Soil Microbial Community and Enzymatic Activity of Grasslands under Different Use Practices: A Review

The usage of grassland significantly affects the microbial and biochemical parameters of soil epipedons. The use of grasslands (by mowing, grazing, and mowing and grazing) affects the dominance of bacteria in abundance relative to fungal populations. This was particularly noticeable when manual mowing was applied. In general, the highest number of microorganisms occurred during spring and summer, which should be associated with the intensity of growth of root systems of grass vegetation. It was noted that the grazing system caused an increase in the enzymatic activity of urease and slightly less dehydrogenases and acid and alkaline phosphatase. Therefore, microbial abundance and enzymatic activity are considered as indicator parameters to evaluate the biological soil environment. They are highly probable estimates of soil fertility and ecosystem biodiversity.

Automated summary

The usage of grassland significantly affects the microbial and biochemical parameters of soil epipedons. The dominance of bacteria and fungal populations in soil is affected by different grassland management practices, particularly manual mowing. Microbial abundance is highest during spring and summer, likely due to the growth of grass root systems. Grazing increases the activity of urease and slightly decreases the activity of dehydrogenases and acid and alkaline phosphatase. Microbial abundance and enzymatic activity are important indicators of soil fertility and ecosystem biodiversity.