Post-fire carbon fluxes (net canopy CO2 exchange (NE) and canopy respiration) on calcareous karst grassland were studied after two spring fire events, a natural one in 2010 and a man-induced (anthropogenic) one in 2011. Canopy chamber measurements performed at short regular time intervals throughout the season revealed the rapid recovery of NE after the initial loss of C-sink strength. The burned areas, however, did not reach the productivity of non-disturbed sites until the end of the season. The similar NE values could be explained by a significant reduction of respiration at burned areas. Our research showed that C-sink strength of grassland after a fire disturbance can be re-established quite rapidly, after a month, although a full recovery (regeneration of plant cover, C fluxes) can take more time. The re-establishment is largely dependent on environmental conditions (soil water availability).
COBISS.SI-ID: 7895929
The paper deals with soil respiration in the research plot in Podgorski kras (SW Slovenia). Soil respiration was measured using LiCor portable device during a period of two and a half years on two sites: on the karst pasture and on the succession site where we measured separately in wooded areas, and separately in the grassy patches between wooded areas. We evaluated the dependence of soil respiration on soil temperature and soil moisture using nonlinear model and compared the models between different types of vegetation cover. The results showed that there were no large differences between the types of vegetation cover but that soil respiration is more depended on soil temperature than on soil humidity. Humidity appears as a dominant factor only during drier periods of the year. We also investigated diel soil respiration patterns with the emphasis on hysteresis of soil respiration when compared with soil temperature.
COBISS.SI-ID: 7550841
We investigated the effects of compost addition on the abundance and diversity of bacteria harboring the alkane monooxygenase gene (alkB) in an oil-contaminated soil originated from an industrial zone in Celje, Slovenia (Technosol). Soil without any amendments (control soil) and soil amended with two composts differing in their maturation stage and nutrient availability, were incubated under controlled conditions in a microcosm experiment and sampled after 0, 6, 12, and 36 weeks of incubation. The addition of compost stimulated the degradation of alkanes in the investigated soil shortly after the addition.
COBISS.SI-ID: 7886713
There is a limited understanding of the importance of abiotic factors in regulating biodiversity and structure of many functionally important soil microbial communities. In this paper we present a molecular characterisation of archaeal and bacterial communities, exposed to long-term change in soil abiotic environment at natural CO2 springs (mofettes), using molecular methods. Our results show major shifts in archaeal and bacterial communities towards anaerobic and methanogenic taxa dominating in hypoxic soils. We conclude that soil hypoxia can cause major shifts in community composition of soil microbes that can generate significant implications for ecosystem functioning (e.g. nutrient cycling and CH4 production). Our data indicate that mofettes offer a good model system for studying the response of natural microbial communities to long-term environmental changes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 7763321
The structure of buckwheat seed endosperm cells was revealed by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Morphological differences were observed between normal buckwheat starch granules and those from a LowAmylose Mutant (LAM). Under physical pressure, mutant starch granules are often squashed. Spherical native starches with a granule diameter similar to those of lipid micelles have a potential for use as fat replacers. Starch from buckwheat LAM may find applications in food products
COBISS.SI-ID: 7158905