Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Differential Effects of Legume Species on the Recovery of Soil Microbial Communities, and Carbon and Nitrogen Contents, in Abandoned Fields of the Loess Plateau, China

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Plant–soil interactions are known to influence a wide range of ecosystem-level functions. Moreover, the recovery of these functions is of importance for the successful restoration of soils that have been degraded through intensive and/or inappropriate land use. Here, we assessed the effect of planting treatments commonly used to accelerate rates of grassland restoration, namely introduction of different legume species Medicago sativa, Astragalus adsurgens, Melilotus suaveolens, on the recovery of soil microbial communities and carbon and nitrogen contents in abandoned fields of the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed effects were species-specific, and either positive, neutral or negative depending on the measure and time-scale. All legumes increased basal respiration and metabolic quotient and had a positive effect on activity and functional diversity of the soil microbial community, measured using Biolog EcoPlate. However, soil under Astragalus adsurgens had the highest activity and functional diversity relative to the other treatments. Soil carbon and nitrogen content and microbial biomass were effectively restored in 3–5 years by introducing Medicago sativa and Astragalus adsurgens into early abandoned fields. Soil carbon and nitrogen content were retarded in 3–5 years and microbial biomass was retarded in the fifth year by introducing Melilotus suaveolens. Overall, the restoration practices of planting legumes can significantly affect soil carbon and nitrogen contents, and the biomass, activity, and functional diversity of soil microbial community. Therefore, we propose certain legume species could be used to accelerate ecological restoration of degraded soils, hence assist in the protection and preservation of the environment.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson TH, Domsch KH (1990) Application of ecophysiological quotients (qCO2 and qD) on microbial biomass from soils of different cropping histories. Soil Biol Biochem 22:251–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson TH, Domsch KH (2010) Soil microbial biomass: the eco-physiological approach. Soil Biol Biochem 42:2039–2043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bååth E (1998) Growth rates of bacterial communities in soils at varying pH: a comparison of the thymidine and leucine incorporation techniques. Microbial Ecology 36:316–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bardgett RD (2005) The biology of soil: a community and ecosystem approach. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardgett RD, Freeman C, Ostle NJ (2008) Microbial contributions to climate change through carbon cycle feedbacks. ISME J 2:805–814

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bending GD, Turner MK, Rayns F, Marx MC, Wood M (2004) Microbial and biochemical soil quality indicators and their potential for differentiating areas under contrasting agricultural management regimes. Soil Biol Biochem 36:1785–1792

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brookes PC (1995) The use of microbial parameters in monitoring soil pollution by heavy metals. Biol Fertil Soils 19:269–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brookes PC, Landman A, Pruden G, Jenkinson DS (1985) Chloroform fumigation and release of soil nitrogen: a rapid direct extraction method to measure microbial biomass nitrogen in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 17:837–842

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Catt JA (2001) The agricultural importance of loess. Earth Sci Rev 54:213–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen SN, Gu J, Gao H, Qin QJ (2011) Effect of microbial fertilizer on microbial activity and microbial community diversity in the rhizosphere of wheat growing on the Loess Plateau. Afr J Microbiol Res 5:137–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng JM, Wan HE, Wang J, Yong SP (2004) Over depletion and recovery of soil moisture on Astragalus adsurgens grasslands in the loess hilly-gully region. Acta Ecologica Sinica 24:2979–2983

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng JM, Wan HE, Wang J (2005) Alfalfa growth and its relation with soil water status in loess hilly and gully region. Chin J Appl Ecol 16:435–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Chodak M, Pietrzykowski M, Niklin′ska M (2009) Development of microbial properties in a chronosequence of sandy mine soils. Appl Soil Ecol 41:259–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy (1995) Chinese soil taxonomy. Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • De Deyn GB, Quirk H, Zou Y, Oakley S, Ostle NJ, Bardgett RD (2009) Vegetation composition promotes carbon and nitrogen storage in model grassland communities of contrasting soil fertility. J Ecol 97:864–875

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Deyn GB, Shiel RS, Ostle NJ, McNamara NP, Oakley S, Young L, Freeman C, Fenner N, Quirk H, Bardgett RD (2011) Additional carbon sequestration benefits of grassland diversity restoration. J Appl Ecol 48:600–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Vries FT, Liiri M, Bjørnlund L, Bowker MA, Christensen S, Setala HM, Bardgett RD (2012) Land use alters the resistance and resilience of soil food webs to drought. Nature Climate Change 2:276–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Degens FBP, Schipper LA, Sparling GP, Duncan LC (2001) Is the microbial community in soil with reduced catabolic diversity less resistant to stress or disturbance? Soil Biol Biochem 33:1143–1153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO-UNESCO (1988) Soil map of the world. World soil resources report 60. FAO, Rome

  • Fornara DA, Tilmanm D (2008) Plant functional composition influences rates of soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation. J Ecol 96:314–322

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu LG (2001) Higher plants of China, vol 7. Qingdao Publishing House, Qingdao

    Google Scholar 

  • Gan ZM, Sang GS (2002) Discussion on the cultivated land reduction and forest and grass on Loess Plateau. J Arid Land Resour Environ 16:62–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Garland JL (1996) Analytical approaches to the characterization of samples of microbial communities using patterns of potential C source utilization. Soil Biol Biochem 28:213–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garland JL, Mills AL (1991) Classification and characterization of heterotrophic microbial communities on the basis of patterns of community-level sole-carbon-source utilization. Appl Environ Microbiol 7:2351–2359

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaworzewska ET, Carlile MJ (1982) Positive chemotaxis of Rhizobium leguminosarum and other bacteria towards root exudates from legumes and other plants. J Gen Microbiol 128:1179–1188

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez E, Garland J, Conti M (2004) Reproducibility in the response of soil bacterial community-level physiological profiles from a land use intensification gradient. Appl Soil Ecol 26:21–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grayston SJ, Campbell CD, Brdgett RD, Mawdsley JL, Clegg CD, Ritz K, Griffiths BS, Rodwell JS, Edwards SJ, Davies WJ, Elston DJ, Millard P (2004) Assessing shifts in microbial community structure across a range of grasslands of differing management intensity using CLPP, PLFA and community DNA techniques. Appl Soil Ecol 25:63–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guggenberger G, Zech W (1999) Soil organic matter composition under primary forest, pasture, and secondary forest succession, Región Huetar Norte, Costa Rica. Forest Ecol Manag 124:93–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooper DU, Vitousek PM (1998) Effects of plant composition and diversity on nutrient cycling. Ecol Monogr 68:121–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins A, Wilkins RJ (2006) Temperate grassland: key developments in the last century and future perspectives. J Agric Sci 144:503–523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Insam H (1997) A new set of substrates proposed for community characterization in environmental samples. In: Insam H, Rangger A (eds) Microbial communities: functional versus structural approaches. Springer, Berlin, pp 259–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Insam H, Domsch KH (1988) Relationship between soil organic carbon and microbial biomass on chronosequences of reclamation sites. Microb Ecol 15:177–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson ML (1958) Soil chemical analysis. Prentice-Hall, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson DS (1976) The effects of biocidal treatments on metabolism in soil-IV. The decomposition of fumigated organisms in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 8:203–208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jia JJ (2007) Effects of introducing legume species to abandoned-fields on abiotic properties and microbial biomass. Dissertation, Lanzhou University

  • Jia JJ, Li JH, Wang G, Li WJ (2007) Effects of the introduction of legume species on soil nutrients and microbial biomass of abandoned-fields. J Lanzhou Univ Nat Sci 43:33–37

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalembasa SJ, Jenkinson DS (1973) A comparative study of titrimetric and gravimetric methods for the determination of organic carbon in soil. J Sci Food Agric 24:1085–1109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kara O, Bolat I (2008) Soil microbial biomass C and N changes in relation to forest conversion in the northwestern turkey. Land Degrad Dev 19:421–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kardol P, Wardle DA (2010) How understanding aboveground-belowground linkages can assist restoration ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 25:670–679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kardol P, Bezemer TM, van der Putten WH (2006) Temporal variation in plant–soil feedback controls succession. Ecol Lett 9:1080–1088

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landi F, Valori J, Ascher J, Renella G, Falchini L, Nannipieri P (2006) Root exudates effects on the bacterial communities, CO2 evolution, nitrogen transformations and ATP content of rhizosphere and bulk soils. Soil Biol Biochem 38:509–516

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li JH, Fang XW, Jia JJ, Wang G (2007) Effect of legume species introduction to early abandoned field on vegetation development. Plant Ecol 191:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JH, Xu DH, Wang G (2008) Weed inhibition by sowing legume species in early succession of abandoned fields on Loess Plateau, China. Acta Oecologica 33:10–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu DS, Ding ML (2004) The Loess Plateau, origin of agriculture and water and soil conservation. Earthquake Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Han S, Hu Y, Dai G (2005) Effects of soil temperature and humidity on soil respiration rate under Pinus sylvestriformis forest. Chin J Appl Ecol 16:1581–1585

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu WX, Zhang Z, Wan SQ (2009) Predominant role of water in regulating soil and microbial respiration and their responses to climate change in a semiarid grassland. Glob Change Biol 15:184–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu WX, Xu WH, Hong JP, Wan SQ (2010) Interannual variability of soil microbial biomass and respiration in responses to topography, annual burning and N addition in a semiarid temperate steppe. Geoderma 158:259–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merkl N, Schultze-Kraft R (2006) Influence of tropical grass Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) stapf on bacterial community structure in petroleum contaminated soils. Int J Soil Sci 1:108–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Ascher J, Ceccherini MT, Landi L, Pietramellara G, Renella G, Valori F (2008) Effects of root exudates in microbial diversity and activity in rhizosphere soils. In: Nautiyal CS, Dion P (eds) Molecular mechanisms of plant and microbe coexistence. Springer, Berlin, pp 339–368

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nautiyal CS (2009) Self-purificatory Ganga water facilitates death of pathogenic Escherichia coli 157:H7. Curr Microbiol 58:25–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nautiyal CS, Govindarajan R, Lavania M, Pushpangadan P (2008) Novel mechanism of modulating natural antioxidants in functional foods: involvement of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria NRRL B-30488. J Agric Food Chem 56:4474–4481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi H, Tateishi Y (1984) The science reports of the Tohoku University. Fourth Series. Biology 38:320

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul EA, Clark FE (1996) Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Piao HC, Liu GS, Wu YY, Xu WB (2001) Relationships of soil microbial biomass carbon and organic carbon with environmental parameters in mountainous soils of southwest China. Biol Fertil Soils 33:347–350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pichtel JR, Hayes JM (1990) Influence of fly ash on soil microbial activity and populations. J Environ Qual 19:593–597

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Powlson DS, Brooks PC, Christensen BT (1987) Measurement of soil microbial biomass provides an early indication of changes in total soil organic matter due to straw incorporation. Soil Biol Biochem 19:159–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rochon JJ, Doyle CJ, Greef JM (2004) Grazing legumes in Europe: a review of their status, management, benefits, research needs and future prospects. Grass Forage Sci 59:197–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saviozzi A, Levi-Minzi R, Cardelli R, Riffaldi R (2001) A comparison of soil quality in adjacent cultivated, forest and native grassland soils. Plant Soil 233:251–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi ZY, Liu WZ, Guo SL, Li FM (2003) Moisture properties in soil profiles and their relation to landform at Zhonglianchuan small watershed. Agric Res Arid Areas 21:101–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Soussana JF, Loiseau P, Vuichard N, Ceschia E, Balesdent J, Chevallier T, Arrouays D (2004) Carbon cycling and sequestration opportunities in temperate grasslands. Soil Use Manag 20:219–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparling GP (1992) Ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon as a sensitive indicator of changes in soil organic matter. Aust J Soil Res 30:195–207

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Staddon WJ, Duchesne LC, Trevors JT (1997) Microbial diversity and community structure of post-disturbance forest soils as determined by sole-carbon-source utilization patterns. Microb Ecol 34:125–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • VA′ Squez-Murrieta MS, Govaerts B, Dendooven L (2007) Microbial biomass C measurements in soil of the central highlands of Mexico. Appl Soil Ecol 35:432–440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Heijden MGA, Bardgett RD, van Straalen NM (2008) The unseen majority: soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. Ecol Lett 11:296–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1987) An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biol Biochem 19:703–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang ZL (2000) Cultivation technology of legumes Astragalus adsurgens, Melilotus suaveolens, and Medicago sativa. Forest Technol Hebei Province, pp 65–69

  • Wang WW, Hu ZH (2001) Characteristic of symbiotic nitrogen fixation of main soil and water conservation plants in Gansu-Ningxia region of Loess Plateau. Bull Soil Water Conserv 21:30–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang WJ, Dalal RC, Moody WP, Smith CJ (2003) Relationships of soil respiration to microbial biomass, substrate availability and clay content. Soil Biol Biochem 35:273–284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XL, Sun GJ, Jia Y, Li FM, Xu JZ (2008) Crop yield and soil water restoration on 9-year-old alfalfa pasture in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. Agric Water Manag 95:190–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wardle DA, Ghani A (1995) A critique of the microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) as a bioindicator of disturbance and ecosystem development. Soil Biol Biochem 27:1601–1610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xue ZD, Hou QC, Han RL, Wang SQ (2002) Trails and research on ecological restoration by Sophora viciifolia in Gullied Rolling Loess Region. J Northwest Forest Univ 17:26–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan F, McBratney AB, Copeland L (2000) Functional substrate biodiversity of cultivated and uncultivated A horizons of vertisols in NW New South Wales. Geoderma 96:321–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang XH, Wang BF, Jiang ZP (2005) Biomass and nutrient concentrations of three green manure leguminous plants and their effects on soil nutrients at northeastern edge of Ulanbuhe Desert. Chin J Ecol 24:1134–1138

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng DH, Hu YL, Chang SX, Fan ZP (2009) Land cover change effects on soil chemical and biological properties after planting Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in sandy lands in Keerqin, northeastern China. Plant Soil 317:121–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zou HY, Chen JM, Zhou L, Hongo A (1998) Natural recoverage succession and regulation of the Prairie vegetation on the Loess Plateau. Res Soil Water Conserv 5:126–138

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30871823 and No. 30670341), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (lzujbky-2010-62) and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-11-0210). The authors are very grateful to Yanyan Qin, Juejie Jia, and Wenjin Li for helping in the field investigation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, People’s Republic of China

    Jin Hua Li

  2. School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, People’s Republic of China

    Jin Hua Li, Shu Mei Jiao & Rong Qing Gao

  3. Soil and Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    Jin Hua Li & Richard D. Bardgett

Authors
  1. Jin Hua Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shu Mei Jiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rong Qing Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Richard D. Bardgett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jin Hua Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, J.H., Jiao, S.M., Gao, R.Q. et al. Differential Effects of Legume Species on the Recovery of Soil Microbial Communities, and Carbon and Nitrogen Contents, in Abandoned Fields of the Loess Plateau, China. Environmental Management 50, 1193–1203 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9958-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9958-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation