Soil particle surface electrochemical property effects on abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and ammonia-oxidizing archaea, NH4+ activity, and net nitrification in an acid soil

Soil surface electrochemical properties may have a strong influence on nitrifying microorganisms, H+ and NH4+ activities, and therefore on the nitrification process. A gradient of surface electrochemical parameters was obtained by amendment of a subtropical acid pine soil (Oxisol) with 0% (control), 3%, 5%, 8%, 10% and 12% pure Ca-Montmorillonite by weight. The H+ and NH4+ activities, the abundance of the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) and archaeal (AOA) amoA gene copies, and time-dependent kinetics of net nitrification were investigated. Soil particle surface specific area ranged from 53 to 103 m2 g−1 and increased with increasing montmorillonite application rate. Similar to specific area, surface charge quantity, surface charge density, electric field strength and surface potential increased after montmorillonite amendment. The H+ and NH4+ activities decreased linearly after montmorillonite addition. AOB amoA gene copy number was 1.82 × 105 copies g−1 for unamended soil, and the highest AOB amoA gene copy numbers were found for the 10% montmorillonite amendment (3.11 × 107 g−1 soil), which was more than 150 times higher than unamended soil. AOA amoA gene copy numbers were 9.19 × 103 copies g−1 dry unamended soil, and the highest AOA amoA gene copy numbers were found in the 8% montmorillonite amendment (1.22 × 105 g−1 soil). Although pH significantly decreased during the first three weeks of incubation, no significant difference was observed between the unamended control and different rates of montmorillonite addition treatments during the whole incubation. The largest net nitrification (103 mg N kg−1) was observed in the 10% montmorillonite amendment and the lowest in unamended soil (62 mg N kg−1). While montmorillonite did not change the kinetic patterns of net nitrification, the highest nitrification potential (275 mg N kg−1) for the 10% montmorillonite treatment was more than 3 times higher than unamended soil from simulation of time-dependent kinetics. Nitrification was significantly stimulated after montmorillonite amendment in acid soil mainly due to an increase in the quantity and activity of AOB and AOA. We concluded that soil particle surface parameters can significantly influence nitrification, especially in acid soils.

► Quantified effects of soil surface electrochemistry on nitrification dynamics.
► H+ and NH4+ activities decreased linearly after montmorillonite amendment.
► amoA gene copies of AOB and AOA increased after montmorillonite amendment.
► Montmorillonite stimulated nitrification in acid soil due to AOB and AOA increases.