[Status and perspective of soil fauna eco-geography in China].

As regulators of the surface land processes, soil fauna communities are the vital foundations for healthy terrestrial ecosystems. Soil fauna have been studied in China for more than 70 years. Great progresses have been achieved in exploring soil fauna species composition and geographical distribution patterns.

Deciphering roles of microbiota in arsenic biotransformation from the earthworm gut and skin.

Biotransformation mediated by microbes can affect the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic. However, arsenic biotransformation mediated by earthworm-related microorganisms has not been well explored, especially the role played by earthworm skin microbiota. Herein, we reveal the profiles of arsenic biotransformation genes (ABGs) and elucidate the microbial communities of the earthworm gut, skin, and surrounding soil from five different soil environments in China.

Responses of earthworm Metaphire vulgaris gut microbiota to arsenic and nanoplastics contamination.

The growing contamination of arsenic and plastics has severely effects on the soil fauna health, including shifts of gut microbiota community. A few studies have focused on effects of microplastics and metal(loid) in soil and fauna gut microbiome. However, the environmental effect of nanoplastics and arsenic on the earthworm gut microbiota, especially on arsenic biotransformation in the gut, remain largely unknown.

Arsenic bioaccumulation in the soil fauna alters its gut microbiome and microbial arsenic biotransformation capacity.

The biotransformation of arsenic mediated by microorganisms plays an important role in the arsenic biogeochemical cycle. However, the fate and biotransformation of arsenic in different soil fauna gut microbiota are largely unknown. Herein the effects of arsenic contamination on five types of soil fauna were compared by examining variations in arsenic bioaccumulation, gut microbiota, and arsenic biotransformation genes (ABGs).

Responses of soil Collembola to long-term atmospheric CO2 enrichment in a mature temperate forest.

Responses of Collembola to 7 years of CO(2) enrichment (550 ppm) in a Swiss free-air CO(2) enrichment (FACE) experiment in a forest with 80- to 120-year-old trees were investigated in this study. Contrary to our expectations, increased CO(2) caused a significant decrease in Collembola numbers, including a significant decrease in euedaphic Collembola. Increased CO(2), however, did not affect community group richness.

[Changes of soil nutrient contents after prescribed burning of forestland in Heshan City, Guangdong Province].

A comparative study was conducted to analyze the changes of soil nutrient contents in Eucalyptus forestland and in shrubland after three years of prescribed burning. In Eucalyptus forestland, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available potassium contents and soil pH decreased significantly; soil available phosphorus and exchangeable magnesium contents, net nitrogen mineralization rate and ammonification rate also decreased but showed no significant difference. In shrubland, soil exchangeable calcium content increased significantly, but the contents of other nutrients had no significant change.

[Impact of heavy snow storm and freezing rain disasters on soil fauna in Chinese fir plantation in southern China].

In January 2008, southern China suffered an unusual heavy snowstorm and freezing rain over a large area for almost a month long. This catastrophic event was the worst one in past 50 years, which brought the area a serious impact on the infrastructure, ecology, and environment. To understand the long-term impact of this catastrophic event on the forest ecosystems in this area, a field investigation was conducted on the soil fauna in a pure Chinese fir plantation and a mixed Chinese fir plantation-alder plantation in Huitong County of Hunan Province on March 23, 2008, the date 40 days after the heavy snowstorm and freezing rain.

Negative responses of Collembola in a forest soil (Alptal, Switzerland) under experimentally increased N deposition.

The response of specific groups of organisms, like Collembola to atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is still scarcely known. We investigated the Collembola community in a subalpine forest (Alptal, Switzerland) as subjected for 12 years to an experimentally increased N deposition (+25 on top of ambient 12 kg N ha(-1) year(-1)). In the 0-5 cm soil layer, there was a tendency of total Collembola densities to be lower in N-treated than in control plots.

Pathways and determinants of early spontaneous vegetation succession in degraded lowland of South China.

Continuous and prolonged human disturbances have caused severe degradation of a large portion of lowland in South China, and how to restore such degraded ecosystems becomes an increasing concern. The process and mechanisms of spontaneous succession, which plays an important role in vegetation restoration, have not been adequately examined. To identify the pathways of early spontaneous vegetation succession, 41 plots representing plant communities abandoned over different times were established and investigated.

Response of soil fauna to simulated nitrogen deposition: a nursery experiment in subtropical China.

We studied the responses of soil fauna to a simulated nitrogen deposition in nursery experimental plots in Subtropical China. Dissolved NH4NO3 was applied to the soil by spraying twice per month for 16 months, starting in January 2003 with treatments of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 30 gN/(m2 x a). Soil fauna was sampled after 6, 9, 13 and 16 months of treatment in three soil depths (0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, 10-15 cm).