Recovery of soil microbial biomass and activity from prescribed burning

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1286-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannu Fritze ◽  
Taina Pennanen ◽  
Janna Pietikäinen
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Plant Succession ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Respiration Activity ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Humus Layer

Development of humus layer soil microbial biomass C (Cmic) and N (Nmic), fungal biomass (as soil ergosterol content), microbial respiration activity, and the soil organic C (Corg) and N (Ntot) were determined in coniferous forest soils that had received a single prescribed fire treatment at different times over a period of 45 years. The ratio of soil respiration rate to microbial biomass C (qCO2) and the Cmic/Corg and Nmic/Ntot percentages were derived from the measurements taken. All the measured biomass indicators reacted identically to show recovery from prescribed burning within 12 years. A raised metabolic quotient (qCO2) was detected in soils over the first 2 years following the fire treatment, but after the third year it had decreased to a stable level. These observations suggest that during the first few years after fire the soil microflora can be characterized on the basis of simple substrate–decomposer relationships. The first 12 years were characterized by increasing Cmic/Corg and Nmic/Ntot percentages, which then stabilized at mean values of 1.3 and 5.5%, respectively. The observed rise in the Cmic within a large pool of Corg suggested increasing availability of energy-rich C sources. These C sources are probably derived from the organic C input resulting from postfire plant succession.

Dynamics of soil microbial biomass C, soluble organic C and CO2 evolution after three years of manure application

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Rochette ◽  
E. G. Gregorich
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Manure Amendments ◽  
Soluble C

Application of manure and fertilizer affects the rate and extent of mineralization and sequestration of C in soil. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 3 yr of application of N fertilizer and different manure amendments on CO2 evolution and the dynamics of soil microbial biomass and soluble C in the field. Soil respiration, soluble organic C and microbial biomass C were measured at intervals over the growing season in maize soils amended with stockpiled or rotted manure, N fertilizer (200 kg N ha−1) and with no amendments (control). Manure amendments increased soil respiration and levels of soluble organic C and microbial biomass C by a factor of 2 to 3 compared with the control, whereas the N fertilizer had little effect on any parameter. Soil temperature explained most of the variations in CO2 flux (78 to 95%) in each treatment, but data from all treatments could not be fitted to a unique relationship. Increases in CO2 emission and soluble C resulting from manure amendments were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.75) with soil temperature. This observation confirms that soluble C is an active C pool affected by biological activity. The positive correlation between soluble organic C and soil temperature also suggests that production of soluble C increases more than mineralization of soluble C as temperature increases. The total manure-derived CO2-C was equivalent to 52% of the applied stockpiled-manure C and 67% of the applied rotted-manure C. Estimates of average turnover rates of microbial biomass ranged between 0.72 and 1.22 yr−1 and were lowest in manured soils. Manured soils also had large quantities of soluble C with a slower turnover rate than that in either fertilized or unamended soils. Key words: Soil respiration, greenhouse gas, soil carbon

Soil microbial biomass, labile and total carbon levels of grazed sown and native pastures in northern New South Wales

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 837 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Lodge ◽  
K. L. King
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Labile C ◽  
Microbial Quotient ◽  
Total Organic C

Studies were conducted at 3 pasture sites in northern New South Wales to examine the effects of grazing treatments over 4 years (spring 1997 to spring 2001) on soil microbial biomass carbon (C), labile C, total C, and total nitrogen (N). These data were collected (0–0.05 m soil depth) at 9 sampling times in 2 replicates of 5 (native pastures) or 4 (a sown pasture) grazing treatments and examined for differences over time using cubic spline analyses. For each site, differences among grazing treatments were also examined in spring 2001 for herbage, litter, and root mass (kg DM/ha), ground cover (%), and perennial grass basal cover (%). Indices were also calculated for the C pool index (CPI), lability index (LI), a carbon management index (CMI), and the microbial quotient. Relationships among microbial biomass C, labile C, total organic C, CPI, LI, CMI, microbial quotient, herbage mass, litter mass, and ground cover were examined by linear regression and correlation analyses. For each of the sites, treatment differences in the linear trend over time for soil microbial biomass C, labile C, total organic C, or total N were not significantly different (P > 0.05). In spring 2001, (4 years after treatments commenced) there were also no significant effects of treatments within sites on soil total organic C and none of the indices (lability of C, CPI, LI, CMI, or the microbial quotient) indicated any distinct trends among treatments. However, in spring 2001, there were significant (P < 0.05) treatment effects at both native pasture sites for herbage mass, litter mass, and ground cover. Similarly, in autumn 2001, herbage mass, root mass, and perennial grass basal cover were lowest (P < 0.05) in the continuously grazed high-stocking rate treatment at the sown pasture site. For all data, microbial biomass C was 10.35% of labile C and labile C was 21.60% of total C. From autumn 1998 to spring 2001, labile C was positively correlated (P < 0.05) with total C (r = 0.72) and in spring 2001, these 2 variables were also highly correlated (r = 0.98).

scholarly journals Relative contribution of plant traits and soil properties to the functioning of a temperate forest ecosystem in the Indian Himalayas

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Rawat ◽  
Kusum Arunachalam ◽  
Ayyandar Arunachalam ◽  
Juha Alatalo ◽  
Ujjwal Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Leaf N

Plant-soil interactions are a major determinant of changes in forest ecosystem processes and functioning. We conducted a trait-based study to quantify the contribution of plant traits and soil properties to above- and below-ground ecosystem properties in temperate forest in the Indian Himalayas. Nine plant traits (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf water content, leaf dry matter content, leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), leaf C/N, and leaf N/P) and eight soil properties (pH, moisture, available N, P, potassium (K), total C, N, P) were selected for determination of their contribution to major ecosystem processes (above-ground biomass C, soil organic C, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P, and soil respiration) in temperate forest. Among the plant traits studied, leaf C, N, P, and leaf N/P ratio proved to be the main contributors to above-ground biomass, explaining 20-27% of variation. Leaf N, P, and leaf N/P were the main contributors to below-ground soil organic C, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P, and soil respiration (explaining 33% of variation). Together, the soil properties pH, available P, total N and C explained 60% of variation in above-ground biomass, while pH and total C explained 56% of variation in soil organic C. Other soil properties (available P, total C and N) also explained much of the variation in soil microbial biomass C (52%) and N (67%), while soil pH explained some of variation in soil microbial biomass N (14%). Available P, total N, and pH explained soil microbial biomass P (81%), while soil respiration was only explained by soil total C (70%). Thusleaf traits and soil characteristics make a significant contribution to explaining variations in above- and below-ground ecosystem processes and functioning in temperate forest in the Indian Himalayas. Consequently, tree species for afforestation, restoration, and commercial forestryshould be carefully selected, as they can influence the climate change mitigation potential of forest in terms of C stocks in biomass and soils.

scholarly journals Evolution of Physico-Chemical Properties, Microbial Biomass and Microbial Activity of an Urban Soil after De-Sealing

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 596
Author(s):  
Giancarlo Renella
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Urban Soil ◽  
Urban Soils ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Physico Chemical

Recovery of soil fertility after de-sealing of urban soils is still poorly known. This work studied the time-related dynamics of soil physico-chemical and biochemical endpoints of urban soil in the city in Naples (Southern Italy), de-sealed for different time during construction works, that underwent colonization by volunteer plants. The results showed de-sealing decreased the soil bulk density and the soil pH value, increased the electrical conductivity (EC), total organic C (TOC) and extractable carbohydrates (TEC), total and inorganic N contents, soil basal respiration (SBR), soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and soil microbial biomass N (MBN), the substrate induced respiration (SIR) value, and enzyme activities involved in C, N, P and S mineralization. The TEC, total and inorganic N, SBR and microbial biochemical endpoints were higher in the de-sealed soils than those of an arable soil of the same area. The results show that de-sealed urban soils rapidly increase their physical, chemical and biological fertility even with no intervention, especially when they are colonized by volunteer plants.

Microbial biomass and activity in the humus layer following burning: short-term effects of two different fires

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1275-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Pietikäinen ◽  
Hannu Fritze
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Fungal Hyphae ◽  
C And N

During a 3-year study, soil microbial biomass C and N, length of the fungal hyphae, soil respiration, and the percent mass loss of needle litter were recorded in coniferous forest soil humus layers following a prescribed burning (PB) treatment or a forest fire simulation (FF) treatment (five plots per treatment). Unburned humus from adjacent plots served as controls (PC and FC, respectively). Prescribed burning was more intensive than the forest fire, and this was reflected in all the measurements taken. The amounts of microbial biomass C and N, length of fungal hyphae, and soil respiration in the PB area did not recover to their controls levels, whereas unchanged microbial biomass N and recovery of the length of the fungal hyphae to control levels were observed in the FF area. The mean microbial C/N ratio was approximately 7 in all the areas, which reflected the C/N ratio of the soil microbial community. Deviation from this mean value, as observed during the first three samplings from the PB area (3, 18, and 35 days after fire treatment), suggested a change in the composition of the microbial community. Of the two treated areas, the decrease in soil respiration (laboratory measurements) was much more pronounced in the PB area. However, when the humus samples from both areas were adjusted to 60% water holding capacity, no differences in respiration capacity were observed. The drier humus, due to higher soil temperatures, of the PB area is a likely explanation for the low soil respiration. Lower soil respiration was not reflected in lower litter decomposition rates of the PB area, since there was a significantly higher needle litter mass loss during the first year in the PB area followed by a decline to the control level during the second year. Consistently higher mass losses were recorded in the FC area than in the FF area.

scholarly journals Effects of liming on the microbial biomass and its activities in soils long-term contaminated by toxic elements

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 345-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Mühlbachová ◽  
P. Tlustoš
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Respiratory Activity ◽  
Soil Microbial Communities ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Lead Smelter ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Hydrogen Carbonates

The effects of liming by CaO and CaCO<sub>3</sub> on soil microbial characteristics were studied during laboratory incubation of long-term contaminated arable and grassland soils from the vicinity of lead smelter near Př&iacute;bram (Czech Republic). The CaO treatment showed significant negative effects on soil microbial biomass C and its respiratory activity in both studied soils, despite the fact that microbial biomass C in the grassland soil increased sharply during the first day of incubation. The metabolic quotient (qCO<sub>2</sub>) in soils amended by CaO showed greater values than the control from the second day of incubation, indicating a possible stress of soil microbial pool. The vulnerability of organic matter to CaO could be indicated by the availability of K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-extractable carbon that increased sharply, particularly at the beginning of the experiment. The amendment of soils by CaCO<sub>3 </sub>moderately increased the soil microbial biomass. The respiratory activity and qCO<sub>2</sub> increased sharply during the first day of incubation, however it is not possible to ascribe them only to microbial activities, but also to CaCO<sub>3</sub> decomposition in hydrogen carbonates, water and CO<sub>2</sub>. The pH values increased more sharply under CaO treatment in comparison to CaCO<sub>3</sub> treatment. The improvement of soil pH by CaCO<sub>3</sub> could be therefore more convenient for soil microbial communities.

Dynamics of soil microbial biomass C, N and P in disturbed and undisturbed stands of a tropical wet-evergreen forest

2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 113-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.R. Barbhuiya ◽  
A. Arunachalam ◽  
H.N. Pandey ◽  
K. Arunachalam ◽  
M.L. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial
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