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Grassland Soils (grassland + soil)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	50%
Earth and Environmental Science	32%

Selected Abstracts

Aggregate-occluded black carbon in soil

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2006
S. Brodowski
Summary The great stability of black carbon (BC) in soils may not be solely attributable to its refractory structure but also to poor accessibility when physically enveloped by soil particles. Our aim was to elucidate the intensity of physical entrapment of BC within soil aggregates. For this purpose, the A horizon of a forest, and of a grassland soil, and of three soils under tillage, were sampled at the experimental station Rotthalmünster, Germany. Black carbon was assessed in water-stable aggregates and aggregate-density fractions using benzene polycarboxylic acids as specific markers. The greatest BC concentrations made up 7.2% of organic carbon and were found in the < 53 ,m fraction. The smallest BC concentrations occurred in the large macroaggregate fractions (> 2 mm). This pattern has been sustained even after tillage. The C-normalized BC concentrations were significantly greater (P < 0.05) in the occluded particulate organic matter (OPOM) fractions than in the free particulate organic matter (FPOM) and the mineral fractions. This enrichment of BC compared with organic carbon in the OPOM fractions amounted to factors of 1.5,2.7. Hence, BC was embedded within microaggregates in preference to other organic carbon compounds. Only 2.5,3.5% of BC was located in the OPOM fraction < 1.6 g cm,3, but 22,24% in the OPOM fraction with a density of 1.6,2.0 g cm,3. This suggests that BC possibly acted as a binding agent or was selectively enriched during decomposition of protected SOM, or both. Physical inclusion, particularly within microaggregates, could therefore contribute to the long mean-residence times of soil-inherent BC. [source]

Preferential phosphorus leaching from an irrigated grassland soil

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2005
G. S. Toor
Summary Intact lysimeters (50 cm diameter, 70 cm deep) of silt loam soil under permanent grassland were used to investigate preferential transport of phosphorus (P) by leaching immediately after application of dairy effluent. Four treatments that received mineral P fertilizer alone (superphosphate at 45 kg P ha,1 year,1) or in combination with effluent (at , 40,80 kg P ha,1 year,1) over 2 years were monitored. Losses of total P from the combined P fertilizer and effluent treatments were 1.6,2.3 kg ha,1 (60% of overall loss) during eight drainage events following effluent application. The rest of the P lost (40% of overall loss) occurred during 43 drainage events following a significant rainfall or irrigation compared with 0.30 kg ha,1 from mineral P fertilizer alone. Reactive forms of P (mainly dissolved reactive P: 38,76%) were the dominant fractions in effluent compared with unreactive P forms (mainly particulate unreactive P: 15,56%). In contrast, in leachate following effluent application, particulate unreactive P was the major fraction (71,79%) compared with dissolved reactive P (1,7%). The results were corroborated by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, which showed that inorganic orthophosphate was the predominant P fraction present in the effluent (86%), while orthophosphate monoesters and diesters together comprised up to 88% of P in leachate. This shows that unreactive P forms were selectively transported through soil because of their greater mobility as monoesters (labile monoester P and inositol hexakisphosphate) and diesters. The short-term strategies for reducing loss of P after application of dairy effluent application should involve increasing the residence time of applied effluent in the soil profile. This can be achieved by applying effluent frequently in small amounts. [source]

The influence of synthetic sheep urine on ammonia oxidizing bacterial communities in grassland soil

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
Shahid Mahmood
Abstract In grazed, grassland soils, sheep urine generates heterogeneity in ammonia concentrations, with potential impact on ammonia oxidizer community structure and soil N cycling. The influence of different levels of synthetic sheep urine on ammonia oxidizers was studied in grassland soil microcosms. ,Total' and active ammonia oxidizers were distinguished by comparing denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles following PCR and RT-PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene fragments, targeting DNA and RNA, respectively. The RNA-based approach indicated earlier, more reproducible and finer scale qualitative shifts in ammonia oxidizing communities than DNA-based analysis, but led to amplification of a small number of nonammonia oxidizer sequences. Qualitative changes in RNA-derived DGGE profiles were related to changes in nitrate accumulation. Sequence analysis of excised DGGE bands revealed that ammonia oxidizing communities in synthetic sheep urine-treated soils consisted mainly of Nitrosospira clusters 2, 3 and 4. Nitrosospira cluster 2 increased in relative abundance in microcosms treated with all levels of synthetic sheep urine. Low levels additionally led to increased relative abundance of Nitrosospira cluster 4 and medium and high levels increased relative abundance of cluster 3. Synthetic sheep urine is therefore likely to influence the spatial distribution and composition of ammonia oxidizer communities, with consequent effects on nitrate accumulation. [source]

Seasonal and management influences on bacterial community structure in an upland grassland soil

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
Nabla M. Kennedy
Abstract Floristically diverse Nardo,Galion upland grasslands are common in Ireland and the UK and are valuable in agricultural, environmental and ecological terms. Under improvement (inputs of lime, fertiliser and re-seeding), they convert to mesotrophic grassland containing very few plant species. The effects of upland grassland improvement and seasonality on soil microbial communities were investigated at an upland site. Samples were taken at five times in one year in order to observe seasonal trends, and bacterial community structure was monitored using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), a DNA-fingerprinting approach. Differences in soil chemistry and bacterial community structure between unimproved and improved grassland soils were noted. Season was also found to cause mild fluctuations in bacterial community structure, with soil samples from colder months (October and December) more correlated with change in ribotype profiles than samples from warmer months. However, for the majority of seasons clear differences in bacterial community structures from unimproved and improved soils could be seen, indicating seasonal influences did not obscure effects associated with improvement. [source]

Effects of soil improvement treatments on bacterial community structure and soil processes in an upland grassland soil

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
Neil D. Gray
Abstract Temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis (TTGE) analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified with primers selective for eubacteria and ,-proteobacterial ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) was used to analyse changes in bacterial and AOB community profiles of an upland pasture following soil improvement treatments (addition of sewage sludge and/or lime). Community structure was compared with changes in activity assessed by laboratory measurements of basal respiration and ammonia oxidation potentials, and with measurements of treatment- and time-related changes in soil characteristics. The predominant bacterial populations had a high degree of similarity under all treatment regimens, which was most pronounced early in the growing season. Most of the differences that occurred between soil samples with time could be accounted for by spatial and temporal variation; however, analysis of variance and cluster analysis of similarities between 16S rDNA TTGE profiles indicated that soil improvement treatments exerted some effect on community structure. Lime application had the greatest influence. The impact of soil improvement treatments on autotrophic ammonia oxidation was significant and sustained, especially in soils which had received sewage sludge and lime treatments in combination. However, despite obvious changes in soil characteristics, e.g. pH and soil nitrogen, increasing heterogeneity in the AOB community structure over time obscured the treatment effects observed at the beginning of the experiment. Nevertheless, time series analysis of AOB TTGE profiles indicated that the AOB community in improved soils was more dynamic than in control soils where populations were found to be relatively stable. These observations suggest that the AOB populations exhibited a degree of functional redundancy. [source]

Sequestration and turnover of plant- and microbially derived sugars in a temperate grassland soil during 7 years exposed to elevated atmospheric pCO2

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
MICHAEL BOCK
Abstract Temperate grasslands contribute about 20% to the global terrestrial carbon (C) budget with sugars contributing 10,50% to this soil C pool. Whether the observed increase of the atmospheric CO2 concentration (pCO2) leads to additional C sequestration into these ecosystems or enhanced mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of the presented study was to investigate the impact of elevated atmospheric pCO2 on C sequestration and turnover of plant- (arabinose and xylose) and microbially derived (fucose, rhamnose, galactose, mannose) sugars in soil, representing a labile SOM pool. The study was carried out at the Swiss Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment near Zurich. For 7 years, Lolium perenne swards were exposed to ambient and elevated pCO2 (36 and 60 Pa, respectively). The additional CO2 in the FACE plots was depleted in 13C compared with ambient plots, so that ,new' (<7 years) C inputs could be determined by means of compound-specific stable isotope analysis (13C : 12C). Samples were fractionated into clay, silt, fine sand and coarse sand, which yielded relatively stable and labile SOM pools with different turnover rates. Total sugar sequestration into bulk soil after 7 years of exposure to elevated pCO2 was about 28% compared with the control plots. In both ambient and elevated plots, total sugar concentrations in particle size fractions increased in the order sand[source]

Using natural 13C abundances to differentiate between three CO2 sources during incubation of a grassland soil amended with slurry and sugar

JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2004
Yakov Kuzyakov
Abstract This study describes a novel approach to separate three soil carbon (C) sources by one tracer method (here 13C natural abundance). The approach uses the temporal dynamics of the CO2 efflux from a C3 grassland soil amended with added C3 or C4 slurry and/or C3 or C4 sugar to estimate contributions of three separate C sources (native soil, slurry, and sugar) to CO2 efflux. Soil with slurry and/or sugar was incubated under controlled conditions, and concentration and ,13C values of evolved CO2 were measured over a 2-week period. The main assumption needed for separation of three C sources in CO2 efflux, i.e., identical decomposition of applied C3 and C4 sugars in soil, was investigated and proven. The relative contribution to the CO2 efflux was higher, but shorter with an increased (microbial) availability of the C source, i.e., sugar > slurry > SOM. The shortcomings and limitations as well as possible future applications of the suggested method are discussed. Anwendung der natürlichen 13C-Abundanz zur Trennung von drei CO2 -Quellen bei der Inkubation eines mit Gülle und Zucker behandelten Graslandbodens Die Untersuchung beschreibt ein neues Verfahren zur Trennung von drei C-Quellen im Boden mit Hilfe einer Tracermethode (hier die natürliche 13C-Abundanz). Die zeitliche Dynamik des CO2 -Effluxes aus einem C3 -Graslandboden nach der Applikation von C3 - oder C4 -Gülle und/oder C3 - oder C4 -Zucker wurde verfolgt, um die Anteile der drei unabhängigen C-Quellen (organische Bodensubstanz (OBS), Gülle und Zucker) am CO2 -Efflux zu untersuchen. Boden mit Gülle und/oder Zucker wurde unter kontrollierten Bedingungen inkubiert, und die CO2 -Konzentration und ihre ,13C-Werte wurden im Laufe von zwei Wochen gemessen. Die Hauptvoraussetzung der Methode zur Trennung der drei C-Quellen , identischer Abbau von zugeführten C3 - und C4 -Zuckern im Boden , wurde geprüft. Der relative Beitrag zum CO2 -Efflux wurde höher, die Dauer jedoch kürzer mit steigender (mikrobieller) Verfügbarkeit der C-Quelle: Zucker > Gülle > OBS. Die Mängel, Einschränkungen und mögliche künftige Anwendungen der vorgeschlagenen Methode werden diskutiert. [source]

Effect of phosphate fertilization on crop yield and soil phosphorus status,

JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2003
Anne Gallet
Abstract To evaluate the effect of three phosphorus (P) fertilization regimes (no P, P input equivalent to P off-take by crops, P input higher than P off-take) on crop yield, P uptake, and soil P availability, seven field experiments (six in crop rotations, one under permanent grassland) were conducted in Switzerland during nine years (six trials) or 27 years (one trial). Soil total P (Pt), inorganic P (Pi), organic P (Po), and the amount of isotopically exchangeable soil P were measured in the 0,20,cm and 30,50,cm layers of the arable soils and in the 0,10,cm layer of the permanent grassland soil. Omitting P fertilization resulted in significant yield decreases only in one field crop trial as the amount of P isotopically exchangeable within one minute (E1min) reached values lower than 5 mg P (kg soil),1. In the absence of P fertilization Pi decreased on average from 470 to 410 mg P (kg soil),1 in the upper horizon of 6 sites while Po decreased only at two sites (from 510 to 466 mg P (kg soil),1 on average). In all the treatments of the trials started in 1989 the E1min values of the upper horizon decreased on average from 15.6 to 7.4 mg P (kg soil),1 between 1989 and 1998. These decreases were also observed when P inputs were higher than crops needs, showing that in these soils the highest P inputs were not sufficient to maintain the high initial available P levels. Finally for the six arable trials the values of the isotopic exchange kinetics parameters (R/r1, n, CP) and P exchangeable within 1 minute (E1min) at the end of the experiment could be estimated from the values measured at the beginning of trial and the cumulated P balance. Der Einfluss der Phosphordüngung auf den Pflanzenertrag und den Phosphorstatus des Bodens Die Begrenzung der Düngung mit Phosphat (P) bei Böden, die bereits hohe Gehalte an verfügbarem P aufweisen, kann zur Verringerung der P-Verluste in Oberflächen- und Grundwasser beitragen. Sieben Feldversuche (6 Versuche mit Ackerkulturen, 1 Versuch mit Dauerwiese) wurden während 9 Jahren (6 Versuche) resp. 27 Jahren (1 Versuch) durchgeführt mit dem Ziel, den Einfluss von drei Düngungsraten (keine P-Gabe, P-Gabe entsprechend dem P-Entzug durch die Pflanzen und P-Gabe höher als der P-Entzug durch die Pflanzen) auf Pflanzenertrag, P-Aufnahme und P-Verfügbarkeit zu studieren. Die Gehalte an anorganischem P (Pi) und organischem P (Po), sowie deren Summe (Pt) und die Gehalte an isotopisch austauschbarem P wurden in den Bodentiefen von 0,20,cm und 30,50,cm der ackerbaulichen Versuche und in einer Bodentiefe von 0,10,cm in der Dauerwiese gemessen. Der Verzicht auf P-Düngung führte nur in einem der ackerbaulichen Versuche zu einer signifikanten Abnahme des Pflanzenertrags, wobei der Gehalt an isotopisch austauschbarem P (E1min) unter 5 mg P (kg Boden),1 fiel. Pi sank bei Verzicht auf P-Düngung im oberen Horizont von 6 Böden durchschnittlich von 470 auf 410 mg P (kg Boden),1, während Po nur in 2 Böden absank (durchschnittlich von 510 auf 466 mg P (kg Boden),1). Ueber alle Düngungsverfahren jener Versuche, die 1989 begonnen hatten, sank E1min im oberen Horizont von 1989 bis 1998 durchschnittlich von 15.6 auf 7.4 mg P (kg Boden),1. Die Abnahme wurde auch beobachtet, wenn die P-Gabe höher war als der P-Entzug durch die Pflanzen, was zeigt, dass in diesen Böden selbst die höchste P-Gabe nicht genügte, um den ursprünglich hohen Gehalt an verfügbarem P aufrecht zu erhalten. Schließlich wurden in den 6 ackerbaulichen Versuchen die Parameter der Isotopenaustauschkinetik (R/r1, n, CP) und E1min am Ende des Versuches mit den ursprünglichen Werten zu Beginn des Versuchs verglichen. Es ergaben sich signifikante Beziehungen zwischen den Werten am Ende des Versuchs einerseits und den ursprünglichen Werten und der P-Bilanz andererseits. [source]

Dual isotope and isotopomer ratios of N2O emitted from a temperate grassland soil after fertiliser application

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 22 2003
R. Bol
The N2O and N2 fluxes emitted from a temperate UK grassland soil after fertiliser application (equivalent to 25 and 75,kg N ha,1) were simultaneously measured, using a new automated soil incubation system, which replaces soil atmosphere (N2 dominated) with a He+O2 mixture. Dual isotope and isotopomer ratios of the emitted N2O were also determined. Total N2O and N2 fluxes were significantly lower (P,<,0.001) in the control (0,kg N) than in the 25 and 75,kg N treatments. The total N2O flux was significantly higher (P,<,0.001) in the 75,kg N than in the 25,kg N treatment. The general patterns of N2O and N2 fluxes were similar for both fertiliser treatments. The total gaseous N loss in the control treatment was nearly all N2, whereas in the fertiliser treatment more N2O than N2 was emitted from the soil. The ratio N2O/N2 fluxes as measured during the experiment suggested three phases in N2O production, in phase 1 nitrification > denitrification, in phase 2 denitrification,>,nitrification, and in phase 3 denitrification (and total denitrification),,,nitrification. Dual ,15N and ,18O isotope and isotopomer (,15N, and ,15N,) value ratios of emitted N2O also pointed towards an increasing dominance of the production of N2O by denitrification and total denitrification. The site preference value from the soil-emitted N2O was lower than the troposphere value. This confirmed that the enhanced troposphere N2O site preference could result from back injection of N2O from the stratosphere. The measurements of N2O/N2 flux ratio and the isotopic content of emitted N2O pointed, independently, to similar temporal trends in N2O production processes after fertiliser application to grassland soil. This confirmed that both measurements are suitable diagnostic tools to study the N2O production process in soils. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

In situ measurement of methane fluxes and analysis of transcribed particulate methane monooxygenase in desert soils

ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 10 2009
Roey Angel
Summary Aerated soils are a biological sink for atmospheric methane. However, the activity of desert soils and the presence of methanotrophs in these soils have hardly been studied. We studied on-site atmospheric methane consumption rates as well as the diversity and expression of the pmoA gene, coding for a subunit of the particulate methane monooxygenase, in arid and hyperarid soils in the Negev Desert, Israel. Methane uptake was only detected in undisturbed soils in the arid region (,90 mm year,1) and vertical methane profiles in soil showed the active layer to be at 0,20 cm depth. No methane uptake was detected in the hyperarid soils (,20 mm year,1) as well as in disturbed soils in the arid region (i.e. agricultural field and a mini-catchment). Molecular analysis of the methanotrophic community using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and cloning/sequencing of the pmoA gene detected methanotrophs in the active soils, whereas the inactive ones were dominated by sequences of the homologous gene amoA, coding for a subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase. Even in the active soils, methanotrophs (as well as in situ activity) could not be detected in the soil crust, which is the biologically most important layer in desert soils. All pmoA sequences belonged to yet uncultured strains. Transcript analysis showed dominance of sequences clustering within the JR3, formerly identified in Californian grassland soils. Our results show that although active methanotrophs are prevalent in arid soils they seem to be absent or inactive in hyperarid and disturbed arid soils. Furthermore, we postulate that methanotrophs of the yet uncultured JR3 cluster are the dominant atmospheric methane oxidizers in this ecosystem. [source]

Effect of water composition on phosphorus concentration in runoff and water-soluble phosphate in two grassland soils

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2006
M. Schärer
Summary Many irrigation experiments determine phosphorus (P) losses from soil. Often, these studies cannot be compared, because the irrigation water was not characterized. We used calcium-rich tap water and deionized water to investigate the influence of water composition on P concentrations in induced runoff. We irrigated two grassland sites: one acid and one calcareous. Less P was measured in runoff from tap water irrigation than from deionized water, especially for the acid soil. Batch experiments confirmed the findings of the field experiments. Tap water decreased water-soluble phosphate and increased calcium in the solid phase. This interaction increased with decreasing soil:water ratio. Water of low ionic strength gave results comparable to rainwater. Our findings demonstrate that solution chemistry and the soil:water ratio can strongly influence the availability of P for transport. We recommend that P tests or irrigation experiments should use water resembling that of the system of interest. Irrigation experiments aiming to simulate P losses by surface runoff should be carried out with water having a composition comparable to rainwater. [source]

Fate of microbial residues in sandy soils of the South African Highveld as influenced by prolonged arable cropping

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2002
W. Amelung
Summary Long-term cultivation of former grassland soils results in a significant decline of both living and dead microbial biomass. We evaluated the effect of duration of cropping on the preservation of fungal and bacterial residues in the coarse-textured soils of the South African Highveld. Composite samples were taken from the top 20 cm of soils (Plinthustalfs) that have been cropped for periods varying from 0 to 98 years in each of three different agro-ecosystems in the Free State Province. Amino sugars were determined as markers for the microbial residues in bulk soil and its particle-size fractions. Long-term cultivation reduced N in the soil by 55% and the contents of amino sugars by 60%. Loss rates of amino sugars followed bi-exponential functions, suggesting that they comprised both labile and stable fractions. With increased duration of cropping the amino sugars attached to silt dissipated faster than those associated with the clay. This dissipation was in part because silt was preferentially lost through erosion, while clay particles (and their associated microbial residues) remained. Erosion was not solely responsible for the reduction in amino sugar concentrations, however. Bacterial amino sugars were lost in preference to fungal ones as a result of cultivation, and this effect was evident in both silt- and clay-sized separates. This shift from fungal to bacterial residues was most pronounced within the first 20 years after converting the native grassland to arable cropland, but continued after 98 years of cultivation. [source]

The influence of synthetic sheep urine on ammonia oxidizing bacterial communities in grassland soil

Seasonal and management influences on bacterial community structure in an upland grassland soil

Shrub expansion stimulates soil C and N storage along a coastal soil chronosequence

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2010
STEVEN T. BRANTLEY
Abstract Expansion of woody vegetation in grasslands is a worldwide phenomenon with implications for C and N cycling at local, regional and global scales. Although woody encroachment is often accompanied by increased annual net primary production (ANPP) and increased inputs of litter, mesic ecosystems may become sources for C after woody encroachment because stimulation of soil CO2 efflux releases stored soil carbon. Our objective was to determine if young, sandy soils on a barrier island became a sink for C after encroachment of the nitrogen-fixing shrub Morella cerifera, or if associated stimulation of soil CO2 efflux mitigated increased litterfall. We monitored variations in litterfall in shrub thickets across a chronosequence of shrub expansion and compared those data to previous measurements of ANPP in adjacent grasslands. In the final year, we quantified standing litter C and N pools in shrub thickets and soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN) and soil CO2 efflux in shrub thickets and adjacent grasslands. Heavy litterfall resulted in a dense litter layer storing an average of 809 g C m,2 and 36 g N m,2. Although soil CO2 efflux was stimulated by shrub encroachment in younger soils, soil CO2 efflux did not vary between shrub thickets and grasslands in the oldest soils and increases in CO2 efflux in shrub thickets did not offset contributions of increased litterfall to SOC. SOC was 3.6,9.8 times higher beneath shrub thickets than in grassland soils and soil TN was 2.5,7.7 times higher under shrub thickets. Accumulation rates of soil and litter C were highest in the youngest thicket at 101 g m,2 yr,1 and declined with increasing thicket age. Expansion of shrubs on barrier islands, which have low levels of soil carbon and high potential for ANPP, has the potential to significantly increase ecosystem C sequestration. [source]

Impact of past and present land-management on the C-balance of a grassland in the Swiss Alps

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 11 2008
NELE ROGIERS
Abstract Grasslands cover about 40% of the ice-free global terrestrial surface, but their quantitative importance in global carbon exchange with the atmosphere is still highly uncertain, and thus their potential for carbon sequestration remains speculative. Here, we report on CO2 exchange of an extensively used mountain hay meadow and pasture in the Swiss pre-Alps on high-organic soils (7,45% C by mass) over a 3-year period (18 May 2002,20 September 2005), including the European summer 2003 heat-wave period. During all 3 years, the ecosystem was a net source of CO2 (116,256 g C m,2 yr,1). Harvests and grazing cows (mostly via C export in milk) further increased these C losses, which were estimated at 355 g C m,2 yr,1 during 2003 (95% confidence interval 257,454 g C m,2 yr,1). Although annual carbon losses varied considerably among years, the CO2 budget during summer 2003 was not very different from the other two summers. However, and much more importantly, the winter that followed the warm summer of 2003 observed a significantly higher carbon loss when there was snow (133±6 g C m,2) than under comparable conditions during the other two winters (73±5 and 70±4 g C m,2, respectively). The continued annual C losses can most likely be attributed to the long-term effects of drainage and peat exploitation that began 119 years ago, with the last significant drainage activities during the Second World War around 1940. The most realistic estimate based on depth profiles of ash content after combustion suggests that there is an 500,910 g C m,2 yr,1 loss associated with the decomposition of organic matter. Our results clearly suggest that putting efforts into preserving still existing carbon stocks may be more successful than attempts to increase sequestration rates in such high-organic mountain grassland soils. [source]

Sensitivity of organic matter decomposition to warming varies with its quality

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
RICHARD T. CONANT
Abstract The relationship between organic matter (OM) lability and temperature sensitivity is disputed, with recent observations suggesting that responses of relatively more resistant OM to increased temperature could be greater than, equivalent to, or less than responses of relatively more labile OM. This lack of clear understanding limits the ability to forecast carbon (C) cycle responses to temperature changes. Here, we derive a novel approach (denoted Q10,q) that accounts for changes in OM quality during decomposition and use it to analyze data from three independent sources. Results from new laboratory soil incubations (labile Q10,q=2.1 ± 0.2; more resistant Q10,q=3.8 ± 0.3) and reanalysis of data from other soil incubations reported in the literature (labile Q10,q=2.3; more resistant Q10,q=3.3) demonstrate that temperature sensitivity of soil OM decomposition increases with decreasing soil OM lability. Analysis of data from a cross-site, field litter bag decomposition study (labile Q10,q=3.3 ± 0.2; resistant Q10,q=4.9 ± 0.2) shows that litter OM follows the same pattern, with greater temperature sensitivity for more resistant litter OM. Furthermore, the initial response of cultivated soils, presumably containing less labile soil OM (Q10,q=2.4 ± 0.3) was greater than that for undisturbed grassland soils (Q10,q=1.7 ± 0.1). Soil C losses estimated using this approach will differ from previous estimates as a function of the magnitude of the temperature increase and the proportion of whole soil OM comprised of compounds sensitive to temperature over that temperature range. It is likely that increased temperature has already prompted release of significant amounts of C to the atmosphere as CO2. Our results indicate that future losses of litter and soil C may be even greater than previously supposed. [source]

Soil organic carbon stocks in China and changes from 1980s to 2000s

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2007
ZUBIN XIE
Abstract The estimation of the size and changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is of great importance for decision makers to adopt proper measures to protect soils and to develop strategies for mitigation of greenhouse gases. In this paper, soil data from the Second State Soil Survey of China (SSSSC) conducted in the early 1980s and data published in the last 5 years were used to estimate the size of SOC stocks over the whole profile and their changes in China in last 20 years. Soils were identified as paddy, upland, forest, grassland or waste-land soils and an improved soil bulk density estimation method was used to estimate missing bulk density data. In the early 1980s, total SOC stocks were estimated at 89.61 Pg (1 Pg=103 Tg=1015 g) in China's 870.94 Mha terrestrial areas covered by 2473 soil series. In the paddy, upland, forest and grassland soils the respective total SOC stocks were 2.91 Pg on 29.87 Mha, 10.07 Pg on 125.89 Mha, 34.23 Pg on 249.32 Mha and 37.71 Pg on 278.51 Mha, respectively. The SOC density of the surface layer ranged from 3.5 Mg ha,1 in Gray Desery grassland soils to 252.6 Mg ha,1 in Mountain Meadow forest soils. The average area-weighted total SOC density in paddy soils (97.6 Mg ha,1) was higher than that in upland soils (80 Mg ha,1). Soils under forest (137.3 Mg ha,1) had a similar average area-weighted total SOC density as those under grassland (135.4 Mg ha,1). The annual estimated SOC accumulation rates in farmland and forest soils in the last 20 years were 23.61 and 11.72 Tg, respectively, leading to increases of 0.472 and 0.234 Pg SOC in farmland and forest areas, respectively. In contrast, SOC under grassland declined by 3.56 Pg due to the grassland degradation over this period. The resulting estimated net SOC loss in China's soils over the last 20 years was 2.86 Pg. The documented SOC accumulation in farmland and forest soils could thus not compensate for the loss of SOC in grassland soils in the last 20 years. There were, however, large regional differences: Soils in China's South and Eastern parts acted mainly as C sinks, increasing their average topsoil SOC by 132 and 145 Tg, respectively. In contrast, in the Northwest, Northeast, Inner Mongolia and Tibet significant losses of 1.38, 0.21, 0.49 and 1.01 Pg of SOC, respectively, were estimated over the last 20 years. These results highlight the importance to take measures to protect grassland and to improve management practices to increase C sequestration in farmland and forest soils. [source]

The microfood web of grassland soils responds to a moderate increase in atmospheric CO2

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2005
Ilja Sonnemann
Abstract The response of the soil microfood web (microflora, nematodes) to a moderate increase in atmospheric CO2 (+20%) was investigated by means of a free air CO2 enrichment experiment. The study was carried out in a seminatural temperate grassland for a period of 4 consecutive years (1 year before fumigation commenced and 3 years with fumigation). Several soil biological parameters showed no change (microbial biomass, bacterial biomass) or decline (microbial respiration) in the first year of elevated CO2 treatment as compared with controls. Each of these parameters were higher than controls, however, after 3 years of treatment. The relative abundance of predaceous nematodes also decreased in year 1 of the experiment, increased in year 2, but decreased again in year 3. In contrast, the relative abundance of root hair feeding nematodes, at first, increased under elevated CO2 and then returned to the initial level again. Increased microbial biomass indicates enhanced C storage in the labile carbon pool of the active microfood web in subsequent years. According to measurements on the amounts of soil extractable C, changes in resource availability seem to be key to the response of the soil microfood web. We found a strong response of bacteria to elevated CO2, while the fungal biomass remained largely unchanged. This contrasts to findings reported in the literature. We hypothesize that this may be because of contrasting effects of different levels of CO2 enrichment on the microbial community (i.e. stimulation of bacteria at moderate levels and stimulation of fungi at high levels of CO2 enrichment). However, various CO2 effects observed in our study are similar in magnitude to those observed in other studies for a much higher level of atmospheric carbon. These include the particular sensitivity of predaceous nematodes and the long-term increase of microbial respiration. Our findings confirm that the potential of terrestrial ecosystems to accumulate additional carbon might be lower than previously thought. Furthermore, CO2 -induced changes of temperate grassland ecosystems might emerge much earlier than expected. [source]

Survival and spread of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in alpine pasture grasslands

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
B. Fremaux
Abstract Aims:, To determine the fate of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains defecated onto alpine grassland soils. Methods and Results:, During the summers of 2005 and 2006, the field survival of STEC was monitored in cowpats and underlying soils in four different alpine pasture units. A most probable number (MPN)-PCR stx assay was used to enumerate STEC populations. STEC levels ranged between 3·9 and 5·4 log10 CFU g,1 in fresh cowpats and slowly decreased until their complete decay (inactivation rates k < 0·04 day,1). PFGE typing of STEC strains isolated from faecal and soil samples assessed the persistence of various clonal types for at least 2 months in cowpats and their vertical dispersal down through the soil at a depth up to at least 20 cm. STEC cells counts in soil were always below 2 log10 CFU g,1, regardless of the pasture unit investigated. The soil became rapidly free of detectable STEC once the cowpat had decomposed. The eight STEC strains isolated during this study belonged to six distinct serotypes and tested positive for the gene(s) stx2, including the stx2g and stx2 NV206 variants. Conclusions:, STEC were able to persist in cowpats and disseminate down through the soil but were unable to establish. Significance and impact of the Study:, This study provides useful information concerning the ecology of STEC in alpine pasture grasslands and may have implications for land and cattle management. [source]

Spatial variation of soil test phosphorus in a long-term grazed experimental grassland fieldWeijun Fu1, 2

JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010
Hubert Tunney
Abstract The spatial variation of soil test P (STP) in grassland soils is becoming important because of the use of STP as a basis for policies such as the recently EU-introduced Nitrate Directive. This research investigates the spatial variation of soil P in grazed grassland plots with a long-term (38 y) experiment. A total of 326 soil samples (including 14 samples from an adjacent grass-wood buffer zone) were collected based on a 10 × 10 m2 grid system. The samples were measured for STP and other nutrients. The results were analyzed using conventional statistics, geostatistics, and a geographic information system (GIS). Soil test P concentrations followed a lognormal distribution, with a median of 5.30 mg L,1 and a geometric mean of 5.35 mg L,1. Statistically significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation between STP and pH was found. Spatial clusters and spatial outliers were detected using the local Moran's I index (a local indicator of spatial association) and were mapped using GIS. An obvious low-value spatial-cluster area was observed on the plots that received zero-P fertilizer application from 1968 to 1998 and a large high-value spatial-cluster area was found on the relatively high-P fertilizer application plots (15,kg ha,1 y,1). The local Moran's I index was also effective in detecting spatial outliers, especially at locations close to spatial-cluster areas. To obtain a reliable and stable spatial structure, semivariogram of soil-P data was produced after elimination of spatial outliers. A spherical model with a nugget effect was chosen to fit the experimental semivariogram. The spatial-distribution map of soil P was produced using the kriging interpolation method. The interpolated distribution map was dominated by medium STP values, ranging from 3 mg to 8 mg L,1. An evidently low-P-value area was present in the upper side of the study area, as zero or short-term P fertilizer was applied on the plots. Meanwhile, high-P-value area was located mainly on the plots receiving 15,kg P ha,1 y,1 (for 38 y) as these plots accumulated excess P after a long-term P-fertilizer spreading. The high- or low-value patterns were in line with the spatial clusters. Geostatistics, combined with GIS and the local spatial autocorrelation index, provides a useful tool for analyzing the spatial variation in soil nutrients. [source]

Effect of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the fate of nitrogen applied to a soil incubated under laboratory conditions

JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2003
M. Kaleem Abbasi
Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the fate and recovery of fertilizer nitrogen (N) and on N mineralization from soil organic sources. Intact soil cores were collected from a grassland field. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea were applied as N sources. Cores were equilibrated at ,5 kPa matric potential and incubated at 20,°C for 42 to 56 days. Changes in NH4+ -N, accumulation of NO3, -N, apparent recovery of applied N, and emission of N2O (acetylene was used to block N2O reductase) were examined during the study. A significant increase in NH4+ -N released through mineralization was recorded when nitrapyrin was added to the control soil without N fertilizer application. In the soils to which N was added either as urea or DAP, 50,90,% of the applied N disappeared from the NH4+ -N pool. Some of this N (8,16,%) accumulated as NO3, -N, while a small proportion of N (1,%) escaped as N2O. Addition of nitrapyrin resulted in a decrease and delay of NH4+ -N disappearance, accumulation of much lower soil NO3, -N contents, a substantial reduction in N2O emissions, and a 30,40,% increase in the apparent recovery of added N. The study indicates that N recovery can be increased by using the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin in grassland soils at moisture condition close to field capacity. No translation. [source]

The hydrological response of heavy clay grassland soils to rainfall in south-west England using ,2H,

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 5 2010
Steven J. Granger
Stable isotopes of water have been previously used in catchment studies to separate rain-event water from pre-event groundwater. However, there are a lack of studies at the smaller scale looking at the separation of event water from pre-event water. This is particularly relevant for heavy clay soil systems through which the movement of water is uncertain but is thought to be rainwater-dominated. The data presented here were collected at a rural site in the south-west of England. The historic rainfall at the site was isotopically varied but similar to the global meteoric water line, with annual weighted means of ,37, for ,2H and ,5.7, for ,18O and with no seasonal variation. Drainage was sampled from the inter-flow (surface runoff,+,lateral through-flow) and drain-flow (55,cm deep mole drains) pathways of two 1,ha lysimeters during two rainfall events, which had ,2H values of ,68, and ,92,, respectively. The ,2H values of the lysimeter drainage water suggest that there was no contribution of event water during the first, small discharge (Q) event; however, the second larger event did show isotopic variation in ,2H values negatively related to Q indicating that rainwater was contributing to Q. A hydrograph separation indicated that only 49,58% of the inter-flow and 18,25% of the drain-flow consisted of event water. This was surprising given that these soil types are considered retentive of soil water. More work is needed on heavy clay soils to understand better the nature of water movement from these systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Use of labelled nitrogen to measure gross and net rates of mineralization and microbial activity in permanent pastures following fertilizer applications at different time intervals,

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 23 2002
David J. Hatch
Measurements of some of the main internal N-cycling processes in soil were obtained by labelling the inorganic N pool with the stable isotope of nitrogen (15N). The 15N mean pool dilution technique, combined with other field measurements, enabled gross and net N-mineralization rates to be resolved in grassland soils, which had previously either received fertilizer N (F), or had remained unfertilized (U) for many years. The two soils were subdivided into plots that received N at different time intervals (over 3 weeks), prior to 15N measurements being made. By this novel approach, possible ,priming' effects over time were investigated to try to overcome some of the temporal problems of isotopic labelling of soil N (native plus fertilizer) and to identify possible changes in a range of primary N-transformation processes. The results suggested that an overall stimulation of microbially mediated processes occurred with all N treatments, but there were inconsistencies associated with the release of N, both in the timing and the degree to which different processes responded to the application of fertilizer N. The rates of these processes were, however, within the range of previously reported data and the 15N measurements were not adversely affected by the differences in N pools created by the treatments. Thus, the mean pool dilution technique was shown to be applicable to agricultural soils, under conditions relevant to grass swards receiving fertilizer. For example, between the,U and F treatments, the size of inorganic N pools increased by five-fold and gross rates of mineralization reached 3.5 and 4.8,µg N g,1 (dry soil) d,1, respectively, but did not vary greatly with the timing of N applications. A correlation (r2,=,0.57) was found between soil respiration (which is relatively simple to measure) and net mineralization (which is more time consuming), suggesting that the former might be used as an indicator of the latter. Although this relationship was stronger in previously unfertilized soils, the similarities found with fertilized soils suggest that this approach could be used to obtain information of wider agronomic value and would, therefore, warrant further work under a range of soil conditions. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]