black, Chromic acid wet oxidation method, and chloroform fumigation method for analysis of microbial carbon and organic carbon respectively. The study showed that the heavily grazed plot had significantly less value of ratio than occasionally grazed and ungrazed plots. The ratio was significantly high on legume seeding plot compared to nonlegume plot, but the ratio was independent of soil depth. Soil microbial biomass appeared to be more responsive than soil organic matter.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chowlani Manpoong ◽  
S.K. Tripathi

Changes in land use and improper soil management have led to severe land degradation around the globe through the modification in soil physicochemical and biological processes. This study aimed to assess the soil properties of different land use system types. Soil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected from five land uses; Rubber Plantation (RP), Oil Palm Plantation (OPP), Bamboo Forest (BF), Fallow Land (FL) and Natural Forest (NF) and analyzed for bulk density, soil texture, soil pH, soil moisture, soil carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, soil microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration. Soil pH was lower than 4.9 in all the sites indicating that the surface soil was highly acidic. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) values ranged from 2.02% to 2.81% and 0.22% to 0.3% respectively. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and soil microbial biomass (SMBC) were highly affected by soil moisture. NH4+-N and NO3--N ranged from 5.6 mg kg-1 to 10.2 mg kg-1 and 1.15 mg kg-1 to 2.81 mg kg-1 respectively. NF soils showed the maximum soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) whereas the minimum was observed in BF with values ranging from 340 mg kg-1 to 345 mg kg-1. Basal respiration was highest in RP (375 mg CO2 m-2 hr-1) and lowest in BF (224 mg CO2 m-2 hr-1). The findings demonstrated significant effect (p<0.05) of land use change on soil nutrient status and organic matter. Findings also indicated that land use change deteriorated native soil physicochemical and biological properties, but that land restoration practices through longer fallow period (>10 years) likely are successful in promoting the recovery of some soil characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Wang ◽  
Xuexin Wang ◽  
Peng Geng ◽  
Qian Yang ◽  
Kun Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract In view of the problems of low straw decomposition rates and reduced soil fertility in southern Liaoning, China. Using nylon mesh bags method, the decomposition rules of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in straw and straws and the dynamic changes of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contents were analyzed after 15, 35, 55, 75, 95, 145 and 365 days of returning. At 365 days after return to the field, rotating tillage + straw decomposing agent(refer to decomposer)(RT+S) was the most favorable for straw decomposition and its components, straw decomposition proportion reached 73.25%, and the decomposition proportion of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose were the highest, being 35.49%, 84.23% and 85.50%, respectively. DOC content in RT+S treatment was higher than in other treatments at each stage, SOC content reached 18.02 g· kg-1 at 145d, which was higher than other treatments. The improvement effect of deep turning + deep rotary tillage + straw decomposing agent (PT+S) treatment on microbial biomass carbon (MBC) was the best, followed by RT+S treatment. Our results suggest that the straw and its organic components decomposition proportion could be increased by adding straw decomposing agent, the straw decomposition proportion and the SOC content of various forms were significantly increased with the RT+S treatment.


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