Ant nests as a microbial hot spots in a long-term heavy metal-contaminated soils

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2022-02, Vol.29 (7), p.10848-10857
• Main Authors: Klimek, Beata, Poliwka-Modliborek, Hanna, Grześ, Irena M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Ants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteria; Biological activity; Biomass; Cadmium; Diversity indices; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Pollution; Environmental science; Extreme environments; Heavy metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Microbial activity; Microorganisms; Nests; Organic matter; Physicochemical properties; Research Article; Respiration; Soil; Soil analysis; Soil chemistry; Soil contamination; Soil fauna; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soil pH; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil pollution; Soil properties; Substrates; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16384-y

Interactions between soil fauna and soil microorganisms are not fully recognized, especially in extreme environments, such as long-term metal-polluted soils. The purpose of the study was to assess how the presence of Lasius niger ants affected soil microbial characteristics in a long-term metal-polluted area (Upper Silesia in Poland). Paired soil samples were taken from bulk soil and from ant nests and analysed for a range of soil physicochemical properties, including metal content (zinc, cadmium, and lead). Microbial analysis included soil microbial activity (soil respiration rate), microbial biomass (substrate-induced respiration rate), and bacteria catabolic properties (Biolog ® ECO plates). Soil collected from ant nests was drier and was characterized by a lower content of organic matter, carbon and nitrogen contents, and also lower metal content than bulk soil. Soil microbial respiration rate was positively related to soil pH ( p = 0.01) and negatively to water-soluble metal content, integrated into TI ws index ( p = 0.01). Soil microbial biomass was negatively related to TI ws index ( p = 0.04). Neither soil microbial activity and biomass nor bacteria catabolic activity and diversity indices differed between bulk soil and ant nests. Taken together, ant activity reduced soil contamination by metals in a microscale which support microbial community activity and biomass but did not affect Biolog® culturable bacteria.