Soil organic carbon loss decreases biodiversity but stimulates multitrophic interactions that promote belowground metabolism.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an essential role in mediating community structure and metabolic activities of belowground biota. Unraveling the evolution of belowground communities and their feedback mechanisms on SOC dynamics helps embed the ecology of soil microbiome into carbon cycling, which serves to improve biodiversity conservation and carbon management strategy under global change. Here, croplands with a SOC gradient were used to understand how belowground metabolisms and SOC decomposition were linked to the diversity, composition, and co-occurrence networks of belowground communities encompassing archaea, bacteria, fungi, protists, and invertebrates. As SOC decreased, the diversity of prokaryotes and eukaryotes also decreased, but their network complexity showed contrasting patterns: prokaryotes increased due to intensified niche overlap, while that of eukaryotes decreased possibly because of greater dispersal limitation owing to the breakdown of macroaggregates. Despite the decrease in biodiversity and SOC stocks, the belowground metabolic capacity was enhanced as indicated by increased enzyme activity and decreased enzymatic stoichiometric imbalance. This could, in turn, expedite carbon loss through respiration, particularly in the slow-cycling pool. The enhanced belowground metabolic capacity was dominantly driven by greater multitrophic network complexity and particularly negative (competitive and predator-prey) associations, which fostered the stability of the belowground metacommunity. Interestingly, soil abiotic conditions including pH, aeration, and nutrient stocks, exhibited a less significant role. Overall, this study reveals a greater need for soil C resources across multitrophic levels to maintain metabolic functionality as declining SOC results in biodiversity loss. Our researchers highlight the importance of integrating belowground biological processes into models of SOC turnover, to improve agroecosystem functioning and carbon management in face of intensifying anthropogenic land-use and climate change.

Attenuation of Methane Oxidation by Nitrogen Availability in Arctic Tundra Soils.

CH4 emission in the Arctic has large uncertainty due to the lack of mechanistic understanding of the processes. CH4 oxidation in Arctic soil plays a critical role in the process, whereby removal of up to 90% of CH4 produced in soils by methanotrophs can occur before it reaches the atmosphere. Previous studies have reported on the importance of rising temperatures in CH4 oxidation, but because the Arctic is typically an N-limited system, fewer studies on the effects of inorganic nitrogen (N) have been reported. However, climate change and an increase of available N caused by anthropogenic activities have recently been reported, which may cause a drastic change in CH4 oxidation in Arctic soils. In this study, we demonstrate that excessive levels of available N in soil cause an increase in net CH4 emissions via the reduction of CH4 oxidation in surface soil in the Arctic tundra. In vitro experiments suggested that N in the form of NO3- is responsible for the decrease in CH4 oxidation via influencing soil bacterial and methanotrophic communities. The findings of our meta-analysis suggest that CH4 oxidation in the boreal biome is more susceptible to the addition of N than in other biomes. We provide evidence that CH4 emissions in Arctic tundra can be enhanced by an increase of available N, with profound implications for modeling CH4 dynamics in Arctic regions.

Oxygen availability regulates the quality of soil dissolved organic matter by mediating microbial metabolism and iron oxidation.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a vital role in biogeochemical processes and in determining the responses of soil organic matter (SOM) to global change. Although the quantity of soil DOM has been inventoried across diverse spatio-temporal scales, the underlying mechanisms accounting for variability in DOM dynamics remain unclear especially in upland ecosystems. Here, a gradient of SOM storage across 12 croplands in northeast China was used to understand links between DOM dynamics, microbial metabolism, and abiotic conditions. We assessed the composition, biodegradability, and key biodegradable components of DOM. In addition, SOM and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) composition, soil enzyme activities, oxygen availability, soil texture, and iron (Fe), Fe-bound organic matter, and nutrient concentrations were quantified to clarify the drivers of DOM quality (composition and biodegradability). The proportion of biodegradable DOM increased exponentially with decreasing initial DOM concentration due to larger fractions of depolymerized DOM that was rich in small-molecular phenols and proteinaceous components. Unexpectedly, the composition of DOM was decoupled from that of SOM or MAOM, but significantly related to enzymatic properties. These results indicate that microbial metabolism exhibited a dominant role in DOM generation. As DOM concentration declined, increased soil oxygen availability regulated DOM composition and enhanced its biodegradability mainly through mediating microbial metabolism and Fe oxidation. The oxygen-induced oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) removed complex DOM compounds with large molecular weight. Moreover, increased oxygen availability stimulated oxidase-catalyzed depolymerization of aromatic substances, and promoted production of protein-like DOM components due to lower enzymatic C/N acquisition ratio. As global changes in temperature and moisture will have large impacts on soil oxygen availability, the role of oxygen in regulating DOM dynamics highlights the importance of integrating soil oxygen supply with microbial metabolism and Fe redox status to improve model predictions of soil carbon under climate change.

Non-native plant invasion can accelerate global climate change by increasing wetland methane and terrestrial nitrous oxide emissions.

Approximately 17% of the land worldwide is considered highly vulnerable to non-native plant invasion, which can dramatically alter nutrient cycles and influence greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems. However, a systematic investigation of the impact of non-native plant invasion on GHG dynamics at a global scale has not yet been conducted, making it impossible to predict the exact biological feedback of non-native plant invasion to global climate change. Here, we compiled 273 paired observational cases from 94 peer-reviewed articles to evaluate the effects of plant invasion on GHG emissions and to identify the associated key drivers. Non-native plant invasion significantly increased methane (CH4 ) emissions from 129 kg CH4 ha-1  year-1 in natural wetlands to 217 kg CH4 ha-1  year-1 in invaded wetlands. Plant invasion showed a significant tendency to increase CH4 uptakes from 2.95 to 3.64 kg CH4 ha-1  year-1 in terrestrial ecosystems. Invasive plant species also significantly increased nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions in grasslands from an average of 0.76 kg N2 O ha-1  year-1 in native sites to 1.35 kg N2 O ha-1  year-1 but did not affect N2 O emissions in forests or wetlands. Soil organic carbon, mean annual air temperature (MAT), and nitrogenous deposition (N_DEP) were the key factors responsible for the changes in wetland CH4 emissions due to plant invasion. The responses of terrestrial CH4 uptake rates to plant invasion were mainly driven by MAT, soil NH4 + , and soil moisture. Soil NO3 - , mean annual precipitation, and N_DEP affected terrestrial N2 O emissions in response to plant invasion. Our meta-analysis not only sheds light on the stimulatory effects of plant invasion on GHG emissions from wetland and terrestrial ecosystems but also improves our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the responses of GHG emissions to plant invasion.

Nitrosospira Cluster 8a Plays a Predominant Role in the Nitrification Process of a Subtropical Ultisol under Long-Term Inorganic and Organic Fertilization.

Long-term effects of inorganic and organic fertilization on nitrification activity (NA) and the abundances and community structures of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) were investigated in an acidic Ultisol. Seven treatments applied annually for 27 years comprised no fertilization (control), inorganic NPK fertilizer (N), inorganic NPK fertilizer plus lime (CaCO3) (NL), inorganic NPK fertilizer plus peanut straw (NPS), inorganic NPK fertilizer plus rice straw (NRS), inorganic NPK fertilizer plus radish (NR), and inorganic NPK fertilizer plus pig manure (NPM). In nonfertilized soil, the abundance of AOA was 1 order of magnitude higher than that of AOB. Fertilization reduced the abundance of AOA but increased that of AOB, especially in the NL treatment. The AOA communities in the control and the N treatments were dominated by the Nitrososphaera and B1 clades but shifted to clade A in the NL and NPM treatments. Nitrosospira cluster 8a was found to be the most dominant AOB in all treatments. NA was primarily regulated by soil properties, especially soil pH, and the interaction with AOB abundance explained up to 73% of the variance in NA. When NL soils with neutral pH were excluded from the analysis, AOB abundance, especially the relative abundance of Nitrosospira cluster 8a, was positively associated with NA. In contrast, there was no association between AOA abundance and NA. Overall, our data suggest that Nitrosospira cluster 8a of AOB played an important role in the nitrification process in acidic soil following long-term inorganic and organic fertilization.IMPORTANCE The nitrification process is an important step in the nitrogen (N) cycle, affecting N availability and N losses to the wider environment. Ammonia oxidation, which is the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, was widely accepted to be mainly regulated by AOA in acidic soils. However, in this study, nitrification activity was correlated with the abundance of AOB rather than that of AOA in acidic Ultisols. Nitrosospira cluster 8a, a phylotype of AOB which preferred warm temperatures, and low soil pH played a predominant role in the nitrification process in the test Ultisols. Our results also showed that long-term application of lime or pig manure rather than plant residues altered the community structure of AOA and AOB. Taken together, our findings contribute new knowledge to the understanding of the nitrification process and ammonia oxidizers in subtropical acidic Ultisol under long-term inorganic and organic fertilization.

Impacts of Phragmites australis Invasion on Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Abundance of Tidal Marshes.

The rapid expansion of Phragmites australis in brackish marshes of the East Coast of the USA has drawn much attention, because it may change vegetation diversity and ecosystem functions. In particular, higher primary production of Phragmites than that of other native species such as Spartina patens and Schoenoplectus americanus has been noted, suggesting possible changes in carbon storage potential in salt marshes. To better understand the long-term effect of the invasion of Phragmites on carbon storage, however, information on decomposition rates of soil organic matter is essential. To address this issue, we compared microbial enzyme activities and microbial functional gene abundances (fungi, laccase, denitrifier, and methanogens) in three depths of soils with three different plants in a brackish marsh in Maryland, USA. Laccase and phenol oxidase activities were measured to assess the decomposition potential of recalcitrant carbon while ß-glucosidase activity was determined as proxy for cellulose decomposition rate. Microbial activities near the surface (0-15 cm) were the highest in Spartina-community sites followed by Phragmites- and Schoenoplectus-community sites. A comparison of stable isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ15N) of soils and plant leaves suggests that deep organic carbon in the soils mainly originated from Spartina, and only the surface soils may have been influenced by Phragmites litter. In contrast, fungal, laccase, and denitrifier abundances determined by real-time qPCR exhibited no discernible patterns among the surface soils of the three vegetation types. However, the abundance of methanogens was higher in the deep Phragmites-community soil. Therefore, Phragmites invasion will accelerate CH4 emission by greater CH4 production in deep soils with abundant methanogens, although enzymatic mechanisms revealed the potential for larger C accumulation by Phragmites invasion in salt marshes in the east coast of the USA.

Extreme rainfall and snowfall alter responses of soil respiration to nitrogen fertilization: a 3-year field experiment.

Extreme precipitation is predicted to be more frequent and intense accompanying global warming and may have profound impacts on soil respiration (Rs) and its components, that is, autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic (Rh) respiration. However, how natural extreme rainfall or snowfall events affect these fluxes are still lacking, especially under nitrogen (N) fertilization. In this study, extreme rainfall and snowfall events occurred during a 3-year field experiment, allowing us to examine their effects on the response of Rs, Rh, and Ra to N supply. In normal rainfall years of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, N fertilization significantly stimulated Rs by 23.9% and 10.9%, respectively. This stimulation was mainly due to the increase of Ra because of N-induced increase in plant biomass. In the record wet year of 2013/2014, however, Rs was independent on N supply because of the inhibition effect of the extreme rainfall event. Compared with those in other years, Rh and Ra were reduced by 36.8% and 59.1%, respectively, which were likely related to the anoxic stress on soil microbes and decreased photosynthates supply. Although N supply did not affect annual Rh, the response ratio (RR) of Rh flux to N fertilization decreased firstly during growing season, increased in nongrowing season and peaked during spring thaw in each year. Nongrowing season Rs and Rh contributed 5.5-16.4% to their annual fluxes and were higher in 2012/2013 than other years due to the extreme snowfall inducing higher soil moisture during spring thaw. The RR of nongrowing season Rs and Rh decreased in years with extreme snowfall or rainfall compared to those in normal years. Overall, our results highlight the significant effects of extreme precipitation on responses of Rs and its components to N fertilization, which should be incorporated into models to improve the prediction of carbon-climate feedbacks.

Exotic Spartina alterniflora invasion alters ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CH4 and N2O and carbon sequestration in a coastal salt marsh in China.

Coastal salt marshes are sensitive to global climate change and may play an important role in mitigating global warming. To evaluate the impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on global warming potential (GWP) in Chinese coastal areas, we measured CH4 and N2O fluxes and soil organic carbon sequestration rates along a transect of coastal wetlands in Jiangsu province, China, including open water; bare tidal flat; and invasive S. alterniflora, native Suaeda salsa, and Phragmites australis marshes. Annual CH4 emissions were estimated as 2.81, 4.16, 4.88, 10.79, and 16.98 kg CH4 ha(-1) for open water, bare tidal flat, and P. australis, S. salsa, and S. alterniflora marshes, respectively, indicating that S. alterniflora invasion increased CH4 emissions by 57-505%. In contrast, negative N2O fluxes were found to be significantly and negatively correlated (P < 0.001) with net ecosystem CO2 exchange during the growing season in S. alterniflora and P. australis marshes. Annual N2O emissions were 0.24, 0.38, and 0.56 kg N2O ha(-1) in open water, bare tidal flat and S. salsa marsh, respectively, compared with -0.51 kg N2O ha(-1) for S. alterniflora marsh and -0.25 kg N2O ha(-1) for P. australis marsh. The carbon sequestration rate of S. alterniflora marsh amounted to 3.16 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) in the top 100 cm soil profile, a value that was 2.63- to 8.78-fold higher than in native plant marshes. The estimated GWP was 1.78, -0.60, -4.09, and -1.14 Mg CO2 eq ha(-1) yr(-1) in open water, bare tidal flat, P. australis marsh and S. salsa marsh, respectively, but dropped to -11.30 Mg CO2 eq ha(-1) yr(-1) in S. alterniflora marsh. Our results indicate that although S. alterniflora invasion stimulates CH4 emissions, it can efficiently mitigate increases in atmospheric CO2 and N2O along the coast of China.

Substrate sources regulate spatial variation of metabolically active methanogens from two contrasting freshwater wetlands.

There is ample evidence that methane (CH4) emissions from natural wetlands exhibit large spatial variations at a field scale. However, little is known about the metabolically active methanogens mediating these differences. We explored the spatial patterns in active methanogens of summer inundated Calamagrostis angustifolia marsh with low CH4 emissions and permanently inundated Carex lasiocarpa marsh with high CH4 emissions in Sanjiang Plain, China. In C. angustifolia marsh, the addition of (13)C-acetate significantly increased the CH4 production rate, and Methanosarcinaceae methanogens were found to participate in the consumption of acetate. In C. lasiocarpa marsh, there was no apparent increase in the CH4 production rate and no methanogen species were labeled with (13)C. When (13)CO2-H2 was added, however, CH4 production was found to be due to Fen Cluster (Methanomicrobiales) in C. angustifolia marsh and Methanobacterium Cluster B (Methanobacteriaceae) together with Fen Cluster in C. lasiocarpa marsh. These results suggested that CH4 was produced primarily by hydrogenotrophic methanogens using substrates mainly derived from plant litter in C. lasiocarpa marsh and by both hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogens using substrates mainly derived from root exudate in C. angustifolia marsh. The significantly lower CH4 emissions measured in situ in C. angustifolia marsh was primarily due to a deficiency of substrates compared to C. lasiocarpa marsh. Therefore, we speculate that the substrate source regulates both the type of active methanogens and the CH4 production pathway and consequently contributes to the spatial variations in CH4 productions observed in these freshwater marshes.

Methane production potential and methanogenic archaea community dynamics along the Spartina alterniflora invasion chronosequence in a coastal salt marsh.

Invasion by the exotic species Spartina alterniflora, which has high net primary productivity and superior reproductive capacity compared with native plants, has led to rapid organic carbon accumulation and increased methane (CH4) emission in the coastal salt marsh of China. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this effect, the methanogen community structure and CH4 production potential as well as soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic acids, methylated amines, aboveground biomass, and litter mass were measured during the invasion chronosequence (0-16 years). The CH4 production potential in the S. alterniflora marsh (range, 2.94-3.95 µg kg(-1) day(-1)) was significantly higher than that in the bare tidal mudflat. CH4 production potential correlated significantly with SOC, acetate, and trimethylamine concentrations in the 0-20 cm soil layer. The abundance of methanogenic archaea also correlated significantly with SOC, and the dominant species clearly varied with S. alterniflora-driven SOC accumulation. The acetotrophic Methanosaetaceae family members comprised a substantial proportion of the methanogenic archaea in the bare tidal mudflat while Methanosarcinaceae family members utilized methylated amines as substrates in the S. alterniflora marsh. Ordination analysis indicated that trimethylamine concentration was the primary factor inducing the shift in the methanogenic archaea composition, and regressive analysis indicated that the facultative family Methanosarcinaceae increased linearly with trimethylamine concentration in the increasingly sulfate-rich salt marsh. Our results indicate that increased CH4 production during the S. alterniflora invasion chronosequence was due to increased levels of the non-competitive substrate trimethylamine and a shift in the methanogenic archaea community.

Substrate and/or substrate-driven changes in the abundance of methanogenic archaea cause seasonal variation of methane production potential in species-specific freshwater wetlands.

There are large temporal and spatial variations of methane (CH4) emissions from natural wetlands. To understand temporal changes of CH4 production potential (MPP), soil samples were collected from a permanently inundated Carex lasiocarpa marsh and a summer inundated Calamagrostis angustifolia marsh over the period from June to October of 2011. MPP, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, abundance and community structure of methanogenic archaea were assessed. In the C. lasiocarpa marsh, DOC concentration, MPP and the methanogen population showed similar seasonal variations and maximal values in September. MPP and DOC in the C. angustifolia marsh exhibited seasonal variations and values peaked during August, while the methanogen population decreased with plant growth. Methanogen abundance correlated significantly (P = 0.02) with DOC only for the C. lasiocarpa marsh. During the sampling period, the dominant methanogens were the Methanosaetaceae and Zoige cluster I (ZC-Ι) in the C. angustifolia marsh, and Methanomicrobiales and ZC-Ι in the C. lasiocarpa marsh. MPP correlated significantly (P = 0.04) with DOC and methanogen population in the C. lasiocarpa marsh but only with DOC in the C. angustifolia marsh. Addition of C. lasiocarpa litter enhanced MPP more effectively than addition of C. angustifolia litter, indicating that temporal variation of substrates is controlled by litter deposition in the C. lasiocarpa marsh while living plant matter is more important in the C. angustifolia marsh. This study indicated that there was no apparent shift in the dominant types of methanogen during the growth season in the species-specific freshwater wetlands. Temporal variation of MPP is controlled by substrates and substrate-driven changes in the abundance of methanogenic archaea in the C. lasiocarpa marsh, while MPP depends only on substrate availability derived from root exudates or soil organic matter in the C. angustifolia marsh.

Optimizing application of dairy effluent with synthetic N fertilizer reduced nitrogen leaching in clay loam soil.

High application rates of dairy effluent and manure are often associated with nitrogen (N) leaching, which can affect groundwater quality. Here, we used a lysimeter to examine N leaching losses and biomass yield following application of dairy effluent and manure under wheat-maize cropping. The field experiment included seven treatments: no N fertilizer (Control); 200/300 kg N ha-1 synthetic N fertilizer only (wheat/maize) (CN); 100/150 kg N ha-1 synthetic N fertilizer plus 100/150 (DE1), 150/200 (DE2) and 250/350 (DE3) kg N ha-1 dairy effluent; 100/150 kg N ha-1 synthetic fertilizer plus 100/150 kg N ha-1 dairy manure (SM1); and 150/225 kg N ha-1 synthetic fertilizer plus 50/75 kg N ha-1 dairy manure (SM2). Compared with CN, DE1 treatment increased maize yield by 10.0 %, wheat N use efficiency (NUE) by 26.5 %, and wheat and maize N uptake by 7.7-16.3 %, while reduced N leaching by 22.4 % in wheat season and by 40.4 % in the maize season. In contrast, DE2 and DE3 treatment increased N leaching by 27.2-241 % and reduced NUE by 26.2-55.2 %. SM2 treatment increased yield and NUE by 8.8 % and 7.8 %, respectively, and reduced N leaching by 42.9 % during the wheat but not the maize season. Annual N leaching losses were 37.6 kg N ha-1 under CN treatment, but decreased to 27.4 kg N ha-1 under DE1. In contrast, N leaching increased to 52.8 and 84.1 kg N ha-1 under DE2 and DE3 treatment, respectively (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, under SM1 and SM2 treatment, N leaching decreased by 71.2 % and 32.0 %, respectively, compared with CN. These results suggest that replacing 50 % and 25 % synthetic N fertilizer with dairy farm effluent and manure could reduce N leaching losses but had varied effects on crop productivity under wheat-maize cropping.

Meta-analysis shows the impacts of ecological restoration on greenhouse gas emissions.

International initiatives set ambitious targets for ecological restoration, which is considered a promising greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to quantify the impacts of ecological restoration on greenhouse gas emissions using a dataset compiled from 253 articles. Our findings reveal that forest and grassland restoration increase CH4 uptake by 90.0% and 30.8%, respectively, mainly due to changes in soil properties. Conversely, wetland restoration increases CH4 emissions by 544.4%, primarily attributable to elevated water table depth. Forest and grassland restoration have no significant effect on N2O emissions, while wetland restoration reduces N2O emissions by 68.6%. Wetland restoration enhances net CO2 uptake, and the transition from net CO2 sources to net sinks takes approximately 4 years following restoration. The net ecosystem CO2 exchange of the restored forests decreases with restoration age, and the transition from net CO2 sources to net sinks takes about 3-5 years for afforestation and reforestation sites, and 6-13 years for clear-cutting and post-fire sites. Overall, forest, grassland and wetland restoration decrease the global warming potentials by 327.7%, 157.7% and 62.0% compared with their paired control ecosystems, respectively. Our findings suggest that afforestation, reforestation, rewetting drained wetlands, and restoring degraded grasslands through grazing exclusion, reducing grazing intensity, or converting croplands to grasslands can effectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Different organic composts application in dryland Mollisol:Residual effect and soil CO2 emission.

Organic compost application plays an important role in improving the fertility of Mollisol. However, the effects of different organic composts on carbon sequestration varies greatly and its internal mechanism are unclear. We conducted a field experiment to explore the residual proportion of different organic composts and their effects on carbon emissions in dryland Mollisol in Northeast China. There were a total of seven treatments, including chemical fertilizer control (SNF), organic composts from cattle excreta (CRH), sheep excreta (SHP), chicken excreta (CKN), residue after corn starch production (BCS), residue with crop straws (HRS) and mushroom residue (WMC). We monitored annual soil CO2 flux by static chamber method, as well as the changes of environmental factors and soil dissolved carbon and nitrogen. The regulatory mechanism of organic component characteristics on carbon residual porprotion of organic composts were examined by neural network analysis. The results showed that compared with the SNF treatment, soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and extractable organic nitrogen increased by 26.3%-103.5% and 21.4%-150.0%, respectively. The aromaticity of soil DOC was significantly reduced. Heterotrophic respiration flux was mainly affected by soil temperature and DOC content, while its temperature sensitivity was significantly reduced in the CKN treatment. Annual accumulation of heterotrophic respiration increased from 203 g·C·m-2 of the control to 234-334 g·C·m-2 under treatments with organic composts applications, with the CKN and HRS treatments showing the strongest impact. The annual carbon residual proportion of different organic composts in Mollisol was in an order of CRH (91.2%)> WMC (82.9%)> BCS (82.6%)> SHP (78.1%)> CKN (70.2%)> HRS (69.3%). Hemicellulose content and C/N of organic composts were the key factors, which explained 58.8% and 32.9% of the total variations of carbon residual proportion. Organic compost from cattle excreta had higher residual proportion due to lower C/N, hemicellulose content and soluble polyphenol content, and thus did not significantly affect Mollisol heterotrophic respiration. Therefore, the application of organic compost from cattle excreta was more efficient to improve organic carbon in dryland Mollisol.

Nitrification inhibitor chlorate and nitrogen substrates differentially affect comammox Nitrospira in a grassland soil.

Introduction: Through the combined use of two nitrification inhibitors, Dicyandiamide (DCD) and chlorate with nitrogen amendment, this study aimed to investigate the contribution of comammox Nitrospira clade B, ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) to nitrification in a high fertility grassland soil, in a 90-day incubation study. Methods: The soil was treated with nitrogen (N) at three levels: 0 mg-N kg-1 soil, 50 mg-N kg-1 soil, and 700 mg-N kg-1 soil, with or without the two nitrification inhibitors. The abundance of comammox Nitrospira, AOA, AOB, and nitrite oxidising bacteria (NOB) was measured using qPCR. The comammox Nitrospira community structure was assessed using Illumina sequencing. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the application of chlorate inhibited the oxidation of both NH4+ and NO2- in all three nitrogen treatments. The application of chlorate significantly reduced the abundance of comammox Nitrospira amoA and nxrB genes across the 90-day experimental period. Chlorate also had a significant effect on the beta diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) of the comammox Nitrospira clade B community. Whilst AOB grew in response to the N substrate additions and were inhibited by both inhibitors, AOA showed litle or no response to either the N substrate or inhibitor treatments. In contrast, comammox Nitrospira clade B were inhibited by the high ammonium concentrations released from the urine substrates. These results demonstrate the differential and niche responses of the three ammonia oxidising communities to N substrate additions and nitrification inhibitor treatments. Further research is needed to investigate the specificity of the two inhibitors on the different ammonia oxidising communities.

Non-native Brachiaria humidicola with biological nitrification inhibition capacity stimulates in situ grassland N2O emissions.

Introduction: Brachiaria humidicola, a tropical grass, could release root exudates with biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) capacity and reduce soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from grasslands. However, evidence of the reduction effect in situ in tropical grasslands in China is lacking. Methods: To evaluate the potential effects of B. humidicola on soil N2O emissions, a 2-year (2015-2017) field experiment was established in a Latosol and included eight treatments, consisting of two pastures, non-native B. humidicola and a native grass, Eremochloa ophiuroide, with four nitrogen (N) application rates. The annual urea application rates were 0, 150, 300, and 450 kg N ha-1. Results: The average 2-year E. ophiuroides biomass with and without N fertilization were 9.07-11.45 and 7.34 t ha-1, respectively, and corresponding values for B. humidicola increased to 31.97-39.07 and 29.54 t ha-1, respectively. The N-use efficiencies under E. ophiuroide and B. humidicola cultivation were 9.3-12.0 and 35.5-39.4%, respectively. Annual N2O emissions in the E. ophiuroides and B. humidicola fields were 1.37 and 2.83 kg N2O-N ha-1, respectively, under no N fertilization, and 1.54-3.46 and 4.30-7.19 kg N2O-N ha-1, respectively, under N fertilization. Discussions: According to the results, B. humidicola cultivation increased soil N2O emissions, especially under N fertilization. This is because B. humidicola exhibited the more effective stimulation effect on N2O production via denitrification primarily due to increased soil organic carbon and exudates than the inhibition effect on N2O production via autotrophic nitrification. Annual yield-scaled N2O emissions in the B. humidicola treatment were 93.02-183.12 mg N2O-N kg-1 biomass, which were significantly lower than those in the E. ophiuroides treatment. Overall, our results suggest that cultivation of the non-native grass, B. humidicola with BNI capacity, increased soil N2O emissions, while decreasing yield-scaled N2O emissions, when compared with native grass cultivation.

Global dataset of soil organic carbon in tidal marshes.

Tidal marshes store large amounts of organic carbon in their soils. Field data quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks provide an important resource for researchers, natural resource managers, and policy-makers working towards the protection, restoration, and valuation of these ecosystems. We collated a global dataset of tidal marsh soil organic carbon (MarSOC) from 99 studies that includes location, soil depth, site name, dry bulk density, SOC, and/or soil organic matter (SOM). The MarSOC dataset includes 17,454 data points from 2,329 unique locations, and 29 countries. We generated a general transfer function for the conversion of SOM to SOC. Using this data we estimated a median (± median absolute deviation) value of 79.2 ± 38.1 Mg SOC ha-1 in the top 30 cm and 231 ± 134 Mg SOC ha-1 in the top 1 m of tidal marsh soils globally. This data can serve as a basis for future work, and may contribute to incorporation of tidal marsh ecosystems into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and policies.

The impact of dissolved organic carbon on the spatial variability of methanogenic archaea communities in natural wetland ecosystems across China.

Significant spatial variation in CH(4) emissions is a well-established feature of natural wetland ecosystems. To understand the key factors affecting CH(4) production, the variation in community structure of methanogenic archaea, in relation to substrate and external environmental influences, was investigated in selected wetlands across China, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Case study areas were the subtropical Poyang wetland, the warm-temperate Hongze wetland, the cold-temperate Sanjiang marshes, and the alpine Ruoergai peatland on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The topsoil layer in the Hongze wetland exhibited the highest population of methanogens; the lowest was found in the Poyang wetland. Maximum CH(4) production occurred in the topsoil layer of the Sanjiang Carex lasiocarpa marsh, the minimum was observed in the Ruoergai peatland. CH(4) production potential was significantly correlated with the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration but not with the abundance or diversity indices of methanogenic archaea. Phylogenetic analysis and DOC concentration indicated a shift in the dominant methanogen from the hydrogenotrophic Methanobacteriales in DOC-rich wetlands to Methanosarcinaceae with a low affinity in wetlands with relatively high DOC and then to the acetotrophic methanogen Methanosaetaceae with a high affinity in wetlands with low DOC, or with high DOC but rich sulfate-reducing bacteria. Therefore, it is proposed that the dominant methanogen type in wetlands is primarily influenced by available DOC concentration. In turn, the variation in CH(4) production potential in the wetlands of eastern China is attributable to differences in the DOC content and the dominant type of methanogen present.

[Three successive extractions reduce quantification bias of microbial communities associated with incomplete DNA recovery in soil].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quantification bias associated with incomplete extractions of soil microbial DNA and the feasibility of air-dried soil for microbial ecology study. METHODS: The flooded rice soil and upland wheat soil were used, and multiple extractions of soil microbial DNA was performed by lysing a single sample for 5 successive times. The copy number of 16S rRNA and amoA genes of Archaea and Bacteria was quantified in each DNA extraction by real-time. PCR. RESULTS: Cumulative DNA yields in 3 successive extractions accounted for more than 76% of microbial DNA in soils, and more than 77.5% of gene copies could be recovered. Air-drying decreased the abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and archaeal 16S rRNA gene by 90.3% and 12.5%, and the abundance of bacterial and archaeal amoA genes showed a decline by 81.2% and 84.3%, respectively. The decline showed similar trend in two soils, suggesting air-dried soil could be of choice for biogeographic survey of microbial communities. CONCLUSION: Three successive extractions of microbial DNA in soil could be of choice for microbial ecology study in order to reduce quantification bias associated with incomplete DNA recovery. Air-dried soil could be employed under certain circumstances, and further investigation is warranted for the underlying mechanism by which microbial communities manage to survive the desiccation of soil.

Relationship between nitrapyrin and varying nitrogen application rates with nitrous oxide emissions and nitrogen use efficiency in a maize filed.

Reducing nitrogen losses can be accomplished by mixing fertilizers with nitrification inhibitors (NI). In some agricultural systems, increasing soil N supply capacity by the use of NI could lead to improved N use efficiency (NUE) and increased crop yields. This study examined the effect of different N rates and NI in maize in the north of Iran. The maize was fertilized with urea at three levels (69, 115 and 161 kg N.ha-1) alone or with nitrapyrin as NI. Increasing the N application rate resulted in a considerable rise in growing-season N2O emissions. When nitrapyrin was used, N2O emissions were dramatically reduced. NI treatment reduced N2O emissions in the growth season by 88%, 88%, and 69% in 69, 115, and 161 kg of N.ha-1, respectively. NI treatment reduced yield-scaled N2O emissions; the lowest quantity of yield-scaled N2O was found in 69 N + NI (0.09 g N2O-N kg-1 N uptake). Additionally, grain yield increased by 19%, 31% and 18.4% after applying NI to 69 N, 115 N, and N69, N115 and N161. Results showed that 115 N + NI and N69 treatments showed the highest (65%) and lowest (29%) NUEs, respectively. Finally, our findings show that NI can reduce N2O emissions while increasing NUE and yield, but that the application method and rate of nitrapyrin application need to be improved in order to maximize its mitigation potential.