Butachlor (BUT) is a chloroacetanilide herbicide widely applied to rice paddies to control annual grass and broad-leaf weeds. A BUT-degrading bacterial strain (PK) was isolated from paddy soils. Biochemical and 16S rRNA sequencing characteristics confirmed the strain as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (99% resemblance). The isolate dissipated BUT (100 μg/mL) in an M9 liquid medium with a rate of 0.5 ± 0.03 day-1 and DT50 and DT90 of 1.38 ± 0.10 days and 4.58 ± 0.32 days, respectively. Soil dissipation of BUT was investigated under flooded conditions. In sterile soils, the isolate increased the dissipation of BUT (200 μg/g) (DT50 = 12.38 ± 1.83 days, DT90 = 41.12 ± 6.09 days, k = 0.06 ± 0.01 day-1) compared to sterile non-inoculated samples (DT50 = 26.87 ± 2.82 days, DT90 = 89.25 ± 9.36 days, k = 0.03 ± 0.00 day-1). In non-inoculated non-sterile soil experiments, the dissipation of BUT was faster (DT50 = 15.17 ± 2.11 days, DT90 = 50.38 ± 7.02 days, k = 0.05 ± 0.00 day-1) compared to non-inoculated sterile ones, and inoculating the isolate accelerated the removal of BUT in non-sterile soils significantly (DT50 = 8.03 ± 1.20 days, DT90 = 26.68 ± 3.97 days, k = 0.09 ± 0.01 day-1). BUT inhibited soil respiration (SR) initially for 5 days, followed by an increase until day 20. The increase in SR was more pronounced in the co-presence of BUT and the isolate. The results of this research suggest P. aeruginosa PK as a suitable candidate for BUT bioremediation.

Increased reactive nitrogen (N) loadings to terrestrial ecosystems are believed to have positive effects on ecosystem carbon (C) sequestration. Global “hot spots” of N deposition are often associated with currently or formerly high deposition of sulphur (S); C fluxes in these regions might therefore not be responding solely to N loading, and could be undergoing transient change as S inputs change. In a four-year, two-forest stand (mature Norway spruce and European beech) replicated field experiment involving acidity manipulation (sulphuric acid addition), N addition (NH4NO3) and combined treatments, we tested the extent to which altered soil solution acidity or/and soil N availability affected the concentration of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil respiration (Rs), microbial community characteristics (respiration, biomass, fungi and bacteria abundances) and enzyme activity. We demonstrated a large and consistent suppression of soil water DOC concentration driven by chemical changes associated with increased hydrogen ion concentrations under acid treatments, independent of forest type. Soil respiration was suppressed by sulphuric acid addition in the spruce forest, accompanied by reduced microbial biomass, increased fungal:bacterial ratios and increased C to N enzyme ratios. We did not observe equivalent effects of sulphuric acid treatments on Rs in the beech forest, where microbial activity appeared to be more tightly linked to N acquisition. The only changes in C cycling following N addition were increased C to N enzyme ratios, with no impact on C fluxes (either Rs or DOC). We conclude that C accumulation previously attributed solely to N deposition could be partly attributable to their simultaneous acidification.

To explore the effect of elevated CO₂ concentrations ([CO₂]) on phosphine formation in paddy fields, the matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) content, different phosphorus fractions and various carbon forms in soil samples from rice cultivation under varying CO₂ concentrations of 400 ppm, 550 ppm and 700 ppm by indoor simulation experiment were determined. This study showed that MBP concentration did not increase significantly with elevated [CO₂] over four-week cultivation periods of rice seedlings, regardless of soil layers. MBP had a significant positive correlation with total phosphorus (TP) and inorganic phosphorus (IP), and multiple stepwise linear regression analysis further indicated that MBP preservation in neutral paddy soils with depths of 0–20 cm may have been due to conversion from FeP and CaP. Based on redundancy analysis and forward selection analysis, speculated that the formation of MBP in the neutral paddy soils as the response to atmospheric elevated [CO₂] was due to two processes: (i) FeP transformation affected by the changes of soil respiration (SCO₂) and TOC was the main precursor for the production of MBP; and (ii) CaP transformation resulting from variation in HCO₃⁻ was the secondary MBP source. The complex combination of these two processes is simultaneously controlled by SCO₂. In a word, the soil environment in the condition of elevated [CO₂] was in favor of MBP storage in neutral paddy soils. The results of our study imply that atmospheric CO₂ participates in and has a certain impact on the global biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus.

Elevated atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has exerted profound influences on ecosystems. Understanding the effects of N deposition on the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) is important in the studies of global carbon cycle. Although many studies have examined the effects of N deposition on SOC turnover using N addition experiments, the effects were reported to be different across studies. Thus, we lack a predictive understanding of how SOC turnover respond to atmospheric N deposition. The inconsistent results could be associated with ecosystem types and N addition rates. This study mainly wants to confirm the argument that the response of SOC turnover to N deposition is related with N input rates. We conducted a field experiment with multiple N addition levels (0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 g N m−2·yr−1) in Inner Mongolia Grassland, China. To better reveal the responses of SOC turnover to N enrichment, this study measured the soil 14C contents, because it can indicate SOC turnover directly. Compared with the control treatment (0 g N m−2·yr−1), N addition inhibits SOC turnover at the addition rate of 3 g N m−2·yr−1, whereas SOC turnover is not affected when N addition rate was 6, 12, and 24 g N m−2·yr−1. Our results suggest that N input rates affect the responses of SOC turnover to N enrichment. Thus, this study can confirm the argument mentioned above. Based on this study, it should be considered in the climate prediction model that varied atmospheric N deposition levels across regions may have different impacts on local SOC turnover. In addition, we also carried out a soil incubation to compare between the results obtained in incubation and that in 14C measurements. Two results are found to be inconsistent with each other. This indicates that soil respiration from incubation experiments could not comprehensively assess the effects of N deposition on SOC turnover.

Recent studies indicate that while unfunctionalized carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) exhibit very low decomposition rates in soils, even minor surface functionalization (e.g., as a result of photochemical weathering) may accelerate microbial decay. We present results from a C60 fullerene-soil incubation study designed to investigate the potential links between photochemical and microbial degradation of photo-irradiated C60. Irradiating aqueous ¹³C-labeled C60 with solar-wavelength light resulted in a complex mixture of intermediate products with decreased aromaticity. Although addition of irradiated C60 to soil microcosms had little effect on net soil respiration, excess ¹³C in the respired CO2 demonstrates that photo-irradiating C60 enhanced its degradation in soil, with ∼0.78% of 60 day photo-irradiated C60 mineralized. Community analysis by DGGE found that soil microbial community structure was altered and depended on the photo-treatment duration. These findings demonstrate how abiotic and biotic transformation processes can couple to influence degradation of CNMs in the natural environment.

MicroResp™ is a miniaturised method for measuring substrate induced respiration (SIR) in soil. We modified the MicroResp™ method to develop a rapid tool for quantifying the ecotoxicological impact of contaminants. The method is based on reduction in SIR across a gradient of contaminant, allowing for determination of dose–response curves EC-values. Contaminants are mixed into soil samples at a range of concentrations; each sample is then dispensed into a column of eight wells in 96 well format (deep) plates. Moisture and glucose are added to the samples at levels to provide maximum response. Released CO2 from the soils is then measured using colorimetric gel-traps, following the standard MicroResp™ methodology. Examination revealed that this method works over a range of soil types and is insensitive to minor variations in assay length (2–7 h), alteration of moisture content (±20 μL from optimum), and soil storage conditions (4 °C versus fresh).

The effects of experimentally elevated O3 on soil respiration rates, standing fine-root biomass, fine-root production and δ13C signature of newly produced fine roots were investigated in an adult European beech/Norway spruce forest in Germany during two subsequent years with contrasting rainfall patterns. During humid 2002, soil respiration rate was enhanced under elevated O3 under beech and spruce, and was related to O3-stimulated fine-root production only in beech. During dry 2003, the stimulating effect of O3 on soil respiration rate vanished under spruce, which was correlated with decreased fine-root production in spruce under drought, irrespective of the O3 regime. δ13C signature of newly formed fine-roots was consistent with the differing gs of beech and spruce, and indicated stomatal limitation by O3 in beech and by drought in spruce. Our study showed that drought can override the stimulating O3 effects on fine-root dynamics and soil respiration in mature beech and spruce forests. Drought has the capacity to override the stimulating ozone effect on soil respiration in adult European beech/Norway spruce forest.

Remediation programmes are considered to be complete when human risk-based criteria are met. However, these targets are often unsatisfied with the ecological parameters that may be important with regard to future soil use. Five soil subsamples, collecting along a pilot-scale soil column after electrokinetic treatment, were studied, from which about 42.0%-93.3% soil Cu had been successfully removed. A series of biological assays including soil microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, soil urease activity, earthworm assays, and seed assays were used to evaluate their ecological risks. The results showed that the bioassay data from the treatment variants did not supposedly reflecting the decreased soil Cu concentrations after the electrokinetic treatment, but were highly correlated with some soil physicochemical characteristics. It suggests that bioassays are necessary to assess the ecotoxicity of soil after electrokinetic treatment.

Coastal wetland soils serve as a great C sink or source, which highly depends on soil carbon flux affected by complex hydrology in relation to salinity. We conducted a field experiment to investigate soil respiration of three coastal wetlands with different land covers (BL: bare land; SS: Suaeda salsa; PL: Phragmites australis) from May to October in 2012 and 2013 under three groundwater tables (deeper, medium, and shallower water tables) in the Yellow River Delta of China, and to characterize the spatial and temporal changes and the primary environmental drivers of soil respiration in coastal wetlands. Our results showed that the elevated groundwater table decreased soil CO₂ emissions, and the soil respiration rates at each groundwater table exhibited seasonal and diurnal dynamics, where significant differences were observed among coastal wetlands with different groundwater tables (p < 0.05), with the average CO₂ emission of 146.52 ± 13.66 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹ for deeper water table wetlands, 105.09 ± 13.48 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹ for medium water table wetlands and 54.32 ± 10.02 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹ for shallower water table wetlands. Compared with bare land and Suaeda salsa wetlands, higher soil respiration was observed in Phragmites australis wetlands. Generally, soil respiration was greatly affected by salinity and soil water content. There were significant correlations between groundwater tables, electrical conductivity and soil respiration (p < 0.05), indicating that soil respiration in coastal wetlands was limited by electrical conductivity and groundwater tables and soil C sink might be improved by regulating water and salt conditions. We have also observed that soil respiration and temperature showed an exponential relationship on a seasonal scale. Taking into consideration the changes in groundwater tables and salinity that might be caused by sea level rise in the context of global warming, we emphasize the importance of groundwater level and salinity in the carbon cycle process of estuarine wetlands in the future.

Motor vehicles emit a variety of pollutants including metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The relationships between metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs, soil respiration and microbial diversity (fungi and bacteria) were studied using control (n = 3) and roadside soils (n = 27) with different exposure periods to vehicle emissions (2–63 years). Bacterial diversity was found to be higher than control sites (P = 0.002) but was the same across different categories of road age (P = 0.328). Significant (r = −0.49, P = 0.007) contrasting behaviour of fungal and bacterial diversity was reported, with diversity increasing across all road types for bacteria and decreasing across all road types for fungi compared to control soils. Analysis of the bacterial community identified three distinct clusters, separated on age of contamination, suggesting that roadside bacterial communities change over time with pollution from vehicles with the potential development of metal resistant bacteria in roadside soils. In contrast, for fungal communities, a reduction in diversity with time of exposure to roadside vehicle emissions was observed suggesting the potential for reduced ecosystem functionality and soil health in roadside soils. This is the first study in the published literature to include both bacterial and fungal responses from aged roadside soils. The results from this study suggest that normal functionality of soil ecosystem services is being affected in roadside soils, potentially globally.