Advances in Earth Science ›› 2010, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (8): 877-885. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2010.08.0877

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Advances in the Influence of External Nitrogen Input on Soil Microbiological Characteristics of Grassland Ecosystem

He Yating 1,2, Qi Yuchun 1, Dong Yunshe 1, Peng Qin 1,2,Xiao Shengsheng 1,2,Liu Xinchao 1,2   

  1. 1.Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China; 
    2.Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049,China
  • Received:2010-04-06 Revised:2010-05-26 Online:2010-08-10 Published:2010-08-10

He Yating,Qi Yuchun,Dong Yunshe,Peng Qin,Xiao Shengsheng,Liu Xinchao. Advances in the Influence of External Nitrogen Input on Soil Microbiological Characteristics of Grassland Ecosystem[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2010, 25(8): 877-885.

Atmosphere nitrogen deposition is becoming an important phenomenon of global change, and results in a series of ecological problems. As one of the main terrestrial ecosystems, grassland ecosystem is more sensitive to the change of atmosphere nitrogen deposition, as is not only reflected by the growth of aboveground plant and the change of plant community, but also paid close attention due to the change of multiple belowground processes. Besides, most of grasslands worldwide have suffered degradation at different degrees, so the input of nitrogen fertilization has become a beneficial try to restore the degraded grassland. Here, the influences of external nitrogen input on soil microbe characteristics of grassland ecosystem are presented. The results indicated that nitrogen input was favorable to the increase of bacteria number, but had little effect on or even decreased the number of fungi. Long term nitrogen input decreased the soil microbial biomass, while short term nitrogen input may increase, decrease or have no effect on microbial biomass. The influence of nitrogen input on soil microbial respiration depends on the magnitude of available carbon which microbial needed. Nitrogen input would change the structure diversity and function diversity of soil microbe, and have a negative effect on soil microbial diversity. Nitrogen input increased the activities of the β-glucosidase enzyme and phosphatase enzyme, but decreased the activity of the urease enzyme. So far, the researches about the influences of nitrogen input on soil microbe characteristics still have a lot of uncertainties. Therefore, the long-term field studies, the research about the soil microbial respiration and the threshold quantity of nitrogen level which was appropriate to restoration of the grassland should be strengthened in the future studies. Besides, the new technologies and methods to determine the soil microbial diversity are also expected to develop.

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