Journal article

Publication year: 1995

Pages: 209-214

Journal: Biology and Fertility of Soils

Volume number: 19

Issue number: 2-3

ISSN: 0178-2762

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336161

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 

Microbial biomass C, ATP, and substrate-induced respiration were
measured in the organic layers and the mineral A horizon of three beech
forest soils with moder humus differing in Ca and Mg supply. Analyses of
variance showed that horizon-specific differences explained most of the
variance in the three microbial parameters. All three were
significantly interrelated, with Spearman rank correlation coefficients
of between 0.86 and 0.93. However, differences in the decline of these
parameters with depth led to horizon-specific differences in their
ratios. Thus, the ratios were not markedly interrelated. The mean ATP:
microbial C ratio was 5.2 μmol ATP g^-1 C in the L 2 layer,
19.5 in the F layers, and 9.6 in the H and A horizons. The ratio of
substrate-induced respiration to microbial C varied between 39.3 and
82.2 O₂h^-1 g^-1 C in the F1 layers and
between 5.3 and 32.1 μl in the other layers. It is concluded that the
use of different parameters can help to analyze both horizonand
site-specific differences in microbial performance.

Harvard Citation style: Stockfisch, N., Joergensen, R., Wolters, V., Klein, T. and Eberhardt, U. (1995) Examination of microbial biomass in beech forest moder profiles, Biology and Fertility of Soils, 19(2-3), pp. 209-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336161

APA Citation style: Stockfisch, N., Joergensen, R., Wolters, V., Klein, T., & Eberhardt, U. (1995). Examination of microbial biomass in beech forest moder profiles. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 19(2-3), 209-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336161