Article
Ecology
Ying Shen, Dashuan Tian, Jihua Hou, Jinsong Wang, Ruiyang Zhang, Zhaolei Li, Xinli Chen, Xuehong Wei, XinYu Zhang, Yicheng He, Shuli Niu
Summary: This study found that acid addition consistently reduced litter decomposition rate, regardless of nutrient addition or litter types. Soil acidification in temperate forests was shown to decelerate litter decomposition independently of soil nutrient availability and litter types. In the future, intensifying soil acidification due to continuous nitrogen deposition may lead to a reduction in litter nutrient return to soil, potentially causing multiple soil nutrient limitations.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xia Zhang, Songlin Liu, Jinlong Li, Yunchao Wu, Hongxue Luo, Zhijian Jiang, Xiaoping Huang
Summary: The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool in seawater plays a crucial role in carbon sequestration in seagrass meadows, and microbial activities are key factors affecting DOC decomposition and sequestration potential. This study investigated microbial communities and extracellular enzyme activity in seagrass meadows with different nutrient levels. The results showed that nutrient loading enhanced extracellular enzyme activity levels and modified bacterial communities, thereby accelerating DOC remineralization.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Zhijian Mou, Luhui Kuang, Jing Zhang, Yue Li, Wenjia Wu, Chao Liang, Dafeng Hui, Hans Lambers, Jordi Sardans, Josep Penuelas, Juxiu Liu, Hai Ren, Zhanfeng Liu
Summary: The persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) is influenced by microbial metabolic activities, but how microbial effects on SOC sequestration are affected by soil nutrient status remains unclear. This study found that higher nutrient availability promoted the production and accumulation of microbial necromass, enhancing SOC accumulation in fertile soil. In contrast, nutrient deficiency led to preferential resource allocation to stress-tolerant fungi and Gram-positive bacteria, resulting in SOC loss in infertile sand.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Xianzhen Luo, Lingling Zhang, Yafeng Yi, Dazhi Wen
Summary: The study examines the effects of elevated CO2 and N deposition on leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release in a heavy-metal-contaminated environment. The results show that elevated CO2 and N addition offset the negative effects of Cd addition on litter decomposition and nutrient loss.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hao Chen, Chang Yin, Xiaoping Fan, Mujun Ye, Yongchao Liang
Summary: The study found that adding straw can cause positive PE through microbial co-metabolism, and long-term addition of phosphorus fertilizer significantly increased PE, mainly mediated by fungal families Chaetomiaceae and Myrmecridiaceae, accompanied by enhanced microbial biomass carbon, extracellular enzyme activities, and bacterial gene abundance.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Hanqing Wu, Sichen Wan, Chujin Ruan, Xinyao Niu, Guowei Chen, Ying Liu, Kun Zhu, Rainer Schulin, Gang Wang
Summary: Phage-bacterium interactions play a crucial role in soil microbial life and ecological functions, such as microbial evolution, community patterns, and nutrient cycling. This study investigated how a soil phage manipulates bacterial lysis and its impact on C and N dynamics using a laboratory incubation microcosm model system. The results showed that phage-induced bacterial lysis significantly increased the necromass C and N contents, which was correlated to nutrient conditions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Peter T. Pellitier, Robert B. Jackson
Summary: This study provides direct evidence that phosphorus (P) constrains the growth responses of understory plants to elevated CO2 (eCO2), and indirectly highlights the role of microorganisms in plant responses to eCO2.
Article
Agronomy
Blessing Mhlanga, Elisa Pellegrino, Christian Thierfelder, Laura Ercoli
Summary: Conservation agriculture can increase crop productivity sustainably, but the implementation of its three main components is challenging in Southern Africa. Research analyzing component omission experiments revealed the significant impact of soil chemical properties and crop nutrient uptake on maize yield, suggesting a holistic approach to cropping system assessment.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Soil Science
Michiel Op De Beeck, Per Persson, Anders Tunlid
Summary: Filamentous fungi play a crucial role in the decomposition of lignocellulose in soil organic matter. The association between extracellular enzymes and EPS matrices in fungi affects the efficiency of decomposition reactions. Fungal EPS matrices are dynamic and functional components that ensure extracellular decomposition reactions proceed at the right time and place.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ruixing Hou, Huarui Gong, Zhu Ouyang, Maxim Dorodnikov, Yakov Kuzyakov
Summary: No-tillage contributes to organic matter accumulation and carbon sequestration in soil. However, global warming may promote microbial activity and accelerate soil organic matter decomposition, especially in the topsoil. It is important to understand the response of microbial utilization of organic matter under no-tillage to higher temperatures in order to develop sustainable soil fertility management strategies.
Article
Agronomy
Jinyu Hu, Huasong Chen, Lingyan Yue, Shengen Liu, Liji Wu, Bing Wang, Dima Chen
Summary: By conducting nitrogen and phosphorus deposition experiments at different elevations in subtropical forests, it was found that the effects of nutrient deposition on soil microorganisms and soil organic matter decomposition varied across elevational gradients. The results demonstrate that the short-term effects of nutrient deposition on soil microorganisms and soil organic matter decomposition are modulated by environmental context.
Article
Ecology
Sylvie Drahorad, Peter Felix-Henningsen, Jan Siemens, Bernd Marschner, Stefanie Heinze
Summary: Biocrusts are crucial for the biogeochemical cycles of semiarid ecosystems and are strongly influenced by environmental factors. Differences in moisture regime and sampling depth affect soil properties, with the topcrusts being efficient zones of nutrient turnover and subcrusts also playing an important role in the cycles.
Article
Soil Science
Qiufeng Xu, Jiayu Lu, Feike A. Dijkstra, Liming Yin, Peng Wang, Weixin Cheng
Summary: The rhizosphere priming effect (RPE), which refers to the acceleration or retardation of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition by plant roots, plays a vital role in influencing atmospheric CO2 concentration and regulating the feedback of terrestrial ecosystems to future global change. This study investigated the interactive effect of elevated CO2 and nitrogen (N) addition on the RPE and found that nitrogen addition could alleviate plant-microbe competition for N under ambient CO2 but not the stronger competition for N under elevated CO2. These findings highlight the significance of the RPE for soil organic carbon decomposition and global carbon cycling.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tanu Kumari, Rishikesh Singh, Pramit Verma, Akhilesh Singh Raghubanshi
Summary: Soil respiration is influenced by a variety of factors including vegetation density, monsoon phases, and microbial and root biomass. Heterotrophic respiration is the major contributor to soil respiration in medium to high-density vegetation, while autotrophic respiration dominates in low-density vegetation during certain monsoon phases. The partitioning of root biomass plays a crucial role in regulating the components of soil respiration.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yue Liu, Jisong Yang, Kai Ning, Andong Wang, Qiuxian Wang, Xuehong Wang, Shuwen Wang, Zhenbo Lv, Yajie Zhao, Junbao Yu
Summary: The study reveals that wetland type and soil depth significantly affect the Q(10) values of anaerobic soil organic matter decomposition. Different wetland types and soil depths show distinct differences in Q(10) values, and total organic carbon, salinity, and pH have varying impacts on the Q(10) values of the decomposition process.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Yunying Fang, Ehsan Tavakkoli, Zhe Weng, Damian Collins, Deirdre Harvey, Niloofar Karimian, Yu Luo, Promil Mehra, Michael T. Rose, Nigel Wilhelm, Lukas Van Zwieten
Summary: Calcisols pose unique challenges due to their low organic carbon content and storage capacity. This study investigated the role of iron oxyhydroxides in carbon cycling, and found that they can stabilize organic carbon and increase carbon storage in Calcisols.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yichun Li, Jianfeng Ning, Qi Li, Linfeng Li, Nanthi S. Bolan, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Hailong Wang
Summary: This study found that microbially mediated nitrate reduction coupled to ferrous oxidation (NRFO) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to ferric reduction (Feammox) play important roles in Cd availability, especially in paddy soils characterized by dynamic redox processes. NRFO and Feammox affect the distribution of Cd by controlling the redistribution of Fe among the soil liquid and solid phases. Therefore, in paddy soils of southern China with high N inputs and high Fe content, NRFO and Feammox could be two potentially important mediating pathways for manipulating the bioavailability of Cd-contaminated soils.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hengtong Xie, Zimeng Chen, Xiaoxiao Feng, Mengcen Wang, Yu Luo, Yuefei Wang, Ping Xu
Summary: L-theanine, a non-protein amino acid found in tea plant roots, has been found to significantly alter the structure of the rhizosphere microbiota and affect gene abundance related to element cycling in soil.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Lu Ling, Yu Luo, Bin Jiang, Jitao Lv, Chunmei Meng, Yuhong Liao, Brian J. Reid, Fan Ding, Zhijiang Lu, Yakov Kuzyakov, Jianming Xu
Summary: Amendment of soil with biochar alters microbial community structure and enhances mineralization of soil organic carbon. The addition of biochar leads to a decrease in persistent DOM components and an increase in labile DOM components in the soil. Additionally, biochar promotes the release of CO2 carbon from the soil.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhe Weng, Lukas Van Zwieten, Ehsan Tavakkoli, Michael T. Rose, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Stephen Joseph, Lynne M. Macdonald, Stephen Kimber, Stephen Morris, Terry J. Rose, Braulio S. Archanjo, Caixian Tang, Ashley E. Franks, Hui Diao, Steffen Schweizer, Mark J. Tobin, Annaleise R. Klein, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, Shery L. Y. Chang, Peter M. Kopittke, Annette Cowie
Summary: Research has shown that the application of biochar can raise the storage ceiling of soil organic carbon (SOC), leading to increased retention of rhizodeposits and microbial necromass. Additionally, lowering specific enzyme activities can enhance microbial carbon utilization efficiency and reduce the mineralization of native SOC.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Nanthi Bolan, Ajit K. Sarmah, Sanandam Bordoloi, Shankar Bolan, Lokesh P. Padhye, Lukas Van Zwieten, Prasanthi Sooriyakumar, Basit Ahmed Khan, Mahtab Ahmad, Zakaria M. Solaiman, Joerg Rinklebe, Hailong Wang, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: Soil acidification in managed ecosystems, such as agricultural lands, is primarily caused by the release of protons from the transformation reactions of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur compounds. The use of liming materials can help neutralize these protons, reducing soil acidity and its negative impacts on the soil environment, food security, and human health. Biochar derived from organic residues has been recognized for its potential in addressing acidic soil through its alkaline nature and liming potential, leading to improved soil fertility and productivity.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Peipei Xue, Budiman Minasny, Alex McBratney, Vanessa Pino, Mario Fajardo, Yu Luo
Summary: Microorganisms play crucial roles in soil processes, and different microbial functional groups control nutrient cycling in soils. This study investigated the environmental and soil factors that drive the distribution of bacterial functional groups involved in soil carbon cycling. The results showed that temperature, rainfall, and soil properties significantly influenced the bacterial functional groups, and agricultural practices also had significant impacts on the composition and responses of these groups.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Jun Meng, Yan Li, Yingbo Qiu, Yu Luo, Yunying Fang, Lukas Van Zwieten, Hailong Wang, Huaihai Chen
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaomin Yang, Zhaoliang Song, Laodong Guo, Jingxu Wang, Yilun Ni, Zimin Li, Qian Hao, Qiang Li, Lele Wu, Wei Kuang, Yang Liu, Xiangbin Ran, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Iain P. Hartley, Hailong Wang
Summary: Phytoliths, a potentially promising material for carbon sequestration, have uncertain and controversial carbon content due to the lack of detailed information on the variation of carbon under different extraction procedures. In this study, a standardized approach was developed to evaluate the potential production rates of phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) globally in rice paddy fields. The results showed that the carbon content in recovered phytoliths exhibited a significant relationship with digestion degrees and the global production of total PhytOC in paddy fields was estimated to be (2.71 +/- 0.85) x 106 t year-1.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenke Zhang, Jun Meng, Yuwei Huang, Binoy Sarkar, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Xuanwei Zhou, Jian Gao, Yunpeng Teng, Hailong Wang, Wenfu Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effects of soil grain size and environmentally relevant solution chemistry on the transport behavior of biochar nanoparticles (BC-NP) in soil. The results showed that the transportability of BC-NP decreased with decreasing soil grain size and increasing soil clay content. Low cation concentrations allowed a significant proportion of BC-NP to penetrate the soil, while Ca2+ inhibited their transportability through charge shielding effect. HA enhanced the repulsion force between BC-NP and soil particles, leading to increased transportability, but high HA concentration combined with Ca2+ bridging reduced it. The transport behavior of BC-NP in soil was governed by competitive effects of soil grain size, environmental solution chemistry, and natural organic matter content.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Peipei Xue, Budiman Minasny, Alex McBratney, Neil L. Wilson, Yijia Tang, Yu Luo
Summary: Soil microbial communities are influenced by soil types and land use. This study investigated contrasting soils of natural forest and cropped vineyard in New South Wales, Australia and found that land use affected the bacterial community distribution in the topsoil, while soil types influenced the assembly of microbial communities in the subsoil. The study also revealed a decrease in topsoil organic carbon in the vineyard compared to the forest, which was correlated with changes in C-related genes and potentially accelerated carbon loss.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Auwal, Han Sun, U. K. Adamu, Jun Meng, Lukas Van Zwieten, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Yu Luo, Jianming Xu
Summary: Wildfires are a major factor in disrupting forest soils and altering the carbon (C) cycle. However, the specific contributions of abiotic and biotic drivers to CO2 emissions in post-fire forest soils are not well understood. This study examined CO2 emissions from burned and unburned forest soils across different latitudes. It found that wildfires increased phosphorous (P) pressure on soil microbes, resulting in decreased microbial biomass and diversity, as well as higher basal respiration. Additionally, the wildfires-induced P:N imbalance led to significant C loss through microbial exploitation of P from soil organic matter.
Article
Agronomy
Shaopan Xia, Zhaoliang Song, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Laodong Guo, Nanthi Bolan, Weiqi Wang, Guanghui Lin, Yin Fang, Xuefa Wen, Jing Wang, Iain P. Hartley, Xueyan Liu, Yidong Wang, Hailong Wang
Summary: This study investigated the natural stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen in coastal wetlands at a large spatial scale. The results showed that the spatial variability of delta C-13 patterns is mainly controlled by vegetation composition and plant C inputs, while climate and edaphic variables influence delta N-15 patterns.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ping Wu, Bhupinder Pal Singh, Hailong Wang, Zhifen Jia, Yujun Wang, Wenfu Chen
Summary: This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to visualize the current status and trends of biochar research. The results showed a significant increase in the number of publications in 2021, with China and the USA being the most contributing countries. The main research trends and hotspots in 2021 included toxic metal immobilization, biofuel production catalysts, climate change mitigation, salinity and drought stress amelioration, composting amendment, and anaerobic digestion additives. The study also proposed future research directions for the green and sustainable applications of biochar.
