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opencc-zeroOct 2021View details →

Data from: Living, dead, and absent trees - How do moth outbreaks shape small-scale patterns of soil organic matter stocks and dynamics at the Subarctic mountain birch treeline?

Mountain birch forests (B. pubescens Ehrh. ssp. czerepanovii) at the subarctic treeline not only benefit from global warming, but are also increasingly affected by caterpillar outbreaks from foliage-feeding geometrid moths. Both of these factors have unknown consequences on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and biogeochemical cycles. We measured SOC stocks down to the bedrock under living trees and under two stages of dead trees (12 and 55 years since moth outbreak) and treeless tundra in northern Finland. We also measured in-situ soil respiration, potential SOC decomposability, biological (enzyme activities, microbial biomass), and chemical (N, mineral N, pH) soil properties. SOC stocks were significantly higher under living trees (4.1±2.1 kg m²) than in the treeless tundra (2.4±0.6 kg m²), and remained at an elevated level even 12 (3.7±1.7 kg m²) and 55 years (4.9±3.0 kg m²) after tree death. Effects of tree status on SOC stocks decreased with increasing distance from the tree and with increasing depth, i.e. a significant effect of tree status was found in the organic layer, but not in mineral soil. Soil under living trees was characterized by higher mineral N contents, microbial biomass, microbial activity, and soil respiration compared with the treeless tundra; soils under dead trees were intermediate between these two. The results suggest accelerated organic matter turnover under living trees but a positive net effect on SOC stocks. Slowed organic matter turnover and continuous supply of deadwood may explain why SOC stocks remained elevated under dead trees, despite the heavy decrease in aboveground C stocks. We conclude that the increased occurrence of moth damage with climate change would have minor effects on SOC stocks, but ultimately decrease ecosystem C stocks (49% within 55 years in this area), if the mountain birch forests will not be able to recover from the outbreaks.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2022View details →

Improving soil aquifer treatment efficiency using air injection into the subsurface - Data set

Data set for the research article "Improving soil aquifer treatment efficiency using air injection into the subsurface"

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2022View details →

Data for the article "Quantitative Impact of Organic Matter and Soil Moisture on Permafrost"

Data for the article "Quantitative Impact of Organic Matter and Soil Moisture on Permafrost"

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2021View details →

Soil data of the CS1 Study Case

Soil data of the CS1 Study Case

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Data from: Plastic responses of belowground foraging traits to soil phosphorus-rich patches across 17 coexisting AM tree species in a subtropical forest

1. Belowground plastic responses to soil nutrient "hot-spots" form a key nutrient foraging strategy of plants coexisting in natural ecosystems. However, it is unclear how plant species differ in these belowground plastic responses and how they co-vary. 2. Plastic responses to soil phosphorus (P)-rich patches of absorptive root, mycorrhizal, and exudation traits of 17 co-existing arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest were investigated using a root bag method. 3. There was considerable variation and heterogeneity in species-specific responses to P-rich patches. Negative log response ratios usually occurred for high-cost traits and positive log response ratios for low-cost traits. There were tradeoffs in the plastic responses between root acid phosphatase activity and extraradical hyphal length, which were unaffected by phylogeny, and between root acid phosphatase activity and specific root length. Thicker-rooted species responded to P-rich patches more through root exudation plasticity than mycorrhizal plasticity. Thinner-rooted species relied more on mycorrhizal plasticity. 4. Synthesis. Our results revealed diverse P foraging strategies comprising different combinations of plastic adjustments in absorptive root, mycorrhizal, and exudation traits among coexisting AM tree species, which suggest the potential for complementary exploitation of different soil P sources.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2022View details →

Data underlying publication: Ambient precipitation determines the sensitivity of soil respiration to precipitation treatments in a marsh

This dataset contains ambient climate data, soil three-parameter data, vegetation biomass data, soil respiration and its autotrophic and heterotrophic components collected from 2016-2021 in a field precipitation changes experiment established at the Yellow River Delta Ecological Experiment Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.   This study aims to investigate whether ambient climate affects the sensitivity of soil respiration to long-term precipitation treatments and the underlying mechanisms. Briefly, the relationship between net radiation, air temperature and annual precipitation in the ambient climate and the sensitivity of soil respiration to precipitation treatments was investigated to explore if the ambient climate affects the sensitivity of soil respiration to long-term precipitation treatments. The mechanism underlying the above results was also explored through the relationship between the sensitivity of soil and vegetation factors and the sensitivity of soil respiration to precipitation treatments.   For the process of data collection: first, soil temperature was collected using soil sensors. Soil moisture and soil conductivity data. Secondly, aboveground biomass and belowground biomass data of vegetation were collected using the harvesting method. Finally, soil respiration and its autotrophic and heterotrophic components data were collected using LI-8100 and LI-7810 infrared gas analyzers (Li-Cor, Inc., Lincoln, NE, USA).

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2023View details →

Modeling water flow and solute transport in unsaturated soils using physics-informed neural networks trained with geoelectrical data

Numerical codes and results for the article: Modeling water flow and solute transport in unsaturated soils using physics-informed neural networks trained with geoelectrical data

opencc-by-4.0Feb 2023View details →

Data for "Nitrogen availability mediates soil carbon cycling response to climate warming: a meta-analysis"

This dataset was used to make tables and figures for the study entitled "Nitrogen availability mediates soil carbon cycling response to climate warming: a meta-analysis", which was submitted to Global Change Biology in October 2022. It contains a meta-analysis database focusing on the effects of warming on soil C storage, root biomass and soil respiration.

opencc-zeroFeb 2023View details →

Data for: Vertebrate digging alters plants and soils

Soil-disturbing animals are common globally and play important roles in creating and maintaining healthy functional soils and landscapes. Yet many of these animals are threatened or locally extinct, either by habitat loss, predation by non-native animals or poaching/poisoning. Some reintroduction and rewilding programs have as their core aims both the increase in animal populations and reinstatement of processes that have been lost due to their extirpation. Here we review the effects of soil-disturbing vertebrates on ecosystem processes, using a meta-analytical approach to advance the argument that they can be used to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, by altering mainly composition and function, but with fewer positive effects on structure. We describe four case studies showing that loss or reintroduction of soil-disturbing vertebrates leads to ecosystem state changes, and highlight the role of spatial scale, co-varying management changes, and species co-occurrence in modulating their effects. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using soil-disturbing vertebrates over mechanised engineering approaches such as pitting and furrowing, including more self-sustainable and heterogenous disturbances, creation of new habitats, and added recreational values. Finally, we identify key knowledge gaps in our understanding of the use of soil-disturbing vertebrates for rehabilitating degraded ecosystems.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Data for: Plant host domestication and soil nutrient availability determine positive plant microbial response across the Solanum genus

Domestication of crops has changed how crops shape their associated microbial communities compared to their progenitors. However, studies testing how crop domestication-driven differences in rhizosphere microbial communities affect plant health are limited mostly to specific symbiont pairings. By conducting a soil manipulation greenhouse study, we examined plant growth and yield in response to differences in microbial communities and nutrient availability across a variety of wild, landrace, and cultivated potatoes. Coupled with this, we conducted 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing to examine plant host and soil treatment-driven differences in microbial community composition on potato plant roots. Our results found the plant response to microbes (PRM) is context-dependent. In low nutrient conditions, landraces responded positively to the presence of live soil microbial inocula. Conversely, modern potato varieties positively responded in high nutrient conditions. Amplicon sequencing found differences in bacterial communities due to environmental and temporal factors. However, potato clade (e.g. Andigenum, Chiletanum, S. berthaulti, and Modern) alone did not lead to differences in microbial communities that accounted for PRM differences. Differences in PRM between landraces and modern potatoes, and the correlation of PRM to microbial diversity, suggest that domestication has altered the S. tuberosum response to rhizosphere microbiomes.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Data from: Soil arthropod communities associated with Berberis thunbergii invasion in a temperate deciduous forest harbor more detritivores

<ol> <li>Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a widely established invasive shrub in temperate forests of the northeastern U.S. with the potential to alter soil arthropod communities through changes to soil nutrient cycling and acidity.</li> <li>We compared soil arthropod taxa and functional feeding groups between invaded and nearby control areas in a paired observational survey.</li> <li>Community ordination analysis suggested minimal differences between barberry and control samples. In contrast, pairwise differences revealed elevated densities of multiple taxa in barberry-invaded soils. </li> <li>Among taxa that were able to be defined by functional feeding group and were collected at higher densities under barberry, all were detritivores. For example, barberry-invaded soils harbored an average of 40% more Isopoda and more than twice as many Diplopoda per unit dry compared to control samples. Differences we observed between barberry and control samples despite the limited study spatiotemporal scope demonstrate the potential for invasions to restructure soil arthropod communities.</li> <li>Observed patterns potentially reflect elevated leaf litter decomposition rates associated with the invasion; results also highlight the need to integrate site-specific environmental attributes when assessing the impact of invading plants on soil ecosystems.</li> </ol>

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2023View details →

Detection of Ore-forming Elements Migrated from Rock and Soil to Vegetation Leaves using Hyperspectral Data

In this paper we present the detection of ore-forming elements migrated from soil and rock to vegetation leaves using hyperspectral data. The rock, soil (C, B, A layer) and vegetation (root, stem, leaf) samples with the measurements of spectra and element concentrations in the vertical section of the abandoned pits were collected. The wavelet approach is applied to analyze the correlations between spectral features and element concentrations. The results show that the significant correlations are found at a lower order mother wavelets such as Haar. Moreover, the significant correlations are negative between Cu and Mo elements and the wavelet energy vector of the soil and rock to vegetation leaves spectrum. The results also show that ore-forming elements migrated from rock and soil to vegetation leaves can be detected using hyperspectral data in the study area.

Data for: Cover crop functional types differentially alter the content and composition of soil organic carbon in particulate and mineral-associated fractions

Cover crops (CCs) can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration by providing additional OC residues, recruiting beneficial soil microbiota, and improving soil aggregation and structure. The various CC species that belong to distinct plant functional types (PFTs) may differentially impact SOC formation and stabilization. Biogeochemical theory suggests that selection of PFTs with distinct litter quality (C:N ratio) should influence the pathways and magnitude of SOC sequestration. Yet, we lack knowledge on the effect of CCs from different PFTs on the quantity and composition of physiochemical pools of SOC. We sampled soils under monocultures of three CC PFTs (legume [crimson clover]; grass [triticale]; and brassica [canola]) and a mixture of these three species, from a long-term CC experiment in Pennsylvania, USA. We measured C content in bulk soil and C content and composition in contrasting physical fractions: particulate organic matter, POM; and mineral-associated organic matter, MAOM. The bulk SOC content was higher in all CC treatments compared to the fallow. Compared to the legume, monocultures of grass and brassica with lower litter quality (wider C:N) had higher proportion of plant-derived C in POM, indicating selective preservation of complex structural plant compounds. In contrast, soils under legumes had greater accumulation of microbial-derived C in MAOM. Our results for the first time, revealed that the mixture contributed to a higher concentration of plant-derived compounds in POM relative to the legume, and a greater accumulation of microbial-derived C in MAOM compared to monocultures of grass and brassica. Mixtures with all three PFTs can thus increase the short- and long-term SOC persistence balancing the contrasting effects on the chemistries in POM and MAOM imposed by monoculture CC PFTs. Thus, despite different cumulative C inputs in CC treatments from different PFTs, the total SOC stocks did not vary between CC PFTs, rather PFTs impacted whether C accumulated in POM or MAOM fractions. This highlights that CCs of different PFTs may shift the dominant SOC formation pathways (POM vs. MAOM), subsequently impacting short- and long-term SOC stabilization and stocks. Our work provides a strong applied field test of biogeochemical theory linking litter quality to pathways of C accrual in soil.

Data from: Synergistic effects of canopy chemistry and autogenic soil biota on a global invader

Soil biota have strong effects on plants, but we have a poor understanding of how plant chemistry might modify these effects. We examined the effect of soil biota associated with an exotic invasive tree, Prosopis juliflora, vs. that associated with native species, from seven sites across India on conspecifics and two other plant species. We then measured changes in species-specific soil biota effects (identified as plant-soil feedbacks, PSFs) when leaf leachate from P. juliflora or from native plant species was added to soil containing respective live and sterile soil inoculum. We quantified the amino acid L-tryptophan from leaf leachate of P. juliflora, Leucaena leucocephala (another invader), and two native species. We also tested effects of P. juliflora or native species soil inoculum amendment of tryptophan on P. juliflora, P. cineraria, and L. leucocephala across seven sites. We then quantified the microbially metabolized derivatives of tryptophan, phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and intermediates after adding tryptophan into P. juliflora and native soils. Soil biota associated with P. juliflora generated positive effects on conspecifics and L. leucocephala, but negative effects on the native congener P. cineraria. When P. juliflora leaf leachate was added to soil with live P. juliflora inoculum, PSFs became more positive for P. juliflora and other species, compared to leaf leachate-amended with sterile soil inoculum. Native leaf leachate interacted weakly with soil biota to impact biomass of conspecifics and heterospecifics. There was roughly 10x more tryptophan in the leaf leachate of P. juliflora than in the leaf leachate of other species. Tryptophan generally increased positive PSFs associated with P. juliflora relative to soil biota associated with other plant species. When tryptophan was added to live P. juliflora soil, IAA and its intermediates were produced at five of seven sites, and at four of these sites soil biota from P. juliflora had positive PSFs. Synthesis. These results provide the first experimental evidence that a chemical leached from the leaves of an invader regulates PSFs. Our results indicate that canopy effects and PSFs, which are usually studied independently, can interact in ways that strongly affect conspecifics and neighbouring species.

Data for the article: Trophic positions of soil microarthropods in forests increase with elevation, but energy channels remain unchanged

Mountain forests are at risk as the consequences of climate change will likely lead to altered tree species boundaries. Characterizing food webs along elevational gradients in primary forests may help to predict potential consequences of such changes. The soil food web provides nutrients to plants through decomposition of dead organic matter. Changes in the soil food web with elevation are poorly characterized and most studies focus on community composition of microbes and individual arthropod taxa. Here, for the first time we studied trophic variations in two of the species rich microarthropod taxa, Collembola and Oribatida, along an elevational gradient of primary forest in Northeast China, Changbai Mountain. Samples were taken at seven elevations of 150 m elevational difference between 800 and 1700 m. At each elevation eight subplots were established and Collembola and Oribatida were extracted from litter samples. We applied three state-of-the-art methods to elucidate trophic positions and basal resource use of both taxa at community level: bulk stable isotope analysis of nitrogen and carbon (SIbulk), compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids (CSSIA-AA) and dietary routing through neutral lipid fatty acids (NLFA). Δ15Nbulk and trophic position calculated using CSSIA-AA (TPCSSIA) both increased with elevation in both taxa. Stable isotope mixing models using δ13C of essential amino acids indicated saprotrophic fungi as most important resource at most elevations for both taxa. Also, proportions of marker NLFAs changed little across elevations in both taxa, however, in Collembola the contribution of bacterial markers was generally higher than in Oribatida. Δ13Cbulk did not respond linearly to the elevational gradient; however, changes with elevations differed between Collembola and Oribatida. A strong linear relationship between δ15N of phenylalanine in consumers and δ15N of litter indicated litter as basal resource of both taxa. Overall, the results suggest that food web functioning likely changes with changing forest types along elevational gradients with microarthropods switching from feeding at the base of the food web to feeding at higher trophic levels potentially compromising their role in litter decomposition and nutrient cycling.

Data for: An experimental assessment of detection dog ability to locate great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) at a channeled distance and through soil

Detection dogs are increasingly used to locate cryptic wildlife species, but their use for amphibians is still rather underexplored. In the present paper we focus on the great crested newts (Triturus cristatus), a European species which is experiencing high conservation concerns across its range, and assess the ability of a trained detection dog to locate individuals during their terrestrial phase. More specifically, we used a series of randomised, double-blinded experiments to document whether a range of distances between target newts and the detection dog affects the ability of localisation, and to assess the ability and efficiency of target newt detection in simulated subterranean refugia through 20 cm of two common soil types (clay and sandy soil, both with and without air vents to mimic mammal burrows, a common refuge used by T. cristatus). The detection dog accurately located all individual T. cristatus across the entire range of tested distances (25 cm - 2 m). The substrate trials revealed that the detection dog could locate individuals also through soil. As expected, the detection time during the soil discrimination trials was significantly reduced for treatments with vents. Contrary to existing studies with detection dogs in human forensic contexts, however, detection was generally faster for T. cristatus under clay soil compared to sandy soil. Our study provides a general baseline for the use of detection dogs in locating T. cristatus and similar amphibian species during their terrestrial phase.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2023View details →

Dominance of contrasting fungal functional groups influence nutrient cycling across four Japanese cool-temperate forest soils - Data repository

Soil data related to the publication Dominance of contrasting fungal functional groups influence nutrient cycling across four Japanese cool-temperate forest soils.

Data and code corresponding to: Contemporary evolution rivals the effects of rhizobium abundance on soil nitrogen availability in experimental mesocosms

Because genotypes within a species commonly differ in traits that influence other species, whole communities, or even ecosystem functions, evolutionary change within one key species may affect community and ecosystem processes. Here we use experimental mesocosms to test how the evolution of reduced cooperation in rhizobium mutualists in response to 20 years of nitrogen fertilization compares to the effects of rhizobium abundance on soil nitrogen availability and plant community composition and diversity. The evolution of reduced rhizobium cooperation caused reductions in soil nitrogen that were as strong, or even stronger, than substantially reducing rhizobium mutualist abundance in a community. Effects of both rhizobium evolution and rhizobium inoculation on legume dominance, plant community composition, and plant species diversity were much smaller in magnitude, but suggest that rhizobium evolution can alter the relative abundance of plant functional groups. Our findings indicate that the consequences of rapid microbial evolution for ecosystems and communities can rival the effects resulting from the presence or abundance of keystone mutualists.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Data from: In situ 15N-N2O site preference and O2 concentration dynamics disclose the complexity of N2O production processes in agricultural soil

Arable soil continues to be the dominant anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions owing to application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers and manures across the world. Using laboratory and in-situ studies to elucidate the key factors controlling soil N2O emissions remains challenging due to the potential importance of multiple complex processes. We examined soil surface N2O fluxes in an arable soil, combined with in-situ high-frequency measurements of soil matrix oxygen (O2) and N2O concentrations, in situ 15N labeling, and N2O 15N site preference (SP). The in situ O2 concentration and further microcosm visualized spatiotemporal distribution of O2 both suggested that O2 dynamics were the proximal determining factor to matrix N2O concentration and fluxes due to quick O2 depletion after N fertilization. Further SP analysis and in situ 15N labeling experiment revealed that the main source for N2O emissions was bacterial denitrification during the hot-wet summer with lower soil O2 concentration, while nitrification or fungal denitrification contributed about 50.0% to total emissions during the cold-dry winter with higher soil O2 concentration. The robust positive correlation between O2 concentration and SP values underpinned that the O2 dynamics were the key factor to differentiate the composite processes of N2O production in in situ structured soil. Our findings deciphered the complexity of N2O production processes in real field conditions, and suggest that O2 dynamics rather than stimulation of functional gene abundances play a key role in controlling soil N2O production processes in undisturbed structure soils. Our results help to develop targeted N2O mitigation measures and to improve process models for constraining global N2O budget.