Journal article

Carbon and nitrogen relationships in the microbial biomass of soils in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests


Authors listJoergensen, RG; Anderson, TH; Wolters, V

Publication year1995

Pages141-147

JournalBiology and Fertility of Soils

Volume number19

Issue number2-3

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336150

PublisherSpringer


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.




Citation Styles

Harvard Citation styleJoergensen, R., Anderson, T. and Wolters, V. (1995) Carbon and nitrogen relationships in the microbial biomass of soils in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests, Biology and Fertility of Soils, 19(2-3), pp. 141-147. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336150

APA Citation styleJoergensen, R., Anderson, T., & Wolters, V. (1995). Carbon and nitrogen relationships in the microbial biomass of soils in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 19(2-3), 141-147. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336150


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