Abstract
Soil microorganisms are sensitive indicator of soil health and quality. Understanding the effects of vegetation biomass and seasonal change on soil microorganisms is vital to evaluate the soil quality and implement vegetation restoration. This study analyzed the soil phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) in fresh and withered Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) vegetation conditions in different seasons. The results showed that vegetation biomass and seasonal change significantly affected microbial biomass and its community structure. Both fresh and withered Kudzu cover significantly increased soil microbial biomass, and the growth effect of microbes in the soil with fresh Kudzu cover was more obvious than that with withered Kudzu cover. Compared with the dry season, the rainy season significantly increased the microbial biomass and the B/F (the ratio of bacterial to fungal PLFAs) ratio but dramatically reduced the G+/G- (the ratio of gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria PLFAs). Kudzu cover and seasonal change had a significant effect on microbial structure in soil covered by higher vegetation biomass. Furthermore, soil temperature and moisture had different correlations with specific microbial biomass in the two seasons. Our findings highlight the effect of Kudzu vine cover on the soil microenvironment and soil microhabitat, enhancing the soil quality in the Dry-hot Valley of Jinsha River, Southwest China.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bardgett RD, Freeman C, Ostle NJ (2008) Microbial contributions to climate change through carbon cycle feedbacks. ISME Journal 2: 805–814. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2008.58
Batten KM, Scow KM, Davies KF, et al. (2006) Two invasive plants alter soil microbial community composition in theserpentine grasslands. Biological Invasions 8(2): 217–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-004-3856-8
Bi ML, Yu WT, Jiang ZS, et al. (2010) Study on the Effects of different Land use Patterns on Microbial Community Structure in Aquic Brown Soil by Utilizing PLFA Method. Scientia Agricultura Sinica 43(9): 1834–1842. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.3864/j.issn.0578-1752.2010.09.009
Brant JB, Myrold DD, Sulzman EW (2006) Root controls on soil microbial community structure in forest soils. Oecologia 148(4): 650–659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-006-0402-7
Brockett BFT, Prescott CE, Grayston SJ (2012) Soil moisture is the major factor influencing microbial community structure and enzyme activities across seven biogeoclimatic zones in western Canada. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 44(1): 9–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.09.003
Cavigelli MA, Lengnick LL, Buyer JS, et al. (2005) Landscape level variation in soil resources and microbial properties in a no-till corn field. Applied Soil. Ecology 29(2): 99–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2004.12.007
Card SM, Quideau SA (2010) Microbial community structure in restored riparian soils of the Canadian prairie pothole region. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42(9): 1463–1471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.05.010
Cheng H, Wu YQ, Zou XY, et al. (2006) Study of ephemeral gully erosion in a small upland catchment on the Inner-Mongolian Plateau. Soil &Tillage Research 90(1): 184–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2005.09.006
Deng Q, Cheng XL, Hui DF, et al. (2016) Soil microbial community and its interaction with soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics following afforestation in central China. Science of the Total Environment 541: 230–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.080
Djukic I, Zehetner F, Mentler A, et al. (2010) Microbial community composition and activity in different Alpine vegetation zones. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42(2): 155–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.10.006
Diacono M, Montemurro F (2010) Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 30(2): 401–422. https://doi.org/10.1051/agro/2009040
Dong YF, Xiong DH, Su ZA, et al. (2014) The distribution of and factors influencing the vegetation in a gully in the Dry-hot Valley of southwest China. Catena 116: 60–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2013.12.009
Dong YF, Xiong DH, Su ZA, et al. (2013) Critical topographic threshold of gully erosion in Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley in Southwest China. Physical Geography 34(1): 50–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2013.778691
Feng W, Schaefe DA, Zou X, et al. (2011) Shifting sources of soil labile organic carbon after termination of plant carbon inputs in a subtropical moist forest of Southwest China. Ecological Research 26(2): 437–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-010-0796-x
Fierer N, Schimel JP, Holden PA (2003) Variations in microbial community composition through two soil depth profiles. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35(1): 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00251-1
Frostegard A, Baath E (1996) The use of phospholipid fatty acid analysis to estimate bacterial and fungal biomass in soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 22: 59–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384433
Frostegard A, Tunlid A, Baath E (1991) Microbial biomass measured as total lipid phosphate in soils of different organic content. Journal of Microbiological Methods 14(3): 151–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-7012(91)90018-L.
Guenet B, Lenhart K, Leloup J, et al. (2012) The impact of longterm CO2 enrichment and moisture levels on soil microbial communitystructure and enzyme activities. Geoderma 170: 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.12.002
Hamer U, Unger M, Makeschin F (2007) Impact of air-drying and rewetting on PLFA profiles of soil microbial communities. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 170(2): 259–264. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200625001
Hammesfahr U, Heuer H, Manzke B, et al. (2008) Impact of the antibiotic sulfadiazine and pig manure on the microbial community structure in agricultural soils. Soil Biology & Biochem 40(7): 1583–1591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.01.010
He R, Wang GB, Wang JS, et al. (2009) Seasonal variation and its main affecting factors of soil microbial biomass under different vegetations along an elevation gradient in Wuyi Mountains of China. Chinese Journal of Ecology 28(3): 394–399. (In Chinese)
Castro HF, Classen AT, Austin EE, et al. (2010) Soil microbial community responses to multiple experimental climate change drivers. Appled and Environmental Microbilogy 76(4): 999–10007. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02874-09
Iovieno P, Baath E (2008) Effect of drying and rewetting on bacterial growth rates in soil. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 65(3): 400–407. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2008.00524.x
Kotroczo Z, Veres Z, Fekete I, et al. (2014) Soil enzyme activity in response to long-term organic matter manipulation. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 70: 237–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.12.028
Li, SQ, Ren SJ, Li SX (2004) Seasonal change of soil microbial biomass and the relationship between soil microbial biomass and soil moisture and temperature. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science 10(1): 18–23. (In Chinese)
Lozupone CA, Knight R (2007) Global patterns in bacterial diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(27): 11436–11440. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0611525104
Lundquist E, Scow K, Jackson L, et al. (1999) Rapid response of soil microbial communities from conventional, low input,and organic farming systems to a wet/dry cycle. Soil Biology &Biochemistry 31(12): 1661–1675. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(99)00080-2
Ma ZW, Zhang MX, Xiao R, et al. (2017) Changes in soil microbial biomass and community composition in coastal wetlands affected by restoration projects in a Chinese delta. Geoderma 289: 124–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.11.037
Margesin R, Jud M, Tscherko D, et al. (2009) Microbial communities and activities in alpine and subalpine soils. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 67(2): 208–218. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2008.00620.x
Moore-Kucera J, Dick RP (2008) PLFA profiling of microbial community structure and seasonal shifts in soils of a douglasfir chronosequence. Microbiol Ecology 55(3): 500–511. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-007-9295-1
Prescott CE, Grayston SJ (2013) Tree species influence on microbial communities in litter and soil: current knowledge and research needs. Forest Ecology and Management 309: 19–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.02.034
Saleska SR, Shaw MB, Fischer ML (2002) Plant community composition mediates both large transient decline and predicted long-term recovery of soil carbon under climate warming. Global Bilgeochemical Cycles 16(4): 1055. https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GB001573
Shu WH, Jiang Q, Wang ZJ, et al. (2012) Research advances about the effects of vegetation recovery on soil microorganism. Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 33(1): 73–79. (In Chinese)
Smith JL, Paul EA (1990) The significance of soil microbial biomass estimations. In Stotzky, G. and Bollag, J.M. (eds.) Soil Biochemistry. Vol. 6. Marcel Dekker, New York. pp. 357–396. (In Chinese)
Su YZ, Zhao HL (2003) Soil properties and plant species in an age sequence of Caragana microphylla plantations in the Horqin sandy land, north China. Ecological Engineering 20(3): 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-8574(03)00042-9
Su ZA, Xiong DH, Dong YF, et al. (2014) Simulated headward erosion of bank gullies in the Dry-hot Valley region of southwest China. Geomorphology 204: 532–541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.08.033
Szott LT, Palm CA, Davey CB (1994) Biomass and litter accumulation under managed and natural tropical fallows. Forest Ecology and Management 67: 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1127(94)90015-9
Thiet RK, Frey SD, Six J (2006) Do growth yield efficiencies differ between soil microbial communities differing in fungal: bacterial ratios? Reality check and methodological issue. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38(4): 837–844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.010
Ulrich A, Becker R (2006) Soil parent material is a key determinant of the bacterial community structure in arable soils. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 56(3): 430–443. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00085.x
Urbanova M, Snajdr J, Baldrian P (2015) Composition of fungal and bacterial communities in forest litter and soil is largely determined by dominant trees. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 84: 53–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.02.011
Wallenstein MD, Hall EK (2012) A trait-based framework for predicting when and where microbial adaptation to climate change will affect ecosystem functioning. Biogeochemistry 109: 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9641-8
Wang H, Yang JP, Yang SH, et al. (2014) Effect of a 10-elevated temperature under different water contents on the microbial community in a tea orchard soil. European Journal of Soil Biology 62: 113–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2014.03.005
Wang WJ, Dalal RC, Moody PW, et al. (2003) Relationships of soil respiration to microbial biomass, substrate availability and clay content. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35(2): 273–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00274-2
Wang XD, Zhong XH, Liu SZ, et al. (2008) A non-linear technique based on fractal method for describing gully-head changes associated with land-use in an arid environment in China. Catena 72: 106–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2007.04.007
Wu J, Brookes PC (2005) The proportional mineralisation of microbial biomass and organic matter caused by air-drying and rewetting of a grassland soil. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 37(3): 507–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.07.043
Xue J, Li P, Li ZB, et al. (2011) Soil microbial biomass and activity along an altitudinal gradient in dry-hot valley. China Environmental Science 31(11): 1888–1895. (In Chinese)
Xiong DH, Yang DC, Long Y, et al. (2010) Simulation of morphological development of soil cracks in Yuanmou Dryhot Valley region, Southwest China. Chinese Geographical Science 20(2): 112–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-010-0112-2
Yang XT, Ning GH, Dong HY, et al. (2006) Soil microbial characters under different vegetation communities in Taihang Mounatin Area. Chinese Journal of applied Ecology 17(9): 1761–1764. (In Chinese)
Zeng, QP, He BH (2016) Effect of Nitrogen Deposition on Soil Microbial Community Structure Determined with the PLFA Method Under the Masson Pine Forest from Mt. Jinyun, Chongqing. Environmental Science. 37(9): 3590–3597. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.2016.09.042
Zelles L (1999) Fatty acid patterns of phospholipids and lipopolysaccharides in the characterisation of microbial communities in soil: a review. Biology & Fertility of Soils 29(2): 111–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-6535(94)90136-8
Zhang NL, Wan SQ, Guo JX, et al. (2015) Precipitation modifies the effects of warming and nitrogen addition on soil microbial communities in northern Chinese grasslands. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 89: 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.06.022
Zogg G, Zak D, Ringelberg D, et al. (1997) Compositional and functional shifts in microbial communities due to soil warming. Soil Science Society of America Journal 61(2): 475–481. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1997.03615995006100020015x
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0505102), the National Basic Research Programme (973 Programme) of China (2015CB452704), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41571277) and the Key Programme of the “Western Light” Talents Cultivation programme of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2014).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, H., Xiong, Dh., Xiao, L. et al. Effects of vegetation coverage and seasonal change on soil microbial biomass and community structure in the dry-hot valley region. J. Mt. Sci. 15, 1546–1558 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4650-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4650-2