Short-term effects of a winter wildfire on diversity and intensity of soil microbial function in the subalpine grassland of western Sichuan, China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00043

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims For sustainably managing the subalpine grassland of western Sichuan, a post-fire recovery in diversity and intensity of soil microbial function was studied.
Methods The activities of seven soil enzymes, including β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease, sucrase, protease, catalase, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, were measured on soil samples collected from burned and unburned sites in the study area following a wildfire on 5 December 2010. The diversity and intensity of soil microbial function were estimated by the methods of Bending and Perucci.
Important findings In this study, we found that the activities of the seven soil enzymes in the 0-5 cm soil layer were all increased significantly by the fire, but the responses to fire and soil depth varied among different soil enzymes. The alkaline phosphatase appeared to be a good indicator of the short-term responses in the diversity and intensity of soil microbial function to fire in this area. On the whole, although fire enhanced the surface soil microbial function to some extent, the diversity and intensity of soil microbial function were not significantly affected by the fire in the 0-20 cm soil layer. Future research on the functional stability of soil microbial community could better reveal the underlying mechanisms of the impact of disturbance on soil microbial biodiversity.

Key words: diversity, enzyme activity, microbial function, subalpine grassland, winter wildfire

WANG Xie,XIANG Cheng-Hua,LI Xian-Wei,WEN Dong-Ju. Short-term effects of a winter wildfire on diversity and intensity of soil microbial function in the subalpine grassland of western Sichuan, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2014, 38(5): 468-476.

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https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2014/V38/I5/468

Figures/Tables 3

References 39

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类型编号 Type ID	处理 Treatment	坡位 Slope position	坡向 Slope aspect	海拔 (m) Elevation	容重 (g·cm^-3)¹⁾ Bulk density	含水量(%)¹⁾ Water content	酸碱度²⁾ pH
B1	火烧 Burned	上 Upper	东 East	3 429	0.992	22.3	6.60
B2	火烧 Burned	中 Middle	东 East	3 454	1.055	15.1	7.28
B3	火烧 Burned	下 Lower	东 East	3 461	1.051	15.4	7.54
B4	火烧 Burned	上 Upper	西 West	3 315	0.932	26.6	6.30
B5	火烧 Burned	中 Middle	西 West	3 243	1.058	15.6	6.71
B6	火烧 Burned	下 Lower	西 West	3 487	0.946	16.7	7.24
U1	未火烧 Unburned	上 Upper	东 East	3 409	0.993	23.4	6.44
U2	未火烧 Unburned	中 Middle	东 East	3 334	1.043	22.2	7.04
U3	未火烧 Unburned	下 Lower	东 East	3 444	0.987	19.3	7.47
U4	未火烧 Unburned	上 Upper	西 West	3 424	0.929	32.4	6.36
U5	未火烧 Unburned	中 Middle	西 West	3 196	1.068	17.0	6.63
U6	未火烧 Unburned	下 Lower	西 West	3 484	1.079	18.5	7.15

类型编号 Type ID	处理 Treatment	坡位 Slope position	坡向 Slope aspect	海拔 (m) Elevation	容重 (g·cm^-3)¹⁾ Bulk density	含水量(%)¹⁾ Water content	酸碱度²⁾ pH
B1	火烧 Burned	上 Upper	东 East	3 429	0.992	22.3	6.60
B2	火烧 Burned	中 Middle	东 East	3 454	1.055	15.1	7.28
B3	火烧 Burned	下 Lower	东 East	3 461	1.051	15.4	7.54
B4	火烧 Burned	上 Upper	西 West	3 315	0.932	26.6	6.30
B5	火烧 Burned	中 Middle	西 West	3 243	1.058	15.6	6.71
B6	火烧 Burned	下 Lower	西 West	3 487	0.946	16.7	7.24
U1	未火烧 Unburned	上 Upper	东 East	3 409	0.993	23.4	6.44
U2	未火烧 Unburned	中 Middle	东 East	3 334	1.043	22.2	7.04
U3	未火烧 Unburned	下 Lower	东 East	3 444	0.987	19.3	7.47
U4	未火烧 Unburned	上 Upper	西 West	3 424	0.929	32.4	6.36
U5	未火烧 Unburned	中 Middle	西 West	3 196	1.068	17.0	6.63
U6	未火烧 Unburned	下 Lower	西 West	3 484	1.079	18.5	7.15

	0-5 cm土层 0-5 cm soil layer		5-10 cm土层 5-10 cm soil layer			10-20 cm土层 10-20 cm soil layer
	火烧 Burned	未火烧 Unburned		火烧 Burned	未火烧 Unburned		火烧 Burned	未火烧 Unburned
β-葡糖苷酶活性 β-glucosidase activity	9.12 ± 1.94^a	7.24 ± 2.46^b	4.89 ± 1.19^c		3.81 ± 1.54^cd	2.80 ± 1.20^d		3.16 ± 1.03^d
酸性磷酸酶活性 Acid phosphatase activity	16.58 ± 7.85^a	13.26 ± 3.81^b	10.93 ± 5.03^bc		10.65 ± 4.52^bc	6.78 ± 2.01^d		8.12 ± 2.98^cd
碱性磷酸酶活性 Alkaline phosphatase activity	11.20 ± 3.45^a	7.55 ± 3.53^b	6.47 ± 2.12^bc		6.26 ± 3.28^bc	5.20 ± 1.91^c		4.95 ± 2.40^c
脲酶活性 Urease activity	0.30 ± 0.15^a	0.20 ± 0.09^b	0.17 ± 0.04^bc		0.16 ± 0.09^bc	0.14 ± 0.09^bc		0.11 ± 0.10^c
蔗糖酶活性 Invertase activity	60.39 ± 16.07^a	50.66 ± 7.53^b	40.77 ± 7.48^c		39.91 ± 7.08^c	30.51 ± 7.76^d		29.83 ± 9.21^d
蛋白酶活性 Proteinase activity	1.08 ± 0.28^a	0.96 ± 0.24^ab	0.93 ± 0.19^bc		0.81 ± 0.18^c	0.63 ± 0.21^d		0.56 ± 0.05^d
过氧化氢酶活性 Catalase activity	1.39 ± 0.11^a	1.28 ± 0.10^b	1.14 ± 0.09^c		1.10 ± 0.09^c	1.01 ± 0.07^d		0.92 ± 0.05^e
微生物功能强度 Microbial functional intensity	1.26 ± 0.60^a	1.21 ± 0.39^a	1.49 ± 0.49^a		1.22 ± 0.49^a	1.31 ± 0.59^a		1.36 ± 0.40^a
微生物功能多样性 Microbial functional diversity	1.18 ± 0.58^a	1.14 ± 0.06^ab	1.14 ± 0.83^ab		1.10 ± 0.07^b	1.10 ± 0.07^b		1.13 ± 0.11^ab

	0-5 cm土层 0-5 cm soil layer		5-10 cm土层 5-10 cm soil layer			10-20 cm土层 10-20 cm soil layer
	火烧 Burned	未火烧 Unburned		火烧 Burned	未火烧 Unburned		火烧 Burned	未火烧 Unburned
β-葡糖苷酶活性 β-glucosidase activity	9.12 ± 1.94^a	7.24 ± 2.46^b	4.89 ± 1.19^c		3.81 ± 1.54^cd	2.80 ± 1.20^d		3.16 ± 1.03^d
酸性磷酸酶活性 Acid phosphatase activity	16.58 ± 7.85^a	13.26 ± 3.81^b	10.93 ± 5.03^bc		10.65 ± 4.52^bc	6.78 ± 2.01^d		8.12 ± 2.98^cd
碱性磷酸酶活性 Alkaline phosphatase activity	11.20 ± 3.45^a	7.55 ± 3.53^b	6.47 ± 2.12^bc		6.26 ± 3.28^bc	5.20 ± 1.91^c		4.95 ± 2.40^c
脲酶活性 Urease activity	0.30 ± 0.15^a	0.20 ± 0.09^b	0.17 ± 0.04^bc		0.16 ± 0.09^bc	0.14 ± 0.09^bc		0.11 ± 0.10^c
蔗糖酶活性 Invertase activity	60.39 ± 16.07^a	50.66 ± 7.53^b	40.77 ± 7.48^c		39.91 ± 7.08^c	30.51 ± 7.76^d		29.83 ± 9.21^d
蛋白酶活性 Proteinase activity	1.08 ± 0.28^a	0.96 ± 0.24^ab	0.93 ± 0.19^bc		0.81 ± 0.18^c	0.63 ± 0.21^d		0.56 ± 0.05^d
过氧化氢酶活性 Catalase activity	1.39 ± 0.11^a	1.28 ± 0.10^b	1.14 ± 0.09^c		1.10 ± 0.09^c	1.01 ± 0.07^d		0.92 ± 0.05^e
微生物功能强度 Microbial functional intensity	1.26 ± 0.60^a	1.21 ± 0.39^a	1.49 ± 0.49^a		1.22 ± 0.49^a	1.31 ± 0.59^a		1.36 ± 0.40^a
微生物功能多样性 Microbial functional diversity	1.18 ± 0.58^a	1.14 ± 0.06^ab	1.14 ± 0.83^ab		1.10 ± 0.07^b	1.10 ± 0.07^b		1.13 ± 0.11^ab

	β-葡糖苷酶活性 β-glucosidase activity	酸性磷酸酶活性 Acid phosphatase activity	碱性磷酸酶活性 Alkaline phosphatase activities	脲酶活性 Urease activity	蔗糖酶活性 Invertase activity	蛋白酶活性 Proteinase activity	过氧化氢酶活性 Catalase activity	微生物功能强度 Microbial functional intensity
酸性磷酸酶活性 Acid phosphatase activity	0.536^**
碱性磷酸酶活性 Alkaline phosphatase activities	0.579^**	0.280^**
脲酶活性 Urease activity	0.296^**	0.361^**	0.235^*
蔗糖酶活性 Invertase activity	0.765^**	0.815^**	0.528^**	0.415^**
蛋白酶活性 Proteinase activity	0.533^**	0.465^**	0.619^**	0.146^ns	0.621^**
过氧化氢酶活性 Catalase activity	0.682^**	0.684^**	0.543^**	0.238^*	0.766^**	0.643^**
微生物功能强度 Microbial functional intensity	0.055^ns	-0.434^**	0.495^**	0.017^ns	-0.259^**	0.169^ns	-0.148^ns
微生物功能多样性 Microbial functional diversity	0.236^*	-0.009^ns	0.499^**	0.104^ns	-0.149 ^ns	0.227^*	0.158^ns	0.592^**