转基因作物对土壤生物的影响

综述了转基因作物根系分泌物和转基因作物残茬对土壤微生物和土壤动物的影响，主要表现在3方面：(1)对某些微生物和土壤动物有毒害作用；(2)为特定的微生物和土壤生物提供营养；(3)对土壤生物可能产生长期累积影响，但对此尚无定论。     

城市化对南亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤生物群落结构的影响

以广州市城郊梯度上存留的南亚热带常绿阔叶林为对象,量化分析城市化对南亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤微生物和土壤动物群落结构的影响,运用生态?(Eco-exergy)理论方法,量化揭示土壤生物群落生物热力学结构对城市化的综合响应规律。结果显示,城市化对南亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤动物和微生物群落结构影响的方向、速率和机制各不相同,可能的影响主要有土壤含水率、铵态氮、有机质、硝态氮以及草本层生物量等。城市化会降低南亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤微生物群落生物量和生态?,并加剧干、湿季差异;而适度的城市化干扰可增加南亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤动物类群数和生态?,并减少干、湿季的差异。综合而言,广州近郊和城区残留的南亚热带常绿阔叶林土壤生物群落生态?与结构?值均高于远郊区的水平(2.39~2.99倍);南亚热带常绿阔叶土壤生物群落生态?主要由大型土壤动物贡献(64.41%),而中小型土壤动物则是结构?的主要贡献者(50.00%);不考虑生命周期,土壤微生物对于土壤生物群落生态?与结构?值的做贡献较小。生态?理论方法可以综合度量土壤生物群落的自组织程度,但在具体计量中受到权重因子的有限性制约。     

丛枝菌根-植物修复重金属污染土壤研究中的热点

随着菌根研究和植物修复技术的发展,利用丛枝菌根强化重金属污染土壤的植物修复逐渐受到人们的重视。本文系统综述了当前的几个研究热点:(1)菌根植物吸收和转运重金属的分子机制;(2)AM真菌对超富集植物重金属吸收的影响及其机制;(3)AM真菌对转基因植物重金属吸收的影响及其机制;(4)AM真菌与其他土壤生物在植物修复中的复合作用;(5)丛枝菌根与化学螯合剂在植物修复中的复合作用;(6)重金属复合污染土壤的丛枝菌根-植物修复;(7)放射性污染土壤的枝菌根-植物修复;(8)丛枝菌根-植物修复的田间试验研究。在未来的丛枝菌根-植物修复研究中,要筛选优良的宿主植物和与之高效共生的AM真菌,加强相关理论和应用基础研究,并构建高效基因工程菌。     

林下植被对土壤微生物群落组成与结构的影响

植被和土壤微生物是生态系统的重要组成部分,研究二者之间的联系对森林经营管理和生态恢复实践具有重要的指导意义.目前相关研究主要集中于乔木层对土壤微生物的影响,林下植被层对土壤微生物的潜在作用常被忽视.本文从林下植被对土壤微生物群落组成与结构的影响及其作用机理两个方面进行总结:(1)林下植被对土壤微生物有重要的影响,其作用结果有正面、负面和没有影响几方面;(2)作用途径为通过分泌物和凋落物归还的质与量等直接影响土壤微生物群落结构和组成,也通过影响土壤微气候环境、土壤营养有效性和p H、改变乔木层和其他土壤微生物类群而间接影响土壤微生物;(3)在林下植被对土壤微生物影响的研究中,试验方法多采用磷酸脂肪酸(PLFA)法,而最新土壤微生物的测定方法(如高通量测序等)应用较少.今后林下植被影响土壤微生物群落的研究重点在于(1)提高土壤微生物测定方法的准确性;(2)扩展研究方向;(3)与应用方面相联系.     

抗虫-耐除草剂转基因玉米种植对根际土壤细菌和真菌群落的影响

全生育期种植抗虫基因cry1Ab/cry2Aj和耐除草剂基因G10evo-spsps的转基因玉米及其亲本非转基因玉米,采用定量聚合酶链式反应(PCR)和高通量测序技术,测定玉米拔节期和成熟期根际土壤细菌和真菌群落数量、组成及多样性,研究种植抗虫耐除草剂转基因玉米对根际土壤微生物的影响。结果表明,种植转基因玉米未显著影响根际土壤理化性质、土壤荧光素二乙酸酯水解酶活性、微生物群落丰度及多样性;在门水平上,种植转基因玉米仅显著提高2个生长时期根际土壤细菌放线菌门(Actinobacteria)相对丰度;在属水平上,种植转基因玉米均显著降低2个生长时期根际土壤细菌Candidatus_Nitrososphaera相对丰度;种植转基因玉米未影响真菌门水平相对丰度,但影响根际土壤真菌Fusarium、Staphylotrichum和Lophiostoma属相对丰度。另外,生长时期显著影响根际土壤可溶性有机碳和全氮含量,也显著影响根际土壤细菌群落组成和多样性,但未显著影响根际土壤真菌群落组成和多样性。该研究旨在为转基因作物产业化的自然生态风险管理和控制提供基础数据和理论支撑。     

药品和个人护理品(PPCPs)在土壤中的迁移转化和毒性效应研究进展

药品和个人护理品(PPCPs)是一类新型有机污染物,随着生产和使用量的大量增加,越来越多的PPCPs进入土壤,对土壤生态环境和人体健康构成潜在威胁。文章根据现有研究,综述了国内外有关PPCPs在土壤中的吸附、生物降解、迁移、挥发等环境行为的研究进展,并分别评述了PPCPs对土壤生物(包括微生物、动物、植物)和人体的生态毒性效应。有关研究表明,PPCPs主要吸附于高有机质的土壤表层,低有机质亚表层土壤中PPCPs具有极高的迁移潜力;生物降解是PPCPs从土壤中去除的主要途径,受化合物自身结构和土壤理化特性的影响。高浓度PPCPs会对土壤生物(包括土壤微生物、动物和植物)产生急性生理生化甚至遗传毒性效应,最终可通过饮食危害人体健康,而PPCPs残留在土壤中的环境浓度通常较低,对土壤生物及人类极易造成慢性毒性损伤。目前有关土壤环境中PPCPs污染的研究尚处于初级阶段,今后可在真实土壤环境中痕量PPCPs的调查分析、迁移转化规律、生态健康风险及其代谢产物的行为和毒性等方面加强研究,以期为土壤环境中PPCPs生态风险的准确评估提供理论依据。     

外来入侵植物化感作用与土壤相互关系研究进展

文章以全球普遍关注的外来植物入侵为背景,综述了外来入侵植物化感物质与土壤化学性质(土壤pH,土壤有机碳和有机质,土壤中的化学元素等)、土壤生物群落(土壤微生物、土壤动物)的关系。并探讨了未来研究需要加强的几个方面,包括将化感作用与野外实际情况相结合研究,更真实的反映田间状况;进一步探讨微生物在化感物质生物变化过程中的作用及其机理;化感物质作为信号物质如何影响微生物代谢,从而影响地上植物;深入研究化感作用与土壤之间的相互关系,为入侵植物生物防治的安全性提供理论指导等方面。     

农田土壤温室气体产生机制及影响因素研究进展

农田土壤通过微生物呼吸、植物根系呼吸和土壤动物呼吸,释放大量温室气体,成为大气中主要温室气体(CO2、CH4和N2O)的重要来源.文章在阐述土壤温室气体产生机制的基础上,着重从土壤生物、土壤理化性质(主要包括温湿度、有机质、pH、Eh、土壤质地等)、水肥管理及耕作措施等角度对农田土壤温室气体释放的影响进行了综述,对土壤温室气体的减排措施进行了总结,并就今后农田土壤温室气体的研究重点和方向进行了展望.     

冬季覆盖作物对潮褐土土壤肥力和微生物学性状的影响

冬季覆盖作物能够提高农田土壤肥力和改善生态环境,通过研究其种植后对华北平原农田土壤理化和微生物学性质的影响,可为该地区推广种植冬季覆盖作物提供数据支持。以冬闲地为对照(CK),选取毛叶苕子(Vicia villosa,Vr)、二月兰(Orychophragmus violaceus,Ov)和冬油菜(Brassica campestris,Bc)3种覆盖作物,通过盆栽试验研究了种植冬季覆盖作物对华北平原典型潮褐土土壤理化性质、微生物生物量和酶活性的影响。结果表明:3种冬季覆盖作物处理生物量由小到大依次为Vr、Bc和Ov。与CK相比,3种冬季覆盖作物均能显著提高土壤含水量,有效磷含量,土壤微生物生物量碳、氮和磷含量(P0.05),且不同程度提高土壤碱性磷酸酶、蔗糖酶和脲酶活性。其中,Ov处理土壤有效磷含量提高幅度最大,为33.3%(P0.05);Bc处理土壤含水量显著提高16.7%,土壤容重显著降低16.8%,土壤微生物生物量碳、微生物生物量氮、微生物生物量磷含量及碱性磷酸酶、蔗糖酶和脲酶活性分别提高30.5%、32.3%、85.4%、11.4%、17.7%和21.7%(P0.05)。综合覆盖作物生物量及覆盖作物对华北平原潮褐土土壤理化性质、微生物生物量含量和酶活性的影响,以冬油菜作为华北平原冬季覆盖作物效果为最佳,二月兰和毛叶苕子次之。     

增温对南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林土壤微生物群落的影响

土壤微生物是森林生态系统中重要的分解者,参与生物圈的物质循环和能量流动,对温度变化响应较为敏感。以鼎湖山南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林为研究对象,基于野外增温实验平台,采集0-10 cm和10-20 cm土层的土壤样品,采用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)方法并结合土壤理化性质的监测,探究气温上升对土壤微生物群落的影响。结果表明:(1)增温处理使0-10 cm和10-20 cm土层月均温分别显著上升1.24℃和1.17℃,土层湿度变化不显著;(2)增温显著增加了土壤硝氮含量,但对其他理化性质作用不明显;(3)增温组土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、微生物生物量氮(MBN)、微生物生物量碳氮比(C/N)以及微生物总磷脂脂肪酸含量与对照组差异不显著;(4)增温显著改变了土壤微生物群落结构,使细菌相对丰度、细菌真菌之比(B/F)以及革兰氏阳性菌革兰氏阴性菌之比(G~+/G~-)显著增加,降低了真菌和丛枝菌根真菌的相对丰度;(5)进一步分析表明,土壤硝态氮和有机碳是影响土壤微生物群落结构变异的主要因子,两者共同解释了微生物群落结构60.5%的变异度。以上研究结果表明,尽管增温对南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林土壤微生物生物量作用不明显,但可通过对土壤硝氮和土壤有机碳含量的影响引起土壤微生物群落结构及其相对丰度的改变,微生物群落结构和相对丰度的变化又将通过影响微生物对土壤碳氮的同化作用,最终影响土壤的碳氮过程。     

土壤动物对三江平原典型毛果苔草湿地枯落物分解的影响

采用尼龙网分解袋法,从枯落物的分解量、组分含量和分解残留物的热能值3方面,研究了土壤动物对三江平原毛果苔草（Carex lasiocarpa）湿地枯落物分解的影响。结果表明,土壤动物加速了枯落物的分解,大中型土壤动物的分解作用大于小型土壤动物;土壤动物增加了枯落物中腐殖酸、纤维素和木质素等物质含量以及C／N比值的变化幅度,促进了枯落物组分的释放;土壤动物影响枯落物分解过程中的能量流动;但土壤动物并未影响枯落物分解的总体变化趋势,土壤动物对枯落物分解不起决定性作用。     

Effects of long-term nutrient addition on meso-micro soil arthropod communities in a Stipa baicalensis grassland北大核心CSCD

To analyze the effect of nutrient addition on small- and medium-sized soil arthropod communities in a Stipa Baikal meadow grassland, a nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition experiment was designed in the Stipa Baikal meadow grassland at Ewenki Banner, Hulunbeier City, Inner Mongolia, China in 2010. Changes in the structure and diversity of soil arthropod communities and their relationship with environmental factors were studied. Soil arthropod samples were collected during the forage greening (May), growth (August), and yellowing (end of September) periods in 2019. The results showed that: (1) compared to the control sample, N-added and NP-added samples had higher number of soil arthropods by 1.38 and 1.15 times, respectively, and an increase of 28.57% and 21.43% in the number of soil arthropod groups. The numbers of individual as well as groups of soil arthropods tended to increase with P addition; however, this response did not reach a significant level. (2) The water and heat conditions during the vegetation growth period in the test area were more suitable for the development of soil fauna communities. (3) The redundancy analysis (RDA) results further indicated that the community composition of soil fauna is mainly regulated by pH and plant evenness, and soil pH is particularly important in mediating changes in small- and medium-sized soil fauna communities. This study suggests that long-term nutrient addition has a positive impact on small- and medium-sized soil arthropod communities by changing plant evenness and soil pH, and the contribution of soil pH is greater than that of plant evenness. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

土地利用方式对土壤动物多样性的影响

为了解不同利用方式下土壤动物多样性状况及其演变,对广州市东部郊区的水稻田、蔬菜地、果园旱地和林地4种土地利用类型0～5、5～10、10～15、15～20cm土层进行了土壤动物取样调查,共获得土壤动物24683只,分别隶属于4门10纲23类。统计分析结果表明,土壤动物多样性受土地利用方式的影响明显。果园旱地和林地的个体数显著高于蔬菜地和水稻田,但果园旱地与林地、蔬菜地与水稻田之间无显著差异;果园旱地和林地的土壤动物类群数显著高于水稻田,但果园旱地与林地、林地与蔬菜地、蔬菜地与水稻田之间的差异不显著;林地和果园旱地的复杂性指数显著高于蔬菜地,但林地与果园旱地和水稻田、水稻田与蔬菜地之间的差异不显著（P〈O．05）。土壤动物的个体数和类群数量随着土壤深度的增加而明显减少,但不同土地利用方式下各层土壤动物的丰富度及其随土层加深而递减的程度则有明显不同,其中,林地和果园旱地的土壤动物在不同土层中较丰富,垂直变化比较和缓,水稻田和蔬菜地的类群数和个体数则随土层的加深而急剧减少。     

Characteristics of soil micro-and macro-arthropods and soil properties in Songnen Grassland of China during different periods of freeze–thaw season

ABSTRACT

Soil properties have an important influence on soil fauna in the grassland ecosystem. However, the relationship between the structural characteristics of soil fauna and properties in the grassland ecosystem in freeze–thaw season remains unclear. Hence, the feature of soil arthropods and properties in Songnen Grassland of China were investigated in fall–winter alternating (T1), completely frozen (T2) and winter–spring alternating periods (T3) during freeze–thaw season in three years. Results showed slight differences in the community composition of soil animals with Oribatida, Prostigmata and Mesostigmata as co-dominant groups in all sampling periods. The total number of individuals of soil arthropod at low temperature was low. The pH value, electrical conductivity (EC), and moisture content had the same order of T3?>?T2?>?T1. The activities of invertase and urease increased with increasing soil temperature, whereas protease activity had no relationship with soil temperature, soil moisture, EC and soil organic matter (SOM), activities of protease and urease were principal factors affecting individual abundance of soil animals. The sequence of their effect degrees was moisture content > EC > SOM > protease activity > urease activity. The changes in the quantitative characteristics of soil animals were related to soil properties. Therefore, soil properties can affect the structural characteristics of soil arthropod in the Songnen Grassland of China in the freeze–thaw season.     

采伐干扰前后巨桉人工林土壤动物群落比较

为了解采伐干扰对巨桉人工林土壤动物的影响,采用手捡法和干湿漏斗法对四川省洪雅县巨桉人工林采伐干扰前和干扰后土壤动物群落进行调查.结果显示:巨桉人工林采伐干扰前后共获大中小型土壤动物5 578头,分属4门10纲25目,采伐干扰后共减少1 290头,类群数减少了3个.采伐干扰前后中小型湿生、干生土壤动物剖面分布具有明显的表聚性,均与地温呈负相关,与土壤有机质含量和土壤含水量呈正相关.采伐干扰对各层中小型湿生、干生土壤动物个体数均有极显著影响(P<0.01),并导致Shannon-Wiener(H′)多样性指数和Pielou(J)均匀性指数增加,密度-类群指数(DG)减小,Simpson(C)优势度指数无显著变化,表明采伐干扰对巨桉人工林土壤动物群落结构有较大影响.     

Toward a complete soil C and N cycle: incorporating the soil fauna

Increasing pressures on ecosystems through global climate and other land-use changes require predictive models of their consequences for vital processes such as soil carbon and nitrogen cycling. These environmental changes will undoubtedly affect soil fauna. There is sufficient evidence that soil fauna have significant effects on all of the pools and fluxes in these cycles, and soil fauna mineralize more N than microbes in some habitats. It is therefore essential that their role in the C and N cycle be understood. Here we introduce a new framework that attempts to reconcile our current understanding of the role of soil fauna within the C and N cycle with biogeochemical models and soil food web models. Using a simple stoichiometric approach to integrate our understanding of N mineralization and immobilization with the C:N ratio of substrates and faunal life history characteristics, as used in food web studies, we consider two mechanisms through which soil fauna can directly affect N cycling. First, fauna that are efficient assimilators of C and that have prey with similar C:N ratios as themselves, are likely to contribute directly to the mineral N pool. Second, fauna that are inefficient assimilators of C and that have prey with higher C:N ratios than themselves are likely to contribute most to the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool. Different groups of fauna are likely to contribute to these two pathways. Protists and bacteria-feeding nematodes are more likely to be important for N mineralization through grazing on microbial biomass, while the effects of enchytraeids and fungal-feeding microarthropods are most likely to be important for DOM production. The model is consistent with experimental evidence and, despite its simplicity, provides a new framework in which the effects of soil fauna on pools and fluxes can be understood. Further, the model highlights our gaps in knowledge, not only for effects of soil fauna on processes, but also for understanding of the soil C and N cycle in general.     

The influence of introducing soft-shelled turtle on soil nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in paddy field北大核心CSCD

Soil microorganisms are an important part of the soil ecosystem, but studies on the structure of the soil bacterial community, especially the related genes, is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the structure of soil microorganisms and the connection between the soil microorganisms and different farming systems. We used the Illumina Genome Analyzer IIx to compare root soil bacteria (nifH gene) diversity characteristics between the rice-turtle co-culture system (R-T) and rice monoculture system (R-M), aiming to reveal the structural characteristics of soil microorganisms, and the connection between the soil microorganisms and different farming systems. The results of High Throughput Sequencing of nitrogen-fixing bacteria showed that the main nitrogen-fixing bacteria were classified as Bradyrhizobium, Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, Sideroxydans, Desulfuromonas, Halorhodospira, Azotobacter, Desulfobulbus, Methylomonas, Pseudacidovorax, and Azospirillum. The diversity index of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the root soil of R-T was higher than that of R-M, which was 6.85-0.07. The difference of soil nitrogen-fixation bacteria in the root soil of rice paddy was 23.86% among the different farming systems, and the difference in the different rice growth period was 16.97%. In summary, the rice growth period and different farming systems both have an influence on the nitrogen-fixation bacteria in paddy soil; the influence of the growth period on the nitrogen-fixation bacteria in the paddy soil was greater. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Mikrobiologisch-ökotoxikologische Bodenuntersuchungen von zwei zur Unkrautbekämpfung mit hohen Dosierungen eingesetzten Fettsäure-Herbiziden

Goal and Scope

Products based on fatty acids (including acetic acid) are known in plant protection since more than 100 years to control several harmful organisms. In the following decades, however, they lost their importance due to the rapid development of ‘modern’ chemical pesticides. In the meantime some trials were run to control weeds with relatively high doses. The knowledge on its ecotoxic effects on soil microorganisms as a part of the soil fertility, however, is still incomplete.

Methods

Under laboratory conditions two agricultural soils were treated with different dosages of two products based on acetic acid and pelargonic acid (=nonanoic acid) as well as with a biocidal reference compound (e.g. dinitrophenol herbicide). The applied dosages were related to the concentrations in soil reached after simulated penetration of practical field amounts into upper soil layers. In some cases green manuring was simulated by adding lucerne meal to the soil. During the incubation for several weeks biomass-related microbial activities (dehydrogenase activity, substrate-induced shortterm respiration) as well as the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen (including nitrification) were measured.

Results and Conclusion

As compared to ‘normal’ pesticides (e.g. the reference compound) the effects of both test substances on soil microorganisms showed different behaviour. Nearly none of the effects typical for strongly biocidal compounds, namely a dose-related inhibition of microbial biomass combined with a stimulated mineralization (especially of nitrogen), occurred with the fatty acid products. Depending on the marked input of organic carbon by the higher dosages of fatty acid products and their rapid decomposition, especially of acetic acid, an increase of biomass-related parameters and of carbon mineralization combined with a reduction of the available nitrate content (e.g biological nitrogen immobilization) occurred for several weeks. By combining the results of the soil with that of lucerne meal-amended soil ‘real effects’ can be distinguished from those depending on the decomposition of the introduced carbon. In comparison with the strongly biocidal reference compound the two fatty acid products not only caused little microbiological-ecotoxicological impacts on the soil, but often stimulated important microbiological parameters for some time.

Recommendation and Perspective

As result of the trials we recommend an extended microbiological-ecotoxicological test spectrum especially for those plant protection products (pesticides) which should be applied at high dosages or if they contain higher amounts of well decomposable organic substances. This is necessary to distinguish dose-related enhanced biocidal activities induced by biocidal effects (including the subsequent mineralization of the killed microorganisms) from ‘real’ stimulations directly produced by the substrate.     

锑和砷对固氮菌的毒性效应及其机制研究

锑作为一种具有毒性和致癌性的类金属,其不合理的开发造成了严重的生态环境污染,尤其是土壤中高浓度锑和砷污染导致了环境中多种营养元素的缺乏。其中,氮素的缺乏严重阻碍了环境的恢复。然而,固氮微生物不仅能为氮素匮乏环境提供稳定的氮素来源,而且其固氮潜能可以作为监测土壤金属污染的敏感指标。为此,该文通过乙炔还原法(ARA)微宇宙培养试验手段,研究了不同价态锑和砷(三价及五价)在不同质量浓度(100、200、500、1 000、2 500、5 000 mg·L^-1)水平下对棕色固氮菌固氮潜能的影响,同时进一步探究了土壤固氮菌群落固氮潜能对土壤中主要锑和砷价态[Sb(Ⅴ)和As(Ⅴ)]的响应机制。结果表明,锑和砷浓度与棕色固氮菌和土壤固氮微生物的固氮潜能均呈显著负相关,验证了以固氮微生物固氮潜能作为生物指示物的可行性。此外,Sb(Ⅴ)对土壤固氮微生物的毒性显著小于As(Ⅴ)。三价锑和砷污染对固氮菌固氮潜能的毒性高于五价[As(Ⅲ)>Sb(Ⅲ)>As(Ⅴ)>Sb(Ⅴ)],这可能是由于Sb(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅲ)对细胞的致裂性强于Sb(Ⅴ)和As(Ⅴ)。相较于Sb(Ⅴ)和As(Ⅴ)对于棕色固氮菌固氮潜能的抑制作用,其对土壤固氮菌群落的固氮潜能的影响相对较弱。这一差异可能是由于土壤复杂的理化性质以及微生物群落和功能多样性而导致的。     

Interrelation of Cd‐lon concentrations and the growth and activities of microorganisms in two growth media†

Partitioning of native or anthropogenic heavy metals in solid and solution phases of soil is a result of network of several physico‐chemical reactions. The attainment of equilibrium between two phases is also regulated by biochemical processes. For practical purposes, the bioavailability of metal present in soil is predominantly regulated by the soil solution phase which is in dynamic equilibrium with the solid phase. The results of a model laboratory and greenhouse growth experiments have been used to investigate the effect of Cd‐ion concentrations (either in soil solution or in nutrient solution) on the growth and activities of microorganisms. The soil solution has been simulated by preparing a suspension of soil with 0.1 M NaNO₃ (1: 2.5) equilibrated for two hours. Important conclusions are as follows:

Increase in Cd‐ion concentration in soil solution or in nutrient solution induces corresponding adverse effect on the growth and activities of microorganisms. Thus, it seems that Cd‐ion concentration is a more sensitive indicator for assessing the effect of metal pollution upon the growth and activities of soil microorganisms in comparison to total Cd contents.

During active microbial growth phase, a large part of the organically bound Cd was released in the soil solution which is largely bioavailable. This process is termed as mobilisation. There was momentary increase of Cd‐ion concentration in soil solution which intoxicated the growing organisms. After this stage, the Cd ions from the solution phase were removed by the newly formed solid phase (nonviable biomass) and were transformed in non‐available form. This process is termed as immobilisation.

The consequences and importance of these results for practical agriculture and in deciding the limits or guidelines on the maximum tolerable metal load in soils are discussed.