The single and combined effects of sulfamethazine and cadmium on soil nitrification and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms.

The coexistence of antibiotics and heavy metals in soil has attracted increasing attention due to their negative effects on microorganisms. However, how antibiotics and heavy metals affect functional microorganisms related to nitrogen cycle remains unclear. The goals of this work were to explore the individual and combined effects of sulfamethazine (SMT) and cadmium (Cd), selected as target pollutants in soil, on potential nitrification rates (PNR) and ammonia oxidizers (ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)) structure and diversity by 56-day cultivation experiment. Results showed that PNR in Cd- or SMT-treated soil decreased at the beginning of the experiment and then increased over time. PNR was significantly correlated with AOA and AOB-amoA relative abundance (P < 0.01). SMT addition (10 and 100 mg kg-1) significantly improved AOA activity by 13.93% and 17.93%, respectively, and had no effect on AOB at day 1. Conversely, Cd at 10 mg kg-1 significantly inhibited AOA and AOB by 34.34% and 37.39%, respectively. Moreover, the relative abundance of AOA and AOB in combined SMT and Cd addition clearly higher relative to single Cd at 1 day. The single and combined Cd and SMT increased and reduced the community richness of AOA and AOB, respectively, but reduced the diversity of both after 56 days. Cd and SMT treatments significantly changed the relative abundance of AOA phylum levels and AOB genus levels in the soil. It was mainly manifested in reducing the relative abundance of AOA Thaumarchaeota, and increasing the relative abundance of AOB Nitrosospira. Besides, AOB Nitrosospira was more tolerant to the compound addition of both than single application.

Differential responses of canonical nitrifiers and comammox Nitrospira to long-term fertilization in an Alfisol of Northeast China.

The newly identified complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox) that converts ammonia directly into nitrate has redefined the long-held paradigm of two-step nitrification mediated by two distinct groups of nitrifiers. However, exploration of the niche differentiation of canonical nitrifiers and comammox Nitrospira and their ecological importance in agroecosystems is still limited. Here, we adopted quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the effects of five long-term fertilization regimes in the variations of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and comammox Nitrospira abundances and comammox community composition in two soil layers (0-20 cm, topsoil; 20-40 cm, subsoil) in an Alfisol in Northeast China. The fertilization treatments included no fertilizer (CK); chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer; chemical N; phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers (NPK); recycled organic manure (M) and chemical N, P, K plus recycled manure (MNPK). Compared with CK, manure and/or chemical fertilizer significantly increased the AOB amoA gene abundance. Long-term recycled manure increased soil organic matter (SOM) contents and maintained the soil pH, but decreased the NH4 +-N concentrations, which markedly promoted the nxrA and nxrB gene abundances of NOB and the amoA gene abundances of comammox Nitrospira clade A and AOA. Although the comammox Nitrospira clade B abundance tended to decrease after fertilization, the structural equation modeling analysis showed that comammox clade B had direct positive impacts on soil potential ammonia oxidation (PAO; λ = 0.59, p < 0.001). The long-term fertilization regime altered the community composition of comammox Nitrospira. Additionally, comammox Nitrospira clades A and B had individual response patterns to the soil layer. The relative abundance of clade A was predominant in the topsoil in the N (86.5%) and MNPK (76.4%) treatments, while clade B appeared to be dominant in the subsoil (from 78.7 to 88.1%) with lower ammonium contents, implying niche separation between these clades. Soil pH, NH4 +-N and SOM content were crucial factors shaping the soil nitrifying microbial abundances and the comammox Nitrospira community. Together, these findings expand the current understanding of the niche specialization and the important role of comammox Nitrospira in terrestrial ecosystems.

Microbial nutrient limitations limit carbon sequestration but promote nitrogen and phosphorus cycling: A case study in an agroecosystem with long-term straw return.

Soil fertility can be increased by returning crop residues to fields due to the cooperative regulation of microbial metabolism of carbon (C) and nutrients. However, the dose-effect of straw on the soil C and nutrient retention and its underlying coupled microbial metabolic processes of C and nutrients remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a comprehensive study on soil nutrients and stoichiometry, crop nutrient uptake and production, microbial metabolic characteristics and functional attributes using a long-term straw input field experiment. We estimated the microbial metabolic limitations and efficiency of C and nitrogen (N) use (CUE and NUE) via an enzyme-based vector-TER model, biogeochemical-equilibrium model and mass balance equation, respectively. In addition, the absolute abundances of 20 functional genes involved in the N- and P-cycles were quantified by quantitative PCR-based chip technology. As expected, straw input significantly increased C and N stocks, C: nutrients, crop nutrient uptake and growth. However, the C sequestration efficiency decreased by approximately 6.1 %, and the N2O emission rate increased by 0.5-1.0 times with the increase in straw input rate. Interestingly, the microbial metabolism was more limited by P when straw input was <8 t ha-1 but was reversed when straw input was 12 t ha-1. The enhanced nutrient limitation reduced both the CUE and the NUE of microbes and then upregulated genes associated with the hydrolysis of C, the mineralization of N and P, and denitrification, which consequently influenced C and N losses as well as crop growth. This study highlights that soil C and nutrient cycling are strongly regulated by microbial metabolic limitation, suggesting that adding the appropriate limiting nutrients to reduce nutrient imbalances caused by straw input is conducive to maximizing the ecological benefits of straw return.

Toxicological effects of single and joint sulfamethazine and cadmium stress in soil on pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.).

The combined pollution of heavy metals and antibiotics in soil has attracted increasing attention due to their negative effects on plant growth. The aims of this study were to evaluate the phytotoxicity of single and combined sulfamethazine (SMT) and cadmium (Cd), selected as target pollutants in soil, on growth and physiological response of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.). Results revealed that the soil spiked with 10 mg kg-1 Cd inhibited the pakchoi growth regardless of SMT addition. The combined effect of SMT and Cd stress on uptake of SMT or Cd by pakchoi were concerned with their combined concentration. The combined influence of high concentrations SMT and Cd (1 and 10 mg kg-1) exposure on the Cd content of pakchoi showed antagonistic effects and synergistic effects, respectively. Besides, oxidative substances and enzyme activity of pakchoi tissue were affected by Cd and SMT exposure in the soil, particularly by their joint stress. This mainly expressed as the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2 content and antioxidant enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT)), which could be ascribed to the induction of Cd and SMT stress. Additionally, the SMT-Cd combined stress caused more reduction in nutrients (vitamin C and sugar) of pakchoi than the correspondingly single Cd stress. In conclusion, the SMT and Cd in soil lead to their accumulation and oxidative damage in pakchoi, which disturb the antioxidant defense system and ultimately adversely affect growth and quality of pakchoi.

Experimental supporting data on seasonal dynamics of different soil nitrogen pools affected by long-term fertilization regimes.

The data presented in this article are related to the research paper entitled "Changes in N supply pathways under different long-term fertilization regimes in Northeast China" [1]. Seasonal dynamics of soil NH4 +-N, NO3 --N, soil microbial biomass nitrogen (N) and fixed NH4 + were provided on the basis of a 26-year long-term experiment, including six treatments: no fertilizer (CK), recycled manure (M), N and P fertilizers (NP), P and K fertilizers (PK), N, P and K fertilizers (NPK), and NPK fertilizers with recycled manure (NPKM). The presentation of potential N retention and supply through soil microbial biomass N and fixed NH4 + pools at different growth stages is helpful for comparing the effects of different N pools on soil N transformation and assessing synchronies between crop N demand and soil N supply through different N pools.

Evaluation of Different Types and Amounts of Amendments on Soil Cd Immobilization and its Uptake to Wheat.

Using amendments is a cost-effective method to soil cadmium (Cd) remediation, whereas knowledge about how different amendments and rates affect remediation efficiency remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of different types and amounts of amendments on soil Cd immobilization and its uptake by plants. Biochar (BC), zeolite (ZE), humic acid (HA), superphosphate (SP), lime (L), and sodium sulfide (SS) were applied at three rates (low, medium, and high) ranging from 0.5 to 5%. The concentration of CaCl2-extractable Cd was considerably affected by the amendments, except HA, and the high doses achieved better immobilization effects than the low doses did. The addition of amendments decreased weak acid soluble Cd by 4.1-44.0% but slightly increased the fractions of oxidizable and residual Cd. These amendments (except BC and HA dose of 1%) decreased Cd accumulation in grains by 1.3-68.8% and (except SP) in roots by 16.3-65.5% compared with the control. The SP efficiently immobilized Cd but posed a potential soil acidification risk. Moreover, SS treatment increased the soil electrical conductivity (EC) value and restricted the growth of wheat, possibly due to high-salt stress. BC, ZE, and L exerted significant effects on the reduction in available Cd as the application rate increased. These amendments enhanced Cd immobilization mainly by changing Cd availability in soil and influencing its redistribution in different fractions in soil and root uptake by plants. This study concluded that BC-5%, ZE-1%, and L-0.5% can be used for Cd immobilization in acidic or neutral soils.

Combined influence of external nitrogen and soil contact on plant residue decomposition and indications from stable isotope signatures.

External nitrogen (N) supply has been testified to exert important impacts on plant residue decomposition. The influence of N may be interactive with soil contact in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the joint mechanisms of decomposition of plant residues driven by soil contact and N addition remain incomplete. Using contrasting residues, including needles of Chinese fir (Cuninghamia lanceolata) (Cl) (relatively hard to degrade) vs. leaves of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla) (Eu) (relatively easy to degrade), a full factorial experiment was conducted by 360-day experiment to investigate the combined effect of N addition and soil contact on residue decay. As the microbe-manipulated decomposition could leave an imprint on the residue carbon (C) and N stable isotope, variations of the two signatures (δ13C and δ15N) were synchronously monitored. Our results firstly showed that added N sped up initial decomposition, while it played an opposite role in subsequent stage, and soil contact always stimulated decay. Under soil contact condition, we found a markedly more accelerating effect of N addition on decay of Cl than without soil contact. Linking with residue N dynamics, we thought that although N immobilized from soil could not completely meet microbial needs for decay of Cl, this N limitation was just relieved by added N, leading to this synergistic effect. At late decay stage, the N inhibiting influence was partly offset under soil contact condition, and this phenomenon was more dramatic for Eu. Our results lastly revealed that the 13C and 15N signatures mirrored and explained the underlying mechanisms of the above interactions. Overall, we concluded that external N and soil contact could interactively affect decay, depending on plant residue decomposability. These results would be used to accurately predict C sequestration for terrestrial ecosystems under heightened N scenario in the future.

Spatial Heterogeneity of SOM Concentrations Associated with White-rot Versus Brown-rot Wood Decay.

White- and brown-rot fungal decay via distinct pathways imparts characteristic molecular imprints on decomposing wood. However, the effect that a specific wood-rotting type of fungus has on proximal soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation remains unexplored. We investigated the potential influence of white- and brown-rot fungi-decayed Abies nephrolepis logs on forest SOM stocks (i.e., soil total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)) and the concentrations of amino sugars (microbial necromass) at different depths and horizontal distances from decaying woody debris. The brown-rot fungal wood decay resulted in higher concentrations of soil C and N and a greater increase in microbial necromass (i.e., 1.3- to 1.7-fold greater) than the white-rot fungal wood decay. The white-rot sets were accompanied by significant differences in the proportions of the bacterial residue index (muramic acid%) with soil depth; however, the brown-rot-associated soils showed complementary shifts, primarily in fungal necromass, across horizontal distances. Soil C and N concentrations were significantly correlated with fungal rather than bacterial necromass in the brown-rot systems. Our findings confirmed that the brown-rot fungi-dominated degradation of lignocellulosic residues resulted in a greater SOM buildup than the white-rot fungi-dominated degradation.

Priming effects on labile and stable soil organic carbon decomposition: Pulse dynamics over two years.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a major component in the global carbon cycle. Yet how input of plant litter may influence the loss of SOC through a phenomenon called priming effect remains highly uncertain. Most published results about the priming effect came from short-term investigations for a few weeks or at the most for a few months in duration. The priming effect has not been studied at the annual time scale. In this study for 815 days, we investigated the priming effect of added maize leaves on SOC decomposition of two soil types and two treatments (bare fallow for 23 years, and adjacent old-field, represent stable and relatively labile SOC, respectively) of SOC stabilities within each soil type, using a natural 13C-isotope method. Results showed that the variation of the priming effect through time had three distinctive phases for all soils: (1) a strong negative priming phase during the first period (≈0-90 days); (2) a pulse of positive priming phase in the middle (≈70-160 and 140-350 days for soils from Hailun and Shenyang stations, respectively); and (3) a relatively stabilized phase of priming during the last stage of the incubation (>160 days and >350 days for soils from Hailun and Shenyang stations, respectively). Because of major differences in soil properties, the two soil types produced different cumulative priming effects at the end of the experiment, a positive priming effect of 3-7% for the Mollisol and a negative priming effect of 4-8% for the Alfisol. Although soil types and measurement times modulated most of the variability of the priming effect, relative SOC stabilities also influenced the priming effect for a particular soil type and at a particular dynamic phase. The stable SOC from the bare fallow treatment tended to produce a narrower variability during the first phase of negative priming and also during the second phase of positive priming. Averaged over the entire experiment, the stable SOC (i.e., the bare fallow) was at least as responsive to priming as the relatively labile SOC (i.e., the old-field) if not more responsive. The annual time scale of our experiment allowed us to demonstrate the three distinctive phases of the priming effect. Our results highlight the importance of studying the priming effect by investigating the temporal dynamics over longer time scales.

Toxicity of sulfadiazine and copper and their interaction to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings.

A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the single and combined effect of different concentrations of sulfadiazine (SDZ) (1 and 10mgkg-1) and copper (Cu) (20 and 200mgkg-1) stresses on growth, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant enzyme activities of wheat seedlings and their accumulation. High SDZ or Cu level significantly inhibited the growth of wheat seedlings, but the emergence rate was only inhibited by high SDZ level. The presence of Cu reduced the accumulation of SDZ, whereas the effect of SDZ on the accumulation of Cu depended on their concentrations. Low Cu level significantly increased the chlorophyll content, while high Cu level or both SDZ concentrations resulted in a significant decrease in the chlorophyll content as compared to the control. Additionally, H2O2 and MDA contents increased with the elevated SDZ or Cu level. The activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase were also stimulated by SDZ or Cu except for the aerial part treated by low Cu level and root treated by high SDZ level. The joint toxicity data showed that the toxicity of SDZ to wheat seedlings was generally alleviated by the presence of Cu, whereas the combined toxicity of SDZ and Cu was larger than equivalent Cu alone.

The combined effect of sulfadiazine and copper on soil microbial activity and community structure.

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals and antibiotics often coexist in agricultural soils due to land application of large amounts of animal manure. The experiment was conducted to investigate the single and joint effects of different concentrations of sulfadiazine (SDZ) (10mgkg-1 and 100mgkg-1) and copper (Cu) (20mgkg-1 and 200mgkg-1) on soil microbial activity, i.e. fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis, dehydrogenase (DHA) and basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass and community structure estimated using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and community level physiological profiles (CLPP) using MicroResp™. High concentration of SDZ or Cu significantly reduced microbial activity during the whole incubation period, while the inhibiting effect of low concentration of SDZ or Cu was only visible within 14 days of incubation. The total PLFA concentration was reduced by SDZ and/or Cu, which resulted from reduced bacterial and actinomycetic biomass. The addition of SDZ and/or Cu decreased the bacteria:fungi ratio, whereas only the addition of high Cu concentration significantly decreased Gram+:Gram- ratio. The addition of Cu obviously inhibited the dissipation of SDZ, which could affect the combined effects of both on microbial activity, biomass and community structure. Principal component analysis of the CLPP and PLFA data clearly revealed the notable effects of SDZ and/or Cu on soil microbial community structure.

Interactive effects of sulfadiazine and Cu(II) on their sorption and desorption on two soils with different characteristics.

Antibiotics and heavy metals often coexist in soils due to land application of animal wastes and other sources of inputs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the interaction of Cu(II) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) regarding to their sorption and desorption on Brown soil (BS, luvisols) and Red soil (RS, Udic Ferrosols) using batch experiments. The presence of Cu(II) significantly enhanced sorption of SDZ on BS at pH>5.0, and this trend increased with increasing pH, which was mainly ascribed to the formation of ternary complexes of Cu-SDZ-soil and/or SDZ-Cu-soil. In contrast, Cu(II) only slightly increased SDZ sorption on RS at pH<5.0 due to the decrease of equilibrium solution pH, whereas it hardly affected SDZ sorption at pH>5.0 because RS had high oxides contents and low affinity for Cu(II). In addition, Cu(II) inhibited SDZ desorption from BS but promoted SDZ desorption from RS, which was related to their different sorption mechanisms. The presence of SDZ exerted no significant effect on the sorption of Cu(II) on the two soils at pH<6.5 because of its low sorption coefficients (Kd), while slightly decreased Cu(II) sorption at pH>6.5 by forming water-soluble complexes. Furthermore, SDZ had little effect on Cu(II) desorption from the two soils at natural pH. These results indicate that soil characteristics strongly influence the interactions of Cu(II) and SDZ on their sorption and desorption on soils.

Occurrence of (fluoro)quinolones and (fluoro)quinolone resistance in soil receiving swine manure for 11 years.

Because of the widespread use of antibiotics in animal breeding, the agricultural application of animal manure can lead to the introduction of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to the soil and surrounding environment, which may pose a threat to public health. In this study, we investigated the status of (fluoro)quinolone (FQ) residues and FQ resistance levels in soil with and without receiving long-term swine manure. Six FQs (pipemidic acid, lomefloxacin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin) were only detected in manured soil, with individual concentrations ranging from below the detection limit to 27.2 µg kg(-1) and increasing with the increase in swine manure application rates. Higher load rates of swine manure yielded a higher number of ciprofloxacin-resistant (CIPr) bacteria after spreading. A total of 24 CIPr bacterial isolates were obtained from the tested soil, which belonged to four phyla (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) or were related to nine different genera. Only 18 isolates from manured soil were positive for five plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes (aac(6')-Ib-cr, qnrD, qepA, oqxA, and oqxB). To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the occurrence of PMQR genes in FQ-resistant bacteria from the soil environment. A similar result was observed for the total DNA from soil, with the exception of aac(6')-Ib being detected in the control sample. The absolute and relative abundances of total PMQR genes also increased with fertilization quantity. Significant correlations were observed between FQ resistance levels and FQ concentrations. These results indicated that the agricultural application of swine manure led to FQ residues and enhanced FQ resistance. This investigation provides baseline data on FQ resistance profiles in soils receiving long-term swine manure.

[Study on Contents and Budgets of Cu, Zn and Cd in an Arable Soil Using AAS].

Based on a long-term experiment in Shenyang Experimental Station, the effect of manure application on the contents and budgets of Cu, Zn and Cd in the arable soil was studied. The experiment included four treatments: no mature addition (CK), mature addition 10 t · ha⁻¹ year⁻¹(M1), 25 t · ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (M2), and 50 t · ha⁻¹ year⁻¹(M3). The result showed that Cu, Zn and Cd in soil were accumulated with manure application and prolongation of experiment, and the accumulative magnitude increased with increasing of manure application. The average annual growth rates of the heavy metals in the four treatments (CK, M1, M2, M3) were 2.83%, 6.56%, 7.54%, 8.96%; 0.03%, 3.44%, 4.53%, 6.64% and 1.51%, 8.01%, 10. 27%, 16. 08% for Cu, Zn and Cd, respectively. After six years of the experiment, the content of Cd in the M3 treatment was quite close to the threshold of Chinese Soil Quality Standard Grade III (1 mg · kg⁻¹, GB15618-1995). After 12 years of the experiment, the contents of Cu in the mature-amended treatments fell in the Chinese Soil Quality Standard Grade III, which should be paid more attention. Although the heavy metals in soil were gradually accumulated, the Cu, Zn and Cd levels in crop grain were still below the National Food Contamination Standards (GB2762-2005; GB13106-91; GB15199-94), indicating the contents of heavy metals in crop produced from contaminated soil might not exceed the corresponding standards. The contents of Cu, Zn and Cd in the straw were much greater than those in the grain. The removal of heavy metal by crop was in the order of M3 > M2 > M1 > CK. The average amounts of Cu, Zn and Cd annually removed from the soil in the four treatments (CK, M1, M2 and M3) were 35.68, 47.80, 63.65, 69.64; 249.14, 375.22, 375.16, 444.44, and 0.83, 1.39, 1.64, 1.66 g · ha⁻¹, respectively. The contents of heavy metals in organic manure varied in different years: the contents of Cu and Zn increased year by year, while Cd presented a decreasing trend. The average amounts of Cu, Zn and Cd annually remained in the soil in the treatments M1, M2 and M3 were 2 283.0, 5 763.7, 11585.4; 2 483.3, 6 771.4, 13 849.2 and 4.8, 13.9, 29.5 g · ha⁻¹, respectively. Since the heavy metals in organic manure markedly fluctuated in different years, the average residuals can only reflect the changing trend. Therefore, the residuals of heavy metals in the soil could be accurately predicted only according to status of manure in a given year.

[Study on Leaching Characteristic of Heavy Metal in the Manure-Amended Soil Using ICP-MASS].

Based on an 11-year fertilizer field trial (located at the lower liaohe river plain), the effects of different organic manure application rates on the accumulations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Cr) in surface soil (0-20 cm), and the leaching characteristic and vertical migration pattern of heavy metal have been investigated in this rainfed agro-ecosystem using undisturbed soil columns. The result showed that the content of heavy metal in surface soil was elevated with the increase of manure application. The increasing magnitude was in the order of Cd>Cu>Zn>Cr. According to the Chinese soil quality standard (GB15618-1995), the application of manure (not exceeding 50 t · ha⁻¹) did not result in serious heavy metal pollution in the surface soil. Chromium met the Grade I , and Cu and Zn met the Grade II; whereas, Cd was almost exceeded the threshold of Grade III. The potential risk of Cd in soil should be paid more attentions in future research. According to the National water quality standard (GB/T14848-93), the Cu and Cd concentrations in leachate samples were up to the Grade II except only a few samples that fell in Grade III. Furthermore, Cr in the leachate all matched Grade I water quality standard. These results indicated long-term application of manure (not exceeding 50 t · ha⁻¹) in our site had not induced contaminant risks of heavy metals in underground water. In addition, the Cu, Zn and Cd (except Cr) in leachate all declined with the increase of soil depth, indicating the low capacity of vertical migration of heavy metal. Among the four heavy metals, Zn and Cr tended to be leached into deep soil, whereas Cu and Cd were more prone to be accumulated in surface soil.

[Basic features and monitoring methodologies of atmospheric nitrogen deposition].

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, including dry and wet deposition, is an important inorganic and organic N source for ecosystems, and also a key link of the N biogeochemical cycle. Recently, considerable active nitrogen has been emitted into the atmosphere due to enhanced human activities. High N emission leads to high deposition which has caused a series of environment risks, and more attentions have been focused on this issue. This article gave an overview of the basic content about the present N deposition research, such as the component, process, spatial and temporal variation, as well as ecological effect. Then the sampling methods of wet and dry deposition in the field, analysis methods in laboratory and primary techniques of N source identification were summarized. The N deposition research trend in the future was emphasized.

[Nutrient concentration and storage in different organs of Eucalyptus under effects of nitrogen topdressing].

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of nitrogen (N) topdressing on the biomass accumulation and nutrient concentration and storage in different organs of two-year-old eucalyptus. Comparing with the control, N topdressing increased the eucalyptus biomass by 24.2%. Branch had the highest increment (38.2%), while leaf had the lowest one. The nutrient uptake under N topdressing was improved significantly, with the order of P > K > N > Mg > Ca > Si. Leaf had the highest contents of N, P, Mg, and Si; trunk had the highest storage of K; while branch had the most significant increase of nutrient concentration and storage. The N, P, and K were recycled mainly through internal flux, with 73.8% of N, 79.1% of P, and 72.9% of K in leaf transferred back to the plant before leaf fallen, and the external flux of these three nutrients only occupied 14.8%, 7.7%, and 8.6% of their total storage in the tree, respectively. The Ca, Mg and Si were the external flux elements, especially for Ca. 89.2% of Ca in leaf was cycled in external flux, accounting for 25.9% of its total storage in the tree.

[Effects of long-term fertilizations on microbial biomass C and N and bacterial community structure in an aquic brown soil].

Taking a long-term field experiment on an aquic brown soil in the Shenyang Ecological Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences as a platform, the methods of traditional chloroform fumigation and modern PCR-DGGE were adopted to study the effects of different fertilizations on the changes of soil microbial biomass and bacterial community structure. During the whole period of the experiment, there was a similar trend in the dynamic changes of soil microbial biomass C and N. Long-term application of organic manure increased the soil organic C and the soil microbial biomass C and N significantly, while long-term application of chemical fertilizers had significant negative effects on the soil pH and soil microbial biomass C and N. The DGGE patterns showed that under different fertilizations, the majority of soil bacterial 16S rDNA bands were the same, 18 of the 28 bands being common, suggesting that the bacterial populations in test soil were more stable, but their numbers were affected by different fertilizations. Long-term application of organic fertilizer could promote the diversity of the bacterial community structure in aquic brown soil, while the application of chemical fertilizers was in adverse.

[The recycling rate of trace element Fe and Zn in agro-ecosystem using ICP-AES].

Input of trace elements Fe and Zn in the lower reach of Liaohe Plain under different fertilization systems was studied by long-term field experiment and ICP-AES analysis. The results showed that Fe and Zn were mainly from organic manure in agro-ecosystem. The residual rate of organic manure through a feeding-composting cycle in the absence of bedding materials was 21.84%, which was lower than that of organic matter fertilized to soil after one year. The recycling rate of Zn through a feeding-composting cycle was 71.9%, and the recycling rate of Fe was 81.0%.

[Determination of concentrations and distributions of Mn and Zn in maize under different fertilization regime using ICP-AES].

A long-term field experiment and ICP-AES analysis were conducted to study concentration and content of micronutrients Mn and Zn in maize under different fertilization systems. The results were as follows: (1) Concentrations of Mn in maize under NPKM and NPK treatments were significantly higher than those in M and control treatments. The concentration of Zn in grain of maize was similar under different treatments. The control treatment had the highest concentration of Zn in stalk, while NPKM treatment had the lowest one. (2) Contents of Mn and Zn increased with increasing yields of maize, and the regression relationship between the contents and yield of stalk was better than that between the contents and yield of grain. (3) Most of Mn and almost half of Zn were concentrated in stalk. The distribution and use efficiency of micronutrients were optimized under NPKM and NPK treatments. Returning the stalk to soil is an effective strategy for micronutrients sustainable utilization in agro-ecosystem.