Drought stress is one of the greatest obstacles affecting field crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, and its severity and frequency are expected to increase due to human-induced changes to the environment and climate. Drought has led to rocky desertification in Karst regions. Cinnamomum migao is a unique, fast-growing medicinal plant of Southwest China that only thrives in Karst regions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis alleviates drought stress in plants; however, establishment and function of the symbiotic interaction between AMF host plant in relation to the inoculation method remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of AMF species (Glomus etunicatum and Funneliformis mosseae) and two inoculation methods (seed vs. seedling inoculation) under drought stress on C. migao seedlings, and quantified mycorrhizal colonization, AMF spore density, root vigor, relative water content, C. migao growth, antioxidant enzyme activities, and osmotic adjustment. Inoculation with AMF (G. etunicatum and F. mosseae) positively affected the growth and root vigor of Cinnamomum migao under drought stress, regardless of the inoculation method. Additionally, both AMF species markedly upregulated antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic adjustment substances, regardless of the inoculation method. Our results showed that the collective stimulatory effect of G. etunicatum is more efficient than that of F. mosseae. AMF application could promote afforestation with C. migao to prevent rocky desertification in Karst regions where water is the greatest limiting factor on plant growth and yield.

Drought is the main limiting factor for plant growth in karst areas with a fragile ecological environment. Cinnamomum migao H.W. Li is an endemic medicinal woody plant present in the karst areas of southwestern China, and it is endangered due to poor drought tolerance. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to enhance the drought tolerance of plants. However, few studies have examined the contribution of AMF in improving the drought tolerance of C. migao seedlings. Therefore, we conducted a series of experiments to determine whether a single inoculation and coinoculation of AMF (Claroideoglomus lamellosum and Claroideoglomus etunicatum) enhanced the drought tolerance of C. migao. Furthermore, we compared the effects of single inoculation and coinoculation with different inoculum sizes (20, 40, 60, and 100 g; four replicates per treatment) on mycorrhizal colonization rate, plant growth, photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and osmoregulatory substance contents. The results showed that compared with nonmycorrhizal plants, AMF colonization significantly improved plant growing status; net photosynthetic rate; superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activities; and soluble sugar, soluble protein, and proline contents. Furthermore, AMF colonization increased relative water content and reduced MDA content in cells. These combined cumulative effects of AMF symbiosis ultimately enhanced the drought tolerance of seedlings and were closely related to the inoculum size. With an increase in inoculum size, the growth rate and drought tolerance of plants first increased and then decreased. The damage caused by drought stress could be reduced by inoculating 40–60 g of AMF, and the effect of coinoculation was significantly better than that of single inoculation at 60 g of AMF, while the effect was opposite at 40 g of AMF. Additionally, the interaction between AMF and inoculum sizes had a significant effect on drought tolerance. In conclusion, the inoculation of the AMF (Cl. lamellosum and Cl. etunicatum) improved photosynthesis, activated antioxidant enzymes, regulated cell osmotic state, and enhanced the drought tolerance of C. migao, enabling its growth in fragile ecological environments.

leaf litter and soil nutrients under nitrogen deposition in a karst region.

Rice–rape rotation is a widely practiced cropping system in China. However, changes in soil properties and management could change the bioavailability of Cd, In order to explore the occurrence state, transportation and transformation characteristics of heavy metals Cd and Zn in rice-rape rotation system in Guizhou karst area with high background value of Cd. In the karst rice–rape rotation area, the physical and chemical properties of soil, chemical specifications and activities of Cd and Zn at different soil depths and during various crop growth stages, and the bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn in different tissues of rice and rape were studied by field experiment and laboratory analysis. The bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn and the effects of physical and chemical soil properties on the activities and bioavailabilities of Cd and Zn during rice–rape rotation were explored. The findings revealed that soil particle size, composition, pH, redox potential, soil organic matter, and Cd and Zn contents varied dramatically, especially in deep soils. The physical and chemical properties of the deep and surface soils were significantly related to the bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn. Cd and Zn are activated during crop rotation. Cd was easier to be enriched in rice, while Zn was easier to be enriched in rape. The correlation between Cd and Zn contents in Brassica campestris L and their enrichment abilities were not significant, but that in Oryza sativa L were significant. During rice-rape rotation, the chemical speciations and activities of Cd and Zn changed with the changes of soil properties and waterlogging environment. This study had important basic guiding significance for the evaluation, prevention and control of heavy metal pollution, and improving soil quality in different rotation systems in karst areas, and was conducive to promoting the safe production of rape and rice.

Drought greatly influences the growth and ecological stoichiometry of plants in arid and semi-arid regions such as karst areas, where Cinnamomum migao (C. migao) is an endemic tree species that is used as a bioenergy resource. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in nutrient uptake in the soil-plant continuum, increasing plant tolerance to drought. However, few studies have examined the contribution of AMF in improving the growth of C. migao seedlings and the soil nutrient stoichiometry under drought-stress conditions. A pot experiment was conducted under natural light in a plastic greenhouse to investigate the effects of individual inoculation and Co-inoculation of AMF [Funneliformis mosseae (F. mosseae) and Claroideoglomus etunicatum (C. etunicatum)] on the growth, water status, and nutrient uptake of C. migao as well as the soil nutrient stoichiometry under well-watered (WW) and drought-stress (DS) conditions. The results showed that compared with non-AMF control (CK), AM symbiosis significantly stimulated plant growth and had higher dry mass. Mycorrhizal plants had better water status than corresponding CK plants. AMF colonization notably increased the total nitrogen and phosphorus content of C. migao seedlings compared with CK. Mycorrhizal plants had higher leaf and stem total carbon concentrations than CK. The results indicated that AM symbiosis protects C. migao seedlings against drought stress by improving growth, water status, and nutrient uptake. In general, the C. migao seedlings that formed with C. etunicatum showed the most beneficial effect on plant growth, water status, and nutrient uptake among all treatments. In the future, we should study more about the biological characteristics of each AMF in the field study to understand more ecological responses of AMF under drought stress, which can better provide meaningful guidance for afforestation projects in karst regions.

This study aimed to investigate where acidification occurred in soil profiles of Guizhou tea gardens, in addition to the influence of acidification on the availability of soil mineral elements in order to inform soil nutrient management and improvement practices in tea gardens. Important tea-producing areas of Guizhou were investigated in this study and samples were collected from tea gardens with similar soil parent material and management measures. The acidification characteristics were investigated in soils from plantations grown for various numbers of years and across different soil layer profiles. Moreover, the pH buffering capacities (pHBC) of soils were evaluated and changes in soil Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B, As, Pb, Cr, and Cd concentrations due to soil acidification were explored. With increased tea plantation age, the acidification rate of 0–20-cm soil layers reached 0.025 pH unit/year. Soil acidification extended from the surface layer downwards through profiles, while the pH of entire soil layers were < 4.5 after 40 years of tea plantation. The pHBC of soils were < 30 mmol/kg, remaining at a weak sensitive level. Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, and B concentrations exhibited decreasing trends in soils, while As, Pb, Cr, and Cd exhibited enrichment at the surface. Tea plantation age and soil depth were significantly correlated with the available concentrations of soil mineral elements. Soil acidification gradually increased downward from the surface and soil minerals were lost in acidic environments, while the acid buffering capacity was reduced. These results suggest that organic fertilizers and trace elements should be supplemented as needed in the management of tea gardens to achieve long-term stability of quality and yields.

This study aimed to investigate where acidification occurred in soil profiles of Guizhou tea gardens, in addition to the influence of acidification on the availability of soil mineral elements in order to inform soil nutrient management and improvement practices in tea gardens. Important tea-producing areas of Guizhou were investigated in this study and samples were collected from tea gardens with similar soil parent material and management measures. The acidification characteristics were investigated in soils from plantations grown for various numbers of years and across different soil layer profiles. Moreover, the pH buffering capacities (pHBC) of soils were evaluated and changes in soil Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B, As, Pb, Cr, and Cd concentrations due to soil acidification were explored. With increased tea plantation age, the acidification rate of 0–20-cm soil layers reached 0.025 pH unit/year. Soil acidification extended from the surface layer downwards through profiles, while the pH of entire soil layers were < 4.5 after 40 years of tea plantation. The pHBC of soils were < 30 mmol/kg, remaining at a weak sensitive level. Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, and B concentrations exhibited decreasing trends in soils, while As, Pb, Cr, and Cd exhibited enrichment at the surface. Tea plantation age and soil depth were significantly correlated with the available concentrations of soil mineral elements. Soil acidification gradually increased downward from the surface and soil minerals were lost in acidic environments, while the acid buffering capacity was reduced. These results suggest that organic fertilizers and trace elements should be supplemented as needed in the management of tea gardens to achieve long-term stability of quality and yields.

Arable land resources in karst regions are relatively scarce. The original crop rotation pattern can no longer meet the requirements of productivity development, while different crop rotation patterns have different impacts on the physicochemical properties of the soil. Through field experiments and laboratory analysis, the physicochemical properties and pollution characteristics of the soil during different crop growing stages in rice–rape rotation were investigated systematically. The main results are as follows. During the rice–rape rotation, fine sand in the topsoil experienced the greatest variation. During the rotation, pH variation in the subsoil was greater than that in the topsoil. The soil in paddy fields was poorly ventilated, and the rotation could reduce the redox potential of the soil. In the rotation process, the soil organic matter in the topsoil was higher than that in the subsoil, but the variation of soil organic matter in the topsoil was lower than that in the subsoil. The worst Cd pollution of the topsoil occurred in the seedling stage of rice, while that of the subsoil occurred in the flowering stage of rape; the comprehensive pollution index of Cr and Cd in the subsoil was higher than that in the topsoil. It is of great significance to investigate efficient crop rotation patterns under the conditions of the current productivity for promoting sustainable increases of rape and rice yield, maintaining soil fertility, and improving the soil.