@inproceedings{RaabHirschVassermanetal., author = {Raab, Thomas and Hirsch, Florian and Vasserman, Oleksandr and Raab, Alexandra and Naeth, M. Anne}, title = {Influence of relief and vegetation on soil properties in a disturbed chernozem soil landscape}, series = {European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2017, Vienna, Austria}, booktitle = {European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2017, Vienna, Austria}, publisher = {European Geophysical Society}, address = {Katlenburg-Lindau}, abstract = {In central and southeastern Alberta, chernozems dominate the soil landscape and are divided into several groups that follow the climate gradient from Northwest to Southeast: Dark Grey Chernozems, Black Chernozems, Dark Brown Chernozems; Brown Chernozems. Principles controlling development and distribution of these chernozem subtypes along the ecotone transect are quite well known. However, intensive land use over the last century has affected soils that originally have formed under natural conditions during the Holocene in more than 10,000 years. There is a lack of knowledge regarding soil development in these landscapes on the decadal to centennial time scale. Within this time frame the most important factor of soil formation may be relief, although this has not been properly studied. This study aims to compare soil properties in a typical chernozem landscape where soils have been highly disturbed and parent materials have been re-arranged by surface coal mining.We hypothesize that within 50 years, soils develop with significant differences based on vegetation type and slope aspect. Our study site is the former Diplomat Mine near Forestburg, Alberta where spoils form a small scale ridge and graben topography. The south facing slopes of the piles are covered by grassland, whereas on the north exposition has trees and shrubs. Samples were taken from six sites with differences in topography and vegetation type. Diplomate T1 is at the top of the ridge with grassland, Diplomate S1 is on the southern slope with grassland, Diplomate N1 is on the northern slope with trees, and Diplomate N2 is on the northern slope with shrubs. For comparison we took samples from two sites without slope aspect. One site was an undisturbed grassland (Diplomate Z1) and the other sites were reclaimed piles (Diplomate R1). At each site, five soil profiles were examined and volumetrically sampled (250 cm3 steel ring) in steps of five centimeters to a depth of 30 centimeters. We present first results of basic physical and chemical soil parameters (bulk density, water content, pH, Cstock, N-stock).}, language = {en} } @misc{BoldtBurischNaeth, author = {Boldt-Burisch, Katja and Naeth, M. Anne}, title = {Early colonization of root associated fungal communities on reclamation substrates at a diamond mine in the Canadian Sub-Arctic}, series = {Applied Soil Ecology}, volume = {110}, journal = {Applied Soil Ecology}, issn = {0929-1393}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.10.006}, pages = {118 -- 126}, abstract = {Mining sites are harsh environments and establishment of root associated symbiotic fungi may be crucial for plant establishment and long term community development. Diamond mining in the Northwest Territories produces large amounts of processed kimberlite, and in some cases lake bed sediment and reclamation is needed for re-establishment of ecosystem function. This study investigated early fungal colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizae and dark septate endophytes on common reclamation substrates of different ages, relative to native tundra. Natural colonization of vegetation free sites with mycorrhizal spores on a trajectory associated with substrate age and type was very low. Fungal spore quantity and diversity was significantly accelerated by establishment of vegetation. Dark septate endophytes dominated native site Cyperaceae whereas reclamation site grasses were dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizae. Topsoil amendment was most effective for fungal colonization on reclamation substrates suggesting that a single application of topsoil can have a long term effect on the soil fungal community.}, language = {en} } @misc{BoldtBurischNaeth, author = {Boldt-Burisch, Katja and Naeth, M. Anne}, title = {Mycorrhization affects root distribution of Lotus corniculatus and Calamagrostis epigeios in a nutrient poor heterogeneous soil in a rhizotron experiment}, series = {Rhizosphere}, volume = {4}, journal = {Rhizosphere}, issn = {2452-2198}, doi = {10.1016/j.rhisph.2017.06.003}, pages = {36 -- 47}, abstract = {Plant growth can be highly dependent on symbiotic partners, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that improve the plant's nutrient uptake. However, less is known about whether AMF can beneficially influence spatial root distribution, especially in soils with patchy nutrient concentrations. This study was conducted to evaluate root distribution and plant response of Lotus corniculatus and Calamagrostis epigeios in a heterogeneous nutrient poor soil under different mycorrhizal conditions. Heterogeneous soil conditions of a reclamation site in the Lusation mining district, consisting of a nutrient poor sandy soil with embedded large silt-clay fragments, were used for this rhizotron experiment. Treatments were non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal L. corniculatus and C. epigeios in sterile soil and in sterile soil with a fungal free soil solution and mycorrhizal plants in a non-sterile soil. Mycorrhizal fungi were exogenous (Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus irregularis) in sterile soil and indigenous mycorrhizal fungi in non-sterile soil. Plants were grown in rhizotrons, with clay-silt fragments in a sandy soil matrix. Treatment response variables were root density, root and shoot biomass, shoot tissue nutrient concentrations, and percentage of roots in clay-silt fragments relative to total root biomass, mycorrhizal colonization and intraradical fungal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Exogenous mycorrhizal L. corniculatus plants had higher root mass density in clay-silt fragments than indigenous mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants while C. epigeios had only higher root mass density in clay-silt fragments relative to sandy soil only in exogenous mycorrhizal plants in sterile soil with soil solution. Nonmycorrhizal C. epigeios shoot biomass in sterile soil did not significantly differ from that of exogenous mycorrhizal treatments. The greatest shoot biomass for both plant species, was with the highest percentage of roots in clay-silt fragments relative to the total root system. Exogenous mycorrhizal plants of both species had highest shoot phosphorus concentrations in sterile soil with soil solution. However, intraradical fungal ALP activity was highest in indigenous mycorrhizal plants. The results indicate that mycorrhizal conditions can have a strong influence on spatial root development. The consequences are that conditions, which promote root growth, lead to more roots in nutrient rich clay-silt fragments and thus enhance plant exploitation of heterogeneously distributed soil nutrients.}, language = {en} } @misc{BoldtBurischNaeth, author = {Boldt-Burisch, Katja and Naeth, M. Anne}, title = {Heterogeneous soil conditions influence fungal alkaline phosphatase activity in roots of Lotus corniculatus}, series = {Applied Soil Ecology}, volume = {116}, journal = {Applied Soil Ecology}, issn = {0929-1393}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.03.024}, pages = {55 -- 63}, abstract = {Extremes in soil water, temperature, pH and inorganic nutrient availability can highly influence mycorrhizal formation and nutrient acquisition. However, the influence of soil heterogeneity and seasonal soil changes on fungal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in mycorrhizal roots is unknown. Whether the activity of intraradical fungal ALP is influenced by soil texture heterogeneity, soil depth, nutrient concentrations and root density during the growing season were addressed in this research. The root system of Lotus corniculatus grown on a reclamation site was analyzed for intraradical mycorrhizal ALP activity in 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm depth increments of sandy soil and in clay-silt fragments (mostly localized in 10-20 cm) from May to September. Root length density and water soluble nutrient contents in sandy soil and clay-silt fragments were determined for each sample. Soil water content and soil temperature data of a nearby site were used for climate conditions on sampling dates. Fungal ALP activity in roots growing in clay-silt fragments was higher than in those growing in sandy soil, independent of sampling date. Fungal ALP activity in sandy soil increased with soil depth which is related to decreasing root densities and lower nutrient concentrations. However, nutrient dense clay-silt fragments significantly positively influenced local mycorrhizal ALP activity in L. corniculatus roots, suggesting that the ability of mycorrhizae to selectively take up phosphorus and other nutrients from those nutrient hot spots is enhanced and could play a significant role in successful establishment of pioneer plant species on infertile reclamation sites.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{BoldtBurischNaeth, author = {Boldt-Burisch, Katja and Naeth, M. Anne}, title = {The influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on root precision nutrient foraging of two pioneer plant species during early reclamation}, series = {European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017 Vienna, Austria, 23-28 April 2017}, booktitle = {European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017 Vienna, Austria, 23-28 April 2017}, publisher = {European Geophysical Society}, address = {Katlenburg-Lindau}, abstract = {On many post mining sites in the Lusatian Mining District (East Germany) soil heterogeneity consists of sandy soil with embedded clay-silt fragments. Those clays silt fragments might act as nutrient hotspots. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in an infertile ecosystem could enhance a plant's ability to selectively forage for those nutrients and thus to improve plants nutrient supply. In our study we investigated whether silt-clay fragments within a sandy soil matrix induced preferential root growth of Lotus corniculatus and Calamagrostis epigeios, whether arbuscular mycorrhizae influenced root foraging patterns, and to what extent selective rooting in clay silt fragments influenced plant growth were addressed in this research. Soil types were sterile and non-sterile sandy soil and clay-silt fragments. Treatments were with and without arbuscular mycorrhizae, with and without soil solution, and soil solution and mycorrhizal inoculum combined. Root biomass, root density and intraradical fungal alkaline phosphatase activity and frequency were determined in fragments relative to sandy soil. Furthermore, temporal relationship of number of roots in fragments and plant height was assessed. Lotus corniculatus showed strong selective rooting into fragments especially with those plants treated with commercial cultivated arbuscular mycorrhizae; Calamagrostis epigeios did not. Without arbuscular mycorrhizae, L. corniculatus growth was significantly reduced and selective rooting did not occur. Selective rooting induced significant growth spurts of L. corniculatus. Roots in fragments had higher fungal alkaline phosphatase activity suggesting that mycorrhizal efficiency and related plants phosphorus supply is enhanced in roots in fragments. The application of cultivated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi significantly and quickly influenced root foraging patterns, especially those of L. corniculatus, suggesting mycorrhizae may also enhance the ability of other plants to selectively forage for nutrients and could therefore play an important role in early plant establishment on infertile reclamation sites.}, language = {en} }