Abstract
Soil phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient for plant growth and is an important determinant of vegetation development and long-term ecosystem sustainability. We investigated the effects of rhizosphere-earthworm-guano interactions on soil P dynamics in a mesocosm involving two species of native New Zealand earthworms (Megascolecidae Sp.1 and Maoridrilus transalpinus) and introduced Eisenia fetida, in the context of inputs from seabird guano and the ecological restoration of a unique coastal sandplain forest. A fully factorial experimental design included a tall fibrous liliaceous perennial plant (New Zealand flax) growing in a low P forest soil, a guano-P amendment (with and without guano-P), and earthworm inoculation (with and without species of epigeics, endogeics and anecics). Soil dehydrogenase activity, CaCl2-P, citrate-P and HCl-P were significantly modified by earthworm-guano interactions, altering the P status of the original forest soil. Furthermore, interactions between the rhizosphere and earthworms stimulated transformation of soil P and guano P; the proportional importance of soil microbial biomass P, organic-P and more soluble P fractions were substantially modified. These findings show that rhizosphere-earthworm interactions are likely to mediate the supply, chemical forms and plant-availability of P, and are likely to have an important role in successional processes and the trajectory of ecological restoration in coastal forests of New Zealand.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 197-205 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Applied Soil Ecology |
| Volume | 120 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2017 |
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Seabird guano and phosphorus fractionation in a rhizosphere with earthworms. / Zhong, Hongtao; Kim, Young Nam; Smith, Carol; Robinson, Brett; Dickinson, Nicholas.
In: Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 120, 01.11.2017, p. 197-205.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Seabird guano and phosphorus fractionation in a rhizosphere with earthworms
AU - Zhong, Hongtao
AU - Kim, Young Nam
AU - Smith, Carol
AU - Robinson, Brett
AU - Dickinson, Nicholas
PY - 2017/11/1
Y1 - 2017/11/1
N2 - Soil phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient for plant growth and is an important determinant of vegetation development and long-term ecosystem sustainability. We investigated the effects of rhizosphere-earthworm-guano interactions on soil P dynamics in a mesocosm involving two species of native New Zealand earthworms (Megascolecidae Sp.1 and Maoridrilus transalpinus) and introduced Eisenia fetida, in the context of inputs from seabird guano and the ecological restoration of a unique coastal sandplain forest. A fully factorial experimental design included a tall fibrous liliaceous perennial plant (New Zealand flax) growing in a low P forest soil, a guano-P amendment (with and without guano-P), and earthworm inoculation (with and without species of epigeics, endogeics and anecics). Soil dehydrogenase activity, CaCl2-P, citrate-P and HCl-P were significantly modified by earthworm-guano interactions, altering the P status of the original forest soil. Furthermore, interactions between the rhizosphere and earthworms stimulated transformation of soil P and guano P; the proportional importance of soil microbial biomass P, organic-P and more soluble P fractions were substantially modified. These findings show that rhizosphere-earthworm interactions are likely to mediate the supply, chemical forms and plant-availability of P, and are likely to have an important role in successional processes and the trajectory of ecological restoration in coastal forests of New Zealand.
AB - Soil phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient for plant growth and is an important determinant of vegetation development and long-term ecosystem sustainability. We investigated the effects of rhizosphere-earthworm-guano interactions on soil P dynamics in a mesocosm involving two species of native New Zealand earthworms (Megascolecidae Sp.1 and Maoridrilus transalpinus) and introduced Eisenia fetida, in the context of inputs from seabird guano and the ecological restoration of a unique coastal sandplain forest. A fully factorial experimental design included a tall fibrous liliaceous perennial plant (New Zealand flax) growing in a low P forest soil, a guano-P amendment (with and without guano-P), and earthworm inoculation (with and without species of epigeics, endogeics and anecics). Soil dehydrogenase activity, CaCl2-P, citrate-P and HCl-P were significantly modified by earthworm-guano interactions, altering the P status of the original forest soil. Furthermore, interactions between the rhizosphere and earthworms stimulated transformation of soil P and guano P; the proportional importance of soil microbial biomass P, organic-P and more soluble P fractions were substantially modified. These findings show that rhizosphere-earthworm interactions are likely to mediate the supply, chemical forms and plant-availability of P, and are likely to have an important role in successional processes and the trajectory of ecological restoration in coastal forests of New Zealand.
KW - Earthworm
KW - Flax
KW - Fractionation
KW - Guano
KW - Phosphorus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028698556&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.08.006
DO - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.08.006
M3 - Article
VL - 120
SP - 197
EP - 205
JO - Applied Soil Ecology
JF - Applied Soil Ecology
SN - 0929-1393
ER -