Soybean is the most important oilseed cultivated in the world and Brazil is the second major producer. Expansion of soybean cultivation has direct and indirect impacts on natural habitats of high conservation value, such as the Brazilian savannas (Cerrado). In addition to deforestation, land conversion includes the use of fertilizers and pesticides and can lead to changes in the soil microbial ...

Soil samples were collected at both jointing and maturing stages of maize and wheat to compare the effects of 4-year no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) on seasonal variations of microbial biomass carbon (C), metabolic quotient, and invertase activity in a sandy loam soil in North China. Soil invertase activity significantly increased (P < 0.05) from summer to spring of the next year ...

The veredas (a type of wetlands) are wet ecosystems usually associated with the presence of hydromorphic soils, which often occur in the vicinity of springs and watercourses of the Cerrado region in Brazil. This study aimed to assess microbiological and biochemical soil properties in wetlands (veredas) located in preserved and disturbed environments (in farming and grazing areas) in the Cerrado...

BACKGROUND Since Spartina alterniflora (simplified as Spartina) has strong ecological competitiveness and rapid growth, it has been introduced and living in the coastal wetland regions of China for more than 30 years. Taking coastal wetland in the Beibu Gulf of south China as an example, the effects of Spartina invasion on soil quality were investigated to provide scientific basis for soil mana...

All the regulations that define a maximum concentration of metals in the receiving soil are based on total soil metal concentration. However, the potential toxicity of a heavy metal in the soil depends on its speciation and availability. We studied the effects of heavy metal speciation and availability on soil microorganism activities along a Cu/Zn contamination gradient. Microbial biomass and ...

The variation in bacterial, fungal and total microbial biomass and activity was studied together with the abundance of soil nematodes and microarthropods after the addition of substrates differing in nitrogen availability to a soddy-podzolic soil. The experiments were carried out in microcosms with native and defaunated soil to evaluate stimulatory and suppressive effects of the microfauna on s...

Rebuilding 'lost' soil carbon (C) is a priority in mitigating climate change and underpinning key soil functions that support ecosystem services. Microorganisms determine if fresh C input is converted into stable soil organic matter (SOM) or lost as CO2. Here we quantified if microbial biomass and respiration responded positively to addition of light fraction organic matter (LFOM, representing ...

Recent work in seasonally snow covered ecosystems has identified thawed soil and high levels of heterotrophic activity throughout the winter under consistent snow cover. We performed measurements during the winter of 1994 to determine how the depth and timing of seasonal snow cover affect soil microbial populations, surface water NO loss during snowmelt, and plant N availability early in the gr...

Microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon were studied in long-term field experiments with continuous cultivation of silage maize and with crop rotation. a positive effect of organic fertilizers on the microbial biomass nitrogen and the carbon content in soil was observed. Statistically significant effect of organic fertilizers on the higher content of microbial biomass C and n was established in t...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Forest soil microorganisms and fauna decompose the organic materials, and thus strongly influence the nutrient cycling of the ecosystem. Soil microorganisms also contribute to soil structure and soil fertility. In Taiwan, the microbial distributions of soils have only been determined in acidic soil, inorganic acidic soil, upland soil, alkaline soil and power plant areas. ...