ISSN:
1432-0789
Keywords:
Microbial biomass
;
Biomass C:N ratio Acidification
;
Beech forest
;
Soil organic C
;
Total N
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Geosciences
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract Soils from 38 German forest sites, dominated by beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) were sampled to a depth of about 10 cm after careful removal of overlying organic layers. Microbial biomass N and C were measured by fumigation-extraction. The pH of the soils varied between 3.5 and 8.3, covering a wide range of cation exchange capacity, organic C, total N, and soil C:N values. Maximum biomass C and biomass N contents were 2116 μg C m-2 and 347 μg N m-2, while minimum contents were 317 and 30 μg m-2, respectively. Microbial biomass N and C were closely correlated. Large variations in microbial biomass C:N ratios were observed (between 5.4 and 17.3, mean 7.7), indicating that no simple relationship exists between these two parameters. The frequency distribution of the parameters for C and N availability to the microflora divided the soils into two subgroups (with the exception of one soil): (1) microbial: organic C〉12 mg g-1, microbial:total N〉28 mg g-1 (n=23), a group with high C and N availability, and (2) microbial:organic C≤12 mg g-1, microbial:total N≦28 mg g-1 (n=14), a group with low C and N availability. With the exception of a periodically waterlogged soil, the pH of all soils belonging to subgroup 2 was below 5.0 and the soil C:N ratios were comparatively high. Within these two subgroups no significant correlation between the microbial C:N ratio and soil pH or any other parameter measured was found. The data suggest that above a certain threshold (pH 5.0) microbial C:N values vary within a very small range over a wide range of pH values. Below this threshold, in contrast, the range of microbial C:N values becomes very large.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00336150
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