Journal
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 319-328Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2006.07.004
Keywords
microbial biomass; metabolic quotient; FDA hydrolysis; arginine ammonification; potentially mineralizable N; salinity
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The effects of salinity on the size, activity and community structure of soil microorganisms in salt affected and soils were investigated in Shuangta region of west central Anxi County, Gansu Province, China. Eleven soils were selected which had an electrical conductivity (EC) gradient of 0.32-23.05 mS cm(-1). There was a significant negative exponential relationship between EC and microbial biomass C, the percentage of soil organic C present as microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, microbial biomass N to total N ratio, basal soil respiration, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis rate, arginine ammonification rate and potentially mineralizable N. The exponential relationships with EC demonstrate the highly detrimental effect that soil salinity had on the microbial community. In contrast, the metabolic quotient (qCO(2)) was positively correlated with EC, and a quadratic relationship between qCO(2), and EC was observed. There was an inverse relationship between qCO(2), and microbial biomass C. These results indicate that higher salinity resulted in a smaller, more stressed microbial community which was less metabolically efficient. The biomass C to biomass N ratio tended to be lower in soils with higher salinity, reflecting the bacterial dominance in microbial biomass in saline soils. Consequently,our data suggest that salinity is a stressful environment for soil microorganisms. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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