The impact of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on microbial community dynamics in the rhizosphere

Rising atmospheric CO2 levels are predicted to have major consequences upon carbon cycle feedbacks and the overall functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Photosynthetic activity and the structure of terrestrial macrophytes is expected to change, but it remains uncertain how this will affect soil-borne communities dependent on plant-derived carbon, and their feedbacks on ecosystem function. Our main objective is to assess the impact of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on microbial community dynamics in the rhizosphere. Using a controlled growth system, we examined the short-term and long-term impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil-borne microbial communities by comparing belowground community responses associated with plants grown under ambient versus double ambient CO2 environments. Results on the structure and dynamics of broad and specific microbial groups provided insight into the plant-microbe interactions of the r hizosphere under elevated CO2. We also showed that the specific microbial groups are affected by elevated CO2 and demonstrate that presumably rhizo-competent bacteria and fungi are most highly affected by increased atmospheric CO2. These patterns were consistent with observed changes in the density of antibiotic production genes as well as changes in exudation patterns. The results demonstrate that elevated CO2 influenced different parts of the soil microbial community, but that the effects depend on the plant species and soil type. Pulse labelling studies demonstrates that elevated atmospheric CO2 increases translocation of plant-fixed carbon, via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and that distinct microbial populations incorporate plant-derived carbon under different levels of atmospheric CO2. As opposed to simply increasing the activity of soil-borne microbes resident at ambient CO2 conditions, elevated atmospheric CO2 clearly selects for opportunistic plant-associated microbial communities, with a shift in dominant AMF species, as well as rhizosphere bacterial and fungal populations. These experiments also showed that AMF are the main conduit in the transfer of carbon between plants and soil. The microbial carbon dynamic model derived from our results provides a general framework for reappraising our view of carbon flow paths in soils and their effects on soil biodiversity under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration.NWO and KNAWUBL - phd migration 201

Supersymmetric solutions of PT-/non-PT-symmetric and non-Hermitian Screened Coulomb potential via Hamiltonian hierarchy inspired variational method

The supersymmetric solutions of PT-symmetric and Hermitian/non-Hermitian forms of quantum systems are obtained by solving the Schrodinger equation for the Exponential-Cosine Screened Coulomb potential. The Hamiltonian hierarchy inspired variational method is used to obtain the approximate energy eigenvalues and corresponding wave functions.Comment: 13 page

Utilization of the wastes of vital activity

The recycling of wastes from the biological complex for use in life-support systems is discussed. Topics include laboratory equipment, heat treatment of waste materials, mineralization of waste products, methods for production of ammonium hydroxide and nitric acid, the extraction of sodium chloride from mineralized products, and the recovery of nutrient substances for plants from urine

Rapid incorporation of carbon from ectomycorrhizal mycelial necromass into soil fungal communities

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Linear magnetoresistance caused by mobility fluctuations in the n-doped Cd3As2

Cd3As2 is a candidate three-dimensional Dirac semi-metal which has exceedingly high mobility and non-saturating linear magnetoresistance that may be relevant for future practical applications. We report magnetotransport and tunnel diode oscillation measurements on Cd3As2, in magnetic fields up to 65 T and temperatures between 1.5K to 300K. We find the non-saturating linear magnetoresistance persist up to 65T and it is likely caused by disorder effects as it scales with the high mobility, rather than directly linked to Fermi surface changes even when approaching the quantum limit. From the observed quantum oscillations, we determine the bulk three-dimensional Fermi surface having signatures of Dirac behaviour with non-trivial Berry's phase shift, very light effective quasiparticle masses and clear deviations from the band-structure predictions. In very high fields we also detect signatures of large Zeeman spin-splitting (g~16).Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure