title: Rhizosphere microflora of plants used for the phytoremediation of bitumen-contaminated soil.
abstract: The microbial communities and their degradative potential in rhizospheres of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and reed (Phragmites australis) and in unplanted soil in response to bitumen contamination of soil were studied in pot experiments. According to the results of fluorescence microscopy, over a period of 27 months, bitumen contamination of soil reduced the total number of microorganisms more significantly (by 75%) in unplanted than in rhizosphere soil (by 42% and 7% for reed and alfalfa, respectively) and had various effects on some important physiological groups of microorganisms such as actinomycetes as well as nitrogen-fixing, nitrifying, denitrifying, ammonifying, phosphate-solubilizing, sulphur-oxidizing, cellulolytic and hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms. The changes in the physiological structure of the microbial community under bitumen contamination were found to hinge on not merely the presence of plants but also their type. It was noted that the rhizosphere microflora of alfalfa was less inhibited by hydrocarbon pollution and had a higher degradative potential than the rhizosphere microflora of reed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry & Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms RAS, 13 Pr. Entuziastov, 410049 Saratov, Russia. ecbio@ibppm.sgu.ru
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muratova
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hübner
authors.forename: Neeru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narula
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wand
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Turkovskaya
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuschk
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Merbach
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D000641:Ammonia; C006647:asphalt; D002482:Cellulose