Thinning enhances forest soil C storage by shifting the soil toward an oligotrophic condition.

Forests are significant carbon reservoirs, with approximately one-third of this carbon stored in the soil. Forest thinning, a prevalent management technique, is designed to enhance timber production, preserve biodiversity, and maintain ecosystem functions. Through its influence on biotic and abiotic factors, thinning can profoundly alter soil carbon storage. Yet, the full implications of thinning on forest soil carbon reservoirs and the mechanisms underpinning these changes remain elusive. In this study, we undertook a two-year monitoring initiative, tracking changes in soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs), microbial communities, and other abiotic parameters across four thinning intensities within a temperate pine forest. Our results show a marked increase in soil carbon stock following thinning. However, thinning also led to decreased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and a reduced DOC to soil organic carbon (SOC) ratio, pointing toward a decline in soil carbon lability. Additionally, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed an augmented relative abundance of aromatic compounds after thinning. There was also a pronounced increase in absolute EEAs (per gram of dry soil) post-thinning, implying nutrient limitations for soil microbes. Concurrently, the composition of bacterial and fungal communities shifted toward oligotrophic dominance post thinning. Specific EEAs (per gram of soil organic matter) exhibit a significant reduction following thinning, indicating a deceleration in organic matter decomposition rates. In essence, our findings reveal that thinning transitions soil toward an oligotrophic state, dampening organic matter decomposition, and thus bolstering the soil carbon storage potential of forest. This study provides enhanced insights into the nuanced relationship between thinning practices and forest soil carbon dynamics, serving as a robust foundation for enlightened forest management strategies.

Calcium-enriched biochar shifts negative effects of fluoride on the properties of arid sandy soil.

This study sheds light on the influence of fluoride on the changes in the properties of alkaline sandy soils and the efficiency of calcium-enriched biochar application. The investigation involved an incubation experiment with soil contaminated with varying NaF concentrations (0, 400, 800, and 1200 mg NaF kg-1 soil) and biochar (1% w/w). The data revealed that adding NaF to the soil resulted in significant increases in soil pH and decreases in total nitrogen (TN) content. Short-term fluoride pollution did not affect the microbial abundance due to certain factors such as increased soil pH and decreased microbial metabolism promoting the survival of cells under fluoride stress. However, a shift from bacterial to fungal-dominated microbial communities was observed at the highest NaF concentration. The nitrogen functional gene amoA was found to be highly sensitive to fluoride toxicity. The decrease in the abundance of amoA gene and the increase in soil pH can explain reduced nitrogen concentration. On the other hand, our findings indicated a significant decrease in enzyme activity in soil contaminated with mild to severe levels of NaF. This reduction in enzyme activity can be attributed to increased soil pH, decreased TN content, and the inhibition of microbial metabolism due to fluoride toxicity. Furthermore, the addition of calcium-rich biochar reduced fluoride solubility and adjusted pH, mitigating the negative effects of fluoride toxicity on soil properties. The use of biochar was also found to inhibit the accumulation of soil fluoride-resistant microbial genes.

Soil organic carbon is a key determinant of CH4 sink in global forest soils.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a primary regulator of the forest-climate feedback. However, its indicative capability for the soil CH4 sink is poorly understood due to the incomplete knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, SOC is not explicitly included in the current model estimation of the global forest CH4 sink. Here, using in-situ observations, global meta-analysis, and process-based modeling, we provide evidence that SOC constitutes an important variable that governs the forest CH4 sink. We find that a CH4 sink is enhanced with increasing SOC content on regional and global scales. The revised model with SOC function better reproduces the field observation and estimates a 39% larger global forest CH4 sink (24.27 Tg CH4 yr-1) than the model without considering SOC effects (17.46 Tg CH4 yr-1). This study highlights the role of SOC in the forest CH4 sink, which shall be factored into future global CH4 budget quantification.

Optimizing calcium materials for minimizing arsenate phytoavailability in upland arable soil based on geochemical analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate the reducing effects of calcite and phosphogypsum on arsenate [As(V)] availability to plants and elucidate the mechanisms of As(V) immobilization. The concentration of available As(V) to plants in upland arable soils with 1% calcite and phosphogypsum decreased to 17.4% and 36.9%, respectively, compared to the control. As(V) phytoavailability depends on the soil pH and calcium materials. The process of stabilizing As(V) (F3; anion exchange) with phosphogypsum is faster and easier compared to that with calcite (F4; bind to carbonate), but it results in a less stable form. New Ca-As(V) minerals (Ca52(HAsO4)x(AsO4)∙yH2O, Ca5H2x(AsO4)∙yH2O, or Ca32(AsO4)∙10 H2O) were identified in X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns with calcite treatment. Precipitation, the primary mechanism induced by calcite, was activated at a soil pH above 8.0. Based on the deconvolution of calcium and sulfur X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra and the peak shift in the XRD pattern in phosphogypsum, the substitution in which SO42- is exchanged with HAsO42- is the primary mechanism for As(V) immobilization. Substitution induced by phosphogypsum is a suitable reaction in upland arable soils, the predominant form of As(V) in the soil, with a pH range of 5-7.

Attenuation of Methane Oxidation by Nitrogen Availability in Arctic Tundra Soils.

CH4 emission in the Arctic has large uncertainty due to the lack of mechanistic understanding of the processes. CH4 oxidation in Arctic soil plays a critical role in the process, whereby removal of up to 90% of CH4 produced in soils by methanotrophs can occur before it reaches the atmosphere. Previous studies have reported on the importance of rising temperatures in CH4 oxidation, but because the Arctic is typically an N-limited system, fewer studies on the effects of inorganic nitrogen (N) have been reported. However, climate change and an increase of available N caused by anthropogenic activities have recently been reported, which may cause a drastic change in CH4 oxidation in Arctic soils. In this study, we demonstrate that excessive levels of available N in soil cause an increase in net CH4 emissions via the reduction of CH4 oxidation in surface soil in the Arctic tundra. In vitro experiments suggested that N in the form of NO3- is responsible for the decrease in CH4 oxidation via influencing soil bacterial and methanotrophic communities. The findings of our meta-analysis suggest that CH4 oxidation in the boreal biome is more susceptible to the addition of N than in other biomes. We provide evidence that CH4 emissions in Arctic tundra can be enhanced by an increase of available N, with profound implications for modeling CH4 dynamics in Arctic regions.

Distinct Nitrification Rates and Nitrifiers in Needleleaf and Evergreen Broadleaf Forest Soils.

Research on niche specialization in the microbial communities of ammonia oxidizers is important for assessing the consequences of vegetation shift on nitrogen (N) cycling. In this study, soils were sampled from three tree stands (needleleaf, mixed, and evergreen broadleaf) from the Hannam experimental forest in South Korea in spring (May 2019), summer (August 2019), autumn (November 2019), and winter (January 2020). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing were used to measure the abundance and community structure of various nitrifiers: ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB, respectively) as well as complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox). Nitrification rates and total ammonia oxidizer abundance were significantly higher in needleleaf forest soil than those in other forest stands, and they were lowest in evergreen broadleaf forest soil. Comammox clade B was most abundant in needleleaf and evergreen broadleaf forest soils, while AOA were significantly more abundant in mixed forest soil. The abundances of comammox clade B and AOA were negatively correlated with dissolved organic carbon. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NT-alpha and NS-gamma-2.3.2 were the most abundant AOA lineages in all the samples. The seasonal of AOA, AOB, and comammox varied with the sites, suggesting the need to examine the combinations of environmental factors when considering the effects of seasonal changes in the environment. Overall, the results suggest that potential vegetation shifts in forest ecosystems might affect nitrification activities by regulating the abundance and community structure of ammonia oxidizers.

Effects of vegetation shift from needleleaf to broadleaf species on forest soil CO2 emission.

Forest soil harbors diverse microbial communities with decisive roles in ecosystem processes. Vegetation shift from needleleaf to broadleaf species is occurring across the globe due to climate change and anthropogenic activities, potentially change forest soil microbial communities and C cycle. However, our knowledge on the impact of such vegetation shift on soil microbial community and activities, and its consequences on forest soil C dynamics are still not well established. Here, we examined the seasonal variation of soil CO2 emission, soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs), and soil bacterial, fungal communities in subtropical forest from broadleaf, needleleaf, and mixed stands. In addition, soil CO2 emission and soil EEAs were measured in temperate forest during the growing season. Soil organic matter (SOM) content significantly differs between broadleaf and needleleaf forests and primarily distinguish various soil chemical and microbial characteristics. Significantly higher EEAs and soil CO2 emission in broadleaf forest compared to needleleaf forest were observed both in subtropical and temperate forests. The relative abundance of Basidiomycota positively correlated with SOM and EEAs and indirectly increase soil CO2 emission whereas the relative abundance of Ascomycota exhibits opposite trend, suggesting that soil fungal communities play a key role in determining the different microbial activities between broadleaf and needleleaf stands. The temperature sensitivity of soil CO2 emission was significantly higher in broadleaf forest compared to needleleaf forest, further suggesting that the soil organic carbon in broadleaf forests is more vulnerable to warming.

Non-native plant invasion can accelerate global climate change by increasing wetland methane and terrestrial nitrous oxide emissions.

Approximately 17% of the land worldwide is considered highly vulnerable to non-native plant invasion, which can dramatically alter nutrient cycles and influence greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems. However, a systematic investigation of the impact of non-native plant invasion on GHG dynamics at a global scale has not yet been conducted, making it impossible to predict the exact biological feedback of non-native plant invasion to global climate change. Here, we compiled 273 paired observational cases from 94 peer-reviewed articles to evaluate the effects of plant invasion on GHG emissions and to identify the associated key drivers. Non-native plant invasion significantly increased methane (CH4 ) emissions from 129 kg CH4 ha-1  year-1 in natural wetlands to 217 kg CH4 ha-1  year-1 in invaded wetlands. Plant invasion showed a significant tendency to increase CH4 uptakes from 2.95 to 3.64 kg CH4 ha-1  year-1 in terrestrial ecosystems. Invasive plant species also significantly increased nitrous oxide (N2 O) emissions in grasslands from an average of 0.76 kg N2 O ha-1  year-1 in native sites to 1.35 kg N2 O ha-1  year-1 but did not affect N2 O emissions in forests or wetlands. Soil organic carbon, mean annual air temperature (MAT), and nitrogenous deposition (N_DEP) were the key factors responsible for the changes in wetland CH4 emissions due to plant invasion. The responses of terrestrial CH4 uptake rates to plant invasion were mainly driven by MAT, soil NH4 + , and soil moisture. Soil NO3 - , mean annual precipitation, and N_DEP affected terrestrial N2 O emissions in response to plant invasion. Our meta-analysis not only sheds light on the stimulatory effects of plant invasion on GHG emissions from wetland and terrestrial ecosystems but also improves our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the responses of GHG emissions to plant invasion.

Soil salinity and its associated effects on soil microorganisms, greenhouse gas emissions, crop yield, biodiversity and desertification: A review.

Significant research has been conducted on the effects of soil salinity issue on agricultural productivity. However, limited consideration has been given to its critical effects on soil biogeochemistry (e.g., soil microorganisms, soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions), land desertification, and biodiversity loss. This article is based on synthesis of information in 238 articles published between 1989 and 2022 on these effects of soil salinity. Principal findings are as follows: (1) salinity affects microbial community composition and soil enzyme activities due to changes in osmotic pressure and ion effects; (2) soil salinity reduces soil organic carbon (SOC) content and alters GHG emissions, which is a serious issue under intensifying agriculture and global warming scenarios; (3) soil salinity can reduce crop yield up to 58 %; (4) soil salinity, even at low levels, can cause profound alteration in soil biodiversity; (5) due to severe soil salinity, some soils are reaching critical desertification status; (6) innovate mitigation strategies of soil salinity need to be approached in a way that should support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). Knowledge gaps still exist mainly in the effects of salinity especially, responses of GHG emissions and biodiversity. Previous experiences quantifying soil salinity effects remained small-scale, and inappropriate research methods were sometimes applied for investigating soil salinity effects. Therefore, further studies are urgently required to improve our understanding on the effects of salinity, address salinity effects in larger-scale, and develop innovative research methods.

The Effects of N Enrichment on Microbial Cycling of Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases in Soils-a Review and a Meta-analysis.

Terrestrial ecosystems are typically nitrogen (N) limited, but recent years have witnessed N enrichment in various soil ecosystems caused by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and fertilizer application. This enrichment may alter microbial processes in soils in a way that would increase the emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), thereby aggravating global climate change. This review focuses on the effects of N enrichment on methanogens and methanotrophs, which play a central role in the dynamics of CH4 at the global scale. We also address the effects of N enrichment on N2O, which is produced in soils mainly by nitrification and denitrification. Overall, N enrichment inhibits methanogenesis in pure culture experiments, while its effects on CH4 oxidation are more complicated. The majority of previous studies reported that N enrichment, especially NH4+ enrichment, inhibits CH4 oxidation, resulting in higher CH4 emissions from soils. However, both activation and neutral responses have also been reported, particularly in rice paddies and landfill sites, which is well reflected in our meta-analysis. In contrast, N enrichment substantially increases N2O emission by both nitrification and denitrification, which increases proportionally to the amount of N amended. Future studies should address the effects of N enrichment on the active microbes of those functional groups at multiple scales along with parameterization of microbial communities for the application to climate models at the global scale.

Temporal Variations Rather than Long-Term Warming Control Extracellular Enzyme Activities and Microbial Community Structures in the High Arctic Soil.

In Arctic soils, warming accelerates decomposition of organic matter and increases emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), contributing to a positive feedback to climate change. Although microorganisms play a key role in the processes between decomposition of organic matter and GHGs emission, the effects of warming on temporal responses of microbial activity are still elusive. In this study, treatments of warming and precipitation were conducted from 2012 to 2018 in Cambridge Bay, Canada. Soils of organic and mineral layers were collected monthly from June to September in 2018 and analyzed for extracellular enzyme activities and bacterial community structures. The activity of hydrolases was the highest in June and decreased thereafter over summer in both organic and mineral layers. Bacterial community structures changed gradually over summer, and the responses were distinct depending on soil layers and environmental factors; water content and soil temperature affected the shift of bacterial community structures in both layers, whereas bacterial abundance, dissolved organic carbon, and inorganic nitrogen did so in the organic layer only. The activity of hydrolases and bacterial community structures did not differ significantly among treatments but among months. Our results demonstrate that temporal variations may control extracellular enzyme activities and microbial community structure rather than the small effect of warming over a long period in high Arctic soil. Although the effects of the treatments on microbial activity were minor, our study provides insight that microbial activity may increase due to an increase in carbon availability, if the growing season is prolonged in the Arctic.

Changes in Archaeal Community and Activity by the Invasion of Spartina anglica Along Soil Depth Profiles of a Coastal Wetland.

Invasion of Spartina spp. in tidal salt marshes may affect the function and characteristics of the ecosystem. Previous studies reported that the invasion alters biogeochemical and microbial processes in marsh ecosystems, yet our knowledge of changing archaeal community due to the invasion is still limited, whereas archaeal communities play a pivotal role in biogeochemical cycles within highly reduced marsh soils. In this study, we aimed to illustrate the influences of the Spartina anglica invasion on soil archaeal community and the depth profile of the influences. The relative abundance of archaeal phyla demonstrated that the invasion substantially shifted the characteristics of tidal salt marsh from marine to terrestrial soil only in surface layer, while the influences indirectly propagated to the deeper soil layer. In particular, two archaeal phyla, Asgardaeota and Diapherotrites, were strongly influenced by the invasion, indicating a shift from marine to terrestrial archaeal communities. The shifts in soil characteristics spread to the deeper soil layer that results in indirect propagation of the influences of the invasion down to the deeper soil, which was underestimated in previous studies. The changes in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon and salinity were the substantial regulating factors for that. Therefore, changes in biogeochemical and microbial characteristics in the deep soil layer, which is below the root zone of the invasive plant, should be accounted for a more accurate illustration of the consequences of the invasion.

Divergent responses of wetland methane emissions to elevated atmospheric CO2 dependent on water table.

Elevated atmospheric CO2 may have consequences for methane (CH4) emissions from wetlands, yet the magnitude and direction remain unpredictable, because the associated mechanisms have not been fully investigated. Here, we established an in situ macrocosm experiment to compare the effects of elevated CO2 (700 ppm) on the CH4 emissions from two wetlands: an intermittently inundated Calamagrostis angustifolia marsh and a permanently inundated Carex lasiocarpa marsh. The elevated CO2 increased CH4 emissions by 27.6-57.6% in the C. angustifolia marsh, compared to a reduction of 18.7-23.5% in the C. lasiocarpa marsh. The CO2-induced increase in CH4 emissions from the C. angustifolia marsh was paralleled with (1) increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released from plant photosynthesis and (2) reduced (rate of) CH4 oxidation due to a putative shift in methanotrophic community composition. In contrast, the CO2-induced decrease in CH4 emissions from the C. lasiocarpa marsh was associated with the increases in soil redox potential and pmoA gene abundance. We synthesized data from worldwide wetland ecosystems, and found that the responses of CH4 emissions to elevated CO2 was determined by the wetland water table levels and associated plant oxygen secretion capacity. In conditions with elevated CO2, plants with a high oxygen secretion capacity suppress CH4 emissions while plants with low oxygen secretion capacity stimulate CH4 emissions; both effects are mediated via a feedback loop involving shifts in activities of methanogens and methanotrophs.

Contrasting early successional dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities in recently deglaciated soils of the maritime Antarctic.

Although microorganisms are the very first colonizers of recently deglaciated soils even prior to plant colonization, the drivers and patterns of microbial community succession at early-successional stages remain poorly understood. The successional dynamics and assembly processes of bacterial and fungal communities were compared on a glacier foreland in the maritime Antarctic across the ~10-year soil-age gradient from bare soil to sparsely vegetated area. Bacterial communities shifted more rapidly than fungal communities in response to glacial retreat; species turnover (primarily the transition from glacier- to soil-favouring taxa) contributed greatly to bacterial beta diversity, but this pattern was less clear in fungi. Bacterial communities underwent more predictable (more deterministic) changes along the soil-age gradient, with compositional changes paralleling the direction of changes in soil physicochemical properties following deglaciation. In contrast, the compositional shift in fungal communities was less associated with changes in deglaciation-induced changes in soil geochemistry and most fungal taxa displayed mosaic abundance distribution across the landscape, suggesting that the successional dynamics of fungal communities are largely governed by stochastic processes. A co-occurrence network analysis revealed that biotic interactions between bacteria and fungi are very weak in early succession. Taken together, these results collectively suggest that bacterial and fungal communities in recently deglaciated soils are largely decoupled from each other during succession and exert very divergent trajectories of succession and assembly under different selective forces.

Methane and nitrous oxide have separated production zones and distinct emission pathways in freshwater aquaculture ponds.

Aquaculture systems receive intensive carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) loadings, and are therefore recognized as major anthropogenic sources of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. However, the extensively managed aquaculture ponds were identified as a hotspot of CH4 emission but just a weak N2O source. Here, we investigate annual CH4 and N2O fluxes from three earthen ponds used for crab culture, of different sizes, in southeast China. Our purposes are to identify the spatiotemporal variations of CH4 and N2O emissions and their components among ponds and to evaluate the zone for CH4 and N2O production. Static chamber-measured CH4 flux ranged from 0.03 to 64.7 mg CH4 m‒2 h‒1 (average: 9.02‒14.3 mg CH4 m‒2 h‒1), and temperature, followed by dissolved organic C (DOC) concentration, and redox potential, were the primary drivers of seasonal CH4 flux patterns. Annual mean diffusive CH4 flux was 1.80‒2.34 mg CH4 m‒2 h‒1, and that by ebullition was up to 7.20‒12.0 mg CH4 m‒2 h‒1 (79.1‒83.5% of the total CH4 flux). Annual CH4 emission was positively correlated with sediment DOC concentration but negatively (P < 0.05) correlated with water depth across ponds, with the highest CH4 emission occurred in a pond with low water depth and high DOC concentration. The calculated diffusive N2O flux by the gas transfer velocity was 0.32‒0.60 times greater than the measured N2O emission, suggesting that N2O in water column can not only evade as water-air fluxes but diffuse downwards and to be consumed in anaerobic sediments. This also indicates that N2O was primarily produced in water column. The highly reduced condition and depletion of NO3‒-N in sediments, can limit N2O production from both nitrification and denitrification but favor N2O consumption, leading the ponds to become a weak source of N2O annually and even a sink of N2O in summer. Our results highlight that the current global CH4 budget for inland waters is probably underestimated due to a lack of data and underestimation of the contribution of ebullitive CH4 flux in small lentic waters. The downwards N2O diffusion from the water column into sediment also indicates that the extensively-used model approach based on gas transfer velocity potentially overestimates N2O fluxes, especially in small eutrophic aquatic ecosystems.

Microbial decomposition of soil organic matter determined by edaphic characteristics of mangrove forests in East Asia.

Mangrove forests cover only 0.1% of the world's continental area; however, these are a substantial carbon sink owing to the high primary production and low rate of decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). The extremely low decomposition rate of SOM in mangrove forests is believed to be caused by low oxygen and nutrient availability as well as recalcitrant biomass from mangrove. However, only a few studies have addressed the microbial mechanism that plays a key role in the decomposition of SOM. In this study, the decomposition of SOM were determined by conducting a field survey and an lab incubation experiment using soil samples from mangrove forests in three regions; Okinawa, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. In particular, we examined the occurrence of the enzymic latch mechanism, which involves phenolic inhibition of enzymic decomposition, in mangrove forest soils that highlights the importance of phenol oxidase as a key controlling factor. The results clearly showed that enzymic latch involved in the accumulation of SOM in the mangroves of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, whereas the accumulation of SOM in Okinawa was controlled by other mechanisms, such as the iron gate mechanism, which involves stabilization of soil carbon in iron-SOM complexes. The characteristics of mangrove forests, such as iron concentration, were shown as substantial determination factors in the dynamics of SOM. We concluded that the decomposition of SOM were strongly affected by the characteristics of mangrove forests, and the occurrence of enzymic latch in mangrove forests has a potential application in geoengineering technology to enhance the carbon sequestration capacity of mangrove forests.

Microbial mechanism for enhanced methane emission in deep soil layer of Phragmites-introduced tidal marsh.

The introduction of Phragmites australis is known to substantially increase methane emission in the tidal salt marsh. Previous studies suggested that enhanced carbon input by the introduction may stimulate methanogenic activity. However, the exact mechanisms and the effects of the introduction of P. australis to methane dynamics in the deep soil layer are still unclear. In this study we collected 1 m deep intact soil cores and gas samples at native Suaeda japonica- and P. australis-vegetated temperate tidal salt marshes in Suncheon Bay, Republic of Korea. Rates of methane emission and vertical distribution of soil biogeochemistry and microbial communities were analyzed to understand the relationship among chemical and microbiological properties. The introduction of P. australis significantly enhanced methane emission in sites, which was caused by increased DOC and reduced competitive inhibition between sulfate reducer and methanogens. In particular, reduced competitive inhibition between sulfate reducers and methanogens in deep soil layer may play a substantial role in the enhanced methane emission by the introduction of P. australis. Potential methane production was also significantly higher in deeper soil layers than the surface soil layer. We suggest that deep soil layer plays a critical role in the methane dynamics of tidal salt marsh which is introduced by deep root plants, such as P. australis.

Effects of Biological Soil Crusts on Enzyme Activities and Microbial Community in Soils of an Arid Ecosystem.

Arid ecosystems constitute 41% of land's surface and play an important role in global carbon cycle. In particular, biological soil crusts (BSC) are known to be a hotspot of carbon fixation as well as mineralization in arid ecosystems. However, little information is available on carbon decomposition and microbes in BSC and key controlling variables for microbial activities in arid ecosystems. The current study, carried out in South Mediterranean arid ecosystem, aimed to evaluate the effects of intact and removed cyanobacteria/lichen crusts on soil properties, soil enzyme activities, and microbial abundances (bacteria and fungi). We compared five different treatments (bare soil, soil with intact cyanobacteria, soil with cyanobacteria removed, soil with intact lichens, and soil with lichens removed) in four different soil layers (0-5, 5-10, 10-15, and 15-20 cm). Regardless of soil treatments, activities of hydrolases and water content increased with increasing soil depth. The presence of lichens increased significantly hydrolase activities, which appeared to be associated with greater organic matter, nitrogen, and water contents. However, phenol oxidase was mainly controlled by pH and oxygen availability. Neither fungal nor bacterial abundance exhibited a significant correlation with enzyme activities suggesting that soil enzyme activities are mainly controlled by edaphic and environmental conditions rather than source microbes. Interestingly, the presence of lichens reduced the abundance of bacteria of which mechanism is still to be investigated.

Author Correction: Biologically driven DOC release from peatlands during recovery from acidification.

The original version of this Article contained an error in the Acknowledgements, which incorrectly omitted from the end the following: 'In particular, we thank the staff of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (including A. Burden, N. Ostle and C. Evans) in relation to a NERC grant involving CF & TJ (NE/E011748/1; 2007-2010), which established the sites from which the UK samples were subsequently collected.' This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Biologically driven DOC release from peatlands during recovery from acidification.

Peatlands store 1/3 of global soil carbon, destabilisation of which contributes much to the recent increase in DOC (dissolved organic carbon) in freshwater ecosystems. One suggested mechanism for the enhanced decomposition of peat and the releases of DOC is recovery from acidification. However, no biological role in the process has yet been identified. Here we report extracellular enzyme activities and microbial composition in peatlands of Korea, the UK, Japan and Indonesia, and find higher pH to promote phenol oxidase activities, greater abundances in Actinobacteria and fungi, and enhanced pore-water DOC concentrations. Our pH manipulation experiments also showed that increase in pH enhanced phenol oxidase activity and DOC production with greater Actinobacterial and fungal abundances. Finally, knockout or addition of phenol oxidase dramatically changed DOC and phenolic production, indicating the central role of phenol oxidase in DOC mobilisation. Our findings provide evidence to support a previously unrecognized biological mechanism through which pH increases activate phenol oxidase, accelerating the release of DOC and phenolics.