Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ji Liu, Yi Wang, Yong Li, Josep Penuelas, Ying Zhao, Jordi Sardans, Doerthe Tetzlaff, Jian Liu, Xinliang Liu, Hongzhao Yuan, Yanyan Li, Ji Chen, Jinshui Wu
Summary: The ecological stoichiometry of soil and stream water relationships plays an important role in regulating stream water quality by influencing nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and ratios. A soil carbon to phosphorus ratio above 97.8 mol mol- 1 is required to achieve the desired regulation of stream water nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and control algal growth. Furthermore, the relationships between catchment landscape and soil ecological stoichiometry provide practical options for regulating soil ecological stoichiometry.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zhe Wang, Defeng Feng, Xin Liu, Bin Hu, Weikai Bao
Summary: This study investigated the biogeographical patterns of nutrient content in bryophytes and their relationship with environmental factors in Sichuan province, China. The results showed that the nutrient content of bryophytes was positively correlated with soil nutrient content and negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation and shrub and herb cover. Soil nutrient content and mean annual temperature were found to be the main driving factors for the nutrient content of bryophytes. This study provides valuable insights into the ecological role of bryophytes in nutrient cycling in ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuting Dai, Ping Zhou, Xiaobin Guo, Pei Luo, Xiangbi Chen, Jinshui Wu
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of environmental factors on concentrations and ratios of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in subtropical paddy soils. The results showed that climate and bulk density control the nutrients in subsoil, while clay plays a dominant role in controlling phosphorus throughout the soil profile.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tom M. Nolte, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg, Ana B. Rios-Miguel, Ya-nan Zhang, A. Jan Hendriks
Summary: This study investigates the impact of concentration on the metabolic capacity of bacteria in degrading pollutants. It proposes a method to measure the effectiveness of a pollutant in enhancing its own degradation by inducing metabolic cofactors. The results show that the concentration of nutrients and co-metabolites have a significant impact on the degradation rate.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yi Li, Jieying Wang, Liyuan He, Xiaofeng Xu, Jun Wang, Chengjie Ren, Yaoxin Guo, Fazhu Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the variation of microbial phosphorus cycling functional genes in forest soils and their controlling factors using metagenomics. The results showed that the abundance of these genes increased along the elevational gradient, with Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria being the dominant microbial phyla. Furthermore, soil substrates and environment were identified as the major factors influencing the variation of these functional genes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexander Wachholz, Joni Dehaspe, Pia Ebeling, Rohini Kumar, Andreas Musolff, Felipe Saavedra, Carolin Winter, Soohyun Yang, Daniel Graeber
Summary: Anthropogenic nutrient inputs have caused severe degradation in surface water resources, leading to negative impacts on aquatic ecosystem health and functioning. The stoichiometry of reactive nutrient ratios, including rOC:rN:rP, plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling and ecosystem metabolism. A mutual assessment of these ratios, relative to organismic demands, can enhance our understanding of nutrient depletion and excess. In the study of 574 German catchments, it was found that the majority exhibit a depletion or co-depletion in rOC and rP, emphasising the widespread excess of N in anthropogenically influenced landscapes. The imbalances in rOC:rN:rP ratios have significant implications for nutrient retention efficiency, eutrophication levels, and the global carbon cycle, highlighting the importance of considering stoichiometry in catchment and aquatic ecosystem management.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Jessica Clayton, Kathleen Lemanski, Michael Bonkowski
Summary: The study found significant shifts in soil microbial stoichiometry and metabolic quotient after reaching a critical threshold of 1% organic carbon. Increasing organic carbon led to higher microbial nitrogen and decreased metabolic quotient, which remained constant at a low level thereafter. Soils with low organic carbon had unstable microbial fractions, while exceeding the threshold value led to a new equilibrium state allowing for more efficient carbon acquisition by soil microbes.
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manuel Gonzalez-Rosado, Luis Parras-Alcantara, Jesus Aguilera-Huertas, Beatriz Lozano-Garcia
Summary: The study evaluated soil organic carbon and total nitrogen dynamics under rain-fed olive groves over a long-term period, and found significant reductions in organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks due to conventional tillage and no-tillage practices. This highlights the need for sustainable soil management practices to achieve the 4% initiative targets.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Wen Zhao, Lai-Ming Huang
Summary: This study investigated the changes in and factors associated with soil nutrients and stoichiometric ratios during different stages of soil development using a well-established soil chronosequence developed on basalt in southern China. Results showed that available nitrogen decreased continuously with increasing soil age. Total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and soil organic carbon increased initially during the early stage of soil development, but TP and AP fluctuated with increasing soil age, whereas SOC exhibited a decreasing trend with aging soil. The profile-averaged C:N, C:P, and N:P remained relatively stable across the soil chronosequence, while the profile-averaged AN:AP varied greatly with increasing soil age.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoli Liu, Li Dou, Xunhuan Ding, Tao Sun, Haijun Zhang
Summary: This study explores the impact of different vegetation types on soil properties in a degraded limestone mountain ecosystem. Native shrubs and grasses can improve soil fertility and serve as an alternative to afforestation in rehabilitating degraded limestone mountain areas in the mid-eastern region of China.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hu Cui, Hui Zhu, Brian Shutes, Alain N. Rousseau, Wei-Dong Feng, Sheng-Nan Hou, Yang Ou, Bai-Xing Yan
Summary: This study found that the application of organic manure can promote the fragmentation and agglomeration of soil aggregates, increase the proportion of medium-size aggregates, and enhance soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and phosphorus content. Additionally, it was observed that the microbial communities in the micro-aggregates were more abundant, indicating that organic manure can enhance microbial diversity in soil.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Timothy M. Bowles, Andrea Jilling, Karen Moran-Rivera, Jorg Schnecker, A. Stuart Grandy
Summary: Crop rotational complexity influences nitrogen cycling and plant physiology, improving nitrogen uptake and water use efficiency, particularly in dry conditions.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yang Zhao, Yanqiao Zhao, Wenwen Xu, Nan Wang
Summary: Incubated biocrusts (IBSC), consisting of cyanobacteria, moss, and lichen, have shown great potential in preventing soil erosion and restoring soil function in degraded drylands. The nutrient content and stoichiometric ratios of soil are important factors influencing the colonization and development of IBSC in desert environments. Increasing soil carbon content to improve the C:N and C:P ratios can enhance the recovery and colonization of IBSC.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Mengke Cai, Shiping Xing, Xiaoqing Cheng, Li Liu, Xinhao Peng, Tianxiong Shang, Hairong Han
Summary: The study conducted in a Larix principis-rupprechtti Mayr. plantation showed that medium density plantation significantly increased litter layer biomass, soil temperature, and other soil properties. Thinning had a great influence on the biomass of microbial communities, with the concentration of phospholipid fatty acids for bacteria and fungi in the medium density plantation being significantly higher than in other thinning treatments. The research emphasizes the importance of soil factors and microbial communities in driving soil microbial stoichiometry and demonstrates that thinning management can influence the stoichiometric ratios of elements in microorganisms.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shaoying Lin, Weiqi Wang, Tony Vancov, Derrick Yuk Fo Lai, Chun Wang, Martin Wiesmeier, Qiang Jin, Xuyang Liu, Yunying Fang
Summary: Due to intensive cultivation, paddy fields in southeastern China are experiencing varying degrees of degradation and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC), leading to potential threats to the industry's sustainability. This study examined soil nutrients, stoichiometric ratios, and carbon pool management index (CPMI) in degraded paddy fields. The results showed that severe degradation led to significant decreases in concentrations of total nitrogen (N), labile organic carbon (C), total phosphorus (P), and available P, while iron (Fe) and available N tended to increase. The study also found that soil pH, Fe3+, sand, and electrical conductivity significantly influenced soil stoichiometric ratio and nutrients. Overall, paddy degradation resulted in greater loss of soil carbon and nitrogen than phosphorus, highlighting the need for proper agricultural practices and reduced cultivation of exhaustive crops to mitigate further soil degradation and restore soil fertility and carbon sequestration.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kevin Van Sundert, Mohammed A. S. Arfin Khan, Siddharth Bharath, Yvonne M. Buckley, Maria C. Caldeira, Ian Donohue, Maren Dubbert, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Anu Eskelinen, Alain Finn, Tobias Gebauer, Sylvia Haider, Amandine Hansart, Anke Jentsch, Angelika Kuebert, Ivan Nijs, Charles A. Nock, Carla Nogueira, Anita J. Porath-Krause, Dajana Radujkovic, Xavier Raynaud, Anita C. Risch, Christiane Roscher, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Max A. Schuchardt, Martin Schutz, Julia Siebert, Judith Sitters, Marie Spohn, Risto Virtanen, Christiane Werner, Peter Wilfahrt, Sara Vicca
Summary: Nutrient addition can exacerbate the detrimental effects of drought on aboveground biomass production in grassland communities, with different responses observed among functional groups.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
P. M. Schleuss, M. Widdig, L. A. Biederman, E. T. Borer, M. J. Crawley, K. P. Kirkman, E. W. Seabloom, P. D. Wragg, M. Spohn
Summary: The addition of nitrogen and phosphorus changes the C:N ratio of dissolved organic matter, but not of soil microbial biomass. Nitrogen addition decreases non-symbiotic N-2 fixation and increases microbial N release, while phosphorus addition has minimal effects. Changes in substrate stoichiometry drive alterations in microbial N acquisition and release in grassland ecosystems.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marie Spohn, Stefan Holzheu
Summary: The study reveals that soil CO2 concentration increases linearly with depth in desert soil, showing a diel oscillation that decreases with soil depth as well as a hysteretic relationship between topsoil CO2 concentration and air/soil temperature. Thermal convective venting is likely responsible for the observed dynamics, suggesting a significant control of temperature differences on gas exchange within soil systems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marie Spohn, Felipe Aburto, Todd A. Ehlers, Nina Farwig, Patrick J. Frings, Henrik Hartmann, Thomas Hoffmann, Annegret Larsen, Yvonne Oelmann
Summary: This study introduces a conceptual framework on buffering through storage and recycling of elements in terrestrial ecosystems, highlighting the importance of elements' storage and recycling for ecosystem resilience to environmental change.
Article
Soil Science
Giovanni Pastore, Alfons R. Weig, Eduardo Vazquez, Marie Spohn
Summary: This study demonstrates that the weathering of calcareous bedrocks is greatly influenced by soil microorganisms, and there is likely a selective pressure towards a higher abundance of phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria in phosphorus-poor soils.
Article
Soil Science
Marie Spohn, Katerina Diakova, Felipe Aburto, Sebastian Doetterl, Jakub Borovec
Summary: The addition of phosphate led to a significant increase in DOC concentration in soils, causing desorption of medium and large molecular size organic matter, especially in Ferralsols. Compared to chloride addition, phosphate addition also decreased the subsequent sorption of DOC, indicating its impact on the stabilization of soil organic matter.
Article
Soil Science
Andrea Scheibe, Marie Spohn
Summary: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that N2 fixation by free-living microorganisms is a quantitatively important process in arid and semiarid ecosystems and that N-2 fixation per unit microbial biomass increases with increasing aridity. The study found that N2 fixation is indeed important in these ecosystems and that the fixation rate per unit microbial biomass decreases with declining aridity.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ulrike Schwerdtner, Marie Spohn
Summary: This study examines plant interactions in intercropping that contribute to the acquisition of nitrogen and phosphorus by plants, leading to higher yields. The results show that intercropping with legumes such as soy and lupin increases nitrogen and phosphorus content in maize, indicating the advantages of intercropping for nutrient acquisition. Additionally, changes in the rhizosphere, such as increased phosphatase activity by lupin and faba bean, and pH changes caused by mustard and faba bean, contribute to nutrient mobilization and promote maize growth in intercropping.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Ulrike Schwerdtner, Ulrike Lacher, Marie Spohn
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of phosphorus (P) mobilization by different plant species from organic and inorganic sources. The results showed that soy has a high potential to mobilize P from struvite and phytate, while mustard has a high potential to mobilize P from FePO4.
NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGROECOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Marie Spohn, Bjorn Berg
Summary: During the initial stages of leaf and needle litter decomposition, microorganisms face nitrogen and phosphorus scarcity. The aim of the study was to explore the import and release of nutrients into and from decomposing Norway spruce and Scots pine needle litter. The results show that nutrient import into decomposing plant litter is a quantitatively important process in temperate and boreal forests, alleviating stoichiometric imbalance and contributing to microbial nutrient acquisition.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Eduardo Vazquez, Elizabeth T. Borer, Miguel N. Bugalho, Maria C. Caldeira, Rebecca L. McCulley, Anita C. Risch, Eric W. Seabloom, George R. Wheeler, Marie Spohn
Summary: The synergistic response of aboveground plant biomass production to combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition has been observed in many ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms underlying this response, including changes in biomass allocation, increased nutrient uptake by plants, and enhanced ecosystem nutrient retention.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie Spohn, Sumanta Bagchi, Lori A. Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Kari Anne Brathen, Miguel N. Bugalho, Maria C. Caldeira, Jane A. Catford, Scott L. Collins, Nico Eisenhauer, Nicole Hagenah, Sylvia Haider, Yann Hautier, Johannes M. H. Knops, Sally E. Koerner, Lauri Laanisto, Ylva Lekberg, Jason P. Martina, Holly Martinson, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Pablo L. Peri, Petr Macek, Sally A. Power, Anita C. Risch, Christiane Roscher, Eric W. Seabloom, Carly Stevens, G. F. (Ciska) Veen, Risto Virtanen, Laura Yahdjian
Summary: Our study reveals a positive correlation between plant diversity and soil organic carbon content as well as carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. This relationship is particularly strong in warm and arid climates. We found that plant diversity influences soil carbon storage through the quality rather than the quantity of organic matter inputs. Restoring plant diversity may enhance soil carbon sequestration.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marie Spohn, Sabina Braun, Carlos A. Sierra
Summary: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of long-term tillage on soil element dynamics. The results showed that after 80 years, phosphorus addition did not significantly affect soil phosphorus stocks, indicating plant uptake from subsoil. Crop yields increased over time, but soil organic carbon and phosphorus stocks decreased, suggesting unsustainable agricultural practices. The study emphasizes the need for chemical analyses of European cropland soils.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Andrea Scheibe, Carlos A. A. Sierra, Marie Spohn
Summary: The microbial activity in deep soil is fueled by recently fixed carbon rather than old carbon that persisted in soil for several hundred years. Understanding the carbon source of microbial activity in deep soil is important for identifying the drivers of biotic processes in the critical zone.
Article
Ecology
Marie Spohn, Johan Stendahl
Summary: This study explored the carbon, nitrogen, and organic phosphorus contents and ratios in temperate and boreal forest soils and their relationships with climate, dominant tree species, and soil texture. The results showed that the nitrogen stock and nitrogen:phosphorus ratio increased with temperature, and forests dominated by pine had higher carbon:nitrogen ratios. Additionally, the contents of carbon, nitrogen, and organic phosphorus were higher in fine-textured soils.