Evaluation of commercial RNA extraction kits for long-read metatranscriptomics in soil.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of the soil microbiome has the potential to reveal molecular mechanisms that drive soil processes regulated by the microbial community. Therefore, RNA samples must be of sufficient yield and quality to robustly quantify differential gene expression. While short-read sequencing technology is often favoured for metatranscriptomics, long-read sequencing has the potential to provide several benefits over short-read technologies.

Mapping native and non-native vegetation in the Brazilian Cerrado using freely available satellite products.

Native vegetation across the Brazilian Cerrado is highly heterogeneous and biodiverse and provides important ecosystem services, including carbon and water balance regulation, however, land-use changes have been extensive. Conservation and restoration of native vegetation is essential and could be facilitated by detailed landcover maps. Here, across a large case study region in Goiás State, Brazil (1.

Diurnal variability in soil nitrous oxide emissions is a widespread phenomenon.

Manual measurements of nitrous oxide (N O) emissions with static chambers are commonly practised. However, they generally do not consider the diurnal variability of N O flux, and little is known about the patterns and drivers of such variability. We systematically reviewed and analysed 286 diurnal data sets of N O fluxes from published literature to (i) assess the prevalence and timing (day or night peaking) of diurnal N O flux patterns in agricultural and forest soils, (ii) examine the relationship between N O flux and soil temperature with different diurnal patterns, (iii) identify whether non-diurnal factors (i.

The importance of nitrogen for net carbon sequestration when considering natural climate solutions.

To store substantial amounts of carbon in natural climate solutions the strong interlinkages between carbon and nitrogen cycling must be considered. There are many agricultural management options for increasing soil organic carbon stocks but each approach must be evaluated in context of the full, net greenhouse gas balance. This requires a detailed understanding of the implications of increased nitrogen demand to store organic forms of carbon in soil, on potential nitrous oxide emissions in particular.

Dynamic biochar effects on nitrogen use efficiency, crop yield and soil nitrous oxide emissions during a tropical wheat-growing season.

The application of biochar to soil combined with synthetic fertilizers has been proposed for enhancing N availability to plants and crop yields while reducing nitrous oxide (NO) emissions. However, little is known about those interactions for tropical soils. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of sugarcane straw biochar on tropical soil attributes, crop productivity, NO emissions and N use efficiency.

Consensus, uncertainties and challenges for perennial bioenergy crops and land use.

Perennial bioenergy crops have significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to climate change mitigation by substituting for fossil fuels; yet delivering significant GHG savings will require substantial land-use change, globally. Over the last decade, research has delivered improved understanding of the environmental benefits and risks of this transition to perennial bioenergy crops, addressing concerns that the impacts of land conversion to perennial bioenergy crops could result in increased rather than decreased GHG emissions. For policymakers to assess the most cost-effective and sustainable options for deployment and climate change mitigation, synthesis of these studies is needed to support evidence-based decision making.

Loss of soil (macro)fauna due to the expansion of Brazilian sugarcane acreage.

Land use changes (LUC) from pasture to sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) crop are expected to add 6.4Mha of new sugarcane land by 2021 in the Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes.

Soil Quality Indexing Strategies for Evaluating Sugarcane Expansion in Brazil.

Increasing demand for biofuel has intensified land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) expansion in Brazil. Assessments of soil quality (SQ) response to this LUC are essential for quantifying and monitoring sustainability of sugarcane production over time. Since there is not a universal methodology for assessing SQ, we conducted a field-study at three sites within the largest sugarcane-producing region of Brazil to develop a SQ index (SQI).

Soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus changes under sugarcane expansion in Brazil.

Historical data of land use change (LUC) indicated that the sugarcane expansion has mainly displaced pasture areas in Central-Southern Brazil, globally the largest producer, and that those pastures were prior established over native forests in the Cerrado biome. We sampled 3 chronosequences of land use comprising native vegetation (NV), pasture (PA), and sugarcane crop (SC) in the sugarcane expansion region to assess the effects of LUC on soil carbon, nitrogen, and labile phosphorus pools. Thirty years after conversion of NV to PA, we found significant losses of original soil organic matter (SOM) from NV, while insufficient new organic matter was introduced from tropical grasses into soil to offset the losses, reflecting in a net C emission of 0.

Thermal adaptation of soil microbial respiration to elevated temperature.

In the short-term heterotrophic soil respiration is strongly and positively related to temperature. In the long-term, its response to temperature is uncertain. One reason for this is because in field experiments increases in respiration due to warming are relatively short-lived.

Biphasic behavior of anammox regulated by nitrite and nitrate in an estuarine sediment.

The production of N2 gas via anammox was investigated in sediment slurries at in situ NO2- concentrations in the presence and absence of NO3-. With single enrichment above 10 microM 14NO2- or 14NO3- and 15NH4+, anammox activity was always linear (P < 0.05), in agreement with previous findings.