Skip to main content
Log in

Decomposition of lignin in soil microcompartments: A methodical study with three different C-14-labelled lignin substrates

  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

C mineralization of three different C-14-labelled lignin substrates (Klason-lignin, dioxane-lignin, lignocellulose) was investigated in four microcompartments, consisting of white-rotted beechwood (Fagus sylvatica L)., brown-rotted beechwood, earthworm [Octolasion lacteum (Örley)] faecal particles mixed with white-rotted beechwood, and earthworm feacal particles mixed with brown-rotted beechwood, incubated at 10°C for 193 days. Conversion of the labelled substrates to 14CO2 was low in both white-rotted and brown-rotted wood without faecal particles. Overall C mineralization followed the order Klason-lignin > dioxane-lignin > lignocellulose, indicating that there were different amounts of labelled contaminants in the lignin substrates. Lignin degradation was more pronounced in earthworm faeces mixed with wood materials, and overall C mineralization ranged between 4.4% and 6.3% of the inital C content. C mineralization of the lignin substrates increased considerably in faecal particles after about 90 days, presumably due to nutrient immobilization and microbial succession. The usefulness of the three lignin substrates in monitoring the time-course and extent of lignin degradation in soil microcompartments is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ander P, Eriksson K-E (1977) Selective degradation of wood components by white-rot fungi. Physiol Plant 41:239–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler JHA, Buckerfield JC (1979) Digestion of lignin by termites. Soil Biol Biochem 11:507–511

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang H-M, Cowling EB, Brown W, Adler E, Miksche GM (1975) Comparative study of cellulolytic enzyme lignin and milled wood lignin of sweetgum and spruce. Holzforschung 29:153–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Commenday F, Macy JM (1985) Effect of substrate nitrogen on lignin degradation by Pleurotus ostreatus. Arch Microbiol 142:61–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Cookson LJ (1987) 14C-lignin degradation by three Australian termite species (Isoptera: Mastotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae). Wood Sci Technol 21:11–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Cookson LJ (1988) The site and mechanism of carbon-14 lignin degradation by Nasutitermes exitiosus. J Insect Physiol 34:409–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford RL (1981) Lignin biodegradation and transformation. John Wiley and Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford RL, Crawford DL (1978) Radioisotopic methods for the study of lignin biodegradation. Dev Ind Microbiol 19:143–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford RL, Robinson LE, Clark AM (1979) 14-C-labelled lignins as substrates for the study of lignin biodegradation and transformation. In: Kirk TK, Higuchi T (eds) Lignin biodegradation: Microbiology, chemistry and possible applications. CRC Press, West Palm Beach, pp 61–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Drew SW, Kadam KL (1979) Lignin metabolism by Aspergillus fumigatus and white-rot fungi. Dev Ind Microbiol 20:153–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Eberhardt U, Hartwig D (1991) Long term 14-C-labelling of beech foliage. Appl Radiat Isot 42:583–584

    Google Scholar 

  • Effland MJ (1977) Modified procedure to determine acid-insoluble lignin in wood and pulp. Tappi 60:143–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan DL, Hartenstein R (1978) Studies on monooxygenases and dioxygenases in soil macroinvertebrates and bacterial isolates from the gut of terrestrial isopod, Oniscus asellus L. Comp Biochem Physiol 60B:47–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk TK, Farrell RL (1987) Enzymatic ‘combustion’: The microbial degradation of lignin. Annu Rev Microbiol 41:465–505

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk TK, Fenn P (1982) Formation and action of ligninolytic system in basidiomycetes. In: Frankland JC, Hedger JN, Swift MJ (eds) Decomposer basidiomycetes. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 69–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk TK, Connors WJ, Zeikus JG (1976) Requirement of a growth substrate during lignin decomposition by two wood-rotting fungi. Appl Environ Microbiol 32:192–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuhauser E, Hartenstein R (1976) Degradation of phenol, cinnamic acid and quinic acid in the terrestrial isopod Oniscus asellus. Soil Biol Biochem 8:95–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuhauser E, Younell C, Hartenstein R (1974) Degradation of benzoic acid in the terrestrial crustacean Oniscus asellus. Soil Biol Biochem 6:101–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuhauser E, Hartenstein R, Conners J (1978) The role of soil macroinvertebrates in the degradation of vanillin, cinnamic acid, and lignins. Soil Biol Biochem 10:431–435

    Google Scholar 

  • Pepper JM, Baylis PET, Adler E (1959) The isolation and properties of lignins obtained by acidolysis of spruce and aspen woods in dioxanewater medium. Can J Chem 37:1241–1248

    Google Scholar 

  • Pew JC, Weyna P (1962) Fine grinding, enzyme digestion, and the lignin-cellulose bound in wood. Tappi 45:247–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid JD (1979) The influence of nutrient balance on lignin degradation by the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Can J Bot 57:2050–2058

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid JD (1983a) Effects of nitrogen sources on cellulose and synthetic lignin degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Appl Environ Microbiol 45:838–842

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid JD (1983b) Effects of nitrogen supplements on degradation of aspen wood lignin and carbohydrate components by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Appl Environ Microbiol 45:830–837

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer M (1990) The soil fauna of a beech forest on limestone: Trophic structure and energy budget. Oecologia (Berlin) 82:128–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheu S (1987a) The role of substrate feeding earthworms (Lumbricidae) for bioturbation in a beechwood soil. Oecologia (Berlin) 72:192–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheu S (1987b) Microbial activity and nutrient dynamics in earthworm casts (Lumbricidae). Biol Fertil Soils 5:230–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Swift MJ, Heal OW, Anderson JM (1979) Decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziechmann W, Weichelt T (1977) Chemische Veränderungen am Lignin bei dessen Isolierung. Z Pflanzenernaehr Bodenkd 140:645–655

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scheu, S. Decomposition of lignin in soil microcompartments: A methodical study with three different C-14-labelled lignin substrates. Biol Fertil Soils 13, 160–164 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336273

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336273

Key words

Navigation