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 presented a molecular characterisation of archaeal and bacterial communities, exposed to long-term change in soil abiotic environment at natural CO2 springs (mofettes), using TRFLP profiling and examination of 16S rRNA clone libraries. Our results show major shifts in archaeal and bacterial communities towards anaerobic and methanogenic taxa dominating in CO2 rich hypoxic soils with a significant increase in abundance of Methanomicrobia and predominantly anaerobic Chloroflexi and Firmicutes. O2 concentration in soil was consistently shown to be the strongest predictor of the compositional changes across both the archaeal and bacterial communities. However, soil pH and total N, were most important in separating the archaeal communities in transition and control zones, but not the bacterial communities. We concluded that geological CO2 induced hypoxia in mofette systems 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 longterm environmental changes, which is urgently needed to address the bias towards macroorganisms in soil biodiversity research.
COBISS.SI-ID: 7763321
In a field experiment on metal contaminated (long-term abiotic stress, similar to the one caused by geological CO2) and EDTA remediated soil we studied plant performance, mycorrhizal colonization of plant roots and prospects of potential reuse of remediated soil as a garden substrate. Pb, Zn, Cd and micronutrient plant uptake was measured and their phytoaccessibility was analysed by the DTPA method. Plant fitness was assessed by chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange measurements. Remediation reduced Pb and Cd concentrations in roots, green parts and fruits in most of the plants. Phytoaccumulation of Zn was reduced in one half of the cultivars. Some plants suffered from Mn deficiency as total soil Mn was reduced 4-fold and phytoaccessibility of micronutrients Cu, Fe and Mn for 54, 26 and 79%, respectively. Plant biomass was reduced. Photosynthetic parameters of plants grown in original and remediated soil were similar, except for the reduction in Spinacia oleracea. The frequency of mycorrhizal colonization in the roots of Pisum sativum was reduced fivefold and no significant differences were found in Allium cepa roots. Remediation reduced plant uptake of Pb below the concentration stipulated by legislation. Measures to reduce plant accumulation of other toxic metals and to revitalize remediated soil are needed.
COBISS.SI-ID: 7831673
Traditionally, taxonomic identification has relied upon morphological characters. In the last two decades, molecular tools based on DNA sequences of short standardised gene fragments, termed DNA barcodes, have been developed for species discrimination. The most common DNA barcode used in animals is a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase (COI ) mitochondrial gene, while for plants, two chloroplast gene fragments from the RuBisCo large subunit (rbcL) and maturase K (matK) genes are widely used. Information gathered from DNA barcodes can be used beyond taxonomic studies and will have far-reaching implications across many fields of biology, including ecology (rapid biodiversity assessment and food chain analysis), conservation biology (monitoring of protected species), biosecurity (early identification of invasive pest species), medicine (identification of medically important pathogens and their vectors) and pharmacology (identification of active compounds). However, it is important that the limitations of DNA barcoding are understood and techniques continually adapted and improved as this young science matures.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1536021700