Microbial biomass in relation to C and N mineralization during laboratory incubationsShow others and affiliations
1988 (English)In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, ISSN 0038-0717, E-ISSN 1879-3428, Vol. 20, no 3, p. 281-286Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Net carbon and nitrogen mineralization rates were determined for an arable soil during 12 weeks at 37†C using an aerobic incubation-leaching technique. The amounts of mineralized C and N were compared to changes in the contents of C and N in microbial biomass (as determined by the chloroform fumigation incubation method; CFIM) during the incubation and to amounts of organic C and N in the leachates. Microorganisms were also followed by direct counting of bacteria, measurements of total hyphal lengths and fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-active hyphae, and by most probable number determinations of protozoa (naked amoebae and flagellates).
Numbers of naked amoebae increased nearly 10-fold initially and then decreased between weeks 6 and 12. Bacterial numbers and FDA-active hyphae decreased during the incubation, and the relative composition changed slightly in favour of bacteria. Total hyphal lengths remained almost constant.
A total of 105 μg N g'- soil dry wt and 1179 μg C g- soil dry wt was mineralized during the incubation, while the microbial N pool decreased by 42 γm- soil dry wt and the microbial C pool decreased by 225μ g- soil dry wt. Soluble organic matter in the leachates amounted to 16 and 31% of mineralized C and N, respectively.
The possibility of measuring C mineralization with less frequent teachings and determinations of N mineralization offers an easy method for assessing changes in labile soil organic matter over time or for comparisons between soils. Through the use of appropriate C-to-N ratios, the N-content in the labile pool can be calculated.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 1988. Vol. 20, no 3, p. 281-286
National Category
Soil Science
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-52231DOI: 10.1016/0038-0717(88)90004-1ISI: A1988P241000003Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-0024222133OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-52231DiVA, id: diva2:971163
2016-09-152016-09-152017-11-21Bibliographically approved