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- Caliz, Joan, et al.
(author)
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The microbiota of an unpolluted calcareous soil faces up chlorophenols: Evidences of resistant strains with potential for bioremediation
- 2011
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In: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 83:2, s. 104-116
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To highlight the effects of a variety of chlorophenols (CP) in relation to the response of an indigenous bacterial community, an agricultural Mediterranean calcareous soil has been studied in microcosms incubated under controlled laboratory conditions. Soil samples were artificially polluted with 2-monochlorophenol (MCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), at concentrations ranging from 0.1 up to 5000 mg kg(-1). Both activity and composition of the microbial community were assessed during several weeks, respectively, by respirometric methods and PCR-DGGE analysis of extracted DNA and RNA. Significant decreases in soil respirometric values and changes in the bacterial community composition were observed at concentrations above 1000 mg kg(-1) MCP and TCP, and above 100 mg kg(-1) PCP. However, the persistence of several active bacterial populations in soil microcosms contaminated with high concentration of CP, as indicated by DGGE fingerprints, suggested the capacity of these native bacteria to survive in the presence of the pollutants, even without a previous adaptation or contact with them. The isolation of potential CP degraders was attempted by culture plating from microcosms incubated with high CP concentrations. Twenty-three different isolates were screened for their resistance to TCP and PCP. The most resistant isolates were identified as Kocuria palustris, Lysobacter gummosus, Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas putida, according to 16S rRNA gene homology. In addition, these four isolates also showed the capacity to reduce the concentration of TCP and PCP from 15% to 30% after 5 d of incubation in laboratory assays (initial pollutant concentration of 50 mg L(-1)). Isolate ITP29, which could be a novel species of Bacillus, has been revealed as the first known member in this bacterial group with potential for CP bioremediation applications, usually wide-spread in the soil natural communities, which has not been reported to date as a CP degrader.
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| 2. |
- Guerrieri, Rossella, et al.
(author)
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Substantial contribution of tree canopy nitrifiers to nitrogen fluxes in European forests
- 2024
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In: Nature Geoscience. - Göteborg : IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet. - 1752-0894 .- 1752-0908. ; 17:2, s. 130-136
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human activities have greatly increased the reactive nitrogen in the biosphere, thus profoundly altering global nitrogen cycling. The large increase in nitrogen deposition over the past few decades has led to eutrophication in natural ecosystems, with negative effects on forest health and biodiversity. Recent studies, however, have reported oligotrophication in forest ecosystems, constraining their capacity as carbon sinks. Here we demonstrate the widespread biological transformation of atmospheric reactive nitrogen in the canopies of European forests by combining nitrogen deposition quantification with measurements of the stable isotopes in nitrate and molecular analyses across ten forests through August–October 2016. We estimate that up to 80% of the nitrate reaching the soil via throughfall was derived from canopy nitrification, equivalent to a flux of up to 5.76 kg N ha−1 yr−1. We also document the presence of autotrophic nitrifiers on foliar surfaces throughout European forests. Canopy nitrification thus consumes deposited ammonium and increases nitrate inputs to the soil. The results of this study highlight widespread canopy nitrification in European forests and its important contribution to forest nitrogen cycling.
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