Compost effect on bacterial and fungal colonization of kermes oak leaf litter in a terrestrial Mediterranean ecosystem

• Published in: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment ecosystems & environment, 2005-10, Vol.30 (2), p.79-89
• Main Authors: Larchevêque, M., Baldy, V., Korboulewsky, N., Ormeño, E., Fernandez, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Bacterial numbers; Biochemistry and biology; Biodiversity and Ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Environmental Sciences; Ergosterol; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Leaf litter; Mediterranean ecosystem; Microbial biomass; Microbiology; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Quercus coccifera L; Sewage sludge compost; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments
• ISSN: 0929-1393; 1873-0272
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2005.02.010

Mediterranean soils are generally low in organic matter and have a low water holding capacity. Moreover, recurrent fires are common in Mediterranean regions and increase the deterioration of these soils. Soil properties and ecosystem resilience after fire could be improved by amendment with compost, which is a source of organic matter and nutrients. A way to determine ecosystem integrity is to study leaf litter breakdown, which is a vital process in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and involves fungi and bacteria. In this study, we determined fungal and bacterial biomass associated with decomposing oak leaves ( Quercus coccifera L.) in a burnt shrub amended ecosystem during 1.5 years. Three treatments were studied: control, 50 t ha −1 and 100 t ha −1 of co-composted sewage sludge and green wastes. Bacterial biomass was not affected, although moisture, N and P concentrations in litter were increased by the amendment. However, fungal biomass was depressed on plots amended with 100 t ha −1, and negatively correlated to exchangeable P. For all treatments, both types of microorganisms followed marked seasonal dynamics, with peaks of biomass during the wet periods of the year.