Nitrogenase activity of biological soil crusts and its response to hydrothermic factors in the Shapotou region of northern China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00906

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims In arid and semi-arid environments such as deserts, nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient for biological activity. Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are an important component of vegetation in the Shapotou region in the Tengger Desert, northern China. However, their importance as contributors to soil fertility such as nitrogen fixation is relatively unknown. This study was conducted to quantify the potential nitrogenase activity (NA) of different types of BSCs in artificial vegetation areas, as well as their responses to variation in moisture and temperature.
Methods Algae crust, lichen crust and moss crust were collected from an artificial vegetation area in the Shapotou region, and were incubated under three gradients of moisture (3, 5 and 10 mm simulated rainfall) and temperature in open-top growth chambers from June to October. The NA was measured using acetylene reduction assay. One-way ANOVA and general linear models (GLM) procedure were applied to compare NA between treatments and interactions between type of BSCs, water and temperature.
Important findings NA for each type of BSC was highly variable, ranging from 2.5 × 10³ to 6.2 × 10 ⁴ nmol C₂H₄·m^-2·h^-1. The NA of algae crust was higher than that of lichen crust and moss crust (2.8 vs. 2.4 and 1.4 × 10 ⁴ nmol C₂H₄·m^-2·h^-1, respectively). The three types of BSCs under the 3 mm simulated rainfall reached the maximum rate of nitrogen fixation, but > 3 mm did not affect NA. Significant negative correlation was observed between NA of all three types of BSCs and temperature. The optimal temperature for NA in algae crust, moss crust and lichen crust were 25-30 °C, 25-30 °C and 20-30 °C, respectively.

Key words: acetylene reduction assays (ARA), biological soil crusts, environmental factors, nitrogen fixation, nitrogenase activity

ZHANG Peng, LI Xin-Rong, JIA Rong-Liang, HU Yi-Gang, HUANG Lei. Nitrogenase activity of biological soil crusts and its response to hydrothermic factors in the Shapotou region of northern China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(9): 906-913.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00906

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2011/V35/I9/906

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1 Characteristics of nitrogenase activity of different biological soil crusts (mean ± SD). Different small letters indicate significant difference in nitrogenase activity between three types of biological soil crusts (p < 0.01).

Fig. 2 Effect of water treatment on nitrogenase activity of different biological soil crusts (mean ± SD). Different capital letters indicate significant difference in nitrogenase activity of the same biological soil crusts among different water treatments; different small letters denote significant difference in nitrogenase activity among different biological soil crusts in the same water treatment (p < 0.01).

Fig. 3 Relationships between nitrogenase activity of different biological soil crusts and temperature.

Fig. 4 Variations at nitrogenase activity of three biological soil crusts in different temperature ranges (mean ± SD). Different capital letters indicate significant difference in nitrogenase activity of same biological soil crusts among different temperature ranges (p < 0.01); different small letters denote significant difference in nitrogenase activity among different biological soil crusts in the same temperature range (p < 0.01).

Table 1 Tests of between-subjects effects

变异来源 Source of variation	III型平方和 Type III sum of squares	df	均方 Mean square	F	p
校正模型 Corrected model	8.46 × 10¹⁰	134	6.31 × 10⁸	53.00	0.000
截距 Intercept	2.31 × 10¹¹	1	2.31 × 10¹¹	19 365.37	0.000
结皮类型 Crust type	1.71 × 10¹⁰	2	8.57 × 10⁹	719.66	0.000
水分处理 Water treatment	1.14 × 10⁸	2	5.72 × 10⁷	4.81	0.009
温度 Temperature	5.77 × 10¹⁰	14	4.12 × 10⁹	346.26	0.000
结皮类型×水分处理 Crust type × Water treatment	3.88 × 10⁸	4	9.71 × 10⁷	8.15	0.000
结皮类型×温度 Crust type × Temperature	6.86 × 10⁹	28	2.45 × 10⁸	20.58	0.000
水分处理×温度 Water treatment × Temperature	1.04 × 10⁹	28	3.72 × 10⁷	3.13	0.000
结皮类型×水分处理×温度 Crust type × Water treatment × Temperature	1.70 × 10⁹	56	3.03 × 10⁷	2.55	0.000
误差 Error	4.29 × 10⁹	360	1.19 × 10⁷
总和 Total	3.20 × 10⁹	495
校正总和 Corrected total	8.89 × 10¹⁰	494

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