[Response of Soil Nitrifier and Denitrifier Community and Activity to Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Concentration and Temperature].

Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature may affect nitrifiers and denitrifiers which are related to soil N turnover. A climate change experiment was conducted in the rice-wheat rotation ecosystem. This study was used to investigate effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on soil microbial community structure, as well as abundance and activity of nitrifiers and denitrifiers. The results showed that no change in the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and denitrifier was observed at the tillering stage, however at the later stages, elevated CO2 alone significantly increased the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and denitrifier but there were no changes under CW treatment. The analysis of T-RFLP profiles showed that elevated CO2 and temperature had no obvious effect on community structure of AOA, AOB or denitrifier, but altered diversity index (H') of AOA and denitrifier. Moreover, elevated CO2 alone significantly increased nitrifying rate at the ripening stage. Elevated CO2 and temperature did not result in significant change in denitrifying rate at each single stage. These results suggested that effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on microbial community were different among the tillering, heading and ripening stages, and functional microorganism responded differently to multiple climate change treatments.

[Fine root biomass and its nutrient storage in karst ecosystems under different vegetations in Central Guizhou, China].

The degeneration of karst ecosystem is closely associated with the reduction of soil nutrients and fine root biomass, and the retention of soil nutrients is of significance in sustaining ecosystem functioning. To understand the changes in the fine root biomass and soil nutrient retention in degenerated karst ecosystems, a comparative study was conducted with three typical vegetation stands (forest, shrub, and shrub-grass) in Central Guizhou of Southwest China. Soil samples with fine roots were collected from the depths 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, and 10-15 cm, with the related indices of fine roots and nutrients measured. In the three stands, fine roots dominantly distributed in 0 -10 cm soil layer, and decreased sharply with soil depth. The living fine root biomass in 0-10 cm soil layer under forest, shrub, and shrub-grass occupied 83.36%, 86.91%, and 93.79% of the total fine root biomass, and 42.78%, 56.75%, and 53.38% of the total living fine root biomass within the 0-15 cm soil layer, respectively. The fine root biomass of predominant plant species varied with vegetation types. The N and P storage of the living fine roots in 0-5 cm soil layer under forest stand was significantly higher than those under shrub stand and shrub-grass stand, and no significant differences were observed between the latter two stands. However, the N and P storage of the living fine roots in 5-10 cm soil layer under different stands decreased in the order of forest > shrub > shrub-grass (P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the plant aboveground biomass and the living fine root biomass in 0-10 cm soil layer, and a significant negative correlation between the N and P contents of plant leaves and the specific length of living fine roots, illustrating that the nutrient uptake and retention by the living fine roots could have particular importance in the aboveground biomass establishment and ecosystem functioning.

[Responses of enzyme activities in different particle-size aggregates of paddy soil in Taihu Lake region of China to long-term fertilization].

Taking a long-term fertilized paddy soil in Taihu Lake region as research object, the enzyme activities in <2, 2-20, 20-200, and 200-2000 microm aggregates under no fertilization (NF), chemical fertilization (CF), chemical fertilization plus straw return (CFS), and chemical fertilization plus pig manure (CFM) were investigated. Fertilization promoted the formation of 200-2000 microm aggregates significantly. The enzyme activities differed with aggregates' particle-size. Urease and invertase activities were the highest in <2 microm aggregates, whereas the activities of cellulase, polyphenoloxidase and FDA hydrolase were the highest in 200-2000 microm aggregates. Fertilization, especially the combined fertilization of inorganic and organic fertilizers, increased the activities of urease, invertase, cellulase and FDA hydrolase in 200-2000 microm aggregates significantly. With the geometric mean (GMea) of the five test enzyme activities as the integrative index of soil enzyme activities, it was found that under fertilization, the GMea was significantly higher in 200-2000 microm aggregates, suggesting the high sensitivity of enzyme activities in larger particle-size aggregates to fertilization practices. Long-term inorganic plus organic fertilization could enhance the soil bio-function via the promotion of the formation of larger particle-size aggregates and the enzyme activities in these aggregates.

[Variation of Cd, Zn and Se contents of polished rice and the potential health risk for subsistence-diet farmers from typical areas of South China].

In this study, a total of 70 polished rice samples were randomly collected at agro-product markets from some typical regions of South China. Their contents of Cd, Zn and Se were determined by atomic adsorption spectrophotometers (AAS) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AES) respectively. The variation of the contents with rice areas was described in terms of soil conditions and the potential health risk by food exposure to these rice rains for subsistence-diet fanners is discussed. Over 70% of the total samples have Cd contents exceeding the State Food Security Standards (0.2 mg x kg(-1)) with Cd/Zn ratios exceeding the suggested critical threshold of 0.015. Widest variation was found for Cd and smallest for Zn, showing rice Cd prone to environmental stress. The extent to which the contents of the analyzed elements varied with rice areas was rater for Cd and Se than for Zn, though the contents followed in the same order: polluted area > acid paddy area and neutral paddy area. This further evidenced a determinacy of chemical availability in rice Cd uptake. Taking the reference dose values by WHO and USEPA, the health risk by Cd exposure to the rice diet from different areas was estimated. The consumption of rice from polluted area and acid paddy area may impose serious health risks for subsistence diet farmers though those from neutral paddy area may be still safe under the WHO guideline. It is demanded that the problem of the rice rains high in Cd and low in Zn and Se, and serious potential risk should be taken into account while developing high-yielding rice in acid and polluted rice ares of South China. Technology for depressing Cd uptake and low-Cd cultivar breeding should he pursued in rice production sector in the future.

[An evaluation of net carbon sink effect and cost/benefits of a rice-rape rotation ecosystem under long-term fertilization from Tai Lake region of China].

Taking a long-term fertilized rice-rape rotation system in Taihu Lake as test objective, its annual C balance and economic benefit were estimated, based on the measurement of past years grain yield, litter C content, and field CO2 emission as well as the investigation of material and management inputs. The calculated annual C sink under different fertilizations ranged from 0.9 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) to 7.5 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1), and the net C sink effect under combined inorganic/organic fertilization was three folds as that under chemical fertilization. The C cost of material input ranged from 0.37 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) to 1.13 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1), and that of management input ranged from 1.69 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1) to 1.83 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1). The annual economic benefit ranged from 5.8 x 10(3) CNY x hm(-2) x a(-1) to 16.5 x 10(3) CNY x hm(-2) x a(-1), and was 2.1 times higher under combined fertilization than under chemical fertilization. Comparing with that under chemical fertilization, the marginal cost for per ton C sink under combined inorganic/organic fertilization was estimated as 217.1 CNY x t(-1) C, very close to the C price of 20 Euro x t(-1) C in the EU. In sum, under combined inorganic/organic fertilization, this rice paddy ecosystem could not only have higher productivity, but also present greater net C sink effect and higher economic benefit, compared with under chemical fertilizer fertilization.

[Effects of heavy metals pollution on paddy soil aggregates composition and heavy metals distribution].

Topsoil samples were collected from a polluted and an adjacent non-polluted paddy field in the Taihu Lake region of China. Different particle size fractions of soil aggregates were separated by low-energy dispersion procedure, and their mass composition and Pb, Cd, Hg, and As concentrations were determined. Under heavy metals pollution, the mass composition of sand-sized fractions reduced, while that of clay-sized fractions increased. The concentrations of test metals in different particle size fractions differed, with the highest in < 0.002 mm fraction, followed by in 2-0.2 mm fraction. In 0.02-0.002 mm and 0.2-0.02 mm fractions, all the test metals were relatively deficient, with an enrichment index of 0.56-0.96. The present study showed that the aggregation of fine particles could be depressed by heavy metals pollution, which in turn, led to a relative increase in the mass composition of fine particles and the associated allocation of heavy metals in weakly aggregated silt particles, and further, increased the risks of heavy metals translocation from polluted farmland into water and atmosphere. Further studies should be made on the impacts of heavy metals pollution on soil biophysical and biochemical processes and related mechanisms.

Topsoil organic carbon mineralization and CO2 evolution of three paddy soils from South China and the temperature dependence.

Carbon mineralization and its response to climatic warming have been receiving global attention for the last decade. Although the virtual influence of temperature effect is still in great debate, little is known on the mineralization of organic carbon (SOC) of paddy soils of China under warming. SOC mineralization of three major types of China's paddy soils is studied through laboratory incubation for 114 d under soil moisture regime of 70% water holding capacity at 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C respectively. The carbon that mineralized as CO2 evolved was measured every day in the first 32 d and every two days in the following days. Carbon mineralized during the 114 d incubation ranged from 3.51 to 9.22 mg CO2-C/gC at 20 degrees C and from 4.24 to 11.35 mg CO2-C/gC at 25 degrees C respectively; and a mineralizable C pool in the range of 0.24 to 0.59 gC/kg, varying with different soils. The whole course of C mineralization in the 114 d incubation could be divided into three stages of varying rates, representing the three subpools of the total mineralizable C: very actively mineralized C at 1-23 d, actively mineralized C at 24-74 d and a slowly mineralized pool with low and more or less stabilized C mineralization rate at 75-114 d. The calculated Q10 values ranged from 1.0 to 2.4, varying with the soil types and N status. Neither the total SOC pool nor the labile C pool could account for the total mineralization potential of the soils studied, despite a well correlation of labile C with the shortly and actively mineralized C, which were shown in sensitive response to soil warming. However, the portion of microbial C pool and the soil C/N ratio controlled the C mineralization and the temperature dependence. Therefore, C sequestration may not result in an increase of C mineralization proportionally. The relative control of C bioavailability and microbial metabolic activity on C mineralization with respect to stabilization of sequestered C in the paddy soils of China is to be further studied.

[Effects of conservational tillage on aggregate composition and organic carbon storage in purple paddy soil].

A 13 year experiment was conducted to study the effects of conservational tillage on the aggregate composition and organic carbon storage in purple paddy soil of Sichuan Basin. The results showed that under no-tillage and ridge culture (rice-rape) (NR-RR), no-tillage and plain culture (rice-rape) (NP-RR), no-tillage and ridge culture (rice-green manure) (NR-RGM), tillage and ridge culture (rice-rape) (TR-RR), and tillage and plain culture (rice-rape) (TP-RR), the proportion of macroaggregates in 0-10 cm soil layer was 23%, 69%, 9%, 36%, and 28% higher than that under conventional tillage (CT) (12%), respectively, while in 10-20 cm soil layer, this proportion under conservational tillage was 9%-38% lower than that under CT. The organic carbon storages in the macroaggregates at the depth of 0-10 cm were 13%, 31% and 32% higher under no-tillage and ridge culture (rice-fallow) (NR-RF), NR-RR and NR-RGM than under CT, respectively, while that at the depth of 10-20 cm was 28%-54% lower. The differences in organic carbon storage between macro- and microaggregates were smaller in 10-20 cm layer than in 0-10 cm layer. Under conservational tillage, the organic carbon storage was 8%-28% higher in 0-10 cm layer but 4%-22% lower in 10-20 cm layer, compared with that under CT. After converted from CT to conservational tillage for 13 years, the mean organic carbon sequestration rate was 53 g x m(-2) x a(-1) and 25 g x m(-2) x a(-1) at the depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, while under CT, it was 26 g x m(-2) x a(-1) and 33 g x m(-2) x a(-1), respectively. Conservational tillage was favorable to the formation of macroaggregates in surface soil layer and the enhancement of soil total organic carbon storage.

[Cd uptake and accumulation in grains by hybrid rice in two paddy soils: interactive effect of soil type and cultivars].

Cd translocation through soil-food crop-diet is considered as one of most important pathway for human Cd exposure. Rice is considered as a particular crop with high Cd uptake and accumulation in grains among the main food crops. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to elucidate mutual interaction of soil and cultivars on uptake and grain accumulation of Cd by hybrid rice with or without Cd spiking at 2.5 mg x kg(-1) under continuous submerging condition. Two hybrid rice cultivars (Shanyou 63, a common hybrid rice and II Youming 86, a super-rice) and two paddy soils (a Wushantu, Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols and a Hongshanitian, Ultic Stagnic Anthrosols) were used. The results show significant differences in Cd uptake and grain partitioning between soils, cultivars and the soil-cultivar interactions. The cultivars effect on uptake of indigenous soil Cd seems stronger than the soil effect while soil effect turns significant over that of cultivars on spiked Cd. However, intense Cd accumulation in grains is found under the positive interaction of soil with high Cd availability and cultivar with high Cd affinity (super rice on acidic paddy soil). This study demonstrates a phenomenon of intense Cd uptake and grain accumulation by super rice and, thus, imposing a very high Cd exposure risk (as several times as the acceptable daily intake, ADI) to subsistence-diet farmers. The low Cd cultivar Shanyou 63 tends to hamper the up-taken Cd in root while the super rice II Youming 86 promotes higher partitioning to grain. Furthermore, the difference in total biomass between the two cultivars is small compared to that in total Cd uptake under Cd spiking. It is suggested that the Cd uptake behavior should be taken into account in super rice breeding and practical measures should be taken while spread of super rice cultivars in rice areas with acidic soils and under Cd pollution in order to control the human Cd exposure by diet.

[Effect of submerging and wetting-redrying on Cd speciation and uptake by Sorghum hybrid Sudangrass in two paddy soils under spiked Cd].

Effect of continuous submerging and wetting-redrying on cadmium speciation and uptake by Sorghum hybrid Sudangrass in a Ferric-accumulic Stagnic Anthrosol and a Tipical Hapludult collected from the Taihu Lake region and the rolling downs of Yingtan, Jiangxi, China respectively, was studied by pot experiment with Cd spike in 2003. Compared to that under wetting-redrying treatment, the MgCl2-extracted pool of Cd in Huangnitu with spiked Cd of 5mg x kg(-1) and 10mg x kg(-1) was decreased from 21.8% and 28.5% to 8.0% and 16.9% while NH2OH x HCl-extracted pool increased from 17.7% and 17.3% to28.1% and 37.5% under continuous submerging. However, in the Typical Halpudult, NaAC-extracted pool of Cd decreased from 20.8% and 29.6% to 11.6% and 12.6%. Cd uptake by Sorghum hybrid Sudangrass was found in negative correlation with the MgCl2 extracted pool of Cd. Total Cd uptake was significantly reduced by the pretreatment of continuously submerging in Huangnitu.

Distribution of Cu and Pb in particle size fractions of urban soils from different city zones of Nanjing, China.

Soil samples from 4 defined city zones of Nanjing were randomly collected at 0-5 cm and 5-20 cm intervals and size fractions of soil particles were separated from undisturbed bulk soils by low energy dispersion procedure. The total contents of Cu and Pb in the different particle size fractions of the urban soils were analyzed by HNO3-HF-HClO4 digestion and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer determination. The total content of Cu and Pb in soil particle size fractions varied with their size and with city zones as well. Both the content and variation with the size fractions of Pb was bigger than of Cu supporting our previous finding that there was Pb pollution to different degrees in the urban soils although the two elements were generally enriched in clay-sized fraction. Contaminated Pb tended to be preferentially enriched in the size fraction of 2000-250 microm and clay-sized fraction. While the size fractions of the soils from newly developed and preserved area contained smaller amount of Cu and Pb, the partitioning of them in coarse and fine particle size fractions were insignificant compared to that from inner residence and commercial area. The very high Pb level over 150 mg/kg of the fine particle fractions from the soils of the inner city could be a cause of high blood Pb level reported of children from the city as acute exposure to Pb of fine particles of the urban soil might occur by soil ingestion and inhalation by young children. Thus, much attention should be paid to the partitioning of toxic metals in fine soil particles of the urban soils and countermeasures against high health risk of Pb exposure by soil ingestion and dust inhalation should be practiced against the health problem of blood Pb for young children from the cities.

Organic carbon stock in topsoil of Jiangsu Province, China, and the recent trend of carbon sequestration.

Data collection of soil organic carbon(SOC) of 154 soil series of Jiangsu, China from the second provincial soil survey and of recent changes in SOC from a number of field pilot experiments across the province were collected. Statistical analysis of SOC contents and soil properties related to organic carbon storage were performed. The provincial total topsoil SOC stock was estimated to be 0.1 Pg with an extended pool of 0.4 Pg taking soil depth of 1 m, being relatively small compared to its total land area of 101700 km2 . One quarter of this topsoil stock was found in the soils of the Taihu Lake region that occupied 1/6 of the provincial arable area. Paddy soils accounted for over 50% of this stock in terms of SOC distribution among the soil types in the province. Experimental data from experimental farms widely distributed in the province showed that SOC storage increased consistently over the last 20 years despite a previously reported decreasing tendency during the period between 1950--1970. The evidence indicated that agricultural management practices such as irrigation, straw return and rotation of upland crops with rice or wheat crops contributed significantly to the increase in SOC storage. The annual carbon sequestration rate in the soils was in the range of 0.3-3.5 tC/(hm2 x a), depending on cropping systems and other agricultural practices. Thus, the agricultural production in the province, despite the high input, could serve as one of the practical methods to mitigate the increasing air CO2.

Sorption of pyrene on two paddy soils and their particle-size fractions.

In the present study, the sorption of pyrene on two kinds of bulk paddy soils, Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols, and Ferric accumulic Stagnic Anthrosols as well as their particle-size fractions was investigated. The sorption isotherms fitted well with Freundlich equation. For both soils, the clay fraction( < 2 microm) and coarse sand fraction(2000-250 microm) had higher sorption capacity than fine sand fraction(250-20 microm) and silt fraction(20-2 microm). The log Koc values obtained of each soil and its particle-size fractions were similar, proving that SOM content was a key factor affecting pyrene sorption. The Kd values showed a significant correlation with contents of dithionite-extractable Fe in both paddy soils and a good relationship with CEC in Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols, indicating possible effects of surface properties of particle-size fractions on the sorption of pyrene.

[Aging of spiked pyrene in two paddy soils and their particle-size fractions after soil incubation and changes in extractability and bio-availability to earthworm].

Effect of aging on bioavailability and extractability of persistent organic pollutants has recently been paid much attention in environmental studies. This study deals with aging of spiked pyrene, a four-ring polycyclic hydrocarbon, in two paddy soils and their particle-size fractions under laboratory incubation and change in its extractability and bioavailability. The bioavailability of aged pyrene was tested by an assay of exposure to earthworms (Eisenia foetida). The extractability of spiked pyrene was decreased by 15% to 23%, and the bioavailability to earthworm was decreased by 37% to 67% after incubation for 90 d compared to under no incubation. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in the pyrene extractability between incubation with different size fractions of a single soil. Soil incubation resulted in lower extractability and, thus, lower environmental risk of the organic pollutants after incorporation in paddy soils and their aggregates. The different size fractions of paddy soils may exert different bioavailability when exposure to soil fauna. Thus, content and chemical extractability may not be appropriate index for assessing the potential environmental risk and bioavailability to soil fauna for persistent organic pollutants in paddy soils.

[Fractionation and spectroscopic property of dissolved organic matters in soils].

Based on a modified Leenheer DOM fractionation sche me, fractionation of DOM from paddy soils was conducted byusing XAD-8 resin into hydrophobic bases (HOB), hydrophobic acids (HOA), acid-insoluble matter (AIM), hydrophobic neutrals (HON) and hydrophillic matter (HIM), and their structural characteristics were studied by means of elemental composition, FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The fractionation scheme used here provided a preferable separation of the fractions in terms of hydrophobicity and a high recovery. Of the DOC extracted from the soils, the HOB was the least fraction, accounting for 0.73%-3.83%, and the HIM fraction was the largest, accounting for 36%-42%. The HON fraction represented 7%-15%. The relative content of the HOA plus AIM was about 50%. Separated by this technique, the large-chain alkylate and the major portion of the N components mainly characterized HON, while the HOA fraction contained a large amount of carboxyl groups but less amount of aromatic groups with a higher quantity of carbohydrates compared to that of FA. AIM fraction was dominated by high branched (n value) polyphenols and humus bound carbohydrates. HIM was characterized by considerable amount of carboxyl and carbohydrates.