title: Effects of simulated acid rain on microbial characteristics in a lateritic red soil.
abstract: A laboratory experiment was performed to examine the impact of simulated acid rain (SAR) on nutrient leaching, microbial biomass, and microbial activities in a lateritic red soil in South China. The soil column leaching experiment was conducted over a 60-day period with the following six SAR pH treatments (levels): 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 and one control treatment (pH = 7). Compared with the control treatment, the concentrations of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and average well color density (AWCD) in the Ecoplates were all significantly decreased by leaching with SAR at different pH levels. The decrease in MBC and MBN indicated that acid rain reduced the soil microbial population, while the decrease in AWCD revealed that acid rain had a negative effect on soil bacterial metabolic function. Soil basal respiration increased gradually from pH 4.0 to 7.0 but decreased dramatically from pH 2.5 to 3.0. The decrease in soil nutrient was the major reason for the change of soil microbial functions. A principal component analysis showed that the major carbon sources used by the bacteria were carbohydrates and carboxylic acids.
authors.affiliation: College of Agriculture, Hunan Agricultural University, Renmin Road, Furong, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Hua-qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China. jeanzh@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jia-en
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, 100 Stone Blvd., Thompson Hall, Room 309, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Construction Engineering, Guangzhou City Polytechnic, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
authors.forename: Guo-ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ben-liang
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jia-yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D015258:Acid Rain / Q000032:analysis*; D018533:Biomass; D002681:China; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015258:Acid Rain; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Acid rain; Lateritic red soil; Microbial characteristics; Soil nutrients