Relationships of soil microbial biomass carbon and organic carbon with environmental parameters in mountainous soils of southwest China

The relationships between microbial biomass C, organic C, and environmental parameters were studied in soils under corn (Zea mays. L) in the mountainous areas of southwest China. Three yellowish-red (Ultisols), yellow (Ultisols) and yellowish-brown (Alfisols) soils were relatively weathered, leached and impoverished, with most having a low input of aboveground corn residues. Seasonal changes in soil microbial C at 0-10 cm depth were significant at each sampling site, with the highest value (120 g C m(-2)) in winter, and lowest value in summer (21 g C m(-2)). Microbial biomass C was significantly and negatively correlated with site elevation and positively correlated with mean annual temperature. The seasonal change in microbial biomass C was significantly correlated with total soil organic C. The decline in microbial biomass C estimated as a percentage of the total soil organic C was negatively correlated with the elevation above sea level, ranging from 3.9 +/- 0.9% below 600 m to 1.4 +/- 0.5% above 1,500 m, suggesting higher turnover rates of soil microbial biomass C at warmer air temperatures. Temperature influenced the decomposition of organic C in soils mainly through its effects on microbial biomass C, and the microbial biomass C/organic C ratio appears to be a sensitive index of the change in organic matter content of soil.