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Soil microorganisms, together with water, play a key role in arid ecosystems, being responsible for the nutrient cycle, facilitating nutrient incorporation into plants, influencing plant drought tolerance, and enhancing their establishment. Therefore, their use for restoration practices is promising. We tested the potential of native strains of Actinobacteria from Monte Desert as growth promoters of native vegetation, isolating them from two substrates from their habitat (bare soil and leaf-cutting ant refuse dumps). Strains were inoculated into the soil where seedlings of three native plant species (Atriplex lampa, Grindelia chiloensis, Gutierrezia solbrigii) were growing. Seedlings were grown following a full factorial design experiment under greenhouse and field conditions comparing native Actinobacteria effects with a known growth-promoting strain, Streptomyces sp. (BCRU-MM40 GenBank accession number: FJ771041), and control treatments. Seedlings survived greenhouse condition but species survival and growth were different among treatments at field conditions, varying over time. The highest survival was observed in a native soil strain (S20) while the lowest in MM40. The low survival in MM40 and in the other treatments may be explained by the higher herbivory observed in those seedlings compared to control ones, suggesting a higher nutritional status in inoculated plants. Strains from refuse dumps were the best at enhancing seedling growth, while strains from soil were the best at maintaining their survival. Native Actinobacteria studied may increase plant species survival and growth by improving their nutritional status, suggesting their potential to facilitate vegetation establishment and, therefore, being good candidates for restoration practices. Furthermore, plant species respond differently to different strains, highlighting the importance of microorganism diversity for ecosystem functioning.

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Yeasts represent an important component of the soil microbiome. In central Brazil, mining activities are among the main anthropogenic factors that influence the dynamics of the soil microbiota. Few studies have been dedicated to analysis of tropical soil yeast communities, and even fewer have focused on Brazilian hotspots influenced by mining activity. The aim of the current study was to describe soil yeast communities in a post-mining site with revegetated and native areas, along Neotropical Savanna and Atlantic Forest biomes. Yeast communities were described using a culture-based method and estimator-based species accumulation curves, and their associations with environmental characteristics were assessed using multivariate analysis. The results indicate a greater species richness for yeast communities in the revegetated area. We identified 37 species describing 86% of the estimated richness according to Chao2. Ascomycetous yeasts dominated over basidiomycetous species. Candida maltosa was the most frequent species in two phytocenoses. Red-pigmented yeasts were frequent only in the summer. The main soil attributes affecting yeast communities were texture and micronutrients. In conclusion, each phytocenosis showed a particular assemblage of species as a result of local environmental phenomena. The species richness in a Revegetated area points to a possible ecological role of yeast species in environmental recovery. This study provided the first comprehensive inventory of soil yeasts in major phytocenoses in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

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The structure and function of fungal communities in the coffee rhizosphere are influenced by crop environment. Because coffee can be grown along a management continuum from conventional application of pesticides and fertilizers in full sun to organic management in a shaded understory, we used coffee fields to hold host constant while comparing rhizosphere fungal communities under markedly different environmental conditions with regard to shade and inputs. We characterized the shade and soil environment in 25 fields under conventional, organic, or transitional management in two regions of Costa Rica. We amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of fungal DNA from coffee roots in these fields and characterized the rhizosphere fungal community via high-throughput sequencing. Sequences were assigned to guilds to determine differences in functional diversity and trophic structure among coffee field environments. Organic fields had more shade, a greater richness of shade tree species, and more leaf litter and were less acidic, with lower soil nitrate availability and higher soil copper, calcium, and magnesium availability than conventionally managed fields, although differences between organic and conventionally managed fields in shade and calcium and magnesium availability depended on region. Differences in richness and community composition of rhizosphere fungi between organic and conventionally managed fields were also correlated with shade, soil acidity, and nitrate and copper availability. Trophic structure differed with coffee field management. Saprotrophs, plant pathogens, and mycoparasites were more diverse, and plant pathogens were more abundant, in organic than in conventionally managed fields, while saprotroph-plant pathogens were more abundant in conventionally managed fields. These differences reflected environmental differences and depended on region.IMPORTANCE Rhizosphere fungi play key roles in ecosystems as nutrient cyclers, pathogens, and mutualists, yet little is currently known about which environmental factors and how agricultural management may influence rhizosphere fungal communities and their functional diversity. This field study of the coffee agroecosystem suggests that organic management not only fosters a greater overall diversity of fungi, but it also maintains a greater richness of saprotrophic, plant-pathogenic, and mycoparasitic fungi that has implications for the efficiency of nutrient cycling and regulation of plant pathogen populations in agricultural systems. As well as influencing community composition and richness of rhizosphere fungi, shade management and use of fungicides and synthetic fertilizers altered the trophic structure of the coffee agroecosystem.

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Abstract: The ability of spiders to spread over contiguous areas (Arachnida: Araneae) is directly related to soil management conditions. The objective of this work was to study the effect of land use system (LUS) on the abundance and diversity of soil spider families and their relationship with soil physical and chemical properties. The evaluated LUS were: native forest, eucalyptus reforestation, pasture, crop-livestock integration, and no-tillage crop. Samples were collected in three municipalities of Southern Plateau of Santa Catarina, considered as true replicates, during winter and summer. A total of 270 samples was taken in each area and season. The sampling points were arranged in a grid of 3 × 3 m, spaced by 30 m. We evaluated soil physical, chemical, and microbiological attributes and the abundance and diversity of spider families, collected by soil monolith and soil traps. A total of 448 spiders were captured, 152 in winter and 296 in summer, distributed in 24 families and 52 species/morphospecies. There was a seasonality effect related to the land use systems and the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index was recorded in the native forest in both sampling periods. Most families of spiders have a direct dependence on soil physical and chemical properties, such as microporosity, exchangeable aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and potassium during the winter. Organic matter, nitrogen, pH in water, weighted average diameter, soil density, and microbial biomass carbon exhibited dependence during the summer. Vegetation type and soil management are the factors that seem to affect most the occurrence of spiders. The families Theridiidae and Nemesiidae are dependent on sites with low human intervention.

Resumo: A capacidade de dispersão das aranhas em áreas contíguas (Arachnida, Araneae) está ligada diretamente às condições de manejo do solo. Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho estudar o efeito do sistema de uso do solo (SUS) sobre a abundância e diversidade das famílias de aranhas edáficas, bem como a relação dessas com os atributos físicos e químicos do solo. Os SUS avaliados foram: floresta nativa, reflorestamento de eucalipto, pastagem, integração lavoura-pecuária e lavoura com sistema plantio direto. As amostras foram coletadas em três municípios do Planalto Sul-Catarinense, considerados réplicas verdadeiras, durante o inverno e o verão. Um total de 270 amostras foi coletado em cada área e estação do ano. Os pontos de amostragem foram dispostos em uma grade de amostragem de 3 × 3 distanciados 30 m entre si. Foram avaliados atributos físicos, químicos e microbiológicos do solo e abundância e diversidade de famílias de aranhas, coletadas pelo método de monólitos e armadilhas de solo. Ao todo foram capturados 448 indivíduos, sendo 152 no inverno e 296 no verão, distribuídos em 24 famílias, 52 espécies/morfoespécies. Houve efeito da sazonalidade entre os sistemas de uso e a maior diversidade de Shannon-Wiener foi registrada em floresta nativa em ambas as épocas de amostragem. A maior parte das famílias de aranhas possui dependência direta dos atributos físicos e químicos do solo, como: microporosidade e alumínio trocável, cálcio, magnésio e potássio durante o inverno. Matéria orgânica, nitrogênio, pH em água, diâmetro médio ponderado, densidade do solo e carbono da biomassa microbiana apresentaram dependência durante o verão. O tipo de vegetação e o manejo são fatores que mais afetam a ocorrência de aranhas. As famílias Theridiidae e Nemesiidae são dependentes de locais com baixa intervenção antrópica.

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The ability of spiders to spread over contiguous areas (Arachnida: Araneae) is directly related to soil management conditions. The objective of this work was to study the effect of land use system (LUS) on the abundance and diversity of soil spider families and their relationship with soil physical and chemical properties. The evaluated LUS were: native forest, eucalyptus reforestation, pasture, crop-livestock integration, and no-tillage crop. Samples were collected in three municipalities of Southern Plateau of Santa Catarina, considered as true replicates, during winter and summer. A total of 270 samples was taken in each area and season. The sampling points were arranged in a grid of 3 x 3 m, spaced by 30 m. We evaluated soil physical, chemical, and microbiological attributes and the abundance and diversity of spider families, collected by soil monolith and soil traps. A total of 448 spiders were captured, 152 in winter and 296 in summer, distributed in 24 families and 52 species/morphospecies. There was a seasonality effect related to the land use systems and the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index was recorded in the native forest in both sampling periods. Most families of spiders have a direct dependence on soil physical and chemical properties, such as microporosity, exchangeable aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and potassium during the winter. Organic matter, nitrogen, pH in water, weighted average diameter, soil density, and microbial biomass carbon exhibited dependence during the summer. Vegetation type and soil management are the factors that seem to affect most the occurrence of spiders. The families Theridiidae and Nemesiidae are dependent on sites with low human intervention.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are symbiotic fungi with a broad distribution, and many taxa have physiological and ecological adaptations to specific environments, including semiarid ecosystems. Our aim was to address regional distribution patterns of AMF communities in such semiarid environments based on spore morphological techniques. We assessed AMF spores at the bottom and top of inselbergs distributed throughout the tropical dry forest in the Northeast region of Brazil. Across 10 replicate inselbergs and the surrounding area, spanning a range of altitude between 140 and 2000 m, we scored the AMF soil diversity and properties in 52 plots. We fitted parsimonious ordination analyses and variance partitioning models to determine the environmental factors which explained the variation in AMF community, based on morphological spore analysis. The diversity of AMF was similar at the bottom and top of inselbergs; however, we detected high variation in abundance and richness across sites. We formulated a parsimonious richness model that used physical soil factors as predictors. The AMF community structure could be best explained through the variables coarse and total sand, iron, organic matter, potassium, silt, and sodium which together accounted for 17.8% of total variance. Several AMF species were indicators of either deficiency or high values of specific soil properties. We demonstrated that habitat isolation of the inselbergs compared with surrounding areas did not trigger differences in AMF communities in semiarid regions of Brazil. At the regional scale, soil predictors across sites drove the distribution of symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi.

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Abstract: Brazil has always been one of the most important coffee producing countries. Lately, there has equally been a renewed interest in alternative coffee production systems. The state of Espírito Santo is the second greatest coffee producer in Brazil; so, we used local coffee plantations to evaluate the relations between soil macrofauna and chemical and microbiological soil properties to identify which of these properties discriminate more effectively between the organic management system (OS) and the conventional management system (CS) of coffee plantations. For each of these two cultivation systems we chose three coffee farms who employed both cultivation systems and picked out the most similar fields from each property. At each site, first we sampled the litter at the soil surface. Afterwards, we sampled nine soil monoliths to evaluate the macrofauna, in summer and winter. We also collected nine supplemental soil samples, taken at a few centimeters from the soil monoliths, for chemical and microbiological analyses. Macrofauna density was evaluated by ANOVA and multivariate analysis. The chemical and microbiological properties are environmental variables, while the data on macrofauna are the explanatory variables. The total number of individuals recovered in this study was 3,354, and the climate, identified by the sampling season, was a great modulator of macrofauna, with higher numbers in winter. The principal components analysis showed that soil moisture, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, boron, copper, pH, acid and alkaline phosphatases and microbial biomass carbon, were the most outstanding ones to discriminate both cultivation systems. We found no statistical significant differences in macrofauna density between OS and CS, probably due to a general great variability, since there was a tendency for much greater values in OS. We detected the interference of chemical and microbiological soil properties on the macrofauna community in both systems of coffee cultivation, and some results clearly correlated much better with climate data than with other factors. To our knowledge, this is the first time in which the data point to a clear separation between the more numerous and diversified soil macrofauna in coffee with organic cultivation from that with a conventional cultivation system.

Resumo: O Brasil sempre foi um dos mais importantes países produtores de café. Ultimamente, houve um renovado interesse pelos sistemas alternativos de produção de café. O Estado do Espírito Santo é o segundo maior produtor de café do Brasil; então, utilizaram-se plantações locais de café para avaliar as relações entre a macrofauna do solo e as propriedades químicas e microbiológicas do solo para identificar quais dessas propriedades discriminam mais efetivamente entre o sistema de manejo orgânico (SO) e o sistema de manejo convencional (SC) das plantações de café. Para cada um desses dois sistemas de cultivo, escolheu-se três fazendas de café que empregaram ambos os sistemas de cultivo e selecionaram os campos mais similares de cada propriedade. Em cada local, primeiro amostrou-se a serrapilheira do solo. Posteriormente, amostraram-se nove monólitos de solo para avaliar a macrofauna, tanto no verão como no inverno. Também, foram coletadas nove amostras suplementares de solo, a alguns centímetros dos monólitos de solo, para análises químicas e microbiológicas. A densidade da macrofauna foi avaliada por ANOVA e análise multivariada. As propriedades químicas e microbiológicas são variáveis ambientais, enquanto os dados sobre a macrofauna são as variáveis explicativas. O número total de indivíduos recuperados neste estudo foi de 3.354 e o clima, identificado pela época de amostragem, foi um ótimo modulador da macrofauna, com maiores números no inverno. A análise dos componentes principais mostrou que a umidade do solo, matéria orgânica, nitrogênio, fósforo, boro, cobre, pH, fosfatases ácido e alcalina e carbono da biomassa microbiana, foram os mais destacados para discriminar ambos os sistemas de cultivo. Encontraram-se diferenças significativas na densidade da macrofauna entre SO e SC, provavelmente devido a uma grande variabilidade geral, uma vez que houve uma tendência para valores muito maiores no SO. Detectou-se a interferência das propriedades químicas e microbiológicas do solo na comunidade de macrofauna em ambos os sistemas de cultivo de café, e alguns resultados claramente correlacionados muito melhor com os dados climáticos do que com outros fatores. A nosso conhecimento, esta é a primeira vez em que os dados apontam para uma clara separação entre a macrofauna do solo mais numerosa e diversificada em café com cultivo orgânico de que com um sistema de cultivo convencional.

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Few studies have evaluated the effect of earthworms on plants and biological soil attributes, especially among legumes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of earthworms (Amynthas spp.) on growth in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and on soil biological attributes. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design with five treatments and eight repetitions. The treatments consisted of inoculation with five different quantities of earthworms of the genus Amynthas (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 worms per pot). Each experimental unit consisted of a plastic pot containing 4 kg of soil and two common bean plants. The experiment was harvested 38 days after seedling emergence. Dry matter and plant height, soil respiration, microbial respiration, microbial biomass, and metabolic quotient were determined. Earthworm recovery in our study was high in number and mass, with all values above 91.6% and 89.1%, respectively. In addition, earthworm fresh biomass decreased only in the treatment that included eight earthworms per pot. The presence of earthworms increased the plant growth and improved soil biological properties, suggesting that agricultural practices that favor the presence of these organisms can be used to increase the production of common bean, and the increased soil CO2 emission caused by the earthworms can be partially offset by the addition of commonbean crop residues to the soil.(AU)

Poucos estudos têm avaliado o efeito de minhocas nas plantas e nos atributos biológicos do solo, principalmente em plantas leguminosas, como o feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de minhocas (Amynthas spp.) no crescimento do feijoeiro e nos atributos biológicos do solo. O experimento foi realizado em casa de vegetação em delineamento completamente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e oito repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de cinco níveis de inoculação (0, 2, 4, 6 e 8 minhocas por vaso) de minhocas do gênero Amynthas spp. Cada unidade experimental foi composta por um vaso de plástico, contendo 4 kg de solo e duas plantas de feijoeiro. O período experimental foi encerrado após 38 dias da emergência das plantas. Foram determinadas a matéria seca e a altura das plantas, a respiração edáfica, a respiração microbiana, a biomassa microbiana do solo e o quociente metabólico. A recuperação de minhocas foi alta em número e massa, com todos os valores acima de 91,6% e 89,1%, respectivamente. Adicionalmente, a massa de minhocas diminuiu apenas no tratamento com oito minhocas por vaso. A presença de minhocas aumentou o crescimento da planta e atributos biológicos do solo, sugerindo que práticas agrícolas que favoreçam a presença de minhocas podem vir a ser utilizadas para aumentar a produção de feijoeiro e, a elevação da emissão de CO2 causada pelas minhocas pode ser parcialmente mitigada pela adição deresíduos culturais de feijoeiro no solo.(AU)

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Few studies have evaluated the effect of earthworms on plants and biological soil attributes, especially among legumes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of earthworms (Amynthas spp.) on growth in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and on soil biological attributes. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design with five treatments and eight repetitions. The treatments consisted of inoculation with five different quantities of earthworms of the genus Amynthas (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 worms per pot). Each experimental unit consisted of a plastic pot containing 4 kg of soil and two common bean plants. The experiment was harvested 38 days after seedling emergence. Dry matter and plant height, soil respiration, microbial respiration, microbial biomass, and metabolic quotient were determined. Earthworm recovery in our study was high in number and mass, with all values above 91.6% and 89.1%, respectively. In addition, earthworm fresh biomass decreased only in the treatment that included eight earthworms per pot. The presence of earthworms increased the plant growth and improved soil biological properties, suggesting that agricultural practices that favor the presence of these organisms can be used to increase the production of common bean, and the increased soil CO2 emission caused by the earthworms can be partially offset by the addition of commonbean crop residues to the soil.

Poucos estudos têm avaliado o efeito de minhocas nas plantas e nos atributos biológicos do solo, principalmente em plantas leguminosas, como o feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de minhocas (Amynthas spp.) no crescimento do feijoeiro e nos atributos biológicos do solo. O experimento foi realizado em casa de vegetação em delineamento completamente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e oito repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de cinco níveis de inoculação (0, 2, 4, 6 e 8 minhocas por vaso) de minhocas do gênero Amynthas spp. Cada unidade experimental foi composta por um vaso de plástico, contendo 4 kg de solo e duas plantas de feijoeiro. O período experimental foi encerrado após 38 dias da emergência das plantas. Foram determinadas a matéria seca e a altura das plantas, a respiração edáfica, a respiração microbiana, a biomassa microbiana do solo e o quociente metabólico. A recuperação de minhocas foi alta em número e massa, com todos os valores acima de 91,6% e 89,1%, respectivamente. Adicionalmente, a massa de minhocas diminuiu apenas no tratamento com oito minhocas por vaso. A presença de minhocas aumentou o crescimento da planta e atributos biológicos do solo, sugerindo que práticas agrícolas que favoreçam a presença de minhocas podem vir a ser utilizadas para aumentar a produção de feijoeiro e, a elevação da emissão de CO2 causada pelas minhocas pode ser parcialmente mitigada pela adição deresíduos culturais de feijoeiro no solo.

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The objective of this study was to relate earthworm assemblage structure with three different soil use intensities, and to indentify the physical, chemical, and microbiological soil variables that are associated to the observed differences. Three soil uses were evaluated: 1-Fifty year old naturalized grasslands, low use intensity; 2-Recent agricultural fields, intermediate use intensity, and 3-Fifty year old intensive agricultural fields, high use intensity. Three different sites for each soil use were evaluated from winter 2008 through summer 2011. Nine earthworm species were identified across all sampling sites. The sites shared five species: the native Microscolex dubius, and the introduced Aporrectodea caliginosa, A. rosea, Octalasion cyaneum, and O. lacteum, but they differed in relative abundance by soil use. The results show that the earthworm community structure is linked to and modulated by soil properties. Both species abundance and diversity showed significant differences depending on soil use intensity. A principal component analysis showed that species composition is closely related to the environmental variability. The ratio of native to exotic species was significantly lower in the intensive agricultural system when compared to the other two, lower disturbance systems. Microscolex dubius abundance was related to naturalized grasslands along with soil Ca, pH, mechanical resistance, and microbial respiration. Aporrectodea caliginosa abundance was related to high K levels, low enzymatic activity, slightly low pH, low Ca, and appeared related to the highly disturbed environment. Eukerria stagnalis and Aporrectodea rosea, commonly found in the recent agricultural system, were related to high soil moisture condition, low pH, low Ca and low enzymatic activity. These results show that earthworm assemblages can be good indicators of soil use intensities. In particular, Microscolex dubius, Aporrectodea caliginosa, and Aporrectodea rosea, showed different temporal patterns and species associations, due to the changes in soil properties attributable to soil use intensity, defined as the amount and type of agricultural operations.

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It is commonly accepted that plant responses to foliar herbivory (e.g. plant defenses) can influence subsequent leaf-litter decomposability in soil. While several studies have assessed the herbivory-decomposability relationship among different plant species, experimental tests at the intra-specific level are rare, although critical for a mechanistic understanding of how herbivores affect decomposition and its consequences at the ecosystem scale. Using 17 tree species from the Yasuní National Park, Ecuadorian Amazonia, and applying three different herbivore damage treatments, we experimentally tested whether the plant intra-specific responses to herbivory, through changes in leaf quality, affect subsequent leaf-litter decomposition in soil. We found no effects of herbivore damage on the subsequent decomposition of leaf litter within any of the species tested. Our results suggest that leaf traits affecting herbivory are different from those influencing decomposition. Herbivore damage showed much higher intra-specific than inter-specific variability, while we observed the opposite for decomposition. Our findings support the idea that interactions between consumers and their resources are controlled by different factors for the green and the brown food-webs in tropical forests, where herbivory may not necessarily generate any direct positive or negative feedbacks for nutrient cycling.

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Environmental factors influencing the occurrence and community structure of soil yeasts in forests are not well studied. There are few studies dedicated to Southern Hemisphere soil yeasts populations and even fewer focused on temperate forests influenced by volcanic activity. The present work aimed to study the ecology of soil yeast communities from pristine forests influenced by different environmental factors (precipitation, physicochemical properties of soil, tree species, soil region, and season). The survey was performed in 4 northern Patagonian forests: 2 dominated by Nothofagus pumilio and 2 by Nothofagus antarctica. Yeast communities were described with ecological indices and species accumulation curves, and their association with environmental characteristics was assessed using multivariate analysis. Each forest site showed a particular arrangement of species as a result of environmental characteristics, such as dominant plant species, nutrient availability, and climatic characteristics. Cryptococcus podzolicus was most frequently isolated in nutrient-rich soils, Trichosporon porosum dominated cold mountain forests with low nutrient and water availability in soil, and capsulated yeasts such as Cryptococcus phenolicus dominated forest sites with low precipitation. The present work suggests that environmental factors affecting yeast communities may not be the current soil characteristics but the result of complex interactions of factors including natural disturbances like volcanic activity.

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