Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of simulated acid rain on microbial characteristics in a lateritic red soil

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta-Martínez V, Acosta-Mercadob D, Sotomayor-Ramírezc D, Cruz-Rodríguez L (2008) Microbial communities and enzymatic activities under different management in semiarid soils. Appl Soil Ecol 38(3):249–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aitken RI (1992) Relationships between extractable Al, selected soil properties, pH buffer capacity and lime requirement in some acidic Queensland soils. Aust J Soil Res 30(2):119–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson TH, Domsch KH (1989) Ratios of microbial biomass carbon to total organic carbon in arable soils. Soil Biol Biochem 21(4):471–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan YF, Hu ZQ, Zhang YZ, Liu JL (2010) Deterioration of compressive property of concrete under simulated acid rain environment. Constr Build Mater 24(10):1975–1983

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Pausas J, Paterson E (2011) Microbial community abundance and structure are determinants of soil organic matter mineralisation in the presence of labile carbon. Soil Biol Biochem 43(8):1705–1713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson DR, Garrett BC, Bishop TA (1984) Comparison of batch and column methods for assessing leachability of hazardous waste. Environ Sci Technol 18(9):668–673

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larssen T, Lydersen E, Tang D, He Y, Gao J, Liu HY, Lei D, Seip HM (2006) Acid rain in China. Environ Sci Technol 40(2):418–425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao BH, Guo ZH, Zeng QR, Probst A, Probst JL (2007) Effects of acid rain on competitive releases of Cd, Cu, and Zn from two natural soils and two contaminated soils in Hunan, China. Water Air Soil Pollut 7(1–3):151–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ling DJ, Zhang JE, Ouyang Y, Huang QC (2007) Role of simulated acid rain on cations, phosphorus and organic matter dynamics in Latosol. Arch Environ Contamin Toxicol 52(1):16–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ling DJ, Huang QC, Ouyang Y (2010) Impacts of simulated acid rain on soil enzyme activities in a latosol. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 73(8):1914–1918

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, Song C, Yan Z, Li F (2009) Characterizing the release of different composition of dissolved organic matter in soil under acid rain leaching using three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy. Chemosphere 77(1):15–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu KH, Fang YT, Yu FM (2010) Soil acidification in response to acid deposition in three subtropical forests of subtropical China. Pedosphere 20(3):399–408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu P, Xia F, Pan JY, Chen YP, Peng HM, Chen SH (2011) Discuss on present situation and countermeasures for acid rain prevention and control in China. Environ Sci Manag 36(12):30–34 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Menz FC, Seip HM (2004) Acid rain in Europe and the United States: an update. Environ Sci Pol 7(4):253–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NSICSA (Nanjing Soil Institute of China Science Academy) (1978) Soil physical and chemical analysis. Science and Technology Publisher, Shanghai, pp 105–136 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouyang XJ, Zhou GY, Huang ZL, Peng SJ, Liu JX, Li J (2005) The incubation experiment studies on the influence of soil acidification on greenhouse gases emission. China Environ Sci 25(4):465–470 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qing P, Du YD, Liu JL, Song LL, Liu AJ, Wang QQ (2006) Distributional characteristics of acid rain and its affecting factors in Guangdong Province. J Trop Meteorol 22(3):297–300 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sitaula BK, Bakken LR, Abrahamsen G (1995) N-fertilization and soil acidification effects on N2O and CO2 emission from temperature pine forest. Biol Biochem 27(11):1401–1408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • State Environmental Protection Administration of China (2005) Technical specifications for centralized incineration facility. Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Tang YS, Wang L, Jia JW, Fu XH, Le YQ, Chen XZ, Sun Y (2011) Response of soil microbial community in Jiuduansha wetland to different successional stages and its implications for soil microbial respiration and carbon turnover. Soil Biol Biochem 43(3):638–646

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson D (1987) An extraction method for measuring microbial biomass carbon. Soil Biol Biochem 19(6):703–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walna B, Drzymałab S, Siepakc J (1998) The impact of acid rain on calcium and magnesium status in typical soils of the Wielkopolski National Park. Sci Total Environ 220(2–3):115–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Chen Z, Shang H, Wang J, Zhang PY (2014) Impact of simulated acid rain on soil microbial community function in Masson pine seedlings. Electron J Biotechnol 17(5):199–203

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wen KJ, Liang CJ, Wang LH, Hu G, Zhou Q (2011) Combined effects of lanthanumion and acid rain on growth, photosynthesis and chloroplast ultrastructure in soybean seedlings. Chemosphere 84(5):601–608

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Widmer F, Fliessbach A, Laczko E, Schulze-Aurich J, Zeyer J (2001) Assessing soil biological characteristics: a comparison of bulk soil community DNA-PLFA, and biolog TM-analysis. Soil Biol Biochem 33(7–8):1029–1036

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Joergensen RG, Pommering B, Chaussod R, Brookes PC (1990) Measurement of soil microbial biomass C—an automated procedure. Soil Biol Biochem 22(8):1167–1169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu D, Wang SG, Shang KZ (2006) Progress in research of acid rain in China. Arid Meteorol 24(2):70–77 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu HQ, Xiao RL, Zou DS, Song TQ, Luo W, Li SH (2007) Effects of long-term fertilization on functional diversity of soil microbial community of the tea plantation. Acta Ecol Sinica 27(8):3355–3361 (in Chinese)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamada E, Hiwada T, Inaba T, Tokukura M, Fuse Y (2002) Speciation of aluminum in soil extracts using cation and anion exchangers followed by a flow-injection system with fluorescence detection using lumogallion. Anal Sci 18(7):785–791

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JE, Ouyang Y, Ling DJ (2007) Impacts of simulative acid rain on cation leaching from the Latosol in south China. Chemosphere 67(11):2131–2137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XM, Chai FH, Wang SL (2010) Research progress of acid precipitation in China. Res Environ Sci 23(5):527–532 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40871118 and No. 31100382), National Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (No. S2011010001570, No. 8151064201000048, and No. 9451064201003801), and China Postdoctoral Special Fund (No. 201003355).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture, Hunan Agricultural University, Renmin Road, Furong, Changsha, China

    Hua-qin Xu

  2. Department of Ecology, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China

    Jia-en Zhang, Ling Lin, Ben-liang Zhao & Jia-yu Yu

  3. USDA Forest Service, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, 100 Stone Blvd., Thompson Hall, Room 309, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA

    Ying Ouyang

  4. Department of Urban Construction Engineering, Guangzhou City Polytechnic, Guangzhou, 510405, China

    Guo-ming Quan

Authors
  1. Hua-qin Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jia-en Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ying Ouyang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ling Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Guo-ming Quan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ben-liang Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jia-yu Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jia-en Zhang.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Zhihong Xu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, Hq., Zhang, Je., Ouyang, Y. et al. Effects of simulated acid rain on microbial characteristics in a lateritic red soil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 18260–18266 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5066-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5066-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation