Effect of forest and soil type on microbial biomass carbon and respiration

Abstract

The aim of study was to evaluate the variation of soil microbial biomass carbon (C mic ) and microbial respiration (M R ) in three types soil (Chromic Cambisols, Chromic Luvisols and Eutric Leptosols) of mixed beech forest (Beech-Hornbeam and Beech-Maple). Soil was randomly sampled from 0-10 cm layer (plant litter removed), 90 soil samples were taken. C mic determined by the fumigation-extraction method and M R by closed bottle method. Soil C org , N tot and рН were measured. There are significant differences between the soil types concerning the C mic content and M R . These parameters were highest in Chromic Cambisols following Chromic Luvisols, while the lowest were in Eutric Leptosols. A similar trend of C org and N tot was observed in studied soils. Two-way ANOVA indicated that soil type and forest type have significantly effect on the most soil characteristics. Chromic Cambisols shows a productive soil due to have the maximum C mic , M R , C org and N tot . In Cambisols under Beech-Maple forest the C mic value and soil C/N ratio were higher compared to and 16.3 and 3.3, respectively). This fact might be indicated that Maple litter had more easy decomposable organic compounds than Hornbeam. According to regression analysis, 89 and 68 percentage of C mic variability could explain by soil C org and N tot respectively.

Humusica 2, article 19: Techno humus systems and global change–conservation agriculture and 4/1000 proposal

“…However, the most important benefit of a working soil food web almost always comes as a surprise to the lay person: plants use the soil food web to feed themselves (Habashi, 2016;Lynch et al, 2004;Puga-Freitas and Blouin, 2015). They expend just as much or even more photosynthetic energy producing exudates, mostly carbohydrates, but also proteins as they do producing leaves, flowers or fruits.…”