title: Management with willow short rotation coppice increase the functional gene diversity and functional activity of a heavy metal polluted soil.
abstract: We studied the microbial functional diversity, biochemical activity, heavy metals (HM) availability and soil toxicity of Cd, Pb and Zn contaminated soils, kept under grassland or short rotation coppice (SRC) to attenuate the risks associated with HM contamination and restore the soil ecological functions. Soil microbial functional diversity was analyzed by the GeoChip, a functional gene microarray containing probes for genes involved in nutrient cycling, metal resistance and stress response. Soil under SRC showed a higher abundance of microbial genes involved in C, N, P and S cycles and resistance to various HM, higher microbial biomass, respiration and enzyme activity rates, and lower HM availability than the grassland soil. The linkages between functional genes of soil microbial communities and soil chemical properties, HM availability and biochemical activity were also investigated. Soil toxicity and N, P and Pb availability were important factors in shaping the microbial functional diversity, as determined by CCA. We concluded that in HM contaminated soils the microbial functional diversity was positively influenced by SRC management through the reduction of HM availability and soil toxicity increase of nutrient cycling. The presented results can be important in predicting the long term environmental sustainability of plant-based soil remediation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Genomics and Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 730722, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Genomics and Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 730722, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: van Nostrand
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vangronsveld
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Witters
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Technical University of Luleå, Luleå, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kumpiene
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siebielec
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galazka
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giagnoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arenella
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Genomics and Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 730722, USA.
authors.forename: J-Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Italy. Electronic address: giancarlo.renella@unifi.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Renella
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D014644:Genetic Variation; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012399:Rotation; D032108:Salix / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: GeoChip; Phytoremediation; Short rotation coppice; Soil enzyme activity; Soil functionality; Soil microbial biomass