ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4686-9276
Current Organisations
Murdoch University
,
University of Western Australia
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-10-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-03-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-08-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP31468
Abstract: Few studies describe the primary drivers influencing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and the distribution of carbon (C) fractions in agricultural systems from semi-arid regions yet these soils comprise one fifth of the global land area. Here we identified the primary drivers for changes in total SOC and associated particulate (POC), humus (HOC) and resistant (ROC) organic C fractions for 1347 s le points in the semi-arid agricultural region of Western Australia. Total SOC stock (0–0.3 m) varied from 4 to 209 t C ha −1 with 79% of variation explained by measured variables. The proportion of C in POC, HOC and ROC fractions averaged 28%, 45% and 27% respectively. Climate (43%) and land management practices (32%) had the largest relative influence on variation in total SOC. Carbon accumulation was constrained where average daily temperature was above 17.2 °C and annual rainfall below 450 mm, representing approximately 42% of the 197,300 km 2 agricultural region. As such large proportions of this region are not suited to C sequestration strategies. For the remainder of the region a strong influence of management practices on SOC indicate opportunities for C sequestration strategies associated with incorporation of longer pasture phases and adequate fertilisation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-10-2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-01-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-07-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-10-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2005
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.FUNBIO.2010.04.008
Abstract: Relatively little is known about the effect of afforestation on soil fungal communities. This study demonstrated that afforestation altered fungal community structure and that changes were correlated to pools of soil C. Pasture at three locations on the same soil type was afforested with Eucalyptus globulus or Pinus pinaster. The structure of fungal communities under the three land uses was measured after 13y using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). Afforestation significantly altered the structure of fungal communities. The effect of location on the structure of fungal communities was limited to pasture soils although these contained the same plant species, the relative composition of each species varied between locations. Differences in the structure of fungal communities between pasture, E. globulus and P. pinaster were significantly correlated with changes in the amount of total organic C and microbial biomass-C in soil. Afforestation of patches of agricultural land may contribute to conserving soil fungi in agricultural landscapes by supporting fungal communities with different composition to agricultural soils.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00764-11
Abstract: Soil microbial community characterization is increasingly being used to determine the responses of soils to stress and disturbances and to assess ecosystem sustainability. However, there is little experimental evidence to indicate that predictable patterns in microbial community structure or composition occur during secondary succession or ecosystem restoration. This study utilized a chronosequence of developing jarrah ( Eucalyptus marginata ) forest ecosystems, rehabilitated after bauxite mining (up to 18 years old), to examine changes in soil bacterial and fungal community structures (by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis [ARISA]) and changes in specific soil bacterial phyla by 16S rRNA gene microarray analysis. This study demonstrated that mining in these ecosystems significantly altered soil bacterial and fungal community structures. The hypothesis that the soil microbial community structures would become more similar to those of the surrounding nonmined forest with rehabilitation age was broadly supported by shifts in the bacterial but not the fungal community. Microarray analysis enabled the identification of clear successional trends in the bacterial community at the phylum level and supported the finding of an increase in similarity to nonmined forest soil with rehabilitation age. Changes in soil microbial community structure were significantly related to the size of the microbial biomass as well as numerous edaphic variables (including pH and C, N, and P nutrient concentrations). These findings suggest that soil bacterial community dynamics follow a pattern in developing ecosystems that may be predictable and can be conceptualized as providing an integrated assessment of numerous edaphic variables.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 31-03-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2009
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-03-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-41671-7
Abstract: We aimed to determine the relationship between biochar properties and colonisation of roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in agricultural soil. We used a range of biochars that differed in pH, water holding capacity, C, N and P concentrations to investigate interactions between biochar and AM fungi. A glasshouse experiment was conducted with subterranean clover and wheat, amended separately with 34 sources of biochar (applied at 1% w/w), to investigate potential responses in a phosphorus (P) deficient agricultural soil. Plant growth responses to biochar ranged from positive to negative and were dependent on biochar P concentration, available soil P and AM root colonisation. The higher the nutrient P concentration in biochar, the lower was AM colonisation. Growth responses of wheat and clover to the application of various biochars were mostly positive, and their growth was correlated, but biochar contributions to soil fertility varied with biochar properties. When nutrient concentrations are higher in biochars, especially for P and N, plants can gain access to nutrients via the plant roots and mycorrhizal hyphae. Thus biochar amendments can increase both plant nutrient uptake and crop production in nutrient deficient soil.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/SRV44N4_PR
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-10-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP35496
Abstract: Rebuilding ‘lost’ soil carbon (C) is a priority in mitigating climate change and underpinning key soil functions that support ecosystem services. Microorganisms determine if fresh C input is converted into stable soil organic matter (SOM) or lost as CO 2 . Here we quantified if microbial biomass and respiration responded positively to addition of light fraction organic matter (LFOM, representing recent inputs of plant residue) in an infertile semi-arid agricultural soil. Field trial soil with different historical plant residue inputs [soil C content: control (tilled) = 9.6 t C ha −1 versus tilled + plant residue treatment (tilled + OM) = 18.0 t C ha −1 ] were incubated in the laboratory with a gradient of LFOM equivalent to 0 to 3.8 t C ha −1 (0 to 500% LFOM). Microbial biomass C significantly declined under increased rates of LFOM addition while microbial respiration increased linearly, leading to a decrease in the microbial C use efficiency. We hypothesise this was due to insufficient nutrients to form new microbial biomass as LFOM input increased the ratio of C to nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur of soil. Increased CO 2 efflux but constrained microbial growth in response to LFOM input demonstrated the difficulty for C storage in this environment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-11-2015
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.13138
Abstract: Plants rapidly release photoassimilated carbon (C) to the soil via direct root exudation and associated mycorrhizal fungi, with both pathways promoting plant nutrient availability. This study aimed to explore these pathways from the root's vascular bundle to soil microbial communities. Using nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (Nano SIMS ) imaging and 13 C‐phospho‐ and neutral lipid fatty acids, we traced in‐situ flows of recently photoassimilated C of 13 CO 2 ‐exposed wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) through arbuscular mycorrhiza ( AM ) into root‐ and hyphae‐associated soil microbial communities. Intraradical hyphae of AM fungi were significantly 13 C‐enriched compared to other root‐cortex areas after 8 h of labelling. Immature fine root areas close to the root tip, where AM features were absent, showed signs of passive C loss and co‐location of photoassimilates with nitrogen taken up from the soil solution. A significant and exclusively fresh proportion of 13 C‐photosynthates was delivered through the AM pathway and was utilised by different microbial groups compared to C directly released by roots. Our results indicate that a major release of recent photosynthates into soil leave plant roots via AM intraradical hyphae already upstream of passive root exudations. AM fungi may act as a rapid hub for translocating fresh plant C to soil microbes.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2006
DOI: 10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[2047:NDIAAS]2.0.CO;2
Abstract: We conducted a four-week laboratory incubation of soil from a Themeda triandra Forsskal grassland to clarify mechanisms of nitrogen (N) cycling processes in relation to carbon (C) and N availability in a hot, semiarid environment. Variation in soil C and N availability was achieved by collecting soil from either under tussocks or the bare soil between tussocks, and by amending soil with Themeda litter. We measured N cycling by monitoring: dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), ammonium (NH4+), and nitrate (NO3-) contents, gross rates of N mineralization and microbial re-mineralization, NH4+ and NO3- immobilization, and autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification. We monitored C availability by measuring cumulative soil respiration and dissolved organic C (DOC). Litter-amended soil had cumulative respiration that was eightfold greater than non-amended soil (2000 compared with 250 microg C/g soil) and almost twice the DOC content (54 compared with 28 microg C/g soil). However, litter-amended soils had only half as much DON accumulation as non-amended soils (9 compared with 17 microg N/g soil) and lower gross N rates (1-4 compared with 13-26 microg N x [g soil](-1) x d(-1)) and NO3- accumulation (0.5 compared with 22 microg N/g soil). Unamended soil from under tussocks had almost twice the soil respiration as soil from between tussocks (300 compared with 175 microg C/g soil), and greater DOC content (33 compared with 24 microg C/g soil). However, unamended soil from under tussocks had lower gross N rates (3-20 compared with 17-31 microg N x [g soil](-1) d(-1)) and NO3- accumulation (18 compared with 25 microg N/g soil) relative to soil from between tussocks. We conclude that N cycling in this grassland is mediated by both C and N limitations that arise from the patchiness of tussocks and seasonal variability in Themeda litterfall. Heterotrophic nitrification rate explained >50% of total nitrification, but this percentage was not affected by proximity to tussocks or litter amendment. A conceptual model that considers DON as central to N cycling processes provided a useful initial framework to explain results of our study. However, to fully explain N cycling in this semiarid grassland soil, the production of NO3- from organic N sources must be included in this model.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2019
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2007
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/SR10203
Abstract: Since 1970, measurement of the soil microbial biomass (SMB) has been widely adopted as a relatively simple means of assessing the impact of environmental and anthropogenic change on soil microorganisms. The SMB is living and dynamic, and its activity is responsible for the regulation of organic matter transformations and associated energy and nutrient cycling in soil. At a gross level, an increase in SMB is considered beneficial, while a decline in SMB may be considered detrimental if this leads to a decline in biological function. However, absolute SMB values are more difficult to interpret. Target or reference values of SMB are needed for soil quality assessments and to allow ameliorative action to be taken at an appropriate time. However, critical values have not yet been successfully identified for SMB. This paper provides a conceptual framework which outlines how SMB values could be interpreted and measured, with ex les provided within an Australian context.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 15-06-2010
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03085-09
Abstract: One of soil microbiology's most intriguing puzzles is how so many different bacterial species can coexist in small volumes of soil when competition theory predicts that less competitive species should decline and eventually disappear. We provide evidence supporting the theory that low pore connectivity caused by low water potential (and therefore low water content) increases the ersity of a complex bacterial community in soil. We altered the pore connectivity of a soil by decreasing water potential and increasing the content of silt- and clay-sized particles. Two textures were created, without altering the chemical properties or mineral composition of the soil, by adding silt- and clay-sized particles of quartz to a quartz-based sandy soil at rates of 0% (sand) or 10% (silt+clay). Both textures were incubated at several water potentials, and the effect on the active bacterial communities was measured using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) of bacterial 16S rRNA. Bacterial richness and ersity increased as water potential decreased and soil became drier ( P 0.012), but they were not affected by texture ( P 0.553). Bacterial ersity increased at water potentials of ≤2.5 kPa in sand and ≤4.0 kPa in silt+clay, equivalent to ≤56% water-filled pore space (WFPS) in both textures. The bacterial community structure in soil was affected by both water potential and texture ( P 0.001) and was correlated with WFPS (sum of squared correlations [δ 2 ] = 0.88, P 0.001). These findings suggest that low pore connectivity is commonly experienced by soil bacteria under field conditions and that the theory of pore connectivity may provide a fundamental principle to explain the high ersity of bacteria in soil.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-08-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/EJSS.13325
Abstract: Predicting soil water availability to crops in water‐repellent sandy soil is complicated as soil water repellency (SWR) responds non‐linearly to soil water content. Others have hypothesised that the development of a monolayer of water molecules results in SWR increasing before SWR declines with a further increase in soil water content. In a previous study, we found that SWR increases when above 0.28–0.86% threshold soil water content. Thus, our objective was to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for why SWR increases when above a certain threshold soil water content in a sandy soil. A water adsorption isotherm was constructed by exposing a water‐repellent sandy soil to increasing relative humidity (dynamic vapour sorption technique) to evaluate if the development of a monolayer of water molecules was responsible for the increased SWR response. The increased SWR when above 0.66% threshold soil water content was found to coincide with the capillary condensation of water in the soil. The inverse gas chromatography technique was used for the first time in soil particles' surface energy analysis to investigate why SWR increases when above the threshold soil water content by determining the total, dispersive (non‐polar), and specific surface (polar) energy of the soil at two relative humidities (0% and 90%). Wettable sandy soil (98% soil organic carbon removed) was included as a control to further assess if soil organic carbon in the water‐repellent soil influences the surface energy of the soil. The mean of total, dispersive, and specific surface energy decreased for both wettable and water‐repellent sandy soils when exposed to 90% relative humidity, suggesting that there was limited effect of soil carbon on the increased SWR when above the threshold soil water content since most organic carbon was removed from the wettable soil. We also investigated if there is any difference in the surface energy heterogeneity when exposed to 90% relative humidity to gain insight into surface chemistry heterogeneity of the soil particles' surfaces. Exposing soils to 90% relative humidity decreased the heterogeneity of the total and dispersive surface energy of both wettable and water‐repellent sandy soil indicating a more uniform surface chemistry than when exposed to 0% relative humidity. Examined why soil water repellency (SWR) in a sandy soil increases at low soil water content. Explored underlying mechanisms via water adsorption isotherm and surface energy of a sandy soil. Increased SWR coincided with capillary water condensation and is likely due to counterion effects. Quantitative data presented new mechanisms on why SWR increases with increasing soil water content.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-09-2007
DOI: 10.1007/S00248-007-9278-2
Abstract: We investigated the impacts of forest thinning, prescribed fire, and contour ripping on community level physiological profiles (CLPP) of the soil microbial population in postmining forest rehabilitation. We hypothesized that these management practices would affect CLPP via an influence on the quality and quantity of soil organic matter. The study site was an area of Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Sm.) forest rehabilitation that had been mined for bauxite 12 years previously. Three replicate plots (20 x 20 m) were established in nontreated forest and in forest thinned from 3,000-8,000 stems ha(-1) to 600-800 stems ha(-1) in April (autumn) of 2003, followed either by a prescribed fire in September (spring) of 2003 or left nonburned. Soil s les were collected in August 2004 from two soil depths (0-5 cm and 5-10 cm) and from within mounds and furrows caused by postmining contour ripping. CLPP were not affected by prescribed fire, although the soil pH and organic carbon (C), total C and total nitrogen (N) contents were greater in burned compared with nonburned plots, and the coarse and fine litter mass lower. However, CLPP were affected by forest thinning, as were fine litter mass, soil C/N ratio, and soil pH, which were all higher in thinned than nonthinned plots. Furrow soil had greater coarse and fine litter mass, and inorganic phosphorous (P), organic P, organic C, total C, total N, ammonium, microbial biomass C contents, but lower soil pH and soil C/N ratio than mound soil. Soil pH, inorganic P, organic P, organic C, total C and N, ammonium, and microbial biomass C contents also decreased with depth, whereas soil C/N ratio increased. Differences in CLPP were largely (94%) associated with the relative utilization of gluconic, malic (greater in nonthinned than thinned soil and mound than furrow soil), L-tartaric, succinic, and uric acids (greater in thinned than nonthinned, mound than furrow, and 5-10 cm than 0-5 cm soil). The relative utilization of amino acids also tended to increase with increasing soil total C and organic C contents but decreased with increasing nitrate content, whereas the opposite was true for carboxylic acids. Only 45% of the variance in CLPP was explained using a multivariate multiple regression model, but soil C and N pools and litter mass were significant predictors of CLPP. Differences in soil textural components between treatments were also correlated with CLPP likely causes of these differences are discussed. Our results suggest that 1 year after treatment, CLPP from this mined forest ecosystem are resilient to a spring prescribed fire but not forest thinning. We conclude that differences in CLPP are likely to result from complex interactions among soil properties that mediate substrate availability, microbial nutrient demand, and microbial community composition.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1071/SR08096
Abstract: Accurate and rapid prediction of the spatial structure of soil nitrogen (N) supply would have both economic and environmental benefits with respect to improved inorganic N fertiliser management. Yet traditional biochemical indices of soil N supply have not been widely incorporated into fertiliser decision support systems or environmental risk monitoring programs. Here we illustrate that in a low-input, semi-arid environment, potentially mineralisable N (PMN, as determined by anaerobic incubation) explained 21% of wheat grain yield (P = 0.003), whereas there was no significant relationship between wheat grain yield and inorganic N fertiliser application. We also assessed the spatial pattern of PMN using a structured grid soil s ling strategy over a 10-ha area (180 separate s les, 0–0.1 m). PMN in each soil s le was determined by standard biochemical analysis and also predicted using a fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Findings illustrate that FTIR was able to significantly predict (P 0.001) PMN values in soil and has the advantage of enabling high s le throughput and rapid (within minutes) soil analysis. Given the relatively low cost of FTIR machines and ease of use, such an approach has practical application in situations where analysis cost or access to equipped laboratories has hindered the measurement and monitoring of soil N supply within paddocks and across regions.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-11-2012
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2003
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 03-2009
DOI: 10.1029/2008GB003250
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-01-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S13593-023-00867-Y
Abstract: Factors affecting fertilizer decisions made by grain growers are changing in the context of changing climatic conditions and growing volatility in global fertilizer and grain markets. To ensure sustainable development of grain industries in light of this uncertainty, research, development, extension, and adoption activities associated with growers’ fertilizer decisions need to be focused on factors to which they are most sensitive. The aim of this paper is to understand the factors that have the greatest influence on grain producer’s fertilizer strategies, how these factors have changed over recent years, and what is the relative importance of agronomic, socioeconomic, and logistical factors affecting these strategies. A telephone survey of 425 grain-growing businesses in Western Australia was conducted, and survey results were analyzed statistically. We show for the first time that grain growers’ fertilizer decisions are most sensitive to agronomic factors (especially the amount and distribution of rainfall). Logistic factors (such as difficulties fertilizing increasing areas in short periods of time) are growing in influence as farm size, cropping areas, and the number of fertilizer applications within seasons increase. Fertilizer decisions have become less sensitive to socioeconomic factors over the last 10 to 15 years. To ensure sustainable development of grain production, research through to adoption activities should focus on agronomic issues (such as seasonal forecasting) and logistic issues (such as improving planning, organizational, and technical capacity for developing and implementing fertilizer strategies).
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-10-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-07-2011
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 12-07-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FMICB.2021.697309
Abstract: The accumulation of petroleum-based plastic waste has become a major issue for the environment. A sustainable and biodegradable solution can be found in Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a microbially produced biopolymer. An analysis of the global phylogenetic and ecological distribution of potential PHA producing bacteria and archaea was carried out by mining a global genome repository for PHA synthase (PhaC), a key enzyme involved in PHA biosynthesis. Bacteria from the phylum Actinobacteria were found to contain the PhaC Class II genotype which produces medium-chain length PHAs, a physiology until now only found within a few Pseudomonas species. Further, several PhaC genotypes were discovered within Thaumarchaeota, an archaeal phylum with poly-extremophiles and the ability to efficiently use CO 2 as a carbon source, a significant ecological group which have thus far been little studied for PHA production. Bacterial and archaeal PhaC genotypes were also observed in high salinity and alkalinity conditions, as well as high-temperature geothermal ecosystems. These genome mining efforts uncovered previously unknown candidate taxa for biopolymer production, as well as microbes from environmental niches with properties that could potentially improve PHA production. This in silico study provides valuable insights into unique PHA producing candidates, supporting future bioprospecting efforts toward better targeted and relevant taxa to further enhance the ersity of exploitable PHA production systems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/SR12351
Abstract: Here we take advantage of the stable carbon isotope shift that occurs when a C4 plant is sown into a soil previously dominated by C3 vegetation, to explore the movement and fate of newly sequestered soil organic carbon (SOC) following establishment of subtropical perennial pastures in temperate regions of Australia. In kikuyu-based pastures up to 33 years of age, SOC accumulated exclusively in the coarse size fraction ( μm) in the sandy soils of southern Western Australia. In South Australian loams, regardless of pasture age, new SOC was found to accumulate in both the coarse and fine ( μm) size fractions. These differential results suggest that in soils with low clay content, new SOC remains in an unprotected form that is highly vulnerable to loss through decomposition and erosion. The Rothamsted Carbon Model, modified to track changes in stable isotopes, was able to represent the changes in total SOC stocks in both regions however, the model over-predicted the incorporation of the new C4-SOC into the soil. This difference between data and model output could be reconciled if a greater proportion of new SOC is rapidly mineralised without being incorporated into any sort of stabilised pool.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2013.03.090
Abstract: Whilst largely considered an inert material, biochar has been documented to contain a small yet significant fraction of microbially available labile organic carbon (C). Biochar addition to soil has also been reported to alter soil microbial community structure, and to both stimulate and retard the decomposition of native soil organic matter (SOM). We conducted a short-term incubation experiment using two (13)C-labelled biochars produced from wheat or eucalypt shoots, which were incorporated in an aridic arenosol to examine the fate of the labile fraction of biochar-C through the microbial community. This was achieved using compound specific isotopic analysis (CSIA) of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). A proportion of the biologically-available fraction of both biochars was rapidly (within three days) utilised by gram positive bacteria. There was a sharp peak in CO2 evolution shortly after biochar addition, resulting from rapid turnover of labile C components in biochars and through positive priming of native SOM. Our results demonstrate that this CO2 evolution was at least partially microbially mediated, and that biochar application to soil can cause significant and rapid changes in the soil microbial community likely due to addition of labile C and increases in soil pH.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/SR11316
Abstract: Nitrogen (N) leaching from coarse-textured soils frequently leads to productivity losses and negative environmental consequences. Historically, clay amendment has been used on coarse-textured soils to decrease water repellence and nutrient leaching. More recently, biochar has been proposed as an alternative soil amendment to decrease N leaching while simultaneously storing carbon. As biochar has a greater nutrient-retention capacity, we hypothesised that biochar derived from Eucalyptus marginata would be a more effective amendment than clay at minimising N leaching. The soil used was a coarse-textured agricultural sand with the following treatments: (1) biochar incorporated homogenously into the 0–10 cm soil layer, (2) clay incorporated similarly, (3) biochar added as a layer at 10 cm depth, (4) clay added similarly, or (5) a control. Amendments were added at 25 t/ha and watered periodically over 21 days and watered with the equivalent to 30 mm. Clay and biochar amendments significantly decreased cumulative NH4+ leaching by ~20% and NO3– leaching by 25%. Biochar decreased NO3– leaching significantly more than clay, possibly due to decreased nitrification. Dissolved organic N leaching was not influenced by any treatment. Leaching of N was unaffected by amendment application method. We conclude that to decrease N leaching, land managers should apply the most readily available of the amendments in the most convenient manner.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2010
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-08-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP30733
Abstract: Ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) drive nitrification and their population dynamics impact directly on the global nitrogen cycle. AOA predominate in the majority of soils but an increasing number of studies have found that nitrification is largely attributed to AOB. The reasons for this remain poorly understood. Here, amoA gene abundance was used to study the distribution of AOA and AOB in agricultural soils on different parent materials and in contrasting geologic landscapes across Australia (n = 135 sites). AOA and AOB abundances separated according to the geologic age of the parent rock with AOB higher in the more weathered, semi-arid soils of Western Australia. AOA dominated the younger, higher pH soils of Eastern Australia, independent of any effect of land management and fertilization. This differentiation reflects the age of the underlying parent material and has implications for our understanding of global patterns of nitrification and soil microbial ersity. Western Australian soils are derived from weathered archaean laterite and are acidic and copper deficient. Copper is a co-factor in the oxidation of ammonia by AOA but not AOB. Thus, copper deficiency could explain the unexpectedly low populations of AOA in Western Australian soils.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-06-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP11146
Abstract: Ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) are responsible for the rate limiting step in nitrification a key nitrogen (N) loss pathway in agricultural systems. Dominance of AOA relative to AOB in the amoA gene pool has been reported in many ecosystems, although their relative contributions to nitrification activity are less clear. Here we examined the distribution of AOA and AOB with depth in semi-arid agricultural soils in which soil organic matter content or pH had been altered and related their distribution to gross nitrification rates. Soil depth had a significant effect on gene abundances, irrespective of management history. Contrary to reports of AOA dominance in soils elsewhere, AOA gene copy numbers were four-fold lower than AOB in the surface (0–10 cm). AOA gene abundance increased with depth while AOB decreased and sub-soil abundances were approximately equal (10–90 cm). The depth profile of total archaea did not mirror that of AOA, indicating the likely presence of archaea without nitrification capacity in the surface. Gross nitrification rates declined significantly with depth and were positively correlated to AOB but negatively correlated to AOA gene abundances. We conclude that AOB are most likely responsible for regulating nitrification in these semi-arid soils.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.2134/JEQ2005.0022
Abstract: The objective of this study was to quantify C and N mineralization rates from a range of organic amendments that differed in their total C and N contents and C quality, to gain a better understanding of their influence on the soil N cycle. A pelletized poultry manure (PP), two green waste-based composts (GWCa, GWCb), a straw-based compost (SBC), and a vermi-cast (VER) were incubated in a coarse-textured soil at 15 degrees C for 142 d. The C quality of each amendment was determined by chemical analysis and by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Carbon dioxide (CO2-C) evolution was determined using alkali traps. Gross N mineralization rates were calculated by 15N isotopic pool dilution. The CO2-C evolution rates and gross N mineralization rates were generally higher in amended soils than in the control soil. With the exception of GWCb all amendments released inorganic N at concentrations that would be high enough to warrant a reduction in inorganic N fertilizer application rates. The amount of N released from PP was high indicating that application rates should be reduced, or alternative amendments used, to minimize leaching losses in regions where ground water quality is of concern. There was a highly significant relationship between CO2-C evolution and gross N mineralization (R2= 0.95). Some of the chemically determined C quality parameters had significant relationships (p < 0.05) with both the cumulative amounts of C and N evolved. However, we found no significant relationships between 13C NMR spectral groupings, or their ratios, and either the CO2-C evolved or gross N mineralized from the amendments.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2007
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1002/2013GB004746
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-10-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-07-2013
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.12405
Abstract: The ability of plants to compete effectively for nitrogen (N) resources is critical to plant survival. However, controversy surrounds the importance of organic and inorganic sources of N in plant nutrition because of our poor ability to visualize and understand processes happening at the root–microbial–soil interface. Using high‐resolution nano‐scale secondary ion mass spectrometry stable isotope imaging (Nano SIMS ‐ SII ), we quantified the fate of 15 N over both space and time within the rhizosphere. We pulse‐labelled the soil surrounding wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) roots with either or 15 N‐glutamate and traced the movement of 15 N over 24 h. Imaging revealed that glutamate was rapidly depleted from the rhizosphere and that most 15 N was captured by rhizobacteria, leading to very high 15 N microbial enrichment. After microbial capture, approximately half of the 15 N‐glutamate was rapidly mineralized, leading to the excretion of , which became available for plant capture. Roots proved to be poor competitors for 15 N‐glutamate and took up N mainly as . Spatial mapping of 15 N revealed differential patterns of 15 N uptake within bacteria and the rapid uptake and redistribution of 15 N within roots. In conclusion, we demonstrate the rapid cycling and transformation of N at the soil–root interface and that wheat capture of organic N is low in comparison to inorganic N under the conditions tested.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-01-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-09-2007
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/SR05042
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of season, farm management (organic, biodynamic, integrated, and conventional), and soil chemical, physical, and biological properties on gross nitrogen (N) fluxes and bacterial community structure in the semi-arid region of Western Australia. Moisture availability was the dominant factor mediating microbial activity and carbon (C) and N cycling under this climate. In general, microbial biomass N, dissolved organic N, and potentially mineralisable N were greater in organic and biodynamic than integrated and conventional soil. Our results indicate that greater silt and clay content in organic and biodynamic soil may also partly explain these differences in soil N pools, rather than management alone. Although plant-available N (NH4+ + NO3–) was greater in conventional soil, this was largely the result of higher NO3– production. Multiple linear modelling indicated that soil temperature, moisture, soil textural classes, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and C and N pools were important in predicting gross N fluxes. Redundancy analysis revealed that bacterial community structure, assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rDNA, was correlated with C and N pools and fluxes, confirming links between bacterial structure and function. Bacterial community structure was also correlated with soil textural classes and soil temperature but not soil moisture. These results indicate that across this semi-arid landscape, soil bacterial communities are relatively resistant to water stress.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2005
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/SR06133
Abstract: Total C and N were measured in whole soils (0–0.15, 0.15–0.35, and 0.35–0.65 m), light organic matter fractions ( g/cm3 (LF 1.0) and 1.0–1.7 g/cm3 (LF 1.7)) in surface soils, and in leaf litter collected from a mixed grass/lucerne pasture and adjacent native bush at Moora, Western Australia. The C content of the plant material and light fractions was characterised by 13C cross-polarisation/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CP/MAS NMR) spectroscopy. Water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and N (WEON) were measured in soil, and dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON) were measured in soil solutions. In addition, both NO3-N and NH4-N (SMN) were measured in soil solutions and water extracts. Total soil C (0–0.65 m) did not differ significantly between land uses, but there was clear evidence of N enrichment under the pasture system, which contained significantly (P 0.05) more total N in the surface soil (0–0.15 m) compared with that under native bush. The significantly (P 0.05) smaller C/N ratios of the surface soil, plant litter, and light fractions (LF 1.0 and 1.7) under the pasture provided further evidence of N enrichment. The 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra for plant material and light fractions did not differ greatly between landuses, but in both cases the O-alkyl : alkyl carbon ratio declined with increasing density. The decomposition and subsequent mineralisation of the relatively N-rich organic matter fractions in the pasture system may have contributed to the significantly (P 0.05) greater DOC, DON, and SMN concentration measured in soil solutions under pasture compared with those under native bush.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/SR06012
Abstract: Soil microbial activity is often limited by the absence of readily available carbon (C) based substrates. Addition of a range of soluble organic substrates to soil has been shown to either accelerate or constrain the rate of CO2-C evolution. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of the microbial population to become activated in response to small additions of glucose-C (10–50 µg C/g soil) and 19 other soluble organic substrates (30 µg C/g soil) in soil either amended or not with cellulose. Rapid utilisation (equivalent to 25–35%) of added glucose was demonstrated in an initial flush of respiratory activity measured as CO2-C. However, the cumulative amount of respired C in 23 days indicated no additional release of CO2-C from the native soil organic matter (SOM) following application of glucose to soils, and a highly variable secondary phase of C mineralisation distinct from the initial glucose mineralisation phase. Although several C substrates resulted in the evolution of ‘extra’ CO2-C, no obvious association was observed between the response and the chemical structure of each substrate.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-11-2018
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/SR11161
Abstract: Estimation of soil organic carbon stocks requires bulk density (BD) measurements. Variability in BD contributes to carbon stock uncertainty, in turn affecting how large a change in stock can be observed over time or space. However, BD is difficult and time-consuming to measure, and s le collection is further complicated by extremely dry field conditions, coarse-textured soils, and high coarse-fragment content, which are common in southern Australia and other semi-arid and Mediterranean-type climates. Two alternatives to reduce BD s ling effort are to take fewer BD s les at a site (i.e. volumetric rings or clod), and to use more time-efficient methods (i.e. gamma–neutron density meter, NDM). We evaluate these options in the context of a soil carbon stock survey in agricultural land in the south-west of Australia. The BD values within a monitoring site measured with conventional and NDM methods were statistically different when assessed using large s le sizes the measurements erged where the coarse fraction volume was %. However, carbon stocks were equivalent, reflecting the much larger relative variability in carbon percentage, which contributed 84–99% of the uncertainty in carbon stocks compared with % from BD. Given the maximum variability measured, soil carbon stock changes in southern Australia should be monitored on a decadal scale.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2004
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/SR11203
Abstract: The quantity and/or quality of soil organic matter (SOM) and its fractions regulate microbial community composition and associated function. In this study an established, replicated agricultural systems trial in a semi-arid environment was used to test: (i) whether agricultural systems which have increased plant residue inputs increase the amount of labile SOM relative to total SOM, or change the quality of SOM fractions and (ii) whether the size or quality of OM fractions is most strongly linked to the size, activity, functional ersity, and community structure of the soil microbial biomass. Soil (0–50 mm) was collected following 5 years of continuous wheat, crop rotation, crop–pasture rotation, annual pasture, or perennial pasture. Pastures were grazed by sheep. Direct drilling and non-inversion tillage techniques were compared in some cropping systems. Total carbon (C) increased with the proportion of pasture as a result of increased SOM inputs into these systems land use also significantly affected SOM fractions and their chemical and physical nature. While the size, function, and structure of the soil microbial community were somewhat related to total soil C, they were better correlated with SOM fractions. The C : nitrogen (N) ratio of light fraction organic matter could be used to predict the amount of potentially mineralisable N in soil, while the C : N ratio of total SOM could not. Measurement of bacterial community structure (using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) significantly discriminated between land uses, while community-level physiological profiles revealed fewer differences. Overall, our findings support the premise that labile fractions of SOM are more strongly related to microbial community structure and function than is total SOM.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2008
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/SR12373
Abstract: Assessment of the potential for soil carbon sequestration based on soil type, land use, and climate scenarios is crucial for determining which agricultural regions can be used to help mitigate increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. In semi-arid and Mediterranean-type environments, soil organic carbon (SOC) storage capacity is rarely achieved under dryland agricultural systems. We aimed to assess both actual (measured) and attainable (modelled) SOC stock values for the dryland agricultural production zone of Western Australia. We measured actual SOC storage (0–0.3 m) and known constraints to plant growth for a range of soils types (3–27% clay) and land uses (continuous cropping, mixed cropping, annual and perennial pastures) on the Albany sand plain in Western Australia (n = 261 sites), spanning a rainfall gradient of 421–747 mm. Average actual SOC stocks for land use–soil type combinations ranged from 33 to 128 t C/ha (0–0.3 m). Up to 89% of the variability in actual SOC stock was explained by soil depth, rainfall, land use, and soil type. The scenarios modelled with Roth-C predicted that attainable SOC values of 59–140 t C/ha (0–0.3 m) could be achieved within 100 years. This indicated an additional storage capacity of 5–45% (7–27 t C/ha) depending on the specific land use–soil type combination. However, actual SOC in the surface 0–0.1 m was 95 to % of modelled attainable SOC values, suggesting this soil depth was ‘saturated’. Our findings highlight that additional SOC storage capacity in this region is limited to the subsoil below 0.1 m. This has implications for management strategies to increase SOC sequestration in dryland agricultural systems, as current practices tend to concentrate organic matter near the soil surface.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2004
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 11-2018
DOI: 10.1029/2018GB005960
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-02-2016
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.1071/S97043
Abstract: Simulated rainfall events were applied during the summer fallow period to a Western Australian agricultural soil, a loamy sand, under continuous wheat and after the second pasture phase of a 2 pasture : 1 wheat (2P : 1W) rotation. The aims of this study were to determine the change in microbial activity, amount of net and gross nitrogen (N) mineralised, and inorganic N produced after dry soil was re-wet during summer rainfall. Three irrigation treatments were applied: (i) control soils received no water, (ii) the single wet treatment received 45 mm of water on day 0 and was allowed to dry, and (iii) the multiple wet treatment received 45 mm of water on day 0 plus further applications of 5 mm on days 3 and 8. The CO2 production and N mineralisation were measured in the surface 10 cm of soil for a period of 14 days after initial irrigation. Net N mineralisation was measured from in situ incubation of soil cores and gross N mineralisation by 15N isotopic dilution. The CO2 production was measured by infrared gas analysis of air s les taken from a closed headspace above the soil. A large flush in CO2 production and gross N mineralisation occurred immediately after rewetting the dry soil. This response was short-lived and rates of CO2 production and gross N mineralisation declined rapidly after 2 days. After irrigation on day 0, CO2 production was twice as large and gross N mineralisation was slightly larger in the 2P : 1W soil than continuous wheat. Gross N mineralisation and CO2 production were not significantly different in the multiple and single wet treatments after the re-wet on day 3, but an additional flush in activity occurred in the multiple wet treatment after the re-wet on day 8. The patterns of gross N mineralisation and CO2 production corresponded to changes in the soil water content, especially in the surface 2·5 cm of soil. Net and gross N mineralised and gross N immobilised over the 14-day period after the initial re-wet were greater in the multiple wet compared with the single wet treatments under both wheat and 2P : 1W. However, gross N mineralisation was approximately 4-fold greater than net N mineralisation under wheat and 15-fold greater under 2P : 1W. The majority of gross N mineralised after simulated summer rainfall was immobilised which resulted in an increase in inorganic N within the soil profile (0-50 cm) during opening winter rains.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-06-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP10791
Abstract: We aimed to quantify the relative contributions of plant residue and organic manure to soil carbon sequestration. Using a 27-year-long inorganic fertilizer and manure amendment experiment in a maize ( Zea mays L.) double-cropping system, we quantified changes in harvestable maize biomass and soil organic carbon stocks (0–20 cm depth) between 1986-2012. By employing natural 13 C tracing techniques, we derived the proportional contributions of below-ground crop biomass return (maize-derived carbon) and external manure amendment (manure-derived carbon) to the total soil organic carbon stock. The average retention of maize-derived carbon plus manure-derived carbon during the early period of the trial (up to 11 years) was relatively high (10%) compared to the later period (22 to 27 years, 5.1–6.3%). About 11% of maize-derived carbon was converted to soil organic carbon, which was double the retention of manure-derived carbon (4.4–5.1%). This result emphasized that organic amendments were necessary to a win-win strategy for both SOC sequestration and maize production.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2005
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.1071/S97045
Abstract: The distribution of microbial biomass C and N and the decline in gross N mineralisation and NH4+ consumption with soil depth was investigated in 2 soils with different soil texture and land use. Soils were from an annual pasture on a loamy sand and from a sandy clay loam previously cropped with wheat. Intact soil cores were collected from the surface 0–10 cm in steel tubes and were s led in 2·5 cm layers. Disturbed soil down to 50 cm was collected in 10 cm sections using a sand auger. Microbial biomass was estimated by chloroform fumigation and 0·5 M K2SO4 extraction. Microbial biomass C was determined from the flush in ninhydrin-positive compounds, and microbial biomass N from the flush in total soluble N after K2S2O8 oxidation. Gross N mineralisation and NH4+ consumption were estimated by 15N isotopic dilution using 15NH3 gas injection to label the soil 14NH4+ pool with 15N. The pattern of distribution of the microbial biomass and the rate of N transformations were similar for both soils. There was a rapid decline in microbial biomass C and N and gross N mineralisation with soil depth. Approximately 55% of the microbial biomass, 70–88% of gross N mineralisation, and 46–57% of NH4+ consumption was in the surface 0–10 cm in both soils. There was also a stratification of microbial biomass and gross N mineralisation within the 0–10 cm layer of intact soil cores. It was estimated that one-quarter of the total microbial biomass and at least one-half of the total gross N mineralisation within the soil profiles (0–50 cm) was located in the surface 2·5 cm layer. These results demonstrate the importance of the surface soil layer as a major source of microbial activity and inorganic N production. There was a strong correlation between the distribution of microbial biomass and the gross rate of mineralisation of soil organic N within the soil profile.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1002/RCM.2811
Abstract: The spatial location of microorganisms and their activity within the soil matrix have major impacts on biological processes such as nutrient cycling. However, characterizing the biophysical interface in soils is h ered by a lack of techniques at relevant scales. A novel method for studying the distribution of microorganisms that have incorporated isotopically labelled substrate ('active' microorganisms) in relation to the soil microbial habitat is provided by nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). Pseudomonas fluorescens are ubiquitous in soil and were therefore used as a model for 'active' microorganisms in soil. Batch cultures (NCTC 10038) were grown in a minimal salt medium containing 15N-ammonium sulphate (15/14N ratio of 1.174), added to quartz-based white sand or soil (coarse textured sand), embedded in Araldite 502 resin and sectioned for NanoSIMS analysis. The 15N-enriched P. fluorescens could be identified within the soil structure, demonstrating that the NanoSIMS technique enables the study of spatial location of microbial activity in relation to the heterogeneous soil matrix. This technique is complementary to the existing techniques of digital imaging analysis of soil thin sections and scanning electron microscopy. Together with advanced computer-aided tomography of soils and mathematical modelling of soil heterogeneity, NanoSIMS may be a powerful tool for studying physical and biological interactions, thereby furthering our understanding of the biophysical interface in soils.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.1071/S97044
Abstract: The effects of simulated rainfall events during the summer fallow period on extractable and microbial carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in soils under either continuous wheat or the second-year pasture phase of a 2-pasture-1-wheat rotation in the Western Australian wheatbelt were investigated. A ‘single wetting’ treatment (45 mm rainfall on Day 0) was compared with a 55 mm ‘multiple wetting’ treatment (45 mm at Day 0, 5 mm at Day 3, and 5 mm at Day 8). Soil s les from 0{10 cm depth were taken prior to, and at regular intervals up to 14 days following, the inital wetting event. Soil extracts were assayed for total soluble N (TSN), total oxidisable C (TOC), Olsen-P, and ninhydrin-positive compounds (NPC). Prior to the simulated rainfall events, extractable TSN and TOC in the air-dry fallow soils were significantly higher (P 0·01), and Olsen-P significantly lower, for the pasture land use compared with the continuous wheat. However, subsequent to wetting there were no significant differences between the 2 land uses, or single and multiple wetting treatments, for extractable TSN, TOC, Olsen P, or NPC. Extractable soluble organic N (SON), calculated by subtracting measured inorganic N from TSN, decreased within 48 h of each wetting event to a minimal value but, after the first 2 wetting events, subsequently increased to at least the prewet value. Microbial C, N, and P were estimated from the difference in TOC, TSN, and Olsen-P of extracts from fumigated and unfumigated soils (microbial ‘flush’) and microbial C and N were also estimated from the NPC ‘flush’. There was generally good agreement between the 2 estimates of microbial N (NPC and TSN, R2 = 0·50), but less so for the 2 estimates of microbial C (NPC and TOC, R2 = 0 ·31). There was no significant difference in microbial C, N, or P between the 2 land uses, but there was a highly significant response of the microbial biomass to wetting events and also significant differences in temporal patterns between the single and multiple wetting treatments. Microbial C and N increased in the period following initial wetting, more rapidly in the wheat than the pasture, reaching a peak at Day 2 for wheat and Day 3 for pasture. Subsequently, for the single wet treatment, there was a steady linear decline in microbial C and N until Day 10, whereas over the same period (Days 4-10) in the multiple wet treatment there were 2 highly significant quadratic responses to time, manifest as a linear increase in microbial C and N following each re-wetting event, to a peak value 24 h after the event, and a subsequent decline to the pre-wet value after a further 24 h.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 08-08-2023
DOI: 10.1071/SR23044
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-11-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-11-2008
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-10-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-13094-9
Abstract: One of the greatest contemporary challenges in terrestrial ecology is to determine the impact of climate change on the world’s ecosystems. Here we investigated how wetting patterns (frequency and intensity) and nutrient additions altered microbial biomass and CO 2 -C loss from a semi-arid soil. South-western Australia is predicted to experience declining annual rainfall but increased frequency of summer rainfall events when soil is fallow. Agricultural soils (0–10 cm at 10 °C or 25 °C) received the same total amount of water (15 mL over 30 days) applied at different frequency with either nil or added nitrogen and phosphorus. Smaller more frequent wetting applications resulted in less CO 2 -C loss ( P 0.001) with cumulative CO 2 -C loss 35% lower than a single wetting event. This coincided with increased microbial biomass C at 25 °C but a decline at 10 °C. Increasing nutrient availability decreased CO 2 -C loss only under a single larger wetting event. While bacterial and fungal abundance remained unchanged, archaeal abundance and laccase-like copper monooxidase gene abundance increased with more frequent wetting at 25 °C. Our findings suggest smaller more frequent summer rainfall may decrease CO 2 emissions compared to infrequent larger events and enhance microbial C use efficiency where sufficient background soil organic matter and nutrients are available.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2005
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-10-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ELE.13399
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-11-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-16253-0
Abstract: Managing the impact of anthropogenic and climate induced stress on plant growth remains a challenge. Here we show that polymeric hydrogels, which maintain their hydrous state, can be designed to exploit functional interactions with soil microorganisms. This microbial enhancement may mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses limiting productivity. The presence of mannan chains within synthetic polyacrylic acid (PAA) enhanced the dynamics and selectivity of bacterial ingress in model microbial systems and soil microcosms. Pseudomonas fluorescens exhibiting high mannan binding adhesins showed higher ingress and localised microcolonies throughout the polymeric network. In contrast, ingress of Bacillus subtilis , lacking adhesins, was unaltered by mannan showing motility comparable to bulk liquids. Incubation within microcosms of an agricultural soil yielded hydrogel populations significantly increased from the corresponding soil. Bacterial ersity was markedly higher in mannan containing hydrogels compared to both control polymer and soil, indicating enhanced selectivity towards microbial families that contain plant beneficial species. Here we propose functional polymers applied to the potential root zone which can positively influence rhizobacteria colonization and potentially plant growth as a new approach to stress tolerance.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/SR13111
Abstract: The use of subtropical perennial grasses in temperate grazing systems is increasingly being promoted for production and environmental benefits. This study employed a combination of elemental and stable isotope analyses to explore whether pastures sown to either kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) or a combination of panic (Panicum maximum) and Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) could increase soil organic carbon (SOC) levels in five regions across southern Australia. Carbon was sequestered under kikuyu at a rate of 0.90 ± 0.25 Mg C ha–1 year–1 along the south coast of Western Australia. Lower but still significant sequestration rates were found for kikuyu in South Australia (0.26 ± 0.13 Mg C ha–1 year–1). No changes in SOC were found for panic–Rhodes grass pasture systems in the northern district of Western Australia. Additionally, we found no changes in SOC when kikuyu-based pastures were established on formerly cropped paddocks in the Namoi Catchment of New South Wales. Stable isotope results corroborated these findings and suggested that, where SOC has accumulated, the gains have been dominated by SOC derived from the perennial vegetation and have been concentrated in the upper 10 cm of soil.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Date: 2011
Publisher: WORLD SCIENTIFIC (EUROPE)
Date: 07-02-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/SR09143
Abstract: A 7-year tillage experiment was conducted on a deep sand in the central wheat belt of Western Australia between 1998 and 2004 to evaluate the impact of tillage intensity [no-tillage (NT), conservation tillage (CT), and rotary tillage (RT)] on soil organic matter, microbial biomass and function, and crop yields in a wheat–lupin rotation. A fourth treatment (subterranean clover pasture, Pasture) with least soil disturbance was included as a comparison. By March 2004, total soil carbon (C) in NT and CT increased by 4.4 and 2.6 t/ha, respectively, to an average of 17.6 t/ha in the top 0.1 m of the soil profile. There was a loss of total soil C in RT (–0.5 t/ha), which was significant compared with the other 2 tillage treatments. Total soil C and nitrogen (N) contents in the pasture treatment were similar to those in NT and CT at the end of the experiment. Labile fractions of soil C responded more rapidly to tillage practice, with significant reductions by 2001 in light fraction C and dissolved organic C in the RT treatment compared with the other 3 treatments. The effect of RT on biology and function was seen early in the experiment and, compared with Pasture, NT, and CT, intense tillage in RT significantly reduced microbial biomass and cellulase activity in the surface 0.05 m by the third year of the experiment. However, at a depth of 0.05–0.10 m there were no significant differences between treatments. Grain yields in NT, CT, and RT were unaffected by tillage except in 2003, when lupin yield under RT (1.6 t/ha) was significantly less than under NT (2.0 t/ha) and CT (1.9 t/ha). Minimal differences between NT and CT are a reflection of the minimum disturbance in the CT treatment, although there were significant differences between CT and NT in microbial indices such as microbial quotient and metabolic quotient, suggesting a future ergence of these treatments.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/SR05183
Abstract: The long-term (16-year) effect of stubble management (i.e. retained or burnt) on the size of the microbial community (microbial biomass-C and -N), microbial community structure (PLFA), and function (CO2-C evolution, gross N transformation rates, enzymatic activity, and community level physiological profiles) was investigated on 4 occasions during a single wheat-growing season using soil collected from the low-rainfall ( mm) region of Western Australia. Significant differences (P 0.001) in microbial community structure and function were determined for different s ling times by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses and community level physiological profiles (CLPP). However, neither PLFA nor CLPP analyses identified differences between stubble treatments. In contrast to total soil organic matter-C, for which no treatment differences were evident, microbial biomass-C was 34% and CO2-C evolution 61% greater in stubble-retained treatments than in burnt-stubble treatments in the 0–0.05 m soil layer. Seasonal increases in microbial biomass-C (P 0.001) were on average twice as large and CO2-C evolution (P 0.001) nearly 4 times greater in September during crop flowering compared with other s ling times. In contrast, microbial biomass-N remained constant throughout the entire s ling period. Stubble-retained treatments also demonstrated significantly greater (P 0.05) levels of arginine ammonification, acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase enzyme activity on average compared with burnt-stubble treatments. However, the effect (P = 0.05) of stubble treatment on gross N mineralisation, nitrification, or immobilisation rates was seasonally dependent with burnt-stubble treatments demonstrating lower gross N mineralisation rates than retained-stubble treatments in November. Gross N mineralisation was lower (37–83% on average) than potential gross nitrification rates (estimated in the presence of excess NH4+) measured from May to September. The rate of potential gross nitrification was observed to decline significantly (P = 0.06) in November and as a result, more closely matched gross N mineralisation rates. Potential gross nitrification rates were also up to 6 times greater than microbial immobilisation of NH4+, indicating that this would be the primary consumptive process in the presence of NH4+. Whilst potential nitrification rates in the presence of excess NH4+ were high, low soil NO3– concentrations indicate that plant/microbial demand for NO3– and NH4+ exceeded the supply capacity. For ex le, actual gross nitrification rates (determined in the presence of 15N-labelled NO3-) were only greater than gross N mineralisation in May, indicating N supply constrained nitrification at other s ling times. Findings illustrate that increased wheat yields of 31% in this study were associated with the retention of stubble. Further they demonstrate that changes in stubble management significantly influenced the mass and activity of microorganisms (and in some cases N cycling), whilst having little influence on community ersity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2008
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
No related grants have been discovered for Daniel Murphy.