Responses of N-Cycling Enzyme Activities and Functional Diversity of Soil Microorganisms to Soil Depth, Pedogenic Processes and Cultivated Plants

The rates of N cycling and soil enzyme activities involved in the transformation of soil N-related nutrients are rarely measured in soils below a 30 cm depth, even though substantial amounts of nitrogen are also stored in deep soils. The aim of this study was to determine how soil microbial and enzymatic properties changed as a function of depth across soil profiles that were developed on the same parent material but differed in terms of soil-forming processes. Two soil profiles were excavated in fields with lucerne and two under winter wheat. We assessed the N-cycling enzymes, the microbial utilization of the N-substrates, the microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen (MBC, MBN) content, and the related physicochemical properties. The most beneficial enzymatic (on a soil mass) and microbial properties, as well as nitrogen substrate utilization, were found in the Ap horizons and decreased with depth to varying degrees. The specific enzymatic activity (per unit of soil TOC and MBC), was more variable in response to the depth of the profile, but did not exhibit clear trends. The potential enzyme activities in the subsurface layers were also affected by factors that are associated with the pedogenic processes (e.g., the lessivage process, clay content). Only nitrate reductase activity was significantly higher in the horizons with potential reducing conditions compared to oxidative horizons, while the opposite trend was found for N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity. The cultivated plants had a significant impact on the degree of enzymatic activity and N-substrate utilization. The lessivage process significantly reduced microbial biomass and enzymatic activity (except for NAG activity). In general, nitrogen substrate utilization decreased with increasing soil depth and was greater in lucerne than the winter wheat profiles. Mollic Stagnic Gleysols (MSG) and Cambic Stagnic Phaeozems (CSP) horizons also have higher nitrogen substrate utilization than Luvisol profiles.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to investigate how soil microbial and enzymatic properties vary with depth in soil profiles formed by different soil-forming processes. The study found that enzymatic activity and microbial properties were highest in the Ap horizons and decreased with depth. Soil-forming processes and cultivated plants had a significant impact on enzymatic activity and nitrogen substrate utilization. Nitrogen substrate utilization decreased with increasing soil depth and was higher in specific soil profiles.