The percentage of soil pore space filled with water (percent waterfilled pores, % WFP), as determined by water content and total porosity, appears to be closely related to soil microbial activity under different tillage regimes. Soil incubated in the laboratory at 60% WFP supported maximum aerobic microbial activity as determined by CO2 production and O2 uptake. In the field, % WFP of surface n...

soil to the atmosphere and it is measured at the soil surface (Rolston, 1986). Increases of soil CO2 efflux Little is known about the short-term effects (hours to days) of are not always preceded by increases in soil respiration tillage on labile pools of C and N, or microbial activity and community composition. We examined the effects of rototillage on microbial (Calderón et al., 2000). Tillag...

Land use changes in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of south Florida may alter microbial activity and organic matter decomposition and ultimately influence the fate of P in soil. The objectives of this study were to determine effects of long-term cultivation and fertilization on microbial activity and P dynamics for contrasting land uses in the EAA. Soils (0-15 cm) under pasture for 100 ...

Microbial activity is known to continue during the winter months in cold alpine and Arctic soils often resulting in high microbial biomass. Complex soil nutrient dynamics characterize the transition when soil temperatures approach and exceed 0 1C in spring. At the time of this transition in alphine soils microbial biomass declines dramatically together with soil pools of available nutrients. Th...

The environmental risk of heavy metal pollution is pronounced in soils adjacent to large industrial complexes. It is important to investigate the functioning of soil microorganisms in ecosystems exposed to long-term contamination by heavy metals. We studied the potential effects of heavy metals on microbial biomass, activity, and community composition in soil near a copper smelter in China. The...

Studies to the feasibility to characterize soil types by soil microbiological and biochemical analysis focus on the existence of microbial and biochemical characteristics distinctive to individual soil types. Many authors have attempted to elucidate relationships between microbiological and physico-chemical properties of different soil types (DUTZLER-FRANZ, 1977a, b; KHAZIYEV and KHABIROV, 1983...

The practice of adding organic amendments to crop soils is undergoing resurgence as an efficient way to restore soil organic matter content and to improve soil quality. The quantity and quality of the organic matter inputs affect soil physicochemical properties and soil microbiota, influencing different parameters such as microbial biomass and diversity, community structure and microbial activi...

Climate warming could increase rates of soil organic matter turnover and nutrient mineralization, particularly in northern high-latitude ecosystems. However, the effects of increasing nutrient availability on microbial processes in these ecosystems are poorly understood. To determine how soil microbes respond to nutrient enrichment, we measured microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities...

Background: Soil microorganisms play key roles in nutrient cycling and are distributed throughout the soil profile. Currently, there is little information about the characteristics of the microbial communities along the soil depth because most studies focus on microorganisms inhabiting the soil surface. To better understand the functions and composition of microbial communities and the biogeoch...

Climate warming could increase rates of soil organic matter turnover and nutrient mineralization, particularly in northern high-latitude ecosystems. However, the effects of increasing nutrient availability on microbial processes in these ecosystems are poorly understood. To determine how soil microbes respond to nutrient enrichment, we measured microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities...