Response of soil microbial community to afforestation with pure and mixed species

Afforestation changes soil chemical properties over several decades. In contrast, microbial community structure can be shifted within the first decade and so, the direct effects of tree species can be revealed. The aim of this study was to determine the alteration of soil microbial community composition 10 years after afforestation by trees with contrasting functional traits. The study was conducted at the BangorDIVERSE temperate forest experiment. Soil samples were collected under single, two and three species mixtures of alder and birch, beech and oak - early and secondary successional species, respectively, and contiguous agricultural field. Soil was analysed for total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents, and microbial community structure (phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) analysis). The total PLFAs content (370-640 nmol g-1 soil) in forest plots increased for 30 to 110% compared to the agricultural soil (290 nmol g-1 soil). In contrast, soil C, N and C/N ratios were altered over 10 years much less - increased only up to 20% or even decreased (for beech forest). Afforestation increased bacterial PLFAs by 20-120%, whereas it had stronger impact on the development of fungal communities (increased by 50-200%). These effects were proved for all forests, but were more pronounced under the monocultures compared to mixtures. This indicates that species identity has a stronger effect than species diversity. Principal component analysis of PLFAs revealed that under mono and three species mixtures similar microbial communities were formed. In contrast, gram-positive PLFAs and actinomycete PLFAs contributed mainly to differentiation of two species mixtures from other forests. Thus, at the early afforestation stage: i) soil biological properties are altered more than chemical, and ii) tree species identity affects more than species amount on both processes

Effects of climate and land use on carbon and nutrients cycles control soil organic matter pools at Mount Kilimanjaro

Ecosystem functions of tropical mountain ecosystems and their ability to provide ecosystem services are particularly threatened by the combined impact of climate and land-use change. Soils, as the linkage between abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem, are strongly affected by these changes. To understand impacts of climate and land use changes on biodiversity and accompanying ecosystem stability and services at Mt. Kilimanjaro, detailed understanding and description of the current biotic and abiotic controls on ecosystem Carbon (C) and nutrient fluxes are needed. Therefore, we quantitatively described cycles of C and major nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Na, S) on pedon and stand level scale along a 3500 m elevation gradient and in up to three stages of land-use intensification. Qualitative indicators (composition of soil organic matter and microbial communities) were used to relate pool changes to underlying processes. Annual pattern of litterfall and decomposition were closely related to rainfall seasonality and temperature. Several factors, such as decomposition rate, C & N contents, microbial biomass (MBC) and leaf litter quality, increased at mid elevation. This was reflected in shifts of soil organic matter composition and microbial communities controlling soil C stability. Land-use intensification led to 40-80% losses in topsoil C and MBC contents as well as an increased turnover through higher microbial demand for new C sources. In ecosystems with strong seasonal variations (savanna and alpine helichrysum cushion) the effectiveness of C storage and N turnover was strongly affected by spatial vegetation heterogeneity. Ecosystems at mid elevation (~2000 m) represent the interception zone of optimal moisture and temperature conditions. High inputs and fast turnover control the C sequestration in these ecosystems, while climatic restrains on input and decomposition limit the C turnover in soils at lower and higher elevation. Land-use intensification increases C and nutrient cycling, decreases stabilization from new C inputs through increased microbial C demand and thus decreases soil C storage

Fate of low molecular weight organic substances in an arable soil: From microbial uptake to utilisation and stabilisation

Microbial uptake and utilisation are the main transformation pathways of low molecular weight organic substances (LMWOS) in soil, but details on transformations are strongly limited. As various LMWOS classes enter biochemical cycles at different steps, we hypothesize that the percentage of their carbon (C) incorporation into microbial biomass and consequently stabilisation in soil are different. Representatives of the three main groups of LMWOS: amino acids (alanine, glutamate), sugars (glucose, ribose) and carboxylic acids (acetate, palmitate) - were applied at naturally-occurring concentrations into a loamy arable Luvisol in a field experiment. Incorporation of 13C from these LMWOS into extractable microbial biomass (EMB) and into phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) was investigated 3d and 10d after application. The microbial utilisation of LMWOS for cell membrane construction was estimated by replacement of PLFA-C with 13C.35-80% of initially applied LMWOS-13C was still present in the composition of soil organic matter after 10 days of experiment, with 10-24% of 13C incorporation into EMB at day three and 1-15% at day 10. Maximal incorporation of 13C into EMB was observed from sugars and the least from amino acids. Strong differences in microbial utilisation between LMWOS were observed mainly at day 10. Thus, despite similar initial rapid uptake by microorganisms, further metabolism within microbial cells accounts for the specific fate of C from various LMWOS in soils.13C from each LMWOS was incorporated into each PLFA. This reflects the ubiquitous utilisation of all LMWOS by all functional microbial groups. The preferential incorporation of palmitate into PLFAs reflects its role as a direct precursor for fatty acids. Higher 13C incorporation from alanine and glucose into specific PLFAs compared to glutamate, ribose and acetate reflects the preferential use of glycolysis-derived substances in the fatty acids synthesis.Gram-negative bacteria (16:1ω7c and 18:1ω7c) were the most abundant and active in LMWOS utilisation. Their high activity corresponds to a high demand for anabolic products, e.g. to dominance of pentose-phosphate pathway, i.e. incorporation of ribose-C into PLFAs. The 13C incorporation from sugars and amino acids into filamentous microorganisms was lower than into all prokaryotic groups. However, for carboxylic acids, the incorporation was in the same range (0.1-0.2% of the applied carboxylic acid 13C) as that of gram-positive bacteria. This may reflect the dominance of fungi and other filamentous microorganisms for utilisation of acidic and complex organics.Thus, we showed that despite similar initial uptake, C from individual LMWOS follows deviating metabolic pathways which accounts for the individual fate of LMWOS-C over 10 days. Consequently, stabilisation of C in soil is mainly connected with its incorporation into microbial compounds of various stability and not with its initial microbial uptake. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Turnover of microbial groups and cell components in soil: ¹³C analysis of cellular biomarkers

© 2017 The Author(s).Microorganisms regulate the carbon (C) cycle in soil, controlling the utilization and recycling of organic substances. To reveal the contribution of particular microbial groups to C utilization and turnover within the microbial cells, the fate of 13C-labelled glucose was studied under field conditions. Glucose-derived 13C was traced in cytosol, amino sugars and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) pools at intervals of 3, 10 and 50 days after glucose addition into the soil. 13C enrichment in PLFAs (∼1.5% of PLFA C at day 3) was an order of magnitude greater than in cytosol, showing the importance of cell membranes for initial C utilization. The 13C enrichment in amino sugars of living microorganisms at day 3 accounted for 0.57% of total C pool; as a result, we infer that the replacement of C in cell wall components is 3 times slower than that of cell membranes. The C turnover time in the cytosol (150 days) was 3 times longer than in PLFAs (47 days). Consequently, even though the cytosol pool has the fastest processing rates compared to other cellular compartments, intensive recycling of components here leads to a long C turnover time. Both PLFA and amino-sugar profiles indicated that bacteria dominated in glucose utilization. 13C enrichment decreased with time for bacterial cell membrane components, but it remained constant or even increased for filamentous microorganisms. 13C enrichment of muramic acid was the 3.5 times greater than for galactosamine, showing a more rapid turnover of bacterial cell wall components compared to fungal. Thus, bacteria utilize a greater proportion of low-molecular-weight organic substances, whereas filamentous microorganisms are responsible for further C transformations. Thus, tracing 13C in cellular compounds with contrasting turnover rates elucidated the role of microbial groups and their cellular compartments in C utilization and recycling in soil. The results also reflect that microbial C turnover is not restricted to the death or growth of new cells. Indeed, even within living cells, highly polymeric cell compounds are constantly replaced and renewed. This is especially important for assessing C fluxes in soil and the contribution of C from microbial residues to soil organic matter

Effect of plant communities on aggregate composition and organic matter stabilisation in young soils

© 2014, Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Results: Deciduous forest soil accumulated the highest C content in the 0–5 cm layer (43 g C kg−1), whereas values in coniferous forest and arable soils were lower (30 and 12 g C kg−1, respectively). The highest portion of C in arable soil was accumulated in the mineral fraction (80 %), whereas 50–60 % of the C in forest soils were in POM. More C was associated with minerals in deciduous forest soil (16 g C kg−1 soil) than under coniferous forest and arable land (8–10 g C kg−1 soil). Conclusions: Particulate organic matter explains most of the differences in organic C accumulation in soils developed during 45 years under the three vegetation types on identical parent material. The C content of the mineral soil fraction was controlled by plant cover and contributed the most to differences in C accumulation in soils developed under similar vegetation type (forest). Objectives: Carbon (C) content in pools of very young soils that developed during 45 years from loess was analysed in relation to vegetation: deciduous and coniferous forests and cropland. We hypothesised that variations in the amount of particulate organic matter (POM) can explain the C accumulation and also affects the C bound to mineral surfaces in soil under various vegetation. Methods: Soil samples were collected under three vegetation types of a 45-year-old experiment focused on initial soil development. Aggregate and density fractionations were combined to analyse C accumulation in large and small macro- and microaggregates as well as in free and occluded POM and mineral factions

Response of soil microbial community to afforestation with pure and mixed species

© 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.Objectives: Afforestation changes soil chemical properties over several decades. In contrast, microbial community structure can be shifted within the first decade and so, the direct effects of tree species can be revealed. The aim of this study was to determine the alteration of soil microbial community composition 10 years after afforestation by trees with contrasting functional traits. Methods: The study was conducted at the BangorDIVERSE temperate forest experiment. Soil samples were collected under single, two and three species mixtures of alder and birch, beech and oak - early and secondary successional species, respectively, and contiguous agricultural field. Soil was analysed for total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents, and microbial community structure (phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) analysis). Results and conclusions: The total PLFAs content (370–640 nmol g−1soil) in forest plots increased for 30 to 110 % compared to the agricultural soil (290 nmol g−1soil). In contrast, soil C, N and C/N ratios were altered over 10 years much less - increased only up to 20 % or even decreased (for beech forest). Afforestation increased bacterial PLFAs by 20–120 %, whereas it had stronger impact on the development of fungal communities (increased by 50–200 %). These effects were proved for all forests, but were more pronounced under the monocultures compared to mixtures. This indicates that species identity has a stronger effect than species diversity. Principal component analysis of PLFAs revealed that under mono and three species mixtures similar microbial communities were formed. In contrast, gram-positive PLFAs and actinomycete PLFAs contributed mainly to differentiation of two species mixtures from other forests. Thus, at the early afforestation stage: i) soil biological properties are altered more than chemical, and ii) tree species identity affects more than species amount on both processes

Mechanical and piezoelectric properties of pure and modified microtubes of diphenylalanine

The research was carried out using equipment of Ural Center for Shared Use "Modern Nanotechnologies" Ural Federal University with the financial support by the grant of the President of the Russian Federation for young scientists (Contract 14.Y30.17.2294-MK) and the Government of the Russian Federation (Resolution 211, Contract 02.A03.21.0006). Part of this work was developed in the scope of project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (ref FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and, when applicable, cofinanced by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership

Pharmacological and nutritional support for the function of the musculoskeletal system of elite athletes

Цель – сформировать представление о современной системе патогенетически обоснованного использования фармакологических препаратов и диетических добавок для профилактики и лечения заболеваний суставов у квалифицированных спортсменов. Приведены данные о частоте распространения и причинах возникновения поражения суставного аппарата у спортсменов высокой квалификации. Описаны группы фармакологических и нутрициологических средств, применяемых в мировой практике для профилактики и лечения подобных заболеваний при занятиях спортом. Сделан акцент на неверности переноса методологии лечении пациентов с ревматоидным артритом на систему профилактики и лечения спортсменов при поражении суставов, где развитие данной патологии опосредовано прежде всего травматическим фактором. Описаны возможные осложнения при использовании наиболее часто применяемых в подобных ситуациях нестероидных противовоспалительных средствах, дана их современная классификация. Достаточно детально освещены вспомогательные средства профилактики и лечения поражений суставного аппарата с применением пищевых добавок, приведены данные по их эффективности с точки зрения доказательной медицины.Objective. To develop a concept of the modern system of pathogenetically sound application of pharmacological preparations and dietary supplements for the prevention and treatment of joint diseases in elite athletes. The data on the prevalence and the causes of joint disorders in highly qualifed athletes are presented. The categories of pharmacological and nutritional aids are described that are used in the world practice to prevent and treat such diseases in athletes. The emphasis was placed on the inappropriateness of the transfer of the treatment program for patients with rheumatoid arthritis to the system of prevention and treatment of joint disorders in athletes, where the development of this pathology is primarily mediated by a traumatic factor. The most common side effects of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs therapy most often used in such cases are described and current classifcation of these drugs is presented. The paper describes in detail supplementary aids of prevention and therapy for joint disorders using the nutritional supplements as well as provides the data on their effectiveness in terms of evidence-based medicine

Quality management of pedagogical research

© 2016, Econjournals. All rights reserved.The relevance of the study is reasoned by the positioning of education as a public good and meaningful domain of personality. Socio-economic transformations of modern society affect different social institutions, including education, participating in the development of mechanisms for reproduction of social structure, the formation of socially and economically active individual, creating a competitive situation on the market of educational services and serving as a basis of human resources capital. It claims to improve the quality of educational research that has acquired an interdisciplinary character. The testing of the effectiveness of educational researches’ results is carried out during the experimental work. The purpose of the article is to reveal the contents of experience-experimental work as the subject of quality management of pedagogical research. The leading approaches to the study are system approach that allows identifying of the types and functions of the experimental work and to establish relationships among them, and technological approach that allows developing of a program of experimental work. The paper defines the principles, clarifies the types, identifies functions and describes program and theoretical methods of the experimental work. Also it proposes classification of innovations in the educational system. The paper submissions can be useful for managers and teachers of educational institutions; employees of the centers of advanced training and retraining of personnel in the selection and structuring of the content for the training of scientific and pedagogical staff

Fate and transport of urea-N in a rain-fed ridge-furrow crop system with plastic mulch

A better understanding of the fate and transport of fertilizer nitrogen (N) is critical to maximize crop yields and minimize negative environmental impacts. Plastic film mulching is widely used in drylands to increase soil water use efficiency and crop yields, but the effects on fertilizer N use efficiency need to be evaluated. A field experiment with 15N-urea (260 kg N ha−1) was conducted to determine the fate and transport of fertilizer N in a ridge-furrow system with plastic film mulched ridge (Plastic), compared with a flat system without mulching (Open). In the Plastic, the 15N-urea was applied to the ridge only (Plastic-Ridge), or to the furrow only (Plastic-Furrow). Maize grain yield and net economic benefit for Plastic were significantly higher (by 9.7 and 8.5%,respectively) than those for Open. Total plant 15N uptake was 72.5% greater in Plastic compared with Open, and 15N was allocated mostly to the grain. Losses of the applied urea-N were 54.5% lower in Plastic and much more residual 15N was recovered in 0–120 cm soil compared with Open (42.7 and 26.8% of applied 15N, respectively). Lateral N movements from furrow to ridge and from ridge to furrow were observed and attributed to lateral movement of soil water due to microtopography of ridges and furrows and uneven soil water and heat conditions under mulching and plant water uptake. The ridges were the main N fertilizer source for plant uptake (96.5 and 3.5% of total N uptake in Plastic from ridge and furrow, respectively) and the furrow was the main source of N losses (78.6 and 21.4% of total N losses in Plastic from furrow and ridge, respectively). Gas emissions, especially ammonia volatilization was probably the main N loss in furrow. Thus, appropriately localized N application – into the ridges, and management strategies should be designed for Plastic to maximize N use efficiency by crops, decrease N gas losses and maintain sustainable agricultural systems in drylands