Antimony (Sb) and copper (Cu) are toxic heavy metals that are associated with a wide variety of minerals. Sb(III)-oxidizing bacteria that convert the toxic Sb(III) to the less toxic Sb(V) are potentially useful for environmental Sb bioremediation. A total of 125 culturable Sb(III)/Cu(II)-resistant bacteria from 11 different types of mining soils were isolated. Four strains identified as Arthrob...

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chemical fertilizer (NPK), NPK with livestock manure (NPK+M), NPK with straw (NPK+S), and NPK with green manure (NPK+G) on soil enzyme activities and microbial characteristics of albic paddy soil, which is a typical soil with low productivity in China. The responses of extracellular enzyme activities and the microbial community diversity (determined b...

AIMS To evaluate factors potentially contributing to the long-term persistence of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis phage type (PT) 30 in an almond orchard. METHODS AND RESULTS Surface and subsurface soil temperatures, and air temperatures in a radiation shelter, were recorded during a 12-month period, and were used to identify relevant storage temperatures (20 or 35 degrees C) for micr...

Many plant populations have adapted to local soil conditions. However, the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is often overlooked in this context. Only a few studies have used reciprocal transplant experiments to study the relationships between soil conditions, mycorrhizal colonisation and plant growth. Furthermore, most of the studies were conducted under controlled greenhouse conditions. Ho...

Although invasions by non-native species represent a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, little attention has been paid to the potential impacts of these invasions on methane (CH4) emission and its C-CH4-isotope signature in salt marshes. An invasive perennial C4 grass Spartina alterniflora has spread rapidly along the east coast of China since its introduction from North Am...

The investigation of the fractionation of S compounds in forest soils is a powerful tool for interpreting S dynamics and S biogeochemistry in forest ecosystems. Beech stands on high pH (nutrient-rich) sites on Flysch and on low pH (nutrient-poor) sites on Molasse were selected for testing the influence of stemflow, which represents a high input of water and dissolved elements to the soil, on sp...

Soil water influences hydrological, biological, and biogeochemical processes that determine onand off-site response of landscapes under different agricultural uses. There are relatively little detailed spatial and temporal soil water measurements to validate current representations of spatial and temporal soil water variability. Soil water was measured over 3 yr at 12 sites to a 1.2-m depth in ...

Understanding the effects of tillage on soils following years or decades of no-till is critical for developing C conservation strategies. To date, short-term responses to tillage in previously uncultivated or other long-term no-till soils have primarily focused on total C changes, which are difficult to detect. Tillage effects on soil conservation and C permanence may be better predicted by cha...

I N T R O D U C T I O N T h e s t u d y o f c lay f o r m a t i o n i n soils m a y b e d i v i d e d i n t o t h r e e p a r t s : (1) a q u a n t i t a t i v e e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e a m o u n t o f c lay f o r m e d f r o m a g i v e n a m o u n t o f p a r e n t m a t e r i a l , (2) a q u a l i t a t i v e e v a l u a t i o n of t h e k i n d o f m i n e r a l s a n d o t h e r s u ...