Tracking the Fate of Microbially Sequestered Carbon Dioxide in Soil Organic Matter

<p>The microbial contribution to soil organic matter (SOM) has recently been shown to be much larger than previously thought and thus its role in carbon sequestration may also be underestimated. In this study we employ C-13 ((CO2)-C-13) to assess the potential CO2 sequestration capacity of soil chemoautotrophic bacteria and combine nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with stable isotope probing (SIP), techniques that independently make use of the isotopic enrichment of soil microbial biomass. In this way molecular information generated from NMR is linked with identification of microbes responsible for carbon capture. A mathematical model is developed to determine real-time CO2 flux so that net sequestration can be calculated. Twenty-eight groups of bacteria showing close homologies with existing species were identified. Surprisingly, Ralstonia eutropha was the dominant group. Through NMR we observed the formation of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins produced directly from CO2 utilized by microbial biomass. The component of SOM directly associated with CO2 capture was calculated at 2.86 mg C (89.21 mg kg(-1)) after 48 h. This approach can,differentiate between SOM derived through microbial uptake of CO2 and other SOM constituents and represents a first step in tracking the fate and dynamics of microbial biomass in soil.</p>

Interactions between ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil saprotrophs:Implications for decomposition of organic matter in soils and degradation of organic pollutants in the rhizosphere

<p>Ectomycorrhizal fungi and saprotrophic microorganisms coexist and interact in the mycorrhizosphere. We review what is known regarding these interactions and how they may influence processes such as ectomycorrhiza formation, mycelial growth, and the dynamics of carbon movement to and within the rhizosphere. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential importance of interactions in decomposition of soil organic matter and degradation of persistant organic pollutants in soil. While our knowledge is currently fairly limited, it seems likely that interactions have profound effects on mycorrhizosphere processes. More extensive research is warranted to provide novel insights into mycorrhizosphere ecology and to explore the potential for manipulating the ectomycorrhizosphere environment for biotechnological purposes.</p>

Retrospective assessment of dryland soil stability in relation to grazing and climate change

Accelerated soil erosion is an aspect of dryland degradation that is affected by repeated intense drought events and land management activities such as commercial livestock grazing. A soil stability index (SSI) that detects the erosion status and susceptibility of a landscape at the pixel level, i.e., stable, erosional, or depositional pixels, was derived from the spectral properties of an archived time series (from 1972 to 1997) of Landsat satellite data of a commercial ranch in northeastern Utah. The SSI was retrospectively validated with contemporary field measures of soil organic matter and erosion status that was surveyed by US federal land management agencies. Catastrophe theory provided the conceptual framework for retrospective assessment of the impact of commercial grazing and soil water availability on the SSI. The overall SSI trend was from an eroding landscape in the early drier 1970s towards stable conditions in the wetter mid-1980s and late 1990s. The landscape catastrophically shifted towards an extreme eroding state that was coincident with the ���The Great North American Drought of 1988���. Periods of landscape stability and trajectories toward stability were coincident with extremely wet El Ni��o events. Commercial grazing had less correlation with soil stability than drought conditions. However, the landscape became more susceptible to erosion events under multiple droughts and grazing. Land managers now have nearly a year warning of El Ni��o and La Ni��a events and can adjust their management decisions according to predicted landscape erosion conditions.

Degradation of 4-fluorobiphenyl in soil investigated by 19F NMR spectroscopy and 14C radiolabelling analysis

The incubation of the model pollutant [U-14C]'-4-fluorobiphenyl (4FBP) in soil, in the presence and absence of biphenyl (a co-substrate), was carried out in order to study the qualitative disposition and fate of the compound using 14C-HPLC and 19F NMR spectroscopy. Components accounted for using the radiolabel were volatilization, CO2 evolution, organic solvent extractable and bound residue. Quantitative analysis of these data gave a complete mass balance. After sample preparation. 14C-HPLC was used to establish the number of 4FBP related components present in the organic solvent extract. 19F NMR was also used to quantify the organic extracts and to identify the components of the extract. Both approaches showed that the composition of the solvent extractable fractions comprised only parent compound with no metabolites present. As the 14C radiolabel was found to be incorporated into the soil organic matter this indicates that metabolites were being generated, but were highly transitory as incorporation into the SOM was rapid. The inclusion of the co-substrate biphenyl was to increase the overall rate of degradation of 4FBP in soil. The kinetics of disappearance of parent from the soil using the data obtained were investigated from both techniques. This is the first report describing the degradation of a fluorinated biphenyl in soil.

CO2 uptake by a soil microcosm

<p>Sequestration of CO2 via biological sinks is a matter of great scientific importance due to the potential lowering of atmospheric CO2. In this study, a custom built incubation chamber was used to cultivate a soil microbial community to instigate chemoautotrophy of a temperate soil. Real-time atmospheric CO2 concentrations were monitored and estimations of total CO2 uptake were made. After careful background flux corrections, 4.52 +/- 0.05 g CO2 kg I dry soil was sequestered from the chamber atmosphere over 40 h. Using isotopically labelled (CO2)-C-13 and GCMS-IRMS, labelled fatty acids were identified after only a short incubation, hence confirming CO2 sequestration for soil. The results of this in vivo study provide the ground work for future studies intending to mimic the in situ environment by providing a reliable method for investigating CO2 uptake by soil microorganisms.(C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p>

Characterizing Pb mobilization from upland soils to streams using (206)Pb/(207)Pb isotopic ratios

Anthropogenically deposited lead (Pb) binds efficiently to soil organic matter, which can be mobilized through hydrologically mediated mechanisms, with implications for ecological and potable quality of receiving waters. Lead isotopic ((206)Pb/(207)Pb) ratios change down peat profiles as a consequence of long-term temporal variation in depositional sources, each with distinctive isotopic signatures. This study characterizes differential Pb transport mechanisms from deposition to streams at two small catchments with contrasting soil types in upland Wales, U.K., by determining Pb concentrations and (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios from soil core profiles, interstitial pore waters, and stream water. Hydrological characteristics of soils are instrumental in determining the location in soil profiles of exported Pb and hence concentration and (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios in surface waters. The highest Pb concentrations from near-surface soils are mobilized, concomitant with high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exports, from hydrologically responsive peat soils with preferential shallow subsurface flows, leading to increased Pb concentrations in stream water and isotopic signatures more closely resembling recently deposited Pb. In more minerogenic soils, percolation of water allows Pb, bound to DOC, to be retained in mineral horizons and combined with other groundwater sources, resulting in Pb being transported from throughout the profile with a more geogenic isotopic signature. This study shows that (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios can enhance our understanding of the provenances and transport mechanisms of Pb and potentially organic matter within upland soils.

Ancient manuring practices pollute arable soils at the St Kilda World Heritage Site, Scottish North Atlantic

The impact of ancient fertilization practices on the biogeochemistry of arable soils on the remote Scottish island of Hirta, St Kilda was investigated. The island was relatively unusual in that the inhabitants exploited seabird colonies for food, enabling high population densities to be sustained on a limited, and naturally poor, soil resource. A few other Scottish islands, the Faeroes and some Icelandic Islands, had similar cultural dependence on seabirds. Fertilization with human and animal waste streams (mainly peat ash and bird carcases) on Hirta over millennia has led to over-deepened, nutrient-rich soils (plaggen). This project set out to examine if this high rate of fertilization had adversely impacted the soil, and if so, to determine which waste streams were responsible. Arable soils were considerably elevated in Pb and Zn compared to non-arable soils. Using Pb isotope signatures and analysis of the waste streams, it was determined that this pollution came from peat and turf ash (Pb and Zn) and from bird carcases (Zn). This was also confirmed by (13)C and (15)N analysis of the profiles which showed that soil organic matter was highly enriched in marine-derived C and N compared to non-arable soils. The pollution of such a remote island may be typical of other 'bird culture' islands, and peat ash contamination of marginal arable soils at high latitudes may be widespread in terms of geographical area, but less intense at specific locations due to lower population densities than on Hirta.

Water Content Determinations for Peat and Other Organic Soils Using the Oven-Drying Method

There has been much debate in the literature over the past 60 years regarding an appropriate oven-drying temperature for water content determinations in peat and other organic soils. For inorganic soils, the water content is usually based on the equilibrium dry mass corresponding to drying temperatures in the range 100-110��C. However, for peat and other organic soils, several researchers have recommended lower drying temperatures in the range 60-90��C in an attempt to prevent possible charring, oxidation, and/or vaporization of substances other than pore water. However, all of the relevant water is not fully evaporated at too low a temperature, and because specimen dry mass is a function of drying temperature, the resulting water content values are lower than those determined for the temperature range 100-110��C. Experimental data reported in this article show that oven drying of peat and other organic soils at 100-110��C using either gravity-convection or forced-draft ovens is acceptable for routine water content determinations. Because a standardized oven temperature is desirable when correlating water content with other material properties, it is recommended that oven drying of peat and other organic soils be performed over temperature ranges of either 105-110��C or 105 �� 5��C, in line with standardized ranges for inorganic soils. �� 2014 Copyright Taylor &amp; Francis Group, LLC.

Edaphic factors affecting the toxicity and accumulation of arsenate in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris

<p>The toxicity and accumulation of arsenate was determined in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris in soil from different layers of a forest profile. Toxicity increased fourfold between 2 and 10 d. Edaphic factors (pH, soil organic matter, and depth in soil profile) also affected toxicity with a three fold decrease in the concentration that causes 50% mortality with increasing depth in soil (from 0-70 mm to 500-700 mm). In a 4-d exposure study, there was no evidence of arsenic bioconcentration in earthworm tissue, although bioaccumulation was occurring. There was a considerable difference in tissue residues between living and dead earthworms, with dead worms having higher concentrations. This difference was dependent on both soil arsenate concentration and on soil type. Over a wide range of soil arsenate concentrations, earthworm arsenic residues are homeostatically maintained in living worms, but this homeostasis breaks down during death. Alternatively, equilibration with soil residues may occur via accumulation after death. In long-term accumulation studies in soils dosed with a sublethal arsenate concentration (40 ��g/g dry weight), bioconcentration of arsenate did not occur until day 12, after which earthworm concentrations rose steadily above the soil concentration, with residues in worms three fold higher than soil concentrations by the termination of the study (23 d). This bioconcentration only occurred in depurated worms over the time period of the study. Initially, depurated worms had lower arsenic concentrations than undepurated until tissue concentrations were equivalent to the soil concentration. Once tissue concentration was greater than soil concentration, depurated worms had higher arsenic residues than undepurated.</p>

Isolation and characterization of a novel simazine-degrading bacterium from agricultural soil of central Chile, Pseudomonas sp MHP41

<p>s-Triazine herbicides are used extensively in South America in agriculture and forestry. In this study, a bacterium designated as strain MHP41, capable of degrading simazine and atrazine, was isolated from agricultural soil in the Quillota valley, central Chile. Strain MHP41 is able to grow in minimal medium, using simazine as the sole nitrogen source. In this medium, the bacterium exhibited a growth rate of mu = 0.10 h(-1), yielding a high biomass of 4.2 x 10(8) CFU mL(-1). Resting cells of strain MHP41 degrade more than 80% of simazine within 60 min. The atzA, atzB, atzC, atzD, atzE and atzF genes encoding the enzymes of the simazine upper and lower pathways were detected in strain MHP41. The motile Gram-negative bacterium was identified as a Pseudomonas sp., based on the Biolog microplate system and comparative sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis allowed the differentiation of strain MHP41 from Pseudomonas sp. ADP. The comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses suggested that strain MHP41 is closely related to Pseudomonas nitroreducens and Pseudomonas multiresinovorans. This is the first s-triazine-degrading bacterium isolated in South America. Strain MHP41 is a potential biocatalyst for the remediation of s-triazine-contaminated environments.</p>

Just a matter of time: Fungi and roots significantly and rapidly aggregate soil over four decades along the Tagliamento River, NE Italy

Fluvial islands are emergent landforms which form at the interface between the permanently inundated areas of the river channel and the more stable areas of the floodplain as a result of interactions between physical river processes, wood and riparian vegetation. These highly dynamical systems are ideal to study soil structure development in the short to medium term, a process in which soil biota and plants play a substantial role. We investigated soil structure development on islands along a 40 year chronosequence within a 3 km island-braided reach of the Tagliamento River, Northeastern Italy. We used several parameters to capture different aspects of the soil structure, and measured biotic (e.g., fungal and plant root parameters) and abiotic (e.g. organic carbon) factors expected to determine the structure. We estimated models relating soil structure to its determinants, and, in order to confer statistical robustness to our results, we explicitly took into account spatial autocorrelation, which is present due to the space for time substitution inherent in the study of chronosequences and may have confounded results of previous studies. We found that, despite the eroding forces from the hydrological and geomorphological dynamics to which the system is subject, all soil structure variables significantly, and in some case greatly increased with site age. We interpret this as a macroscopic proxy for the major direct and indirect binding effects exerted by root variables and extraradical hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Key soil structure parameters such as percentage of water stable aggregates (WSA) can double from the time the island landform is initiated (mean WSA = 30%) to the full 40 years (mean WSA = 64%) covered by our chronosequence. The study demonstrates the fundamental role of soil biota and plant roots in aggregating soils even in a system in which intense short to medium term physical disturbances are common.

Characterization of x-ray lens for use in probing high energy density states of matter

<p>By using polycapillary lenses to focus laser-produced x-ray sources to high intensities, an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved. Here the He-alpha line emission produced by driving a titanium backlighter target is focused by a polycapillary lens and the output characterized. The x-ray spot is measured to have a peak intensity of 4.5 x 10(7) photons, with a total photon count of 8.8 x 10(8) in 0.13 +/- 0.01 mm(2). This setup is equivalent to placing the backlighter target 3 mm from the sample with a 600 mu m diameter pinhole. The polycapillary lens enables the placement of the backlighter target at a much larger distance from the sample to be studied and therefore has the ability to greatly improve the signal-to-noise ratio on detectors. We demonstrate this with two simple diffraction experiments using pyrolytic graphite and polycrystalline aluminium.</p>

Soil-Landscape relationships at the lower reaches of a watershed at Bear Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The watersheds at Bear Creek, Oak Ridge, TN, have similar soil–landscape relationships. The lower reaches of many of these watersheds consist of headwater riparian wetlands situated between sloping non-wetland upland zones. The objectives of this study are to examine the effects of (i) slope and geomorphic processes, (ii) human impacts, and (iii) particular characteristics of soils and saprolite that may effect drainage and water movement in the wetlands and adjacent landscapes in one of these watersheds. A transect was run from west to east in a hydrological monitored area at the lower reaches of a watershed on Bear Creek. This transect extended from a steep side slope position across a floodplain, a terrace, and a shoulder slope. On the upland positions of the Nolichucky Shale, mass wasting, overland flow and soil creep currently inhibit soil formation on the steep side slope position where a Typic Dystrudept is present, while soil stability on the shoulder slope has resulted in the formation of a well-developed Typic Hapludult. In these soils, argillic horizons occur above C horizons on less sloping gradients in comparison to steeper slopes, which have Bw horizons over Cr (saprolite) material. A riparian wetland area occupies the floodplain section, where a Typic Endoaquept is characterized by poorly drained conditions that led to the development of redoximorphic features (mottling), gleying, organic matter accumulation, and minimal development of subsurface horizons. A thin colluvial deposit overlies a thick well developed Aquic Hapludalf that formed in alluvial sediments on the terrace position. The colluvial deposit from the adjacent shoulder slope is thought to result from soil creep and anthropogenic erosion caused by past cultivation practices. Runoff from the adjacent sloping landscape and groundwater from the adjacent wetland area perhaps contribute to the somewhat poorly drained conditions of this profile. Perched watertables occur in upland positions due to dense saprolite and clay plugging in the shallow zones of the saprolite. However, no redoximorphic features are observed in the soil on the side slope due to high runoff. Remnants of the underlying shale saprolite, which occur as small discolored zones resembling mottles, are also present. The soils in the study have a CEC of